Week of November 21, 2024
Week of November 21, 2024
People interested in building new houses and looking forward to welcoming new neighbors were drawn to a spot of open ground last Friday. The site, at the corner of Rose and McCauley Streets in Blue River, is expected to affect community rebuilding positively. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rose Street project, McKenzie Community Land Trust (MCLT) executive director Brandi Ferguson saluted the area’s “can-do spirit.” Talking to a crowd of well-wishers in a gentle...
“To be resilient to climate change and to minimize climate change, you need healthy soil,” said Lauren Hallett, an associate professor of environmental studies and biology at the UO’s College of Arts and Sciences. For the past five years, Hallett and her colleague Marissa Lane-Massee, a research assistant at the UO and fourth-generation hazelnut farmer, have worked together to create cover crop seed mixes that keep agricultural soils cooler during increasingly hotter seasons without...
Oregon is one step closer to using a state forest to help capture and store more planet-warming greenhouse gases, and to fight climate change and earn money through the carbon market. Leaders at the Department of State Lands signed a development agreement Thursday to enter all of the nearly 83,000-acre Elliott State Forest near Coos Bay into the voluntary carbon market for 40 years. The project will be managed by the carbon brokerage and development company Anew Climate, with offices in...
Oregon school districts are projected to pay $670 million more to the state’s public employee pension program over the next two years, potentially wiping out all increases to school funding proposed by Gov. Tina Kotek. The increased tab, more than 10% for some districts, follows lagging returns in investments of the Public Employees Retirement system and could affect teaching and learning in some schools. “Next year’s sharp jumps in PERS rates will take significant money away from...
“When the library burned, even the angels folded their wings and sulked.” Those words from a poem read by John Witte reflected the impact the loss of the O’Brien Memorial Library made. Yet, similar to “words flying off like seeds” in the flames of the Holiday Farm Fire, he noted, hope can “take root in the ashes, sprouting new trees, new leaves, new books.” The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd that packed the library Saturday afternoon echoed the feeling of rebirth. All were there to...
It’s time to lace up your skates for an all-ages skate party at the Bob Keefer Center, 250 S 32nd St. in Springfield. Bring your roller skates, in-line skates, and rollerblades, or rent them at the 2-hour event for $3 worth of skating in style with a live DJ, lights, decorations, and more. Registration is not required. Learn more at willamalane.org/skate The Skate Party can accommodate up to 200 people at one time. Willamalane has limited skates in various sizes available for rent for...
McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week The McKenzie Varsity Fall season has concluded. There are no contests scheduled this week. Grid Iron Championship Week We're down to seven high school football games in the State of Oregon and by the end of the week, seven new Championship teams will advance to their respective Title game and the other seven teams will not. The fact of the matter, however, is that all fourteen of the last fourteen school teams involved at this point are Champions in their own right and in the minds and hearts of...
Across Oregon, the flames from more than 2,000 fires this season have engulfed homes, ravaged landscapes and emitted dangerous levels of particulate matter, while burning through state budgets to rack up a large tab for taxpayers. Oregon’s current approach to wildfire budgeting is inherently incompatible with the level of risk it faces in a changing climate. In fact, the damages – hundreds of thousands of acres burned, dozens of homes and other structures destroyed – are only likely to get worse. The solution? A carbon price. Making...
Words cannot express the appreciation I have for the overwhelming support and generosity at the Grand Opening of the library – shoulder to shoulder, wall to wall, standing room only! Frances O’Brien’s Legacy of a library in Blue River lives on. Your new Library hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am – 5:00pm and Wednesday 11:00am – 7pm. Come and enjoy this community gathering place. With Gratitude, Connie Richardson President O’Brien Memorial...
When cherry season rolls around, there’s never much doubt about what varieties you’ll find in your local grocery store. They’ll usually have some white or blush cherries, typically Royal Anne or Rainier; but most of them will be Bings. Among cherry fans, the deep-red Bing is the gold standard, and has been for well over 100 years now. Rich and sweet, almost like chocolate in its intensity of flavor, the Bing dominates the supermarket and is most people’s favorite variety. And there is...
As the outdoor gardening season reaches its conclusion, cool temperatures and shorter daylight hours take over. That means it's time to winterize gardens and position them for continued health and beauty over the winter months. For ornamental gardens and foundation plantings, it’s time to complete a few tasks, but heavy pruning of “woodies” — trees and shrubs — is best left to late winter. Pruning in the fall or early winter might encourage new growth that's later damaged by frost....
Nov. 2: 2:08 p.m: Suspicious Conditions - La Lone Rd. & Tree Farm Rd. Caller reported trespassers had been in the area the day before. Nov. 3: 11:50 a.m: Extortion - 51200 blk, Blue River Dr. A juvenile was scammed online after sending information to the suspect. Nov. 4: 9:52: a.m: Burglary - 59200 block, N. Belknap Springs Rd. A lodge in the area was broken into and items stolen. Nov. 5: 7:47 a.m: Suspicious Conditions - 87500 blk, Cedar Flat Rd. Mail belonging to one person was dumped in the area. 6:28 p.m: Arrest - 90200 blk, Huckleberry...
Nov. 12: 9:06: 35000 block, Camp Creek Rd. Motor Vehicle Accident. Non-Injury, Transferred scene to LCSO. 17:27: 7000 blk, Thurston Rd. Medical, General. Cancelled En Route. Nov. 13: 6:39: 42000 blk, McK. Hwy. Medical, General. Scene Transferred to LCSO 6:46: 8500 blk, Thurston Rd. Medical, General. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. 15:08: 40000 blk, McK. Hwy. Medical, General. Patient Assessed, Refusal Obtained Nov. 14: 17:20: 89000 blk, Marcola Rd. Mutual Aid. Disregarded En Route by Mohawk Valley Fire. Nov. 15: 20:59: 7700 blk, Thurston Rd....
Nov. 11: 15:11: Motor Vehicle Accident, Unknown Injury - Aufderheide Dr./Milepost 56. A green van crashed off the side of roadway. Nobody was seen around the vehicle. Nov. 17: 12:52: Medical – 51000 block, McK. Hwy. Female, Conscious,...
