Articles written by Scott Swanson
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1054
By 
7-Eleven switchover not just a name change
Of The New Era Sweet Home's former Circle K convenience store was shut down last week as construction workers turned it into a 7-Eleven. The store is getting a total overhaul, said Mary Kay Riley,...
Local teens learn leadership during summit at Cascadia Park
Of The New Era A dozen teenagers, all but one blindfolded, stumbled around a grassy area of Cascadia State Park Saturday morning, July 27, learning to be leaders. They were some of the two dozen...
Planners hold off on updates to city code
Of The New Era With just four members present, the Planning Commission held off taking action on proposed zoning code revisions Monday night during its regular meeting to allow more input from additional commissioners at its Sept. 3 meeting....
Josai visitors experience new things during this year's trip to Sweet Home
Of The New Era The 2019 Josai exchange group ended their 13-day visit to Sweet Home with a first: a visit to the Jamboree. "We came later this year," said Takashi Takahashi, international school liais...
Big finish gives Casey Tow third in decathlon nationals
Of The New Era Casey Tow finished third in the decathlon last week in the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field 17-18 Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Competing in his fourth...
After low points, local swimmer experiences ultimate high
Of The New Era Lucie Davis' sophomore year as a swimmer at Boise State University started with a low. Her coach quit, suddenly, right before summer workouts were supposed to begin. Davis had won four...
Have a good time, but keep it responsible
Sometimes it’s not hard to write an editorial. This might be one of those times. We’ve all heard, over and over, year after year, warnings about driving while intoxicated. We’ve seen the billboards. The bumper stickers. Heard the commercials....
Politicians of every stripe find splashy emails their communiqué of choice
“Hey,” yells the email on my computer inbox list. Wow, it’s from U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. Just like the one I got yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. In fact, I get at least one email from Kamela just about every day ...
SH's Casey Tow top placer in Jr. Olympic regional decathlon
Of The New Era Sweet Home’s Casey Tow is following in the footsteps of his coach, Dakotah Keys, winning the decathlon at the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships July 4-5 at...
Local shoot produces 'comeback' score for rookie archer
Of The New Era When Luke Perkins lined up his final arrow at this year’s Wapiti Bowmen Bonanza Safari Shoot on Richardson Gap Road on June 15, it was the culmination of a journey. It had been a bit...
Daddy who? Local woman's accidental DNA analysis is surprise
Of The New Era Sweet Home resident Anita Collins was living a settled life in retirement a year and a half ago when she decided to buy a gift for her husband Bob: an Ancestry.com DNA analysis kit....
Newspaper economics – 2019 style
Observant readers may have noticed the new cover price on the front page of today’s issue: $1.50. Not really a lot of money in today’s world, but a pretty significant jump from the dollar you would have paid for copy off the rack a week ago....
Linn Shuttle bus to offer Saturday trips to Albany
Of The New Era Linn Shuttle’s bus services in east Linn County are getting a big boost starting this month, thanks to state transportation money. “Remember that one-tenth of 1 percent that was coming out of your paycheck last year?” asked Linn...
Tucker to retire from County Commission
Of The New Era Will Tucker has decided not to run again for his seat on the County Commission in the 2020 election. But he emphasizes he’s not “calling it quits.” “That’s not quite what I...
Sweet Home Ranger District unveils 8,400-acre forest 'management' project
Sweet Home Ranger District officials last week opened the door on a new project that proposes to “manage” some 8,400 acres of timberlands in the Quartzville and Middle Santiam areas, about 20... Full story
Facebook response lands Prom date
Haley Barron says she wasn’t desperate for a date when she announced on Facebook that she was looking for someone to go to the Sweet Home High School Prom with in early May. Actually, she said, she...
Council OKs city budget; delays on utility rate hike decisions
The Sweet Home City Council on Tuesday, May 28, voted 4-3 to approve a $19,761,737 city budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year beginning July 1. Voting in support of the budget were Mayor Greg Mahler and Councilors Susan Coleman, James Goble and Dave Tra...
Details emerge in Surrey Lane murder case
The suspect in last week's homicide was arraigned Tuesday afternoon, May 28, in Linn County Circuit Court on five charges, including murder. Page Lee Butterfield, 25, appeared in front of Judge DeAnn...
Nine students named to lead June 7 SHHS graduation exercises
Sweet Home High School has announced eight valedictorians and one salutatorian to lead the Class of 2019 graduation ceremonies on June 7. The valedictorians, Chase Boyd, Sarah Hewitt, Sydney Hooley,...
One championship, three seconds give boys fourth at state track meet
It had been nearly a decade since Sweet Home last brought home a team trophy in boys track and field, but the Huskies broke that drought Saturday, May 19, at the state 4A championships with a...
SH qualifies for state track in 10 events, boys 3rd at districts
Sweet Home wound up its first Oregon West Conference district track last week with a third-place finish by the boys and state qualifiers in 10 events – six for the boys and four for the girls. The...
Recent fires prompt warnings as dry weather pattern continues
Area fire officials are cautioning homeowners to be careful when burning backyard debris. A recent spate of escaped debris burns have resulted in serious and preventable damages in the Willamette Valley recently, officials note. As Sweet Home...
Ex-chamber manager pleads guilty to misdemeanors
Former Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katrina Crabtree pleaded guilty Thursday, May 2, in Linn County Circuit Court to three misdemeanor counts of fraudulent use of a credit card....
Foster fish weir working – mostly
A new fish weir installed a year ago in Foster Dam is working – mostly, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers biologist said. Fenton Khan said the numbers of Chinook salmon and steelhead that have passed...
Sweet Home to host elite small-school track meet Saturday
When Dakotah Keys was starring in track at Sweet Home High School a decade ago, the Meet of Champions was one of his favorites each season. The event, held then at Willamette University in Salem,...
