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Good morning, Northwest. The welcome message goes here as it usually does.

Hitting the road in some parts of Oregon in an electric vehicle could be a little less challenging by the end of next year.

The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to use a second round of federal infrastructure funding to add 200 public DC fast chargers to some of the state’s major highways. A pit stop to recharge can take as little as 20 minutes with the fast chargers.

OPB’s Monica Samayoa reports on details of the plan. Last year, ODOT awarded about $10 million toward the construction of 13 fast-charging stations.

In other news, Portland Public Schools is moving forward with a controversial contract to manage its bond projects, including the rebuild of Jefferson High School. The five-year contract will cost $61.5 million.

And if you’re looking for some holiday cheer, see what chef David Diffendorfer is cooking up at the Benson Hotel in Portland. He’s been making the signature gingerbread display there for 32 years, crafting elaborate holiday art in the lobby.

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

— John Hill

Oregon seeks companies to build out electric vehicle fast-charging stations on five major roadways

Oregon’s EV footprint has been steadily increasing, with more than 126,000 registered electric vehicles in the state as of August. But public charging ports have struggled to keep up.

The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to add hundreds more fast-charging ports by the end of next year with the help of a federal infrastructure grant.

ODOT is looking for companies to build charging stations along five major highways across the state.

“We’re talking about an additional 250 to 300 fast charging ports in some of the most rural communities, especially in Oregon,” ODOT’s transportation electrification coordinator Brett Howell said. “Round two representing U.S. 26, U.S. 20, the eastern portion of Interstate 84, these are what most electric vehicle drivers would describe as charging deserts where there’s very few options for people to commute.” (Monica Samayoa)

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3 things to know this morning

• The Oregon Housing and Community Services confirmed to OPB on Tuesday that it expects to receive federal funds for the low-income home energy assistance program, or LIHEAP. That payment to the state was delayed because of the federal government shutdown. (Monica Samayoa)
• Portland City Councilors have approved a new policy designed to penalize landlords who lease to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on a 9-2 vote with one absence yesterday. (Alex Zielinski)
• The Portland school board voted Tuesday night to pay millions to an outside company to oversee four major construction projects: rebuilds of three high schools and the creation of the Center for Black Student Excellence. (Elizabeth Miller)

LIVE: Homelessness in Portland and taxes in Oregon take center stage

On today’s livestream episode of “OPB Politics Now,” reporters Dirk VanderHart and Alex Zielinski talk about two of the biggest topics in Oregon politics – the state’s handling of the overall business climate and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s long shot effort to end unsheltered homelessness. Tune in at the OPB YouTube channel at 10:30 a.m.

Listen & Watch

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Portland State professor alleges discrimination and retaliation in tort claim against the university (Tiffany Camhi)
• Former West Linn doctor’s sexual abuse trial postponed to 2026 (Holly Bartholomew)
• Deni Avdija scores 27 points to help the Trail Blazers beat the Cavaliers 122-110 (Associated Press)
• Officials along Oregon’s North Coast wrestle with how to respond to ICE operations (Katie Frankowicz)
• Trump administration sues Washington state for not sharing voter data (Jake Goldstein-Street)
• Northwest growers test new tree varieties as droughts threaten Christmas crop (Lauren Paterson)
• Oregon’s Christmas tree specialist tends to one of state’s most important crops (Tiffany Eckert)
• Eugene’s LGBTQ+ community creates new ways to connect after the closure of Spectrum (Kendra Schertell)

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):

• Astoria dance instructor honored for 75 years of teaching dance
• Immigration agencies have access to license plate data in Washington state

Behind the curtain of The Benson Hotel’s 54th gingerbread castle

In the lobby of The Benson Hotel in downtown Portland, carefully crafted icing trees and shimmering towers take shape.

Based on the film classic “The Wizard of Oz” with a nod to the recently released blockbuster “Wicked,” this Emerald City is made entirely of gingerbread cookies.

But the wizard behind the curtain of this story is David Diffendorfer, the chef who has been creating The Benson’s gingerbread house for decades.

Just one day before its completion, the chef is busy at work, diving in and out of a curtained-off area in the hotel lobby — the hotel staff’s attempt at keeping the theme a secret from the public, which was unveiled on Tuesday. (Saskia Hatvany)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/04/first-look-oregon-plans-add-electric-vehicle-fast-charging-stations/