During a July 2017 multi-day river trip on the Lower Deschutes River, around the Olive Grove Camp, a thick haze started rolling in. That was day two. By the time we reached the takeout on day three, the crew was choking on particulate matter. This was pre-COVID and we opted to wear then-rare masks. On the evening drive back home, wildfires were raging Mad-Max style along the highway. Although it made for a pretty sunset, the cost is not reflective of the beauty. Among the casualties: Thousands of acres of forests, weeks of no play for outdoor recreationalists and no revenues for any guiding or outdoor-based businesses.
it s just hard hitting. nasty is when you call people names. nasty is when you get down and throw mud, these guys are just throwing rocks. reporter: governor o malley contends his opponent wants funding for transportation. on the one hand you have debate, great. on the other hand you have negative, accusations being launched that aren t being bought. something happens, both campaigns jump on it right away. reporter: after the sweltering met down, both sides see transportation policies as a way to drive votes to their side. could this get nastier? we have 4-1/2 months to find out. and polls show the race is getting pretty tight. trains have had heat related delays all week. but monday s break down was the most severe. the state reports the first state related death of the year. kelly mcpherson is following the story. reporter: wjz has been telling you, almost the entire state has been gripped by record heat for most of this week. the health state department says