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Good morning, Northwest.

All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter are set to close for repairs starting Friday through mid-October.

OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil reports on how the closure will affect businesses, schools and events, plus how transportation officials are encouraging people to get around.

Also this morning, we check in with the mayor of White Salmon, Washington: a 15-year-old tabby cat named Huxley.

Here’s your First Look at Wednesday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Authorities try to avoid ‘carmageddon’ during 5-week closure of I-5 southbound

Beginning Sept. 11, all the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 will be closed for five weeks.

Parts of the road bed haven’t been replaced since 1985. Crews will also earthquake-proof the overpasses by adding new beams; install better signage; build an expanded passing lane; and improve the storm drains by adding filters that keep trash out of the Willamette River.

ODOT hopes to be able to get everything done in five weeks, but it depends on the weather. Things like pouring concrete, striping roads and laying tarmac don’t do well in the rain.

Interim Director Chris Warner said the transportation agency considered leaving one lane open, or doing the work on the weekends. But it would have been more expensive and taken longer, so commuters and transportation-dependent businesses are preparing for a shutdown lasting from September well into October. (Kristian Foden-Vencil)

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3 things to know

1. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read and others reiterated yesterday that Oregon’s vote-by-mail system is likely to proceed as normal, despite Trump administration efforts to derail it. But Read also stressed that voters should cast their ballots as early as possible, and use official drop boxes. (Dirk VanderHart)
2. In a significant escalation of her position on an issue prompting voter outrage around the country, Gov. Tina Kotek appeared at an anti-data center rally outside the Capitol building in Salem, lending her support to calls for lawmakers to pass a temporary data center ban when they convene next year. (Antonio Sierra)
3. Northeast Portland’s Benson Polytechnic High School was evacuated yesterday morning due to a chemical spill. School and emergency officials said later at a press conference that a student drank toxic chemicals and then spilled them in the cafeteria. (Elizabeth Miller)

Northwest headlines

• Medical examiner finds man Tased by Portland police died from self-inflicted wounds (Troy Brynelson)

• Oregon’s yelloweye rockfish fishery to reopen after 25 years (Theo Greenly, Jefferson Public Radio)

• Coming in November: A big election for Washington’s state Supreme Court (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)

• An epic train chase filmed in Oregon is turning 100 — and Buster Keaton fans are celebrating (NPR)

One more look

Welcome to White Salmon. Please don’t feed the mayor

The unofficial mayor of White Salmon, Washington, strolled in at 5:30 p.m. as the World Cup match between the U.S. and Belgium got underway. The Tarwater Tavern was filling up.

He wove through the crowd, all poise and nonchalance, sporting a tan coat streaked with dark brown.

“Huxleyyyyyyyyy!” one man yelled out, ungluing his eyes from the television screen. “Hello Mayor! What’s up, Mr. Mayor?” said another, leaning over for a closer look.

His Honor dispensed with greetings. He was preoccupied: his usual seat, fitted with a rectangular white pillow, was taken by a soccer fan. He looked from side to side, then approached an empty leather bench. He jumped up, circled a few times, then dropped into a ball and fell asleep.

It was just another night on the town for White Salmon’s most famous dignitary, a 15-year-old tabby cat. (Lisa Rein)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/09/opbs-first-look-carmageddon-coming/