Local athletes medal at Nike Nationals track championships
Lebanon’s Cade Weber and Logan Large both medaled at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 track and field championships held June 18-22 at Hayward Field at the…
LATEST NEWS
Brush fire on Lebanon outskirts burns acre-plus
A brush fire burned more than an acre in the area of Brewster Road and East Grant Street outside Lebanon Sunday evening, July 12, Lebanon Fire District reported. LFD firefighters responded at…
SH Fire acquires new emergency vehicles
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District announced it has acquired three new pieces of emergency response apparatus during the past few months. A new ambulance replaces a 2005 ambulance box…
Lebanon Police bid adieu to long-time officer
The Lebanon Police Department bid farewell to one of its own as Evidence Property and Code Enforcement Officer Kevin Buchheit made a formal entry into his retirement on Wednesday, June 24,…
County says goodbye to longtime budget officer
By Alex Paul Linn County Communications At their June 23 meeting Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker, recognized Michelle Hawkins for her 26 years as the…
Theft costs SHHS track program $10,000-plus
Burglars stole more than $10,000 worth of equipment from a storage shed at Husky Field in Sweet Home Saturday night, June 27, police and track Head Coach Nathan Whitfield said. Whitfield said…
Garden Center to become space to grow young minds, community events
The City of Sweet Home is purchasing another corner of Long Street and 13th Avenue to benefit its library and add to the city’s vision of “Festival Street.” The City Council approved the…
SPORTS
Sweet Home Tennis Camp
Participants in a tennis camp held last week at Sweet Home High School gather for a group photo with awards and trophies, celebrating several days of learning, improvement, sportsmanship, and…
25th annual Santiam Wrestling Camp draws 170 boys
Sweet Home High School hosted its 25th annual Santiam Wrestling Camp for boys June 26-29 and, this week, for girls July 6-9 at the high school. The boys camp attracted 170 wrestlers from all…
Water polo tournament back at Foster Lake
The 14th annual Foster Lake Open Water Polo Tournament returned to Sweet Home last week. Founded by Steve Sessa of the Willamette Water Polo program in 2012, it has become a popular summer…
Linn County high school basketball teams square off in tournament
Nearly all of Linn County’s high schools squared off in a summer tournament hosted by Sweet Home High School Saturday, June 20. The event included both varsity and JV brackets and games were…
COMMUNITY
SHEM works to fill volunteer gaps as community demand rises
The Sweet Home Emergency Ministries (SHEM) organization is seeking additional volunteers as demand for food assistance and community support continues to grow across Sweet Home. Originally…
Judy Ann (Henderson) Bender
Judy Bender Sept. 3, 1940 – June 26, 2026 Judy Ann (Henderson) Bender, 85, of Lebanon, died at home on June 27, 2026. Born in Albany, Judy was raised by her grandparents, Arthur and Bertha…
Gary “Dean” Bevier, Jr.
Gary Bevier Jr. Sept. 5, 1982 – July 6, 2026 Gary “Dean” Bevier, Jr., 43, of Sweet Home, passed away unexpectedly on July 6, 2026. He was born Sept. 5, 1982, in Lebanon. Dean had a great love…
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 15, 2026
July 19, 1951 Three Sweet Home boys, unidentified due to being underage, were found guilty for being out after hours, illegal possession of liquor and theft of oil from a service station. In a separate…
From Our Files: July 1, 2026
July 12, 1951 Sweet Home’s water situation got worse when an overworked water pump gave up under the strain of constant high-speed operation. The main 500 horsepower river pump quit and was offline for 10…
OREGON JOURNALISM PROJECT (OJP)
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…
Spotlight: Eric Fruits and Joe Cortright
Two economists have sharply different takes on the recommendations by Gov. Tina Kotek’s Prosperity Council. By Oregon Journalism Project Staff Just how bad has Oregon’s competitive situation…