Aerospace to rainforests: Local engineer brings the jungle home
When Bill Rodman first started keeping orchids and poison dart frogs, he was looking for a hobby that balanced his demanding schedule as an aerospace engineer. …
LATEST NEWS
Lebanon approves 284-lot, 10-year subdivision plan
A preliminary subdivision plat for more 284 residential lots and other developments that would be located just south of Willamette Speedway was approved by the Lebanon Planning Commission…
Official park name may be first step to ‘world-class’ disc golf
Sweet Home’s Quarry Park should soon have that name, officially, City Council members agreed unanimously at their regular meeting Tuesday, July 14. There’s a reason for that. The 233-acre…
SH council takes steps to secure new city attorney
Sweet Home City Council members spent a short work session Tuesday, July 14, discussing how to replace City Attorney Blair Larsen. Larsen is leaving for a new job as assistant city attorney…
Lebanon Fire’s fiscal year budget closes out ‘OK’
Curbed spending and increased ambulance revenue made the Lebanon Fire District’s June financial report look a little more positive during the regular meeting of the Board of Directors on…
Commissioners applaud redefinition of ‘harm’ in Endangered Species Act
By Alex Paul Linn County Communications At their July 14 meeting, Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker welcomed news that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…
Corps plans July 23 virtual meeting to discuss reservoir levels
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water managers will hold a virtual public information meeting July 23 to share the latest summer water forecast and discuss ongoing drought conditions across the…
SPORTS
SH’s Landtroop takes All-American honors at wrestling nationals
Jesse Landtroop, who has won three state OSAA titles in wrestling, added All-American status to his resume last week with an eighth-place finish in the junior nationals at Fargo, N.D. …
Willamette Speedway: Debban sweeps Limited Late Models, Emry earns first career feature victory during Modified Mayhem
A night that began with qualifying and heat races ended with a career milestone, a pair of dominant performances, and four drivers celebrating feature victories during Saturday’s Modified…
Girls wrestling camp returns to SHHS
Sweet Home hosted its sixth annual Santiam Girls Wrestling Camp last week, drawing 99 girls for what Head Coach Steve Thorpe described as “quite honestly, my most favorite women’s camp that…
Updated: Where are they now? 2025-26 Alumni Roundup
Following is a round-up of the exploits during the past school year of local high school alums who are competing in colleges around the nation. We’ve tried to get a complete list, but if we’ve…
COMMUNITY
Events: July 22 Issue
The New Era publishes announcements of upcoming events at no charge, as space permits. Free and nonprofit events are prioritized, but free services or events offered by for-profit businesses…
Linn County Fair Photos
2026 Linn County Fair Photos by Brandon Cominsky and Scott Swanson
Children’s literacy effort in Sweet Home produces results
After a year of volunteers visiting Sweet Home schools to encourage literacy skills, classroom reading proficiency has increased by an average of 46% of school district kindergarteners and…
OPINION
Opinion: Housing Act just political theater
By Randal O’Toole A recent bill passed by Congress aimed at making housing more affordable will lead to almost no improvements in affordability. In fact, some provisions of the law…
Opinion: 250th one-of-a-kind celebration
As a journalist in a small community where “everybody knows your name,” covering events often means being a participant. Last Saturday, that was a pretty affirming experience. I…
FROM OUR FILES
From Our Files: July 22, 2026
July 26, 1951 Support in an x-ray drive was urged in an attempt to procure chest x-ray machines for the area. The machines are offered free of charge from the U.S. Department of Public Health, but local…
From Our Files: July 29, 2026
Aug. 2, 1951 Frontier Days’ annual Buckaroo Breakfast will be sited this year at the city park for the first time. It is expected to be a better experience than standing or eating off curbs. The FD…
OREGON JOURNALISM PROJECT (OJP)
The Truancy Mutiny
The Oregon Legislature banned truancy citations. But Oregon’s poorest county brought them back and now posts the state’s best attendance numbers, offering lessons for the coming school year. …
DEQ makes long-awaited announcement on controversial climate program
The agency has selected a California nonprofit to distribute what industry sources expect will be billions of dollars in carbon taxes. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project Last month,…
Massive prison payout highlights dismal financial picture for State Insurance Fund
Escalating liabilities soar faster than lawmakers appropriate money to pay settlements. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project Last month, Oregon agreed to pay $49 million to…