December
- Readers and community members responded with vigor to an editorial published in The New Era, detailing the impending collapse of the newspaper due to financial and staffing issues. Following an outpouring of financial donations and emotional support, former publishers Scott and Miriam Swanson announced they would return to try to get the newspaper operation back on track. They would take over Jan. 1, 2025 from former Publisher Chris Chapman.
- A rockslide closed Quartzville Road at Milepost 13, almost immediately after it was reopened following a cleanup operation from another crash (see below).
- An overturned semi truck closed Quartzville Road for some 10 days as state and federal agencies worked to secure and remove the vehicle and its load of snail poison pellets. Authorities blamed map apps that were directing drivers onto the 50-mile mountainous and curvy road that connects Sweet Home with Highway 22.
- Fire Chief Nick Tyler testified to legislators at a public hearing in Salem on the need for wildfire funding and support.
- Sweet Home Alumni Foundation’s annual Christmas Tree Auction grossed more than $50,000, resulting in an estimated $40,000 in revenue for the foundation’s scholarship program for Sweet Home High School graduates.
- Former Sweet Home City Council member James Goble pleaded no contest to two domestic violence charges filed in April 2024.
- Hawthorne staff and students collected some 1,500 boxes of cereal in their “Knock Out Hunger” event. The boxes were positioned like dominoes around the school gym and Principal Mark Looney started off the domino run, which took two minutes to complete as onlooking staff and students chanted “knock it down!”
- City Traffic Committee members discussed placing stop signs on 1st and 12th avenues after the City Council, earlier in the year, approved temporary speed tables on 1st Avenue to determine whether they would help to slow traffic.
November
- Following formal complaints about water quality issues by Sweet Home, Lebanon and Albany and a tort claim filed by Sweet Home and Lebanon (see below), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would halt the deep drawdown of Green Peter reservoir.
- A Sweet Home woman, Alisha Rowlett, was killed in a two-vehicle night-time crash on Hwy. 228, between Holley and Crawfordsville.
- A Brownsville man, Robert Prettyman, was sentenced to eight years in state prison after pleading no contest to manslaughter charges in the May 14, 2022 deaths of a California couple on Highway 20 after they attended a family wedding.
- Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Chief Nick Tyler announced to district board members that SHFAD was purchasing a home in Cascadia to house some of its part-time program staff.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers patched an approximately decade-long leak in Green Peter Dam that had prompted concerns from the public for years. Corps staffers said the leak was caused by a faulty seal between two of the dam’s monolith blocks on the upstream side, which were exposed by the drawdown of the lake, allowing an opportunity to fix it.
- A breakfast fundraiser for the Sweet Home High School baseball team at the Rusty Bucket restaurant raised nearly $2,000 and included an appearance by Oregon State University baseball team members.
- Angela Sanchez was re-elected and newcomers Aaron Hegge, Ken Bronson and Chelsea Augsburger were elected to the City Council in the November general election.
- Freshman Emma Whitton finished fourth in the 4A state cross-country championships, the second-highest finish ever by a Sweet Home girl, and East Linn Christian’s Daisy Lalonde, a Sweet Home resident, won her second state title in the 1A/2A/3A Division championship at Lane Community College.
- The Planning Commission approved a permit to allow the American Legion to use the former Fir Lawn Lutheran Church building, which was severely damaged by an arsonist in February 2023.
October
- After 35 years as Sweet Home’s city attorney, Robert Snyder stepped down from the position.
- The cities of Sweet Home and Lebanon filed a tort claim against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, citing significant damages resulting from the Corps’ “negligent” management of water resources at Green Peter Reservoir.
- Sweet Home cheer team members Petyon Lindsey, Ember Ogden, Emma Rosa and Taylee Rosa were the winning team and Ogden was third as an individual in the 4A OCCA Cheer Competition.
- The City Council proclaimed a state of emergency a week before the anticipated draw-down of Green Peter Reservoir. The “aggressive drawdown” began Oct. 15.
- The Point got a visit from America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow after a patron recommended the restaurant for one of the media company’s shows.
- Police Chief Jason Ogden honored multiple individuals for their role in halting a potentially threatening situation in which a juvenile male threatened the school district (see below)
- A rural home was destroyed by fire as Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance Service was short of crew members due to another emergency and were unable to enter the building immediately to fight the blaze.
- The Oregon Veterans Home in Lebanon celebrated its 10th anniversary.
September
- A juvenile, who was not a student of the Sweet Home School District, was arrested after making a threat toward Sweet Home High School. The district closed schools the following day, a Friday, in response.
- After a 13-year hiatus, organizers announced that Sweet Home will once again host a rodeo, to be held Aug. 16, 2025.
- Following citizen complaints and questions from councilors, the City Council decided to remove two stop signs, at 47th Avenue and Long Street.
August
- Sweet Home School District welcomed 11 new teachers for the 2024-25 school year,
- Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District hosted its first emergency medical technician class in an attempt to beef up its volunteer numbers, which have declined in recent years.
- Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing more than $8,000 worth of Oregon Jamboree wristbands some months before the actual festival, prompting complaints from patrons and an investigation that led to the arrests.
- A former east Linn County resident, who ran a comic book “restoration” business, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of aggravated theft and racketeering for allegedly stealing and selling comic books that he had charged “large fees” to work on and never returned.
- A Circuit Court judge acquitted a Sweet Home-area woman who had been accused of stealing money from her mother, who had suffered from dementia.
- Ridgeway Health moved to the old City Hall building on 12th Avenue.
- The City Council approved the purchase of five transitional family housing units, which would be used to house homeless people, to be placed near the intersection of Osage Street and 43rd Avenue.
- Sweet Home resident Joe Cullison won his eighth “Ironman” World Championship title from the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association.
July
- Heather Search, a local accountant and 10-year veteran of the SHEDG Board of Directors, was elected as president of the organization.
- Ashton Swanson and Jayce Miller qualified and competed for the Oregon Wrestling Association’s exchange team, which visited and competed in Japan.
- Linn County Public Health Department completed an upgrade of its Sweet Home headquarters as part of an expanded outreach effort into Sweet Home. The upgrade doubled the size of the facility.
- Christian Whitfield was sworn in as division chief for the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District’s new Wildland Division.
- Local author and retired pastor Jim Corley published the first book of a planned trilogy called “The Secrets of Solomon’s Seal: A Palestinian Story.”
- A&W owners Josh and Patty Hankins unveiled some original A&W statues they have procured for their restaurant. The statues were featured during the Sportsman’s Holiday Parade.
- The Pyramid Fire, located approximately 19.4 miles east of Green Peter Dam, spread from three to some 600 acres over a week’s time before weather and some 200 personnel on the fire started to have an impact on its spread.
- The 24th annual Santiam Men’s Wrestling Camp drew a record number of participants, who got to experience record heat – 105 degrees.
- Dahlenburg Bridge, previously located at Sankey Park, was relocated to City Hall Park.
- 10th Avenue was converted to a one-way road.
- Peyton Markell was named Sportsman’s Holiday Queen and Emmaline Durrett was Miss Congeniality as the annual community festival kicked off under triple-digit temperatures that didn’t seem to deter hundreds from participating in the many activities planned for Sportsman’s Holiday.
- City Manager Kelcey Young announced she would resign due to what she said were death threats and bullying.
- A fiery head-on crash on Hwy. 20 resulted in the death of a 12-year-old.
- Nearly 2,500 people attended the Icebox Cookoff, despite a nasty heat wave. The event was organized this year by Sweet Events, an arm of SHEDG.
- Nearly 100 young women participated in the Santiam Women’s Wrestling Camp, the third year the camp was held and quadruple the attendance from 2021.
June
- Sugar Vibes doughnut company’s founder and owner Janice Jackola revealed that her firm had been fined nearly $9,000 by OSHA as a penalty for her employees not wearing masks during the COVID pandemic.
- The city of Sweet Home voted to purchase the former Santiam Feed Store, on the corner of 13th Avenue and Long Street, for $260,000, to be paid over two years. The building could be used for work space for local artisans or a gallery, and for events held on 13th Avenue when it is modified into a one-way “festival street.”
- After multiple attempts by witnesses and firefighters, the driver of a Toyota 4Runner that plunged into Foster Lake, Robert Corbin Andreson, was located deceased.
- A candlelight vigil for local individuals who have disappeared, was held on the corner of 18th Avenue and Long Street. Among those locally whose whereabouts are unknown are Jake Riggs, Danny O’Berg and Tammy Pitkin.
- Renovation, featuring a seismic refit project, began on Oak Heights Elementary School.
- Sweet Home High School alum Casey Tow competed in the decathlon at the NCAA Division I Championships, held at Hayward Field in Eugene.
- Sweet Home High School graduated 179 seniors at its commencement ceremony.
- Alyse Fountain, a Sweet Home resident who attended and competed for Lebanon High School, signed a letter of intent to compete for Western Oregon University in track and field.
- Sweet Home opened its first electrical vehicle charging station, on 10th Avenue.
- Hoy’s Hardware celebrated its 85th anniversary.
- The Budget Committee submitted a $97,654,000 proposed 2024-25 budget to the City Council, which approved it, including a $75,000 transfer from the General Fund to the Community Enhancement Fund for upgrades to Weddle Bridge.
- Held in June for the first time, the Best in the West Triathlon returned for its 14th year, drawing more than 850 athletes to Lewis Creek Park for the three-day event.
- Local businesswoman and City Council member Angela Sanchez was elected as an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention.
- Lydia Wright, Rylee Markell, Ryker Hartsook and Max Klumph were named Booster Club IMPACT Award winners at the Booster Club’s annual athletic awards ceremony. The award previously was known as the “Booster Club Athlete of the Year.” It included $1,000 scholarships to each honoree.
May
- The addition of two new officers, Jayson Sanchez and Bryce Barreto, left Sweet Home Police Department fully staffed for the first time in several years, Chief Jason Ogden announced.
- Former Sweet home Fire and Ambulance District firefighter Zach Lincoln sued the district for a variety of violations, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated and seeking $1.1 million in back pay and damages.
- The Sweet Home School District Budget Committee delivered a $68.7 million proposed budget to the School Board, which then approved it. After the deduction of internal transfers and contingencies, the plan projected $51.2 million in spending, including $3.8 million in grants for a seismic retrofit to Oak Heights, energy conservation measures and a summer literacy program.
- A seven-year bond to pay for two ambulances, two Type 6 brush engines, a functioning radio system and a wood chipper for the Wildfire Risk Reduction Program passed was approved by 52.09% of voters, with 47.91% voting against the bond. The bond, proposed in February, increased the rate approved by voters in 2017 from 37 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value by 10 cents to 47 cents.
- Colin Nicholson signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Corban University.
- Jon Holly signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Chemeketa Community College.
- City Code Enforcement Officer Blake Dawson was let go and Oregon State Police were conducting an investigation into how he performed his duties. Complaints to the city about Dawson had begun in February, regarding his handling of enforcement actions, allegedly making threats and allegedly damaging personal property, prompting an initial investigation by the city.
- The city held a meeting to discuss a plan to establish a park at the intersection of 42nd Avenue and Osage St.
April
- Sydney Dominy got to spend a brief moment in the mayor’s chair in the City Council chambers after winning the annual “If I Were Mayor” contest.
- The School Board approved a new science curriculum from Stile and Savvas following a discussion about whether schools’ doing away with paper and pencils in favor of digitally based education is contributing to declining scores.
- Sweet Home’s Friends of the Library group celebrated its 40th year.
- Lake Town Academy, a private faith-based school finished its first year of serving Sweet Home and Lebanon, with founders announcing plans to expand both the student population and the age ranges the school would serve in Year 2.
- After extinguishing a brush fire caused by a downed power line in Cascadia, Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District staffers discovered a rock that had been “electrified,” leaving a hole through the rock.
March
- Two brush fires in one week at the end of March raised concerns for local fire officials that the area could be looking at an early fire season.
- Author, artist and singer Mary Rice Hopkins visited Holley School to read one of her books and share a drawing demonstration for students.
- The remains of a Lebanon man, Holden Reed Kinsey, 25, who was reported missing in 2020 were discovered east of Foster Lake.
- Gina Riley was named Distinguished Citizen, Travis Miner was named First Citizen, and Tomas and Amber Rosa were named Junior First Citizens – among a long list of award winners at the Chamber of Commerce’s 80th Annual Awards Banquet.
- Loggers reacted with angry disappointment to a 4-3 decision by the Oregon Department of Forestry Board of Directors to adopt a Habitat Conservation Plan that would aim to align western Oregon forests with the federal Endangered Species Act and curb logging across 640,000 acres of state forests to prioritize the protection of endangered wildlife.
- A convoy of more than 40 log and dump trucks lined Sweet Home streets in remembrance of Cal Emmert, who died Feb. 23.
- Pediatrician Dana Kosmala, who was put on administrative leave and then discharged in late 2023 by Samaritan Health Services after 22 years with the organization, was hired by a private practice in Albany. Samaritan did not comment on the reasons for its move, which prompted a rally in front of Kosmala’s former office in Lebanon by some 200 parents, children and supporters.
- Emma Durrett, Zoe Garrett, Peyton Lindsey, Peyton Markell and Amelia Sullens were announced as Sportsman’s Holiday Court members for 2024.
- A Sweet Home man, Kyle Thomas Sabato, 22, was found not guilty on four felony charges that stemmed from an altercation at his residence on May 5, 2023.
February
- Sweet Home Police Department’s Chief Jason Ogden, Capt. Ryan Cummings and Detective Sean Potter were honored at the state capitol for their action in apprehending a suspect, Ryan Carbon, 40, of Sweet Home, who had allegedly directed threats toward the Eugene police and individuals in the Lebanon vicinity. Potter orchestrated surveillance that led to a traffic stop and the apprehension of Cargon, who, authorities said, was in possession of firearms including a stolen shotgun and a loaded AR-15 when arrested.
- SHOCASE held its held its annual Gala concert at the Sweet Home High School auditorium, with local artists performing jazz classics, followed by headliner Gina Saputo, a Springfield native who is now a globally recognized jazz singer.
- Sweet Home’s boys clinched the 4A Division state title, with individual championships from Jesse Landtroop at 106 pounds, Kyle Sieminski at 120 and Ashton Swanson at 175. It was a clean sweep for Sieminski, who won four OSAA titles during his high school career.
- Sweet Home’s girls finished third and the boys fifth at the state 1A/2A/3A/4A swimming championships, with junior Kirsten Sautel taking an individual championships in the 100 Breaststroke.
- Thieves broke into a storage container and made off with more than 40 large bags of sorted cans that were intended to provide funds for the Senior Alcohol Free Entertainment post-graduation party at Sweet Home High School.
- Domino’s Pizza announced that it would establish a restaurant at the corner of 22nd Avenue and Main Street.
January
- Unified Basketball Team members at Sweet Home High School showed off their stuff in front of the student body in a close game against Newport. The Unified program allows disabled students to compete in the sport.
- Ryan Lindsey was pinned as a legacy firefighter, the third generation of a family that has served Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District and its predecessors.
- A man from the Ukraine was able to reunite with his family in Sweet home after 1½ years apart. Viktor Martyniuk had been separated from his wife Daniia and sons Maksym (Max) and Daniil (Dan) by the war in their homeland.
- A nasty winter ice storm locked down many residents and much of normal life in Sweet Home, prompting people to send out calls for help in cutting trees, finding food and gas, and generally resulting in a community effort of locals assisting those in need.
- A break-in at Sweet Home High School resulted in $1,300 worth of equipment theft.