Articles written by Sean C. Morgan
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Van Eck retires from SHPD after 28 years
After 28 years in service to the Sweet Home community, Sgt. Jason Van Eck handed in his gun and his badge, retiring on Monday, July 12, in exchange for the solitude of the woods. Van Eck started...
Police Department veteran celebrates 40-year milestone
Communications Supervisor Penny Leland has passed the 40-year mark in an extraordinarily long law enforcement career with Sweet Home Police Department. More than 40 years ago, Leland became a...
Colleagues say retiring Don Hopkins' experience, energy will be missed
When Don Hopkins tendered his resignation to the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Board of Directors earlier this month, it marked the end of more than 50 years of public service in the Sweet...
Longtime SHPD dispatcher Teresa Culley retires
Teresa Culley retired Monday, Nov. 9, after more than 33 years as a dispatcher at Sweet Home Police Department. Just one other employee had worked for the city longer, Communications Supervisor Penny...
COVID-19: up close and personal
Guest Commentary After I came down with a dry cough, headache, kidney stone-like chest pain and a sore throat that began Sept. 30, I decided to stay home from work. My wife, Tiffany, had similar more intense symptoms, and our 12-year-old boy, Jim,...
Measure 108 simply government greed trampling better health
I started by writing a philosophical piece about why it’s wrong to tax tobacco, alcohol and marijuana – or anything else in the marketplace for that matter. Sales taxes are regressive and disproportionately affect the poor, and sin taxes fly in t...
Property watch program gives police green light to address loiterers
The Sweet Home Police Department has formally opened a new program designed to help commercial property owners, business owners and apartment complex owners prevent unwanted activities after business hours. “Without authority granted by the person...
Upgrades make Sunnyside dog park better experience for all
Dog owners who use dog parks to exercise their pets are experiencing some new improvements this summer at Sunnyside Park. "I wanted to give these guys some props for following through on what we talke...
Julies play critical role in Sweet Home
If fire chiefs, city managers and superintendents are the heads of their local government agencies, their executive assistants serve as the hearts. In Sweet Home, that would be Julie. For the School...
New Planning Commission member wants to contribute
Since moving to Sweet Home last summer, Candi Unger has gotten involved in her new community by joining the city Planning Commission. The City Council appointed Unger, 44, to the commission in March....
SHFAD wrapping up bond projects
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District is scheduled to wrap up its bond projects this summer. Sweet Home voters approved a six-year $1.575 million bond levy in 2016. The bond initially had a rate...
Local businesses getting back to work after shutdown
While the governor released Phase II guidelines last week, Sweet Home businesses that have been closed are getting back to work while others that remained open are continuing to meet changing...
Teen improving amid memories of siblings
Kylee Anne Simonis, 15, continues to improve following a fatal crash on Highway 228 east of Brownsville. Her brother, Caleb Frank Simonis, 19, and sister, Shelby Rose Simonis, 16, were fatally...
New VFW Auxiliary leader wants to focus on community, kids
Denise Lovik wants to keep the VFW Auxiliary working for the community and local children during the next year as she takes over as president of the organization. In the organization's annual...
Schools, city await word on what next year's financial picture will look like
The Sweet Home School District, like other districts and state agencies, is bracing for big hits to its budgets next school year, while hoping that other funding streams may help it maintain its current service levels. School officials listened last...
Spenger wins, Cate leads election
Current State House District 17 Rep. Sherrie Sprenger won the Republican primary for Linn County Commissioner Position 3 with 65.79 percent of the vote during the May 19 primary election. With 10,947...
Goodbye to newspaper, but not to SH
This is my last week at The New Era. To the day, it’s been 24.5 years since I started working for Debbie Paul and Alex Paul, who loves to tell people about seeing me getting out of my car for an interview. He leaned over and told Debbie, “I hope...
Land use panel overturns county rezone near Crawfordsville
The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals has reversed a decision made last year by the Linn County Board of Commissioners allowing the rezoning of 108 acres off Crawfordsville Drive from farm forest to...
Dam inspections indicate Foster, Green Peter in good shape
After conducting its five-year inspections on Foster and Green Peter dams last week, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found nothing unexpected or out of the ordinary. Every five years, the Corps...
City: Daily savings from pipe leak fix 359,000 gallons day
Data collected by the city Public Works Department continues to confirm that repair of a massive water leak on the north end of 9th Avenue has solved a large percentage of the water lost in Sweet Home’s water system. During the past month, the...
Chief: Thanks to those who 'honor our fallen'
Sweet Home Police Chief Jeff Lynn offered his thanks to those who keep the memories of U.S. heroes alive Monday at Gilliland Cemetery as part of the annual Memorial Day Service held there by the...
SHFAD Budget Committee approves 2.6% budget increase
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Budget Committee last week approved an increase of about 2.6 percent in General Fund expenditures for fiscal 2020-21. Committee members met May 19 to consider the proposed budget. With their approval, the...
Furloughs to save money for district
Anticipating a revenue shortfall next year, the Sweet Home School Board decided Monday night, May 18, to take four furlough days this year to save money for next school year while using the Oregon Work Share program to ensure employees receive...
It's official: 2020 Oregon Jamboree cancelled
Oregon Jamboree Festival Director Robert Shamek announced May 13 that the 2020 Oregon Jamboree would not be held this year. Jamboree staff, SHEDG board members and management team members have been...
Virtual recognition event honors SHHS forestry students
Oregon high school forestry programs last week honored their students last week with special recognition based on how teens performed at career development events or competitions earlier in the year, prior to the closure of schools in response to...
