With a ukulele and friends, ‘life is good’


Commentary

Jeb Bladine: Mail ballot controversy plays out on deadline

Writing “on deadline” can be risky business, particularly when a story depends on simultaneous court adjudication activity. Consider this week’s high-stakes tale of federal plans to assume ...

 
Jonah Goldberg: Trump’s wars both intended as oil heists

So, it was a war for oil after all.

On social media Friday, President Trump announced the United States and Venezuela had struck an agreement for “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY.”

 
Gleb Tsipursky: Employers often overlook key AI productivity metric

 

Mel Gurtov: President’s threats sowing discord around the globe

As global crises descend around him, Donald Trump seems increasingly incapable of a rational response. He rants, rails and threatens, indulges in delusions, then retreats to one or the other of his vanity projects.

 

Investigating the Bible: Ben Franklin and the Bible

Benjamin Franklin’s likeness graces $100 bills. As a founding father of our country, he helped draft and then signed our Declaration of Independence. Before these, he became famous for publishing ...

Editorials

 
Down hours, missed days cripple educational results

By virtually every metric, Oregon’s public schools are falling behind their counterparts in other states. Considering how poorly American public schools compare to more rigorous and disciplined ...

 
State housing intervention doing us no favors locally

When McMinnville completed its richly detailed and documented City Center Housing Strategy in March 2020, it assured us it knew exactly where it was going and how it intended to get there, in terms of ...

 
Cybersecurity threat rising with no relief now in sight

Willie Sutton, one of the most prolific and incorrigible bank robbers in American history, boosted more than $2 million from more than 100 banks during his colorful criminal career. Though it may well ...

 
Flurry of initiatives indicates course ahead at air museum ahead

In Act 2, Scene 2 of his play Romeo and Juliet, celebrated English bard William Shakespeare observes, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” That ...

What lies beyond the public disapproval of data centers?

Oregonians — ninth among states with about 900 megawatts of commercial colocation data-center capacity — are taking action to slow the growth of massive data campuses. However, as demand for ...

Letters

News-Register Letters Policy

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 ...

 
Letters to the Editor: Sept. 4, 2026

Noxious noise I continue to be astounded that this city sanctions an event where a small group of people is allowed to take over the downtown and surrounding area for several hours to create an environment ...

 
Letters to the Editor: Aug. 28, 2026

Drain the swamp The MAGA/Make America Great Again movement has been nothing more than a marketing scam. It was a scheme to create a political base by pandering to a disaffected portion of our population, ...

 
Letters to the Editor: Aug. 21, 2026

Trampling on rights McMinnville, we feel your pain In sleepy little Monmouth, your neighbor 26 miles south, more than 150 people appeared before our city council in April to voice disapproval of plans ...

 
Letters to the editor: Aug. 14, 2026

Affordable housing If McMinnville would like to stand out and create a self-sustainable model, it wouldn’t settle for apartment complexes owned by out-of-town corporations. Population growth has ...

News & Features

Hydrant dispute decision coming soon

While discussing the latest proposed compromise with the McMinnville Fire District over hydrant use Wednesday, McMinnville Water & Light commissioners were cautioned not to get into the heart of the ...

Updated: Police seek info about downtown shooting

[Updated 9/4]  McMinnville Police Capt. Scott Fessler told the News-Register Friday that the investigation into the downtown shooting continues as detectives work to identify all people ...

Zoning rules for transportation facilities headed back to planning commission

A years-long discussion of rules regarding transportation facilities in Yamhill County is headed back to where it started following the board of commissioners’ latest discussion. Draft rules making ...

City manager proposes new naming policy for future parks and buildings

The McMinnville City Council will vote on a new policy for naming city parks and buildings when it meets next week. The new guidelines emphasize “community identity,” rather than the past practice ...

Races set for local council elections

Barring a write-in campaign, two of the three races for McMinnville City Council positions have been decided. Incumbent Zack Geary in Ward 2 and Abigail Neilan in Ward 1 are running unopposed in the November ...

 
Message from a ‘Cabaret’

“Cabaret,” which opens Friday, Sept. 4, at Gallery Theater, is about “people being targeted for their differences,” said director Seth Renne. The musical is set in the years around ...

 
Stopping By: All together now

With a ukulele and friends, ‘life is good’

Amity eyes new agreement for underused park kitchen

The city of Amity will try to work out a new agreement with the Amity Volunteer Firefighters Association that will determine the future of a kitchen at the city park. The Amity City Council on Tuesday ...

 
Vintage N-R/Memory Lane: Sept. 4, 20206

10 years ago • Organic Valley, the nation’s largest organic dairy cooperative, has announced purchase of the local Farmers Cooperative Creamery milk processing plant on Highway 99W, which dates ...

Family of detainee demands access

Family members of a Newberg man recently detained by federal immigration agents described their frustration over not being able to contact or help their loved one at a news conference Thursday afternoon ...

Clerk’s office hosts election info meetings

The Yamhill County Clerk’s office will host five informational meetings about the upcoming November midterm elections. The meetings are open to the public and are “designed to provide a safe, ...

 
Narcotics K-9 to retire after 8 1/2 years

After more than eight years on the job, contributing to the seizure of nearly 5,000 grams of narcotics and $230,000 in drug money, a Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office canine is headed to his ...

Newberg aims to pave the way for partnerships

Carlton will continue to explore a potential partnership with Newberg that could give the city access to paving equipment and crews for local street maintenance. The Carlton City Council discussed the ...

Arrests & Citations: Sept. 4, 2026

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Mathew James Alcatraz, 37, Salem, Aug. 28, McMinnville Municipal Court hold, Marion County hold, Clackamas County hold; booked into the Yamhill County Jail on $5,999 ...

Mac fire chief commends staff during busy month

Providing support for the air show and county fair, assisting with wildfires and an increase in emergency calls made August especially hectic for the McMinnville Fire District (MFD). “Lots of calls; ...

 
Mac committee discusses how to repair Star Mill Way wall

The McMinnville Historic Landmarks Committee is seeking old photos and documentation of the Star Mill Way wall it is planning to reconstruct. The HLC held its first discussion on the project last week ...

 
Rumble in Lafayette: Wrestling spectacle draws fans to Commons Park

On Sunday, Aug. 30, residents and visitors flocked to Commons Park for an afternoon of entertainment as POW! Pro Wrestling took over Lafayette. The green space turned into the site of the wrestling promotion’s ...

September exhibits preview this year’s Art Harvest tour

Artists who will be showing in the Art Harvest Studio Tour in October will give a glimpse of their work at two exhibits in September. The free exhibits are planned in the Rose of Third Street, upstairs ...

Federal grant money available for parks

An informational webinar about the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept. 11. The federally funded program provides matching grants to state and ...

 
Woman charged in porta potty fire

Witnesses to an alleged arson at McMinnville’s Kiwanis Park on Saturday, Aug. 29, helped lead police to a suspect who was found and arrested under the Three Mile Lane bridge. A caller to Yamhill ...

Sports

 
Mac Boys Soccer: Grizzly duo notch multi-goal performances to stifle Foxes, 5-2, in season opener

McMinnville junior Jonathan Espinoza Flores was laser-focused on Tuesday in the lead-up to the Grizzlies’ season opener against 5A Silverton. Kickoff couldn’t come soon enough for the quick ...

Mac Girls Soccer: Baker scores twice, team tallies four goals in final 20 minutes to stun South Medford

McMinnville’s varsity girls opened their season to the tune of a 4-0 victory over South Medford on Monday afternoon after a five-hour bus ride and 90-degree heat threatened to steal their energy. Both ...

 
Mac Volleyball: Grizzlies taken for rough ride in first game

The McMinnville gymnasium was buzzing with the life of a new volleyball season on Tuesday as the Grizzlies opened their schedule with a matchup against the 6A Roosevelt Roughriders of the Portland Interscholastic ...

Linfield Football: Wildcats look to break hex against UW-Oshkosh in season opener

Two years ago, Head Coach Joseph Smith led the Wildcats into Oshkosh, Wisconsin, fresh off a 2023 campaign that left Linfield just shy of a playoff berth. The game was a rock fight, the lead changed hands ...

Sports Memory Lane: Sept. 4, 2026

10 Years Ago • The inaugural Brennon Mossholder era of Yamhill Carlton’s football program began explosively last Friday. His team downed the visiting Tillamook Cheesemakers 17-14. The Tigers’ ...

3A/2A Volleyball: Bulldogs, Spartans off to hopeful starts

The West Valley was brimming with varsity volleyball action this week as Willamina and Sheridan got a head start on the season. Sheridan already possessed a 3-3 record and a No. 22 ranking in Class 2A ...

 
Cross Country: Bears set the bar at Pacific Conference Preview

Joe Dancer Park was slick Wednesday afternoon, but a little bit of rain didn’t stop the Pacific Conference Preview from roaring through the foliage in McMinnville. Even with track spikes, runners ...

 
Photo Gallery: Grizzlies back in business

McMinnville football received its first taste of action on Friday, Aug. 28, when they traded drives with Sandy and West Salem at the Newberg Jamboree. The Grizzlies offense was able to put together a few ...

 
Mac Volleyball: Grizzlies believe they have the 'cohesiveness, drive and grit' to make major strides

Usually boisterous, the Grizzlies varsity volleyball team showed rare timidness when they took the court for their jamboree contests in Newberg last Thursday. A handful of players returned from the varsity ...

 
3A/2A Volleyball: County teams expect growth while thriving under pressure

The 3A volleyball landscape has changed this season, and for Yamhill County squads, it means more chances to test their mettle against one another. The West Valley League makes a triumphant return this ...

Cross Country: Mac, YC harriers open season with 3,000-meter records at Ash Creek Preserve

The high school cross-country season sprang to life on Friday at the Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth as Central High School hosted The Opener. Forty-nine programs were represented, including two from Yamhill ...

 
3A/2A/1A Girls Soccer: Seniors at Amity, Dayton, YC forming strong bonds with incoming freshman to get best out of everyone

Amity broke the mold by winning the 3A/2A/1A girls soccer championship in 2025. They were the first public school to claim the title in 15 years of combined play between the three divisions, proving it ...

 
The Battle for Lafayette, pro wrestling makes Yamhill County debut

On Sunday, Aug. 30, POW! Pro Wrestling will make its Yamhill County debut with “The Battle for Lafayette” at Commons Park, 133 Adams St. The park will be transformed with a ring placed in ...

 
Mac Girls Soccer: Sky's the limit, Grizzlies hope to build on program success

Ties are an intrinsic part of the game of soccer, and situationally it can be easier to play for the draw than to risk defeat by being overaggressive. At the end of the high school season in Oregon, ties ...

 
Mac Boys Soccer: Dominating play in attacking half, gritty defense is continued key to winning at high level

A new season began for the McMinnville boys varsity soccer team Thursday morning when they took the field at Wortman Stadium for a trio of jamboree contests. Cool temperatures and familiar surroundings ...

 
3A/2A Boys Soccer: Young teams at Amity, Delphian, YC look to prove themselves while Dayton eyes domination

The small-school boys soccer landscape has changed this season, and Yamhill County squads are hoping it’s for the better. Aside from Class 2A Delphian remaining at the same level, schools like Dayton ...

Sports Memory Lane: Aug. 28, 2026

10 Years Ago • Hidden perhaps among the offensive exploits of the McMinnville Grizzlies at Friday night’s jamboree was the performance of Carson Brickell, the senior center of the team. Brickell, ...

 
Linfield Football: ‘Cats enter ‘26 season with more confidence after incremental improvements in 2025

Although a 7-2 record was nothing to turn their nose up at, the 2025 season for Linfield University football included reality checks. The Wildcats missed the NCAA Division III playoffs for ...

 
3A Football: Amity, Dayton, Yamhill Carlton enter fall with varying goals while becoming part of reformatted district

The ever-changing classification landscape across Oregon high school football has led to Yamhill County teams jumping in and out of contention with one another other over the years. Yamhill Carlton High ...

 
2A Football: Willamina aims to get back on track with committed group of upperclassmen

Willamina High School sits on an island in the hills of the West Valley that Head Coach Dan Oswald takes the utmost pride in helping flourish. Oswald enters his sixth consecutive year leading the Bulldogs ...

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