Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1879
On Tuesday, December 21st, Sisters, Oregon, was certified as an International DarkSky Community, making it the second Oregon community (after Antelope) to earn the distinction. Sisters is now the sixth International DarkSky Place in the state, in addition to the Oregon Outback to the east and the Oregon Caves National Monument. Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a non-regulatory and voluntary program that encourages communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide to...
LEABURG: Fisheries biologists Jeff Ziller from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Greg Taylor from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) offered updates at last Saturday’s McKenzie River Guides Association annual meeting. Ziller said that although the total pounds of hatchery fish planned for stocking are about the same for 2025, some things will be slightly different than the previous year. Schedules were being rearranged, and this year, fish will first be released on Apri...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could make hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River safe for endangered salmon by building gigantic mechanical traps and hauling baby fish downstream in tanker trucks. The Corps started pressing forward over objections from fish advocates and power users who said the plan was costly and untested. That was until this month, when President Joe Biden signed legislation ordering the Corps to put its plans on hold and consider a simpler solution: S...
The reconstructed Lazy Days Mobile Home and RV Park Opening Celebration is set for Friday, January 31st from 2 to 3 p.m. at 52511 McKenzie Hwy, east of Blue River,. Homes For Good purchased a portion of the park to provide 20 spaces for modular/manufactured homes and an additional 10 spaces for park model RVs, a community building, open space, and other amenities. Lane County Human Services, acting as the Community Action Agency, has been receiving and processing applications for Lazy Days. The...
“Our department looks forward to rolling up our sleeves and working closely with local governments and our partner agencies to implement this critical reform to our state’s land use planning program,” said DLCD Director Brenda Bateman. “The factors that have contributed to our state’s current housing shortage are complex, I am proud of the role that DLCD and our commission is playing to get closer to a future where all Oregonians have access to housing that meets their unique needs.” B...
More than 40 members of Congress, including Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to breathe new life into a climate lawsuit filed nearly a decade ago by 21 young Americans, including 11 Oregonians. Merkley and Wyden are among the Democrats and one independent, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who have filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the lawsuit, Juliana v. United States. The lawsuit argues that the federal government’s continued support for fossil fuel p...
Eight local nonprofits will receive grant funding from Lane County’s Community & Economic Development Program to support programs and projects focused on economic development. “There is a wide range of needs across all of our communities when it comes to creating more economic opportunity,” said Jason Harris, Lane County’s Community & Economic Development manager. “We are excited about these grants because they support organizations helping people and communities succeed and thrive – which improves lives and increases prosperity....
Oregonians born today are likely to experience a future of more drought, more rain and less snow under warming average global temperatures due to human-caused climate change. That’s one conclusion in the 314-page Seventh Oregon Climate Assessment, which was published Wednesday and authored by more than 65 scientists, experts and engineers, including from Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two engineers from Portland General Electric a...
“Much has changed in society and science since the Northwest Forest Plan was created nearly 30 years ago,” according to Jacque Buchanan, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. He was referring to proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) released in November 2024, adding that “We’re amending the plan to address today’s challenges in ways that honor the plan’s original goals while adapting to changing conditions an...
EUGENE: Almost one year ago, a double-header ice storm plowed through the Pacific Northwest, wreaking havoc on electrical infrastructure across the region. The first storm hit on January 13th, and a second one rolled in three days later. The Eugene Water & Electric Board used its reserve fund to cover the initial clean-up costs of $9.4 million, including equipment and materials replacement, staff time and contracted labor. At the height of the storm, more than half of the Lane Electric...
“Where can you see the Milky Way from Main Street?” The answer in Oregon is “Antelope.” The Central Oregon community of Antelope has been designated as the first International Dark Sky Community in Oregon. But could the answer also include the McKenzie Highway? People will have a chance to learn more at public meetings set for Blue River and Leaburg. On Saturday, January 18th, a Oregon Outback Dark Sky Network (OODSN) representative will give a 10 a.m. presentation at McKenzie Schools, followe...
SALEM: On January 13th, newly-elected pro-life lawmakers were sworn in ahead of the start of Oregon’s 83rd legislative session. In the Oregon House of Representatives, Oregon Right to Life PAC-endorsed representatives Alek Skarlatos (R-Roseburg), Darin Harbick (R-Blue River), Darcey Edwards (R-Hillsboro), and Christine Drazan (R-Canby), were sworn in after winning their general election races in November. Also sworn in, in the state Senate, were ORTL PAC-endorsed senators Noah Robinson (R-Cave Junction), Bruce Starr (R-Dundee), Diane L...
“Thank You” … doesn’t seem like powerful enough words for what our community has done this year and years past to help those struggling to make ends meet. Due to economic conditions the food pantries have been feeding more and more families. Thank You this year to McKenzie Valley Wellness who bought the hams and turkeys for the Christmas Boxes that are given out each year to these families. Locals Helping Locals contributed Butter and Potatoes for these boxes and Orchid Medical Clinic, McKenzi...
Oregonians who are ready to leave the hospital but still require care do not have enough places to go, affecting providers and patients at all levels. The average hospital stay has increased to nearly five days, according to the Hospital Association of Oregon. With nowhere to send discharged patients, hospitals can end up boarding them, which hurts hospitals financially and means fewer beds are available for people who need them. Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, was part of a task force which...
On December 20, Daimler Trucks North America issued a stunning statement: It would stop selling large diesel trucks in Oregon. “Effective immediately, DTNA is pausing all orders for new internal combustion vehicles intended for registration in Oregon,” wrote Daimler’s general manager of product strategy and market development, Mary C. Aufdemberg, in a message to Oregon truck dealers. The statement hasn’t been reported previously. It’s significant for a few reasons. First, Daimler, through its Fr...
The McKenzie River Discovery Center is announcing its upcoming drift boat building workshop, scheduled for April 21st to 25th. Under the expert guidance of Jayson Hayes from Cedar Flat’s Hayes Custom Boats, participants will construct the iconic McKenzie River drift boat and gain hands-on experience with finishing techniques and bottom protection. For more details and to register, visit McKenzie Discovery Center’s website and go to the Workshops tab tinyurl.com/mrysvsyy Due to construction at...
A new bill aims to further reduce investments in fossil fuels by Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System. The Pause Act would impose a five-year ban on new investments by the system in private fossil-fuel funds. Supporters believe this move will help lower emissions and keep wealth in Oregon communities. Andrew Bogrand, volunteer communications director for the advocacy group Divest Oregon, helped draft the bill. The group found the system’s fossil fuel investments have underperformed the...
The mid-River area can boast that the top voter-getters in all three categories are located there this year. Topping out the Man of the Year category was Joel Zeni of Vida, who, as an engineer with a construction contractor for several ODOT projects, donated six-speed feedback signs to alert drivers entering 45-mph zones along Hwy. 126 in 2023. A 2009 graduate of Thurston High 2009, he started volunteering with Lane County Search and Rescue when he was 15, joined McKenzie Fire and Rescue at 17,...
COUGAR RESERVOIR: Trail maintenance, visitor education, invasive species management, and chainsaw training. The list of activities the Cascade Volunteers have taken on in the past will grow, thanks to the grant approval given to the Deathball Trail Complex plan as part of the Travel Oregon Recreation Ready programs for 2025. Under Phase 1 approval, plans call for developing a trail complex in the Deathball/Thors Hammer area on the south side of the McKenzie River near Cougar Reservoir. In their...
The Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene will present two shows to begin the 2025 exhibit season: “Flow: The Language of Nature” and “Summoning the Light. " The first will open on January 10th with a free public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The second will be on view through Friday, February 7th. In the Salon Gallery “Summoning the Light” showcases photographer Linda Devenow and painter Laure Shipley, both local artists whose Willamette Valley landscapes emphasize the role of light. “Flow: The Languag...
More than one-third (36 percent) of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees occur in January. With this post-holiday fire hazard in mind, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) strongly encourages everyone to dispose of Christmas trees promptly after the holiday season. “As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreac...
Statewide maps of wildfire hazard zones and the wildland-urban interface are complete and final versions are now available on the Oregon Explorer website. The map designates all of Oregon’s 1.9 million property tax lots into one of three wildfire hazard zones: low, moderate or high. It also identifies whether a tax lot is within boundaries of the wildland-urban interface. Officials say properties that are in both a high hazard zone and within the wildland-urban interface will be prioritized f...
January Remnants of the prior year included the discovery that someone had broken into the outdoor mailbox at the Walterville Post Office, taking it out of service for an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service. Just down the road, McKenzie and Eugene/Springfield firefighters responded to a vehicle fire east of the Thurston Road/Hwy. 126 intersection to encounter an abandoned travel trailer fully engulfed in flames. No license plates or VIN numbers were found to help identify the trailer's...
SANTIAM PASS: A crash at the Santiam Junction of Hwy. 20 killed one person on December 30th, according to the Oregon State Police. According to the OSP report, a westbound Toyota Highlander, operated by Victor Hernandez Triana, 28, of Springfield, attempted to turn left onto Hwy. 20 and entered the path of an eastbound Hyundai Accent, operated by Maryssa Elizabeth Swiderski, 35, of Willamina, causing a head-on crash. The driver of the Hyundai was critically injured and transported by air...
Many folks are still expecting holiday packages this week, and the United States Postal Service is warning customers not to fall for what are known as smishing scams. Smishing, said John Hyatt - a strategic communication specialist with the USPS - is the practice of sending fake text messages to smart phones, asking users to click on a link to resolve a zip code or other issue with a pending package. He warned that personal data is what the sender is after. “Basically, criminals trying to obtain...
