Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle
Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post. She previously worked in Iceland and Qatar and was a Fulbright scholar in Spain where she earned a master's degree in digital media. She's been a kayaking guide in Alaska, farmed on four continents and worked the night shift at several bakeries to support her reporting along the way.
Kotek orders new council to investigate quality of reading instruction at Oregon teacher colleges
A new early literacy council will recommend licensing updates to ensure newly-minted educators understand decades of best practices and reading science.
Oregon public universities ask state for more funding as students pay record tuition
Administrators say they need more than $500 million a year to cover their costs.
Schools hiring emergency teachers for special education, potentially violating federal law
OREGON NEWS: More than 130 emergency licensed instructors in Oregon who don’t have to meet federally mandated standards are teaching students with disabilities.
$120 million proposal to boost student literacy advances in Legislature
AT THE CAPITOL: The Early Literacy Success Initiative proposed at the Oregon Legislature would pay for reading tutors, teacher training and require a shift to teaching methods based on decades of research.
Port of Morrow allows thousands of gallons of wastewater to leak and fails to alert DEQ
Officials with the Port of Morrow, based in Boardman, said initially they didn’t know about the leak but later acknowledged they had, violating their wastewater permit
Farmers pack legislative hearing on bill that would halt new large animal operations
Testimony from farmers, environmental advocates and industry reveal deeper concerns about the future of farming in Oregon.
Lawmakers, environmentalists want state pension fund divested of fossil fuels
AT THE CAPITOL: A proposal from several Democrats and environmentalists would mandate the Oregon state pension fund to divest billions in fossil fuel holdings
Oregon has failed to address its water security crisis, government report finds
An audit by the Secretary of State’s Office found divided authority on the issue, with the involvement of three departments, and a lack of funding and cooperation.
SPECIAL REPORT: DEQ steps up oversight after discovery of ‘reckless’ reporting by company
DEQ officials say the agency is more closely monitoring companies in its carbon credit Clean Fuels Program after TTS Charging sold $1.8 million in credits linked to false data.
SPECIAL REPORT: How startup took advantage of DEQ program with lax oversight to net $1.8 million
A Lincoln City entrepreneur reported false data to the DEQ's Clean Fuels Program, sold invalid carbon credits and went on a spending spree. An Oregon Capital Chronicle Special Report details what happened.