R.I.P.: Retired KEX Portland OR News Anchor Jim Howe

Jim Howe

Longtime radio newscaster Jim Howe at KEX in Portland, died Friday after a bout with cancer.

He was 75-years-of-age, according to Oregonlive.com.

Howe joined the KEX 1190 AM newsroom in 1962, and from then on, he was home.

In the 39 years he spent at the Portland station, he was there covering every major event.  One of his first big stories came during his first year at the station: The birth of Packy the elephant at what was then called the Portland Zoo.

"He always talked about Packy," said his former KEX colleague, Bob Miller. "Jim was on the air when (former President Ronald) Reagan was shot and the Challenger exploded."

He was also there when Mount St. Helens erupted. "If it was big, he was on it," said Miller, who worked with Howe for more than two decades.

Howe's friends described him as an aggressive, meticulous, disciplined reporter. He was a storyteller who broke stories and got them right. City officials, through the years, trusted Howe and knew he'd always be fair, they said.

"I dare you to find anyone anywhere who has a bad word to say about Jim Howe," said Bill Cooper, who spent more than a decade working with Howe at KEX. "You won't."

During most of his time at KEX, Howe was news director. He worked an estimated 10,270 shifts and delivered 61,620 newscasts, according to the story on his retirement.

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