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…
LATEST NEWS
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.…
Zoo breeds hope for one of world’s rarest birds
The Oregon Zoo in Portland is well-known for its California condor recovery efforts, but now it’s working to save an even rarer bird: the sihek (Guam kingfisher), extinct in the wild for…
Rice, others honored by chamber
Cindy Rice and Michael Hall, both longtime leaders in a wide variety of local public service activities, were named Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen and First Citizen at…
SPORTS
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…
Sweet Home, Lebanon compete at national cheer competition
A week after winning state titles at the OSAA state 4A and 5A championships, Sweet Home’s and Lebanon’s competition cheer teams were in Anaheim, Calif., to compete in the USA Spirit Nationals.…
Warrior boys 11th in state wrestling behind Wynn; Duty 2nd
By Ryker Burr For The New Era Lebanon’s boys wrestling team finished 11th at the state tournament in Portland last weekend with three placers, including individual state champion Seth Wynn.…
Warrior girls down Crescent Valley to secure fourth in MWC
By Mike Warner For The New Era Lebanon clinched a fourth-place finish in the Mid-Willamette Conference girls basketball standings last week with wins over Crescent Valley and Central. The…
COMMUNITY
Frankie Ballard to headline this year’s Fair lineup
Frankie Ballard will open this year’s Linn County Fair with headline entertainment on Thursday, July 16, Fair officials announced last week. . Friday night’s entertainment will be announced…
Foresters host pulp processing activity at Fun Forest
By Jim Merzenich LCSWA president We arrived at 12:15 p.m. Feb. 24 and the hosts invited us to their warming fire. Hot coffee, water, soda, and snacks were provided. On the two days preceding…
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…