Steinhebel, Adamson given top awards at DSA
Jason Adamson and Michelle Steinhebel were named Man and Woman of the Year at the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Awards banquet Friday, March 6.…
LATEST NEWS
Fire from matchstick destroys house on Rowell Hill
An early morning fire destroyed a home on Rowell Hill Sunday, March 8, Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District reported. At 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Sweet Home firefighters were dispatched to the…
Open Letter to Gov. Tina Kotek from State Newspapers
We are asking Gov. Tina Kotek to veto House Bill 4177, an ill-advised measure approved by the Oregon Legislature that undermines Oregon’s long- revered Public Meetings Law. A work group that…
Prediction: Local fuel prices likely to continue rise this week
Average gasoline prices in Oregon have risen 25.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.11 per gallon on Monday, March 9, according to GasBuddy, a technology company and mobile app…
Events: March 11, 2026
Stations of the Cross, Soup Supper Fridays St. Helen Catholic Church is hosting Stations of the Cross during Lent each Friday this month, followed by a Soup Supper and fellowship time. The…
Commissioners approve tax abatement for chemical company’s expansion
By Alex Paul Linn County Communications At their March 3 meeting, Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker approved an extended Enterprise Zone Tax Abatement…
Candidate files to run for open local Senate seat
Jack Tibbetts of Saginaw announced Tuesday, March 3, that he has filed for the Republican nomination for Senate District 6. “I’m running for office as a husband, father, and proud Republican.…
SPORTS
Eagles end state basketball playoffs with a trophy
East Linn Christian’s boys finished sixth in the 2A state championships in Pendleton last weekend in Pendleton, falling to eventual champion Trinity Lutheran 74-31 Thursday, March 5, then…
Warriors’ basketball seasons end against top state teams
By Mike Warner For The New Era Lebanon’s boys and girls ended their 2025-26 basketball campaigns in the first round of the 5A DIvision state playoffs last weekend, the girls falling to No. 7…
SH boys dominate to win 11th state wrestling title; girls 5th
By Ryker BurrFor The New Era “This year’s team is the most solid top-to-bottom team I’ve coached.” Those are the words of Steve Thorpe, who just won his eighth state title and Coach of the…
Eagles beat Enterprise in 2A playoffs; now face No. 1 Trinity
East Linn’s boys dispatched Enterprise 67-54 Friday, Feb. 27, in the first round of the 2A Division state basketball playoffs. No. 8 East Linn couldn’t get rolling, scoring only five points in…
COMMUNITY
New officer seeks to approach job with approachability, proactively
By Satina Tolman For The New Era The Sweet Home Police Department has welcomed a new face to its patrol ranks, and Officer Tyler Mendenhall says his goal is simple: serve the community with…
Scene Around Town: March 11, 2026
Hawthorne School in Sweet Home held a jogathon Wednesday, March 4, to raise money for new playground equipment. Above, students in lower grades put in laps on the track, which were recorded by…
Ex-foster child credits CASA volunteer at luncheon
Amira Therese had already been in dozens of different placements as a foster child when she found herself, at age 15, in Henderson, Nev., in, she realized, a trafficking house. Therese, now an…
OPINION
Opinion: Proposed state ban would harm, not aid, local wildlife
By Jennifer Puccio Every fall, local families head into the woods and onto the water not just for sport, but for the harvest. Freezers fill with wild game and fish, which often…
Dear Editor: AI not trustworthy, even in telling stories
Editor: I advise readers of the Feb. 24 issue to pay attention to the story about artificial intelligence, not to be trusted without oversight regarding making your will or other…
FROM OUR FILES
From Our Files: March 11, 2026
March 15, 1951 Intention of residents of the 7th Avenue and A Lane area to have their streets paved moved another step as city councilors approved an engineer’s report for the street improvement…
From Our Files: March 4, 2026
March 8, 1951 A snow storm left nearly 16 inches of the white stuff in the city, appearing in about four layers in as many days. The snowfall, believed to be a record for this time of year – at least,…
OREGON JOURNALISM PROJECT (OJP)
New report: Oregon sports betting fails to fully protect residents
The state allows a monopoly provider, DraftKings, to make gambling — and addiction — easier than ever. By Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project A national report released…
BOLI reverses ruling that derelict vessel removal is subject to prevailing wages
In a rare about-face, the agency gives a boost to Oregon’s ports and rivers, which contain hundreds of abandoned boats. By Nigel Jaquiss The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has…
Some members of Kotek’s Prosperity Council unhappy about tax change
The governor says she wants to stimulate new investment in Oregon. A prominent critic says a pending bill would do the opposite. By Nigel Jaquiss Oregon Journalism Project One of the…