Articles written by Benny Westcott
Sorted by date Results 1 - 12 of 12
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Council puts LID on hold after protests
Local citizens expressed resistance to a proposal that would include street, sidewalk, curb, gutter and storm drain improvements in the Willow Street neighborhood during a City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 23. The Local Improvement District...
Local leaders discuss options for homeless
The Sweet Home Community Health Committee batted around different ideas for dealing with the issue of homelessness at their monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 22. Discussions centered around the...
Girls soccer team has experience, but little time to shake off some rust
In 2019, Sweet Home’s girls soccer squad played 14 games, finishing with a record of 2-9-3. In the fall of 2020, they only got two matches in, going 1-1, and losing a hard-fought scrimmage against the boys team. But now, in Season 2 of OSAA’s...
More seasoned boys squad looking for win(s) this season
This year, the Sweet Home Boys Soccer program is looking to get in the win column. The last time the team won a game was October of 2017. “I would really like to come away with a win,” said head coach Eric Stutzer. “I think we have a good...
Northern Mud Fest on hold for now
As is the case with other regular local events, the annual Northern Farms Mud Fest's 2021 festival is in jeopardy. Due to COVID-induced mass gathering restrictions, the annual event, which typically...
Parks get priority in council review of improvement plans
As Sweet Home’s City Council members discussed the budget for this year’s capital improvement plan during a Feb. 16 special work session at City Hall, Councilor Diane Gerson urged her colleagues to take a more proactive stance than past councils...
Hearing on development fees silent
Sweet Home’s City Council held a public hearing Feb. 9 on a proposed a new methodology for calculating system development charges. The methodology would allow the council to set SDCs at considerably higher rates in the future than the current SDC...
COVID numbers continue to fall in county
As the next wave of local students heads back to brick-and-mortar classrooms this week, Linn County's COVID numbers continue to drop. During the week of Feb. 7 - Feb. 13 saw 88 new COVID cases...
New dog handler Brian Prather says Gemma is natural fit
Gemma, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been a drug-sniffing dog for the Sweet Home Police Department for nearly 3 years. But as of Feb. 1, Gemma has a new handler, along with a new home. Officer...
School return sees boost in enrollment
Sweet Home School District saw a jump in enrollment numbers at the beginning of this year, from 2,101 students on Dec. 18 to 2,131 students on Jan. 29. “Due to the return of in-person learning, we saw people coming back,” said Supt. Tom Yahraes....
Law enforcement on lookout for suspects in catalytic converter thefts
Catalytic converters are meant to protect people from airborne pollutants. But in 2021, Sweet Home residents might want to protect their catalytic converters. That's because the area is experiencing...
Chief: Homeless camp to be closed in March as other options are considered
The last day the homeless encampment at the Church of Nazarene will potentially be open is March 31, Sweet Home Chief of Police Jeff Lynn said last week. "If March is a beautiful month, we could do...
