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Good morning, Northwest.

If you and your family are looking for a place to spend some summer leisure time, the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Institute has something for you: The skeleton of a 70-foot blue whale that washed ashore in Gold Beach more than 10 years ago has recently been installed there. OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil traveled to Newport to learn more.

If you’re heading farther south in Oregon, the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland is a must-see. Oregon Art Beat producer Geneva Chin spoke with OSF artistic director Tim Bond to learn why the festival is still going strong after more than nine decades.

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

— Winston Szeto

Top story

70-foot blue whale skeleton being installed in Newport

A decade ago, the body of a 70-foot blue whale washed ashore near Gold Beach, Oregon.

It’s not uncommon for a grey whale to turn up on Oregon’s beaches. But a blue whale is different. They live primarily in the deep ocean and when they die, their bodies tend to sink.

So, when this 100-ton blue whale appeared near Gold Beach in 2015, leaders at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute took it as an opportunity to turn loss into learning.

After 10 years of work it’s being installed at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Institute for students and visitors alike.(Kristian Foden-Vencil)

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3 things to know

1. Jackson County Public Health has detected measles in the region’s wastewater, prompting officials to warn residents about possible community spread of the virus.(Justin Higginbottom, JPR)
2. Several activists held a press conference yesterday in Eugene’s Scobert Park, following last weekend’s release of bodycam footage that showed a Eugene Police officer making racist remarks, and joking about domestic violence and gassed protesters.(Brian Bull, KLCC)
3. Portland Community College Board of Directors announced Thursday that President Adrien Bennings will leave her post at the end of June, after four years leading the college and two years before her contract is up.(Elizabeth Miller)

Northwest headlines

• UO President Scholz says university needs $65M in budget cuts (Nathan Wilk/KLCC)
• Washington gets $538M in delayed COVID-era payments from FEMA (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• PeaceHealth fires top Oregon hospital executive, effective immediately (Tiffany Eckert, KLCC)
• Ruling halts logging project in Southern Oregon(April Ehrlich)

One more look

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s comeback season

Oregon Shakespeare Festival is staging a comeback for the 2026 season.

Wildfires and COVID-19 almost sent the curtain crashing down on the well-loved festival. When Tim Bond became artistic director in 2023, OSF was in dire straits.

Bond says OSF had to reduce the staff from 600 to 400 employees and make other budget cuts to save the 91-year-old organization.

But this year, attendance is up and Bond is confident in the theater’s future. (Dan Evans, J Jackson and Geneva Chin)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/16/blue-whale-skeleton-opb-first-look/