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Kati Parazoo grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, and graduated from Douglas High School. She was proud to return to the school as a teacher in 2018. But last week, she resigned after the rural Southern Oregon school district decided to reopen its high school with a hybrid model, allowing for some in-person learning, despite a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the county.

The inaugural poet to hold the position will serve a two-year term and receive a $5,000 honorarium.

A wildfire burning about five miles north of Beatty in Klamath County covers more than 1,600 acres. Lane and Marion counties have extended burn bans through Friday. Multnomah and Clackamas counties had temporary burn bans in place through Wednesday and will re-assess conditions Thursday. And warm, windy weather has increased fire risk throughout Oregon. Ian Yocum is a battalion chief for Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. He gives us details on this year’s fire season and how the threat of fires is increasing across the state.

Portland students launch mobile vaccine finderLONG SYNOPSIS: Students from six Portland-area high schools have created a vaccine finder. The tool can be accessed on any device that sends a text. The finder can search Oregon zip codes to find available appointments at pharmacies. Rye Scholin, a senior at St. Mary’s Academy cofounded the Portland Student Pandemic Response group a year ago. In that time, students have collaborated on a variety of projects including the vaccine finder.

Students, parents and teachers at Summit High School in Bend have been on a pandemic rollercoaster. The school closed down for in-person instruction just days after it had transitioned from online learning. Dozens of its students tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak connected to a party. The high school reopens Monday.

White Oregonians are vaccinated against COVID-19 at higher rates than many Oregonians of color. But they are less likely to contract COVID-19 than Black, Indigenous and Pacific Islander people.

With the Oregon ban on indoor dining lifted, many restaurants are working hard to attract customers inside while minimizing the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. In Bend, Riane Welch and her fiancé are reopening their Boxwood Kitchen dining room. The small restaurant, like many others in the state, has struggled to stay afloat over the last year, trying everything from takeout and delivery to maximizing outdoor seating.

The pandemic has taken away a key element for performing artists — a live audience. Many artists and performers have moved their shows online since the start of the pandemic. Now, some are starting to think about what returning to in-person shows will be like. We talk with Shelley McLendon, comedian and owner of The Siren Theater and Bad Reputation Productions, about her ambitions to return to the stage. We’re also joined by Anjali Hursh and Stephen Strausbaugh of DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, who moved their dance parties online during the pandemic.

Fliers are circulating around social media for a “flag wave” event at an intersection near Clackamas Community College. Word is also spreading of a related counter protest meeting at the college itself.

Portland State University’s Archaeology Roadshow is aimed at bringing the science of studying past human cultures to life. PSU professor emerita Virginia Butler organized the event and hopes next year it can get back to an in-person event, so that people can get up close and personal with the artifacts. But since it’s virtual this year, it has the potential to reach more people than ever before.