Meerah Powell
Reporter & Producer | OPBMeerah Powell is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for OPB. She previously worked as a news reporter and podcast producer for Eugene Weekly in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Along with writing and audio work, Meerah also has experience with photography and videography. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication.
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The president plans to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loans per eligible student. -
Several universities reassure students and employees of ongoing reproductive health protections in Oregon. Two large private universities with religious ties stay quiet. -
More than $2 million will go to the schools to support the recruitment and retention of rural students. -
EOU鈥檚 increase is just below what would require state approval -
The Oregon Institute of Technology says it will lower its tuition increase due to estimated additional funding from the state. Southern Oregon University will get increased state funding, as well. -
Falling enrollment and financial challenges are plaguing Oregon's regional state universities. Western Oregon University is the first to announce a tuition increase for the next school year in an attempt to deal with those impacts. -
OIT and OSU are the latest public universities in Oregon to set their tuition rates for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. -
Educators, advocates and a state lawmaker say phonics-based reading teacher training could help Oregon children. Federal pandemic relief money could pay for it. -
The Uniform Bar Exam is currently the sole pathway to attorney licensure for people in the state. The Oregon Supreme Court last week unanimously made a move toward alternative pathways for attorney licensure -
Oregon officials say they are on track to receive 6 million at-home COVID-19 test kits, containing 12 million individual tests, by the end of January. That includes nearly a million test kits expected in the next seven days. But the tests won't be distributed directly to consumers. -
The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority say schools should stop extracurricular activities or ensure use of masks, testing and other mitigating measures. -
The CDC recently shortened the recommended time for people to quarantine if they contract COVID-19 but the state's public schools and universities are waiting to hear from the Oregon Health Authority on whether the state will adhere to that change.