Karen Richards
Reporter and HostKaren Richards joined KLCC as a volunteer reporter in 2012, and became a freelance reporter at the station in 2015. In addition to news reporting, she’s contributed to several feature series for the station, earning multiple awards for her reporting.
Beginning in 2022, Richards also fills in as a host on KLCC’s news magazines.
Richards has a background in editing and publishing, and has worked for magazines and book publishers, as well as doing some unconventional freelance writing, such as constructing crossword puzzles and producing playing cards.
When she’s not near a microphone, Karen might be holding a macro-lens camera, taking photos of insects.
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A new control system allowed Springfield to more quickly assess storm damage to its new streetlightsThe January ice storm threw a monkey wrench into the City of Springfield’s project to replace its 5,000 or so streetlights with new LED fixtures.
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January’s ice storm tested the Eugene Water and Electric Board’s water system on several fronts. There were six water main breaks, one pump failure, and, critically, the utility lost power to its Hayden Bridge filtration plant, and had to run on backup power for 36 hours.
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In 2020, OSU Extension started a gardening from seed program, in part because people worried that grocery stores wouldn’t be able to stock fresh produce during the pandemic.
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Sunday’s women’s basketball game between Oregon and Oregon State may be the last in a 48-year series.
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During the last week of January, communities across the country conduct a count of their homeless population.
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A small Douglas County city has earned a $1.2 million housing grant that may lead to big changes.
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Because of extensive damage to trees and power lines from this month’s ice storm, Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene is now a hard hat zone.
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After last week’s storm, an immense amount of woody debris has littered communities in southwestern Oregon. Spokesperson Kelly Shadwick told KLCC the City of Eugene has cleared the priority streets and bike paths, and will assess smaller streets and parks—which remain closed—in the coming weeks.
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Tuesday night’s ice storm dealt a blow to efforts to restore power in the southern Willamette Valley. Some customers may go without electricity for a week or more.
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As the region continues to recover from recent ice storms, Lane County officials say their top priority is clearing downed trees and opening roads so people can get supplies.