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A day care at Oregon State University-Cascade in Bend was supposed to be the gold standard for early childhood education and play a key role in addressing the lack of infant care options in the region.

Now, just 11 months later, Little Kits has suddenly closed. That’s left families in a frenzied search for child care, demanding some answers beyond “ongoing financial challenges.” OPB’s Kathryn Styer Martinez reports on the recent day care’s closure.

In other news, the bi-state effort to replace the aging I-5 bridge cleared a major hurdle yesterday: it gained federal approval.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news. And, a quick note, the newsletter is taking a break this holiday weekend but will resume on Monday.

— John Hill

Top story

Bend day care closure highlights infant care desert in Central Oregon

Oregon State University-Cascades abruptly closed its Little Kits day care center in Bend today, leaving my parents scrambling.

Little Kits’ sudden closure is a blow in a Central Oregon city already struggling with a day care shortage.

Parents have pressed OSU-Cascades for answers, but much is still unknown about what led to the program’s downfall beyond “ongoing financial challenges,” according to a statement provided on the facility’s website. (Kathryn Styer Martínez)

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3 things to know

1. More than 100 people have now come forward with allegations of abuse by a former Southwest Washington pediatrician accused of a broad range of inappropriate behaviors with children. (Erik Neumann)
2. Oregonians looking to skill-up quickly now have access to federal student aid. But most colleges in the state won’t have eligible workforce programs until next year. (Tiffany Camhi)
3. The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program announced yesterday that it had received federal approval to begin construction, kickstarting construction on the long-delayed megaproject between Oregon and Washington. (Erik Neumann)

Northwest headlines

• 1803 Fund’s vision to revive North Portland’s Albina neighborhood takes step forward with purchase of Streimer campus (Kyra Buckley, OPB)

• Proposal to keep beleaguered 100-year-old Umpqua Basin fish hatchery open brings hope, frustration (Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Oregon, 24 other states sue Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements (Anna Claire Vollers, Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Western governors establish multi-state task force to update the region’s transmission lines (Alixel Cabrera, Washington State Standard)

• Nation’s first state-run long-term care insurance program about to launch in Washington (Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

Today’s planned topics:

Topics subject to change.

• Why some Oregon communities have high rates of alcohol-related deaths among older adults

• Mixed-income cohousing development in North Portland gets boost with state funding

One more look

‘This is mine as well’: Portland artist crafts ‘true American flag’ with Oregon-grown dyes

When dye artist Elan Hagens set out to craft what she calls a “true” American flag, getting those pristine reds, whites and blues was a task for her green thumb.

The born-and-raised Portlander has many veterans in her family tree, including her sister and late father and stepfather. But as a Black American whose ancestors were enslaved and denied citizenship until 1868, Hagens’ feelings for the stars and stripes are complicated.

“It wavers a lot, my pride. It does waver,” she said. “But one thing I’ve always wanted to make is a true American flag, one where the dye for the red and the dye for the blue were grown from plants in North America. Because we do love our country and I love what my ancestors have stewarded and worked so hard for.”

Hagens, who has been gardening since childhood, joined other volunteers on a Sauvie Island farm last spring to plant indigo — a plant with deep historical roots and leaves that, when processed, provided the rich blue pigment Hagens needed for the blue star field of her flag. (Jule Gilfillan)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/02/opb-first-look-bend-day-care-closure/