Gubernatorial candidate Drazan shares vision during opening debates, Kotek absent
Gubernatorial Republican candidate Christine Drazan accepted the invitation to take part in a debate, at the annual convention of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers…
LATEST NEWS
First summer without the Oregon Jamboree costs school sports
After 34 years (with the exception of the COVID year), the Oregon Jamboree did not occur in Sweet Home on the first weekend of August this year. Organizers held the country music festival for…
Probable leak causes 24% loss of water for Sodaville
During the Sodaville City Council meeting on July 16, Public Works Director J D Burns reported there is a major water leak he is trying to locate. In the past month, the wells produced 592,905…
SH outdoor library space project begins
The Sweet Home City Council held its regular meeting in record time on Tuesday, July 28, conducting quick business in just eight minutes. During that time, the council held its second reading…
TNE judged second among similar newspapers in PNW
The New Era received multiple awards at the Pacific Northwest News Contest, held in July. Hosted by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, the contest includes newspapers from Washington…
Hazard trees prompt closure of Yellowbottom Campground
Yellowbottom Campground has been closed permanently for overnight camping due to a determination by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) determined that aging trees within the campground’s…
BLM warns of fire danger, using cameras to spot trouble
Statewide fire restrictions remain in effect for all Bureau of Land Management public lands throughout Oregon and Washington, and many local regions have additional restrictions in place. BLM…
SPORTS
Fan Night puts fans in the spotlight at Willamette Speedway
On Saturday night, Aug. 1, kids climbed into race cars, collected autographs, and met their racing heroes as Willamette Speedway opened the pits for its annual Fan Night. Instead of a typical…
Alumni Roundup Addition: Lebanon’s Sadie Dannen
Editor’s note: We’re still trying to “round up” all of the local high school alumni who are competing at the college level. As you can see, we’ve discovered one more, below. If you know of any…
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. …
Speedway action heats up Saturday
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…
COMMUNITY
Multiple calls tax Lebanon Fire crew during four-hour period
Lebanon Fire District responded to multiple simultaneous emergencies that temporarily committed all available personnel and apparatus during a four-hour period on Tuesday, Aug. 4. LFD reported…
2026 Sportsman’s Holiday Logger Olympics Winners
Editor’s note: Thanks to space issues and some camera troubles, we’re late publishing these. Also, some of the powderpuff competition photos did not survive (courtesy of above-mentioned camera…
Scene Around Town: Aug. 5, 2026
The Buzz About Bees A hive of activity was contained within the Lebanon Public Library where children took part in a “Bee Amazed” presentation on Thursday, July 30. The Museum of Natural and…
OPINION
Editorial: Getting better starts at home
A decade or two ago, I wouldn’t have devoted editorial opinion space to discussing the viability of newspapers. Not that I wasn’t concerned then, but we didn’t have conferences like…
Opinion: Mic dodge not what voters need
Back in 2018, then-Gov. Kate Brown set a new precedent: She declined to face her opponent in what had traditionally been the opening debate of the gubernatorial election campaign in…
FROM OUR FILES
From Our Files: Aug. 5, 2026
Aug. 9, 1951 Alice Cook was identified as the Frontier Days queen. The blonde is employed at Washburn’s 5 and 10, and has plans to attend the San Jose Bible college this fall. She will attend several…
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)
Regular attendance at Oregon schools jumped by 7,000 students this past school year
The state still has far to climb just to reach the national average. By Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project New data shows that over 7,000 more students in grades K–12 regularly…
Sixteen Democratic lawmakers press state Treasurer Steiner for a full audit of retirement fund risks
They told Steiner, a fellow Democrat, they’re concerned about the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s overreliance on private equity to boost returns. By James Neff Oregon Journalism…
Updated: Splinter group of Multnomah County Democrats calls for U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum’s resignation
A faction within the party objects to her alleged support for ICE and preference for capitalism over socialism. Most of her district is outside the metro area. Editor’s note: Changes have been…