Opinions and Commentary

There’s Fun and Then There’s Army Fun

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THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL — Watching the U.S. Army’s recruitment video on their website is really, really fun. I discovered this yesterday, after hearing a blurb on the radio about a new military fun center to open soon in Florida. “Army fun center?” I thought. “Hmm.” Being raised...
Wildlife and Science

Shark Tales: Keepers of the Deep Blue

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THE BEACH TIMES — Behind a rocky marine crag a small fish hides—quiet, motionless and out of sight. There is no sound, movement, or light. Anywhere else on the planet the trembling creature would likely be safe, yet on the other side looms the shadow of...
News and Politics

Death on Tracks Prompts Official to Review Railroad Safety

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WOODBURN INDEPENDENT — When Shanti Platt was eight months pregnant, she watched a man die in front of her eyes. The young mother-to-be was waiting at a railroad station in Salem on what seemed like an ordinary morning when a man stepped in front of the train. She was looking right at him and, although his back was turned...
Rachel Cavanaugh
Portland, Oregon

Rachel Cavanaugh is a long-time journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. With more than 18 years of experience as a news reporter, writer, photographer, editor, and digital producer, her work has been featured in Men's Journal, MSN, The Hollywood Reporter, Bustle, Digital Trends, Elite Daily, Matador Network, Gear Junkie, Inverse, Mic, and other publications. She's worked as a Digital Producer for Microsoft’s msnNOW, Digital Content Writer on Nike's Global Consumer Services' team, Gear Reviewer for Digital Trends' Outdoors and Sports section, Staff Commerce Writer for Bustle's Outdoor and Fitness E-Commerce platform, and Editor-in-Chief of the Goldendale Sentinel, a weekly print newspaper in Washington state. Most recently, she was the Editorial Director for Columbia Sportswear's Tough Mother Outdoor Guide, helping to conceptualize and global retail giant's first ever digital magazine and build it from the ground up. Over a four-year period from 2020 to 2024, she grew the publication into a journalistically-styled content platform, creating compelling storytelling about people and places in the outdoors. She was responsible for all content strategy and production from story ideation and planning to research, interviews, and article delivery. In addition to writing higher-level brand stories, she managed a small team of freelance writers. She currently splits her time between Baja, California where she lives in an RV on the beach, and Hood River, Oregon where she spends her free time kiteboarding, snowboarding, and playing with dogs.