January
— Michelle Duncan was sworn in as Linn County’s 41st sheriff to serve out retired Sheriff Jim Yon’s final year, making her the first female sheriff in the Linn County Sheriff’s Office’s 173-year history.
— City Public Works staffers spent a day clearing out storm drain clogs that caused flooded streets during a weekend downpour.
— Mahlia “Josie” Hewitt and Chloe Tyler won trophies at Oregon Swimming’s Top 5 Banquet for both earning three Top 5 times in the state for their age groups.
— Samaritan facilities require medical-grade masks and Linn County Public Health re-instituted vaccination clinics following a new surge in COVID-19 numbers.
— The Oregon Department of Education issued “the most critical and urgent to date” school health advisory recommending that schools pause extracurricular activities or follow safety protocols.
— Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker took it upon himself to honor Sweet Home District Ranger Nikki Swanson for her “heroism” during the 2020 Lionshead Fire, when she evacuated Labor Day campers.
— The Sweet Home School District School Board held “listening sessions” at several schools to give parents an opportunity to speak and interact with the board.
— Oregon legislators passed 725 bills in 2021, most of which went into effect this year. They included multiple police oversight laws, criminalizing the display of a noose, prohibiting racial discrimination for hairstyles, requiring all public governing bodies to make all meetings remotely accessible, designating April as Arab American Heritage Month, prohibiting scrap metal businesses from purchasing catalytic converters except from the vehicle’s owner, allowing adults to purchase cold medicine over the counter, tracking homeless deaths, and allowing natural organic reduction (aka human composting).
— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that planners were considering changes that may impact the continued operations of the Willamette Valley System, including Foster and Green Peter reservoirs, to meet Endangered Species Act obligations.
— Linn County Engineer Chuck Knoll began his first day of retirement after 16 years at his post.
— A two-alarm fire destroyed a vacant house in the 40000 block of Hwy. 228.
— The City Council approved a “temporary managed homeless outreach and resource facility,” to be operated by Lebanon-based nonprofit Family Assistance and Resource Center, behind the back parking lot of City Hall.
— Sweet Home Gleaners, Inc. asked residents to stop dumping unusable items at its site during non-business hours, as the organization had to pay to haul most of it to the dump.
— The city and school district issued statements denouncing racism following news reports about an incident that allegedly took place during the Linn County Championships wrestling tournament in Sweet Home. An investigation eventually determined that the accusations were groundless.
— James “Jammers” Warrington, 43, one of Sweet Home’s most recognizable homeless residents, died Jan. 14 of unknown causes.
— A cougar that attempted to snatch a dog walking with its owner on 43rd Avenue was trapped the following week on a neighboring piece of property and humanely killed.
— Linn County’s IT Department shut down many of the county’s computer systems after discovering a ransomware attack.
— The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District (SHFAD) reported a 20% increase in calls in 2021. The SHFAD made 3,385 runs, 865 of which were fire-related.
— Data from Oregon Department of Education indicated that SHSD’s 82.4% graduation rate continued to exceed state average, despite dropping 5.1 percentage points from the previous year.
— The Chamber of Commerce reported progress in recovering from financial trouble and being reinstated with its 501(c)6 status. Membership and online visits have grown.
— Multiple crashes were reported, one of which resulted in the death of 18-year-old Jasper June Keeney.
— Linn County joined Lane County’s lawsuit against Gov. Kate Brown for allegedly violating “constitutional and statutory clemency process” when she released nearly 1,000 convicted felons early.
February
— Duck Hollow neighborhood residents voiced opposition to the proposed sleep center behind City Hall.
— High School Principal Ralph Brown described returning to normalcy as challenging, likening it to a “COVID hangover.”
— The Community Economic Development Department reported a 27.7% increase in building permits issued in Sweet Home.
— Legislators returned for a short-session year with a long list of policies to consider, including funding behavioral health organizations and training in higher-paying jobs, funding illegal cannabis investigations, tackling water theft in illegal cannabis operations, funding affordable home construction, requiring overtime pay for farmworkers, expanding summer school offerings, requiring that schools post descriptions of all classes and textbooks online, and protecting superintendents from being fired for obeying laws.
— Linn County Deputy District Attorney Keith B. Stein was appointed judge to the Linn County Circuit Court.
— Longtime Sweet Home swimming Coach Doug Peargin was honored for his 55 years on the deck, 48 of them at Sweet Home, following the season’s final home meet. He was lured into the Auxiliary Gym next door, where he received an award from the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association. Peargin’s career included 31 district titles in the past 25 years, four state boys titles and three girls state titles.
— Kristina Boswell, 36, was injured as a passenger in a crash at the intersection of Highway 34 and Seven Mile Lane. Colby D. Montague, 22, reportedly struck and killed a pedestrian near milepost 16 of Denny School Road in Lebanon.
— Flames consumed an RV owned by John Luck near Cascadia State Park after he failed to shut off his stove’s propane tanks. The stove burst into flames after he exited the vehicle.
— Oregon Health Authority issued requirements to mandate masking indoors in K-12 schools and for school staff to be vaccinated.
— Mayor Greg Mahler and the City Council sent a letter to the Linn County commissioners expressing concern about the planned sale of the former Weyerhaeuser/Willamette Industries (“knife property”) mill site near Bi-Mart due to possible legal requirements of the owner to clean the potentially contaminated site.
— Following opposition from Duck Hollow neighbors for a proposed homeless facility near their properties, the City Council elected to temporarily move the location near Public Works on 24th Avenue.
— Sweet Home’s cheerleaders placed second at the OSAA state championships, led by individual state champ Luca Ogden.
— Sweet Home’s girls swimming team won its ninth straight district title, then went on to win the state championship as well, behind individual titles from Chloe Tyler (who set a state record in the 100 Backstroke), Malia Hewitt and Jamie Seward. The girls were later named the OSAA’s Team of the Month for February.
— Sweet Home’s boys wrestling team won its eighth consecutive district wrestling title, with 17 Huskies qualifying for state. The girls were third in the district tournament (which included schools of all sizes), qualifying three for state. At state, Paige Chafin won her first individual title, and unseeded junior Kendra Jamison, a rookie to the sport, took fifth. The boys were second at state, behind La Grande, thanks to individual titles from freshman Jacob Landtroop, sophomore Kyle Sieminski, junior Jake Sieminski and senior Colby Gazley.
— The Linn County Board of Commissioners reviewed two bids for the 150-acre former Willamette Industries site and sold it to Joshua Victor’s Sweet Home Real Estate Restorations LLC with his $800,000 bid. The other bidder, Scott Lepman’s Sweet Home Mill Site LLC, bid $450,000. Linn County promised almost three acres of the property to the city for its homeless encampment.
— Collette Ann Valentine, 20, and her dog escaped injury after an icy surface on Highway 20 at the Narrows caused her pickup to roll into the ditch.
— Kenneth Wayne Parker, 61, was taken into custody following an alleged road rage incident during which he was accused of pointing a gun at drivers in Lebanon.
— Despite good graduation rates in recent years, Principal Ralph Brown expressed concern that the percentage of freshmen on track to graduate was at 68%.
— Police arrested five Albany teenagers suspected of participating in an attack on 13-year-old Gavin Doner.
— Kris Latimer, executive director of the Boys & Girl’s Club of the Greater Santiam, announced her departure from the nonprofit after 10 years to take a new position with Knife River Training Center.
— Maxwell Stachelrodt, 29, sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by a car while attempting to cross the 300 block of Main Street at night. Driver Rick Ellingson, 68, did not see the pedestrian due to his dark clothing as he turned onto Main Street from the Hoy’s Hardware parking lot.
— SHOCASE hosted a “Reel Oregon” Film Festival at The Rio theater. Ray Nomoto Robison, of Medford, won an award for his entry, “Dear Future Self.”
— The City Council accepted the county’s land donation to the Family Assistance and Resource Center (FAC), and said it was willing to let the group use the former City Hall Annex building as a resource center and provide water, sewer lines and power. It also offered to fund a nighttime security guard and give the county an easement for a shared driveway for the site and an RV dump the county hopes to build on the “knife property”
— Ray Towry resigned as city manager. Christy Wurster stepped in on a pro tem basis.
— Foster Dam operator Mike Pomeroy received a Medal of Honor for heroism during the Beachie Creek fire. He was feted at a special event held at the dam.
— Dozens of people from around the state showed up at Sankey Park for a “flashy car show” to support Gavin Doner after he was jumped by older teens near a school.
March
— Sweet Home’s girls basketball team earned its first trip to the state playoffs since 1992, finishing 10-14, including a 6-6 league finish that included a final home loss on a last-second three-pointer to No. 2 Cascade.
— The City Council voted to eliminate the Sweet Home Public Library’s late fees, but charges for lost materials would still be in play.
— A home at 1907 Willow St. was destroyed after occupants discovered a fire in an attached pump house for its well.
— Sweet Home Forestry Club students competed at the 2022 Oregon Logging Conference in Eugene.
— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water managers said it expected an atmospheric river dumping rain would help refill some reservoirs.
— SHFAD Capt. Dave Trask retired after 50 years and three months of service.
— Samaritan Health unveiled plans for its new urgent care and family health clinic to be built next to Wiley Creek Community.
— City staff explored ideas to deter vandalism at Weddle Bridge and restore its decaying structure.
— Antique local-made quilts, including one made from the mysterious Chinquapin Ladies Quilt Club, went on display at City Hall.
— The Sweet Home Emergency Ministries’ Manna program reported a decline in volunteers and people using the service since COVID-19 forced it to change the way it served meals.
— Linn County Parks Director Brian Carroll said park visitors would begin seeing changes as his crew worked on numerous projects including improvements at Lewis Creek Day Use, Rocky Top Bridge Group Site, Clear Lake Resort and Whitcomb Creek.
— McLain Racing motorcycle repair shop was damaged after a welding project that hadn’t cooled enough started a smoky fire.
— As mask mandates were lifted throughout the state, the city terminated the COVID-19 “state of emergency,” and the high school quickly returned to pre-pandemic programming.
— City Council narrowly approved (4-3) an intergovernmental agreement with Linn County to develop an easement providing access and utilities to the proposed homeless encampment on the “knife property.”
— City Council approved a “Memorandum of Understanding” with FAC for the homeless center, and committed to providing nighttime security at an estimated $88,000 annual cost; the city has yet to identify a funding source for the expense.
— A Connecticut woman with developmental disabilities was found in a Sweet Home homeless camp about three weeks after she was reported missing. She came to the city based on a relationship built through social media, then wanted to “try life” on her own before she later decided to return home.
— Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN) unveiled at The Rio theater a series of videos to promote local communities to potential business start-ups.
— SHFAD responded to a blaze reported at a shop at Glacier Window and Door on Rowell Hill Road. The 150-foot flames engulfed nearby fir trees.
— The state appointed its first anti-poaching special prosecutor.
— Nick Tyler was appointed to replace retiring fire chief Dave Barringer.
— The Sweet Home Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a Taco Bell at 1502 Main St.
— Staff shortages were reported at the Sweet Home Police Department after four officers left to work in the private sector, one left during field training, two transferred to other departments and one retired. SHPD now has only seven of 16 positions filled, and no one to handle major crimes.
— Tawni Anderson of Lebanon and Greg Peterson of Redmond died in a head-on collision at the weigh station on Highway 20 in Foster. It was suspected that Anderson had drifted into the other lane.
— Linn County Veterans Service received a grant to help non-driving veterans travel to Veterans Administration medical appointments.
— The Agrarian Sharing Network hosted its fourth annual Spring Propagation Fair at the Sweet Home Charter School, where hundreds of fruit scions (young shoots for grafting or rooting) were made available for free.
— The city received news that it would receive $30 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program to help its wastewater treatment plant become compliant with the Clean Water Act.
— Wiley Creek Senior Living hosted its first big event since 2019 with a Community BBQ Bash.
— City Council adopted a downtown streetscape and parking plan intended to make downtown more appealing and pedestrian-friendly.
— City Council approved a Radiator Supply House request to support the 2022 Sweet Home Icebox Cookoff as part of the city’s economic development efforts in the amount of $15,000 for promotion.
— The Sweet Home Gem and Mineral Show returned after a two-year COVID-19-imposed hiatus and drew an estimated 3,000 visitors.
— In their second season of high school team bass fishing competition, Gabriel Thomas, 16, and Bode Nichols, 14, won their first high school tournament in a field of about 10 teams from around the state.
April
— Camping in the parking lot outside the old City Hall during the day was no longer allowed, displacing about 28 people. Police said the call load to that area increased significantly (from 10 in 2020 to 71 in 2021) since the makeshift camp was established.
— Former resident Rochelle Zamacona was killed when a suspected drunk driver plowed into a downtown Salem homeless camp.
— The Chamber of Commerce held its Distinguished Service Award dinner, themed “Roaring 2020s.” The following were honored: Brenda Simmonds, Shari Melcher Smith, Kayla Rosa, Debbie Paul, Buck’s Sanitary Service, Cascade Timber Consulting, Holley Church, Donalyn Hotrum, Ginny Johnson Cotter, Bethany and Jeff Young, Jenna Wolthuis and Henry Wolthuis.
— A final arrest was made in the Feb. 9 beating attack on Sweet Home teenager Gavin Doner with 21-year-old Custin Jones, Jr.
— Sweet Home’s Jamie Seward signed to play NCAA Division I volleyball with Austin Peay State. Chloe Tyler signed to swim for Illinois State University (Division I) in Normal, Ill., and Malia “Josie” Hewitt committed to swim at Colorado College (Division III) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
— Public Works said the city faced a lot of water projects on its to-do list, including replacing at least five miles of old small-diameter water mains and upgrading the water treatment plant.
— Students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lebanon partnered with Michelle Snyder’s anatomy and physiology high school class as mentors for healthy lifestyles.
— About 20 people took part in the March for a Child to launch Child Abuse Prevention Month.
— The transfer of about three acres of former Willamette Industries mill property to FAC was completed after delays due to environmental concerns.
— Oregon Jamboree held its Music & Brews series in a parking lot off Long Street next to The Rio theater.
— High School seniors Andra Gordon and Mercedes Burks won the My Healthy Sweet Home poster contest with artistic depictions of mental health and different body types.
— City Council approved a criteria profile for the city manager position, but questioned whether he or she should be required to live in the city.
— Water that normally would be stored in Green Peter Reservoir and used to generate power through turbines flowed over the dam spillway due to a lawsuit from environmentalists looking to protect salmon and steelhead smolts.
— A dozen people looking to attend an appeal hearing for Holley Elementary resource room/special education teacher Tina Tressel were turned away because it was a Zoom-only meeting. She was terminated because she didn’t provide proof of having received a COVID-19 vaccine.
— A fire destroyed a mobile home at Green Tree Mobile Home Park. It was allegedly caused by sparks and flames at an outlet powering the resident’s power easy chair.
— More than 100 kids turned out for the Rotary Club’s egg hunt at Sankey Park.
— Public Works sought information from residents about stormwater problems as the city developed a stormwater master plan.
— The New Era provided an in-depth look at FAC founder Shirley Byrd, who herself had been homeless.
— Cassandra Carry Hotchkiss, 41, was found guilty except for insanity for an assault on Louis Anthony Carreiro, who was sleeping in his tent at the old City Hall parking lot when she beat him with a wooden object.
— Will Coltrin’s advanced construction high school class began building 30 Quonset-style microshelter huts for FAC’s homeless camp behind Bi-Mart.
— Jake Sansing walked through Sweet Home after starting his “Jake Walks America” journey in Newport to raise money for a campground for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
— The Sweet Home Public Library returned to business as usual after the statewide COVID-19 mask mandate was lifted.
— Linn County raised the hourly stipend from $2 to $5 per hour to local employers hiring youth for their first jobs that summer.
— A Colorado man reported missing while visiting relatives in Sweet Home was found in Cottage Grove.
May
— Adaira Sleutel signed a letter of intent to play both volleyball and basketball at Linn-Benton Community College.
— Student art from fifth- and sixth graders went on display at City Hall.
— The Oregon Department of Transportation began installing curb ramps for sidewalks lining highways 20 (Main Street) and 228 (Holley Road).
— The SHSD granted Supt. Lisa Riggs a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year for “personal” reasons. Junior High Principal Terry Martin was appointed acting superintendent in her place.
— Dakota House, 19, and Custin Jones, 21, were each sentenced to 30 days in prison for an attack on Gavin Doner. Others involved were unnamed minors.
— Clean-up and installation of fencing at the three acres of “knife property” for the FAC and an easement began.
— Daniel Luttrell signed a letter of intent to play football at Shasta College.
— Jesse James Calvin Johnson, 18, was arraigned on one count of first-degree assault after allegedly striking a man twice with a vehicle.
— The Oregon Court of Appeals overturned a $1.1 billion verdict in the “Timber Case” lawsuit brought by Linn County and 12 other counties over the state’s timber-harvest management on some 700,000 acres of state forest lands.
— Detective Sergeant Rick Burch retired from the LCSO after 23 years of service to Linn County.
— Ridgeway Health saw an increase of patients with COVID-19 symptoms when Dr. Sam Milstein and Dr. Tim Hindmarsh decided to try a treatment that wasn’t widespread across Oregon: monoclonal antibodies.
— More than two dozen residents turned out at Evergreen Park to help plant three flame maples for Arbor Day.
— A housing needs analysis projected that Sweet Home should expect an increase of 1,720 people over the next 20 years.
— The SHFAD reported a volunteer firefighter shortage this year, with 30 volunteers on a roster that usually adds up to 60.
— Sweet Home High School’s Meeja Bitter, Brooke Burke, Zoey Erevia and Kelsie Rush, plus East Linn Christian Academy’s Luka Ogden, are named to the Sportsman’s Holiday Court.
— An LCSO dispatcher faces charges of stealing thousands of dollars from the agency over three years.
— A two-car crash left two Californians dead after Robert Prettyman, 33, allegedly swerved across all lanes of traffic and back before colliding with the other car.
— City officials looked at rising costs as it considered ways to build a new, much-needed wastewater treatment plant.
— Reports emerge regarding a growing number of feral rabbits at Sunnyside Park and in town.
— City Council discussed the possibility of enforcing stricter vacant-building ordinances in an effort to encourage beautification and economic growth.
— Junior Mason Lopez finished fifth in the javelin at the state track championships, the only Husky to medal in 2022.
— Kami Hart signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Linfield University.
— City Council voted to seek more information before deciding on the fate of the historic railroad depot on the Public Works property.
— The Planning Commission agreed to continue a public hearing for an application to subdivide a 193,625-square-foot property west of 45th Avenue into 18 different lots after the Albany-based Cordle Construction LLC firm was asked to address a few issues.
— Police Detective Geoff Hamlin received a commendation for his actions during a “elder in danger” assistance call.
— Sweet Home finished second at the State Forestry Club championships.
June
— The City Council decided to reach out to owners of vacant buildings downtown to determine a course of action on improving the area.
— A planned return of Tune It Up Tuesdays was expected to be held on 13th Avenue instead of in the parking lot behind The Rio theater.
— A California man was arrested following a pursuit with Sheriff’s deputies after allegedly punching a woman and threatening her with a machete at Sunnyside Park.
— The Veterans Club Honor Guard sought more members as its aging population dwindled.
— An illegal card-skimming device was found at the 7-Eleven.
— The Planning Commission discussed restructuring city code to make room for potential food pods in the city.
— Carlynn Wells and Dale Dietz searched for their son, who was allegedly adopted (legally or illegally) after Wells gave birth to him at the age of 12.
— Robert Beaver, Jace Cook and Melissa Allison joined the Linn County District Attorney’s Office as deputy district attorneys.
— Kurtis Begley was sworn in as the new Sweet Home VFW commander while Dennis Lindsay became the new Auxiliary president.
— Lowe’s Distribution Center donated 185,000 feet of Christmas lights for local businesses.
— Outdoor School was back in business at Camp Tadmore following a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.
— Retention of Chinook salmon in Green Peter Reservoir was prohibited through October under a temporary rule by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
— Accomplished pianist and music teacher Dr. Carmen Wolthuis Hall received the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation’s High Q Award of Merit, presented during the high school graduation ceremonies.
— School safety was a topic of discussion with the school board and local police following a recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
— Local owners of vacant downtown buildings met with city councilors to discuss the challenges they faced.
— City Council discussed a change of location for Tune It Up Tuesdays after Steelhead Fitness requested it not take place on 13th Avenue, as originally planned.
— Linn County assumed control over Cascadia Park after the state identified the park as one that would be more effectively managed by local government.
— Freedom Hill Church “adopted” Foster School in an effort “to be part of the community,” and served up an end-of-the-year meal for the school’s staff.
— Heavy equipment tore down the old video store building in Santiam Plaza to make room for an incoming Taco Bell.
— Milli Horton retired after 18 years as the school district’s nutrition services director.
July
— Sweet Home’s Adaira Sleutel capped her high school career with double-doubles in both games of the 4A-3A-2A Senior Girls Basketball All-Star Series at Corban University in Salem.
— City Council members considered ideas for the future of the city-owned Quarry Park property, including an event grounds for concerts and parks, trails, camping and parking spaces, a gazebo/arbor space, an outdoor school/wetland learning center and a Sweet Home Economic Development Group office.
— Radiator Supply House hosted the Icebox Cookoff barbecue competition with 35 professional pitmaster teams attracting 800 invitation-only guests Friday and approximately 2,400 open-public guests Saturday.
— The school board approved an employment contract for Interim Superintendent Terry Martin to continue in that capacity through the 2022-23 academic year.
— Brookelyn Burke was chosen Sportsman’s Holiday Queen during the festival.
— The Planning Commission denied (4-3) a variance to allow a six-foot fence around two sides of a detention pond on Mimosa Circle. Area residents applied for the variance to prevent children from going into the pond.
— City Finance Director Brandon Neish announced his departure to take a job for the City of Lebanon.
— A commercial motor vehicle crashed down an embankment along Highway 20, causing serious injuries to an unnamed young passenger while driver Timothy Wade Shockey sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
— Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Donald Pennington agreed to hold office at Ridgeway Health twice a month.
— Alice Grovom, a longtime leader in Sweet Home, died at the age of 96.
— The Rio saw an increase in out-of-town patrons and owner Thomas Baham installed a new high-end laser projector.
— Roger Lee Bishop, 56, was sentenced to federal prison after selling methamphetamine and a firearm to an undercover federal agent.
— Oregon Jamboree held a “phenomenal, back in full motion” event following its closure in 2020 due to COVID-19 and smaller crowds in 2021.
August
— Sweet Home Swim Club’s Khloe Sautel won first place in the 200 Freestyle and finished second in the 100 Free and third in the 400 Free at the 2022 OSI Arena Long Course State Championships at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.
— Mosaic Management Inc. broke ground on a planned 48-bed memory care facility at the Wiley Creek Senior Living campus.
— City Council chose outsider Kelcey Young as its new city manager after narrowing it down between her and city Planning and Development Director Blair Larsen.
— City Council rejected an option to allow psilocybin, instead referring to voters a measure to prohibit its manufacture or distribution.
— Crews toppled trees along the Upper Calapooia River in an effort to restore the aquatic ecosystem.
— Madison Harris and Michael Rowe rescued two Salem men near the Gedney Creek boat ramp after one went underwater and the other flailed.
— Ex-Husky Ritch Price retired as all-time winningest Kansas Jayhawk baseball coach.
— Water poured from Pleasant Valley Bridge after pipe fittings had vibrated loose. A boil-water advisory was issued until the pipes could be fixed.
— Green Peter Reservoir was expected to be lowered 220 feet below full pool, which would affect hydro power production and recreation. However, equipment complications delayed the drawdown to the following fall.
— The city’s wastewater treatment plant twice saw almost double its usual intake flow, followed by the loss of nearly all biological life in its aeration basin that was used to break down human waste, pathogens and bacteria. The public was warned about potential fecal matter in the Santiam River, particularly near Pleasant Valley Bridge.
— City Councilor Angelita Sanchez, Police Capt. Jason Ogden, Rural Voices of Oregon owner Scott McKee, Adam Reel, Ridgeway Health CEO Sam Milstein, Cascade Timber Consulting Land Survey Crew Chief Rob Keene, and Ken Bronson were appointed to a seven-member advisory committee regarding an upcoming managed outreach and community resource facility for the homeless.
— The school district hosted a positive-psychology workshop called Orange Frog to help boost morale in the schools.
— Scott Jacobson was hired to teach in the high school’s new agricultural education course.
— Samaritan Health Services held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 17,000-square-foot building to house Sweet Home Family Medicine with an urgent care, pharmacy and helipad on 49th Avenue.
— Fire Chief Nick Tyler honored Harris and Rowe for their life-saving efforts earlier in the month. He also honored Kristin Peterson, David Goin, Karen McCurdy, Leon McCurdy and Silvia Craft, who helped rescue the young girl in the July commercial truck wreck.
— SHFAD Deputy Chief Doug Emmert retired after serving the district since 1977.
September
— SHPD’s first narcotic dog, Gemma, celebrated her retirement party after five years with the city.
— Strong winds and local fires prompted long lines at the gas pump and power shut-offs around town.
— Weyerhaeuser workers went on strike, affecting production for the Pacific Northwest.
— More than 600 contestants from 20 states participated in the Best in the West Triathlon, enduring 100-degree weather and colder-than-usual lake temperatures. Australian competitor Guy Crawford was struck by a car.
— An effort to get Sweet Home High School students back into the flow of normal life, and the availability of funds, resulted in a new weight room for the high school.
— Robin Miller, Mike Melcher and a team of volunteers erected a roof overhang to protect chainsaw-carving logger icons from inclement weather at the East Linn Museum.
— Former Husky Ritch Price, who retired this year as the most successful baseball coach at the University of Kansas, was inducted into the Linn-Benton Community College Athletics Hall of Fame.
— The Oregon Supreme Court declined to review a decision by the State Court of Appeals that overturned a victory by Linn and 12 other counties, and 151 taxing districts, in the “Timber Case.”
— A formal ceremony took place at Cascadia Park for the park’s official transfer from the state to Linn County.
— Police Chief Jeff Lynn retired from the Sweet Home Police Department after serving the community for 23 years.
October
— City Council members voted to demolish the historic Oregon Electric Railroad depot, which had been out of use since the mid-1970s and was taking up needed space in the Public Works Yard.
— Former Willamette Country Music Concerts president and minority owner Anne Hankins pleaded guilty to money laundering and wire fraud.
— A 4.4-magnitude earthquake centered about 14 miles north of Sweet Home shook houses and caused multiple calls to the SHPD from concerned residents.
— Residents reported a sharp recent increase in the number of rats in the general area of Oak Heights School.
— The City Council granted a liquor license to The Rio.
— A double-sided interpretive panel was dedicated at the Ponderosa pine grove in Sunnyside Park.
— Fair Share Gleaners, a…