Articles written by Benny Westcott
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Summer school proving popular
Students – lots of them – are signing up to participate in summer school in Sweet Home this year. This year is the first the Sweet Home School District will receive state funding solely for summer programs, said District Business Manager Kevin...
City officials discuss possible changes to downtown streetscape
The Sweet Home City Council and Planning Commission held a joint work session on June 15 at city hall to discuss plans for streetscape improvements in the downtown corridor. This was the second...
At Last, The Finish Line
Forecasted rain held off as hundreds of friends and family of Sweet Home High School's class of 2021 celebrated the graduation of 128 young people after a senior year like no other. Onlookers sat on...
New emergency care, senior facilities planned
Long-awaited, big healthcare changes are coming to Sweet Home, city and corporate officials announced Thursday, June 10, during a meeting hosted by Wiley Creek Community. The senior residence...
Outdoors students build own boards, skis at Hoodoo
Fifteen Sweet Home High School juniors and seniors in Lindsey Haggas' outdoor PE class went to the Santiam SnoLab at Hoodoo Ski Area over the last few weeks to design and build their own skis and...
After mixed feedback from residents, council approves $1.63 million Willow/Yucca LID
Sweet Home City Council members voted 5-2 on June 8 to direct city staff to prepare a resolution and ordinance necessary to form a neighborhood local improvement district (LID) in the Willow/Yucca...
Superintendent Tom Yahraes says it's time to leave district
Superintendent Tom Yahraes announced to the Sweet Home School Board at its June 14 meeting that he will be resigning from the position of Sweet Home School District's superintendent, effective August...
Dozen top students to lead SHHS graduation exercises Friday
Twelve Sweet Home High School seniors have been named named to lead graduation exercises this Friday, June 11, at Husky Field (see accompanying story). Valedictorians, all of whom finished with...
Savannah Hutchins, Aiden Tyler named top senior athletes
Aiden Tyler and Savannah Hutchins were named the Booster Club Boy and Girl of the Year at the Sweet Home Booster Club's Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, held Sunday evening, June 6, at Community...
City to get dog parks, thanks to donations
The city is going to get two new dog park facilities and upgrades to two city parks, thanks to donations from the community, City Council members decided at their May 25 meeting. On April 7, Mayor Greg Mahler submitted a proposal to use donated funds...
Local teens participate in landmark RDI leadership program
Twelve Sweet Home School District students, mostly from Sweet Home Junior High, but some from the high school and one from Holley Elementary School, graduated from a Rural Development Initiative leade...
Council takes step forward with plans for new city library
A consultant has completed a "library needs assessment" for the Sweet Home Library. The library's current facility, at the corner of 13th and Kalmia streets, opened in 1969 and has largely been...
Officials seek answers to rise in mental calls
In the first quarter of 2020, the Sweet Home Police Department responded to 31 mental health-related calls. In the first quarter of 2021, that number ballooned to 120. “Finding the reason for the increase is always kind of difficult, because...
Students ready to perform 'Many Disguises of Robinhood'
Sweet Home High School students will perform "The Many Disguises of Robinhood" Thursday through Saturday, May 27, 28 and 29, at the high school's auditorium. Seating starts at 6:45 p.m. on May 27 and...
SHHS alum Ryan Adams named Husky football coach
Ryan Adams has been named the new Head Football Coach for Sweet Home High School, Athletic Director Nate Tyler said Monday. Adams, a social studies teacher at the high school, grew up in Sweet Home...
Retired vet David Larsen puts stories from career in print
Retired veterinarian David E. Larsen says he started writing 20 years ago. But the stories he puts on the page started taking shape long before that. Fifty short stories from Larsen's four decades of...
New rules lift restrictions for outdoor sports, wrestlers
The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education relaxed rules regarding face covering requirements for outdoor/indoor school sports. For outdoor sports, students, staff, volunteers, and spectators are not required to wear face...
Boys return experience, plan to push the pace in basketball
Sweet Home boys basketball comes into the season with experience, which could help them in shaking off the rust from their long pandemic-induced layoff. Their varsity team has ten seniors and two juniors. “We’ve got a good core group that’s...
Husky girls look to continue move up in OWC hoops race
Sweet Home girls basketball players are happy to get back on the hardtop, albeit with much warmer weather outside than in a typical basketball season. “We’re just so glad we get a season,” said Head Coach Michelle Knight. “We’re hoping to b...
Judge: Other cities copying SH's Community Court program judge says
Judge Larry Blake Jr. presented an update on Sweet Home’s Community Court program to City Council members at their May 11 Sweet Home City Council meeting. Councilors in attendance were Angelita Sanchez, Susan Coleman, Mayor Greg Mahler, Diane...
More housing in works for Sweet Home
More people may be calling Sweet Home their own home in the near future, as a number of subdivisions and apartment complexes are in the works throughout the town. A third phase of building is planned...
$55 million schools budget goes to board
Sweet Home School District Budget Committee members unanimously approved a 2021-22 budget of $55,024,931 at their May 10 meeting. That total is a marked increase from the $45,960,296 that was budgeted last year. “By almost any measure, we have...
Police, Executive, Library budgets all grow in proposal sent to City Council
Sweet Home's Budget Committee unanimously approved a proposed budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in their May 13 meeting. That recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final approval...
School district outlines plans for SIA funds
Sweet Home School District’s 2021-22 Proposed Budget proposes using the Student Investment Account (SIA), funded by the state, to eliminate pay-to-play fees for sports and other extracurricular activities so every student can participate without fe...
City officials highlight plans, spending proposals for 2021-22 budget
The Sweet Home Budget Committee and a number of city department heads met on May 6 at City Hall in the committee's second meeting of the process that will produce a budget proposal for the City...
