Special Delivery: BC Harleys group rolls Christmas joy into hospital

Members of the BC Harleys drag-racing group roared up to the Willamette Valley Medical Center wearing Santa hats, their parade accompanied by the lights from McMinnville Police Department and Yamhill County ...

Commentary

In Amity, waffles get a wall full of mail. Common Cup cafe upholds the old-school mail tradition of postcards. Owner Jeannie Coelho and staff encourage the community to keep in touch via postcard with ...

At my age of going on 90, it’s too late for a mid-life crisis. So, it must be a “late-life crisis,” coupled with occasional “senior interludes.”

Willamette University is located across the street — State Street, in Salem — from the statehouse, and that has sometimes been a good metaphor for its status in Oregon.

Come New Years, media will look back at the most prominent stories of 2025, many of them disturbing reminders of sad news, bad weather, tragic events, and conflicts with local, state, national and international ...

One of the worst features of the primary system in our polarized “Red vs. Blue” time is the tendency of primary voters to flock to the candidate they most want to see “destroy” the other party, not the candidate best positioned to do so.

Editorials

Resolution and reverberation offer different ways to define 2025 in Yamhill County. As we look at Yamhill County’s year past and year ahead, local issues often either bookended or leapfrogged: many ...

It’s been a long time coming, but a sitting Oregon governor finally conceded earlier this month, at Oregon’s annual Oregon Leadership Summit, that business leaders have a point when they complain ...

To the casual observer, the McMinnville School Board’s unanimous Monday night embrace of Dr. Kourtney Ferrua as the next superintendent of schools here may seem the product of a whirlwind courtship. But ...

Since coming into vogue in the 1970s, transient lodging taxes have become almost universal in the U.S. and more the rule than exception elsewhere in the world — particularly in countries with at ...

From the outset of President Trump’s second term, masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in unmarked cars have been permitted to scoop up potential immigration status violators and whisk ...

Letters

The News-Register welcomes written opinions about issues of public interest and about the content of this newspaper. Letters from non-local writers are accepted only if they focus on local issues. This ...

Weak and damaged A malignant narcissist is defined as an individual with a personality disorder that includes these characteristics: profound lack of insight, extreme grandiosity, lack of empathy, sadism, ...

Insurance a basic need Democrats may have lost their fight to extend subsidies for purchasing health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, but their efforts have started ...

Ferrua best choice As a past long-time employee and board member in the McMinnville School District, I am writing in support of maintaining Dr. Kourtney Ferrua as school superintendent on a permanent ...

Time to stand up Ramming people’s cars is illegal. Assaulting people is illegal. Kidnapping people is illegal. Refusing due process for people — including immigrants — is illegal, and ...

News & Features

Special Delivery: BC Harleys group rolls Christmas joy into hospital

PAC awaits ruling on trail ballot petition

Yamhill County trail advocates will find out Christmas Eve if they are getting what they want — petitions designed to preserve the Yamhelas Westsider trail approved by County Clerk Keri Hinton. Trails ...

Heavy rains lead to sewer overflows

High rain levels caused sewer overflows and mechanical failures in several cities across Yamhill County including McMinnville, Amity and Willamina. McMinnville had a sewer overflow from 3:10 a.m. to 10:10 ...

Stopping By: Enjoying the experiences

A native of Tunisia, Raghad Ben Ameur, known as Rae, is experiencing her first Christmas celebrations this year as an exchange student at McMinnville High School.

Planners give green light to McMinnville Landing overlay

The table is set for development on 190 acres of land off Highway 18, following the Planning Commission’s unanimous adoption of a development overlay for the planned McMinnville Landing. “This ...

Along the Street: Park & Main changing owners

Park & Main founders Dustin and Maryfrances Wyant are selling their restaurant in downtown Carlton to The Ground, which operates The Pub and Grounded Table in McMinnville, along with Stillwater Event ...

About one-tenth of total McMinnville UGB represented in study area

McMinnville City Council and Planning Commission gave feedback last week on three concept plans for a 640-acre area of unincorporated land that could be annexed into the city in the coming years. The ...

Local pizza chain adds another slice with Mandie's in Lafayette

After 27 years in the pizza business, it is no wonder Mike Howard sees slices of savory pie everywhere he looks. When he and his wife, Mandie, were painting the century-old building to become the latest ...

Mac Fire battles blazes

The McMinnville Fire District battled two structure fires this week, including a three-alarm blaze at UFP Industries on Highway 18. Firefighters were dispatched to 1726 OR-18 at 11:30 p.m. Friday, and ...

Amity man drowns in flood waters, body recovered

Hector Ramirez Aldaco, 52, of Amity drowned the morning of Friday, Dec. 19 near Ballston. At 7:40 a.m., Yamhill Communications received a 911 call from an individual stating they saw a vehicle drive around ...

Lafayette to accept bids for wastewater screens

Lafayette City Administrator Branden Dross expects new screens to the city’s wastewater plant headworks and engineering will use most of the city sewer budget for the year. “We’re probably ...

Vintage N-R/Memory Land: Dec. 24, 2025

10 Years Ago -- While locals are nestled all snug in their beds this Christmas, the cadets of McMinnville’s Civil Air Patrol squadron will be watching the skies. Lt. Cathe Frederic, the squadron’s ...

Newberg man accused of stabbing father

A Newberg man was taken into custody during the early morning of Monday, Dec. 22, by Newberg-Dundee Police Department. NDPD responded to the Newberg residents for a report of an assault with a knife. “Officers ...

Photos: Remembering Mike

Friend, family, colleagues and community celebrate the life of Mike Hughes

Cards, crafts, cooking equate to holiday cheer for Rotunno family

One way Nancy Rotunno makes Christmas special is by creating her own holiday cards. Rotunno, a former educator, thinks about the design for months. In September, she starts making the cards — it ...

Photo Gallery: The Joys of Giving

A few scenes of locals volunteering their time and talents to help others during the holiday season.

Quirk of the Week: Wall full of mail in waffle haven of Amity

Offbeat Oregon: Portland was shanghaiing capital of the world in 1890s

As of the time of this writing, there is some disagreement over the status of Oregon’s largest city. It all came to a head last month when the President of the United States referred to it as “war-ravaged ...

Mac agrees to $98k settlement with YCAP

McMinnville City Council agreed to a $98,000 settlement payment Wednesday to close the door on the AnyDoor Place Navigation Center project that was fraught with delays and construction issues. In exchange ...

Stopping By: Christmas in a cold climate

Christmas meant snow, ice and traditional foods when Mark Björnson of rural Amity was growing up in North Dakota. His great-grandparents had settled there after they emigrated from Iceland in the ...

Sports

Best in class: Mendonca Academy karate siblings make history in Venice

In an unprecedented achievement for American karate, siblings Logan Mendonca (16) and Mackenzie Mendonca (14) have each risen to No. 1 in the world in their respective divisions in the World Karate ...

Grizzlies overpowered in first Pac conference dual meet

On Wednesday, Dec. 17, McMinnville High School’s wrestling troupe took a trip to Newberg, where the boys and girls combined to go 6-14 in their bouts against the Tigers. Each side saw three ...

Grizzlies drop first Pac conference dual meet

On Wednesday, Dec. 17, McMinnville High School’s wrestling troupe took a trip to Newberg, where the boys and girls combined to go 6-14 in their bouts against the Tigers. Each side saw three individual ...

Pressure upends Grizzlies in loss to Guardians

McMinnville’s boys varsity basketball team (4-3) was given a lesson in late-game execution on Friday, Dec. 19, in their own gymnasium, falling 65-59. The Grizzlies opened their non-league match against ...

Yamhill wrestling wins Bill Hagerty

Both Yamhill Carlton wrestling teams won the Bill Hagerty at Nestucca High School on Dec. 20. The boys scored 200 points, walking away with one champion and four runners-up and the girls team had 101 ...

Grizzlies bested by blistering Bruins

It is wise not to get in the way when two bears are dueling. The scene can get grisly. Blood might fly and skin may break, but neither side is bound to let up until their opponent is finished for good. On ...

Amity takes second at Capitol City Classic

The Amity Warriors girls basketball team spent the weekend defeating 6A programs Sprague and Grants Pass at the Capitol City Classic basketball tournament before being taken down by South Salem, the No.5 ...

Wildcat Roundup: Mens and womens basketball have weekend success, Smolt named NWC POTW; volleyball awarded for academic achievements

Womens Basketball Linfield’s womens basketball team (6-2, 1-0) picked up two victories over the weekend in non-conference play against NAIA Simpson (Calif.) and No. 22 NAIA Corban. The ’Cats ...

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