Willamette Speedway enters new season with big change
Willamette Speedway kicked off its 60th season on April 18 – and a new era for the one-third mile clay oval on the outskirts of Lebanon with its first-ever…
LATEST NEWS
May 2026 Election: House District 11
Republican Candidates for State House District 11 Ken Jackola, 58, of Lebanon Contact: [email protected] Family: Shellie Jackola, spouse How long have you resided in the district? 55…
May 2026 Election: State Senate District 6
Republican Candidates for State Senate District 6 Jami Cate, 39, of Lebanon Contact: www.jamicate.com / [email protected] Family: Parents Ginger and (late) Jim Cate, God-kids Vale (6)…
Commissioners OK outdoor assembly permit for hazelnut event
By Alex Paul Linn County Communications At a public hearing held after their regular board meeting on Tuesday, April 21, Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will…
Lebanon Hospital birth center reopens
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital announced that labor and delivery services reopened on Monday, April 27, and an open house will be held May 1. Staff reported the hospital now has the…
Lebanon seeks grant to expand public library
The City of Lebanon is inviting comments on a grant it intends to apply for in order to expand the Lebanon Public Library. The city is eligible to apply for a 2026 Community Development Block…
Board wants to increase annual savings for Lebanon Pool needs
The Lebanon Aquatic District touched on financial matters during its April 20 meeting. The board approved a resolution dissolving the Swim Club fund in order to simplify budgeting. Executive…
SPORTS
Lebanon’s boys win Rob Allen Invitational team title
Lebanon’s boys outscored five other 5A and 6A schools, as well as small schools Kennedy and La Pine at their annual Rob Allen Invitational at Heath Stadium Friday evening, April 24. Lebanon’s…
Huskies, Eagles make marks at Meet of Champions
Top track and field athletes from 4A Division and smaller schools converged Saturday, April 25, for the Meet of Champions, which gave some local athletes the opportunity to test themselves…
Sports Roundup: April 29, 2026
It’s been a tough run so far for Lebanon’s baseball and softball teams, as both sat in seventh place in the Mid-Willamette Conference coming into this week, after facing some of the league’s…
Eagles’ Knurowski wins home golf tournament even-par 72
East Linn Christian’s Grady Knurowski finished on top of the competition as an individual Tuesday, April 21, as the Eagles hosted a dozen other schools in their only home golf competition of…
COMMUNITY
Father-daughter duo share their art talents in SH City Hall gallery
By Satina Tolman For The New Era The newest installment of the SHOCASE Art Exhibit at Sweet Home City Hall features the talents of a father-and-daughter duo. The art show of Pam Ogden and…
In praise of the obsolete – and an icon or two
By Roberta McKern Even at the East Linn Museum, with spring comes optimism. A spate of visitors will arrive to appreciate a collection of goods from the past reflecting the times and interests…
Rod Sell finds retirement trail in building real ones
Rod Sell has always enjoyed the outdoors – cycling, hiking, that sort of thing. But as he retired as manager of Lebanon’s city Maintenance Division, he’d realized that he needed to plan for…
OPINION
Dear Editor: School bond measure deserves voters’ support
Editor: Over the past 25 years the Sweet Home School District has done a fantastic job of making sure our school facilities are in great condition! They have leveraged government…
Dear Editor: Referendum about more than Gas Tax
Editor: I’ve been involved with transportation and land use for 35 years. During that time I’ve observed repeated costly project failures and too much focus on…
FROM OUR FILES
From Our Files: April 29, 2026
May 3, 1951 Some Foster school children were injured when a log truck crashed into a school bus this week. Charles Cotton, 7, received the worst injury with a skull fracture. Others injured were Dale…
From Our Files: April 22, 2026
April 26, 1951 Construction will begin next week on a Dairy Queen building at M Street across from the Bank of Sweet Home. The proprietors, L. C. Thomas and E. L. Greig, also operates a Dairy Queen in…
OREGON JOURNALISM PROJECT (OJP)
Oregon schools rank near the bottom, nationally, for hours of instruction time
A new study shows a wide variance among school districts in how much face time students have with teachers — a longstanding problem that lawmakers and advocates hope to solve. By…
Trailing in the GOP gubernatorial primary, Chris Dudley appears to change views on abortion
The former Trail Blazer recently told OJP he is pro-choice. Now he says he is pro-life. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley is sending…
Independent poll shows Drazan with significant advantage in GOP primary for governor
The 2022 nominee has twice the support of her two leading opponents, Chris Dudley and Ed Diehl. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project Although the Republican primary for governor is the…