October 5, 1972
The City Council was handed a petition opposing annexation of Foster and Midway to the city at a special council meeting Tuesday night, which was called for the purpose of pursuing matters pertaining to sewer problems and setting an election date for the proposed annexation.
Richard Bowman, a former councilman, addressed the council, saying he had been requested “as a neutral party” to make the formal presentation of the protest document.
In handing the petition to Mayor Edward Buhn, Bowman said he had been told petitioners had secured 442 signatures, but that some sheets were not included in the packet Tuesday night, but would be forthcoming. Later in the evening, Councilman Doyle Johnson checked the petition and reported only 170 signatures on the sheets received.
Orval E. Jess, well-known Sweet Home resident and Republican candidate for the District 37 state representative, died in Lebanon Community Hospital Sunday of an apparent heart attack.
A native of Oregon, Jess retired after 34 years with the U.S. Forest Service, the last 15 as district ranger for the Sweet Home District, Willamette National Forest, on his 62nd birthday anniversary, March 4.
Taxes in the City of Sweet Home will increase $3.73 per $1,000 of assessed valuation when the Nov. 15 property tax bills go out, County Assessor Hal Byer announced Tuesday.
This will raise taxes from $27.92 to $31.65 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which means owners of property valued at $10,000 will pay $316.50 – an increase of $37.30.
October 1, 1997
Seniors Cora Adcock and Paul Betts will represent Sweet Home High School as Junior First Citizens, selected Wednesday by a panel of judges.
Adcock. 17, is the daughter of Butch and Polly Adcock. Betts, 17, is the son of Gary and Mary Betts.
The Sweet Home City Council upheld a decision of city staff to deny a request by the KOA Kampground for exemption from the transient occupancy tax.
KOA operators and owners Jeri Reynolds and Jeanette Gillett questioned the validity of the application of the tax to recreational vehicle site rentals.
City staff had determined, reviewing state statutes and other jurisdictions’ ordinances, that the business must pay the tax for those spaces.
The Sweet Home City Council generally approved City Manager Craig Martin’s performance at his three-month evaluation to a special executive session on Sept. 23.
“The evaluation turned out very positive,” Councilman Craig Fentiman said. “I think he’s doing a really good job.”
The council seemed to agree with the assessment, Fentiman said.
“He’s green in experience, with city management and Oregon laws,” Fentiman said. “But his enthusiasm and energy help negate the inexperience.
“If he doesn’t know the answer, he goes and finds the answer and he’s learning where to look,”
Fentiman said.
Sweet Home High School and the School District 55 Central Office were evacuated on Sept. 24 following a bomb threat.
Police received a call at 12:20 p.m. on Sept. 24 from the school district.
The Central Office had received a phone call that a bomb would go off at 2:30 p.m., Police Chief Bob Burford said. A few minutes later, a call to the high school indicated that a bomb at the high school would go off in 10 minutes.
Police are following leads in the incident, Burford said. Police have identified some persons of interest, but had not identified any suspects as of press time.