Articles written by Benny Westcott
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 374
Council OKs contract for wastewater plant upgrade
The Sweet Home City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, March 14, to award an Aumsville firm a contract for upgrades to the city's wastewater treatment plant. Councilor Angelita Sanchez abstained from...
Planners OK new RV dump
The Sweet Home Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday, March 16, to grant the Linn County Parks and Recreation Department a conditional use permit for a four-lane public recreational vehicle...
SHFAD personnel honored at department awards dinner
For the first time since 2019, the Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District celebrated its own, holding its awards banquet Saturday night, March 18, at the Sweet Home Elks Lodge. Near the top of that...
Homeless facility a 'success'
The new Family Assistance and Resource Center's managed outreach and community resource facility was declared a success during a March 9 Community Health Committee meeting. "Ever since [it] got up...
School board gets report on facility needs
What does the Sweet Home School District need to provide for kids' physical needs and accommodate the growth in the community? That was a focus for the School board Monday, March 13, as members...
SHOCASE 'Power of Love' gala Saturday
Sometimes music best expresses "The Power of Love." So goes the theme of the Sweet Home Coalition for Artistic and Scholastic Enrichment (SHOCASE)'s annual gala concert - a night packed with local...
Burke named girls hoops MVP
Senior Brooke Burke was named Team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year at the girls basketball awards banquet held Tuesday, March 7, at Sweet Home High School. She was also honored with a First Team...
For new coach, Sweet Home softball very familiar territory
Sweet Home softball has a new head coach this season, albeit a familiar face in the program. Emily Marchbanks, an assistant coach for the team for the last four years, replaces Karyn Hartsook, the...
Sweet Home looking to rise in league ranks this baseball season
Sweet Home baseball had a tough showing last season, going 5-17 overall and 3-12 in Oregon West Conference play, to finish last in the conference. This year Head Coach John Best expects improvement....
City declares homeless state of emergency
The Sweet Home City Council voted unanimously at a Wednesday, March 1, special meeting to declare a homeless state of emergency. "Sweet Home is gravely concerned about homelessness in our community...
Neighbors complain about 6th Ave. home
A house reportedly occupied by squatters remains problematic for its neighbors, nearby residents told the Sweet Home City Council Tuesday, Feb. 28. Nancy White spoke for a second time on issues at...
DEQ fines city for 125 violations
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality recently issued a $22,445 civil penalty to the city of Sweet Home for more than 125 violations of Oregon water-quality protection law. In a Jan. 19 letter, the DEQ cited the city for failing to meet...
Nathan Aker named boys basketball's Most Valuable Player
Sweet Home High School junior Nathan Aker was named boys basketball Team MVP at the program's awards banquet at The Commons in Sweet Home High School on March 2. Aker led the team this season with...
SHFAD seeks improved radio tech
Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District Chief Nick Tyler reported to the fire board Tuesday, Feb. 21, that the district can't communicate effectively in town, much less along the Highway 20...
Husky boys second in state wrestling behind three titlists
Sweet Home's boys had a good day, literally, at the state wrestling tournament Friday, Feb. 24, taking home a second-place team trophy and finishing with three individual state champions. The individu...
Freshman Chafin wins to lead girls to second place in state wrestling
On the strength of four place-winners, Sweet Home's girls finished just short of a team championship in the inaugural 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships Friday, Sept. 24, losing 77-71 to La Pine....
City engineer Graybill retires
Sweet Home engineer Joe Graybill, with his experience as both a city employee and longtime resident, could accurately be called a local institution - a "foundation pillar of the community," as City...
Council installs new police captain, honors former mayor
The Sweet Home City Council honored two public servants at its Thursday, Feb. 14, meeting, one for his future in a relatively new position, the other for his contributions to the city in challenging...
Girls ride three event wins to close second for team in state swimming
Sweet Home's girls swimming team came close – oh, so close – to repeating as state champions, losing by three points to private-school powerhouse Catlin Gabel at the OSAA 4A/3A/2A/1A state champio...
Husky boys qualify 18 for state wrestling in winning regional title
By Scott Swanson and Benny Westcott Of The New Era Sweet Home's boys won their ninth straight regional wrestling title Saturday at Cascade High School, qualifying 18 wrestlers for the state...
School contracts approved
The Sweet Home School District Board on Monday, Feb. 13, unanimously approved a 2023-2026 licensed professional agreement between the Sweet Home Education Association (SHEA) and the district. About...
Virtue named Volunteer of the Year
Sweet Home resident and Weyerhaeuser Santiam Lumber Mill operations manager George Virtue was named the Weyerhaeuser Company's Volunteer of the Year for 2022, a distinction the firm, which operates...
Junior High inaugurates Tiger Scholar program
Sweet Home Junior High School on Friday, Jan. 13, rolled out a new Tiger Scholar program that has already awarded special privileges to 48 students for good behavior and academic success. Honorees...
Swimming: Sweet Home girls take 10th district title; boys grab second place
Sweet Home's girls swim team won its 10th straight district title and the boys finished second at the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 4 Championships held Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Albany...
New Look, New HOPE
The HOPE Center in the former First Baptist Church at 12th and Kalmia streets reopened its doors in early 2022 following a pandemic-imposed two-year hiatus, welcoming clients and visitors with a host...