An ad line seen on Facebook proclaims: “New AI-powered software creates ghostwriter-level fiction books in under 90 minutes.” I am writing a book. I’m a walking cliche — a retired ...
Editorials
Food, music and fun fare show promise downtown
What do fine art, wine and dining, street-vendor craft and food fare, vintage garage-sale finds, live local music, brewpub and taproom beer, custom street rods and local field and orchard bounty have in ...
Trio of new bills goes too far in greenlighting new projects
When the Oregon Legislature established the groundwork for Oregon’s restrictive, contentious and litigious land use system in 1973, it made major construction projects significantly more costly and ...
Wine is an economic driver that we can't afford to ignore
The wine industry seems to have lost some of its luster in the last few years — regionally, nationally and even internationally. That’s bad news for the community long heralded as the hub of ...
Commissioners miss chance to better serve public at large
County Commissioners Mary Starrett and Kit Johnston missed a sterling opportunity last week to opt for competence over cronyism in filling one of the three lay seats on the county’s six-member budget ...
Prosperity Council delivers workable roadmap for state
Gov. Tina Kotek’s 15-member Oregon Prosperity Council released its 452-page prescription for Oregon’s ailing economy to great fanfare last week. Cutting through the report’s massive scope ...
State's school funding formula in desperate need of overhaul
Oregon’s school funding formula — last reconfigured in 1991, some 35 years ago — fails to provide more than 100,000 poverty-afflicted students with the extra help they desperately need ...
Now’s the time to be heard on sewage system funding
McMinnville has embarked, and wisely so, on planning for the next 20 years of operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and expansion of its sewage transmission and treatment system. The challenge is to ...
Don't just vote no on IP28; give it a blistering rejection
Initiative Petition 28 has succeeded in placing the PEACE Act, short for the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions Act, on Oregon’s November ballot. And that has, understandably, ...
Graduates let feelings known about who controls the future
There have been numerous news articles and viral videos this graduation season featuring the Class of 2026 raining a chorus of boos upon speakers promoting the wonders of artificial intelligence (AI). ...
Schools can’t afford to just kick the can down the road
The last of the big local public agency budgets, that of the McMinnville School District, won final committee approval last week. And after a long, steep and steady enrollment decline, one that’s ...
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: July 31, 2026
A cheaper way Are you cringing when you fill up your car or truck? My small SUV costs me less than 2 cents a mile for fuel. How? I own an all-electric car — not a hybrid, as they still burn gasoline. My ...
Letters to the Editor: July 24, 2026
Every vote counts So, you think your vote doesn’t count or make a difference. Well, you are wrong. I recently read a short article, taken from the book, “This is the Plan,” by Ben Wikler. Wikler ...
Letters to the Editor: July 17, 2026
GOP restraint? Jonah Goldberg’s “Right and Left Need to Confront Their Own Radicals” has a central false assumption. Namely that there is still a moderate right/Republican faction willing ...
Letters to the Editor: July 10, 2026
Showing his colors Another great News-Register, except for the always annoying and deceptive column by Jonah Goldberg, who exposes his MAGA leanings with every one. There are enough lies, fabrications ...
Letters to the Editor: July 2, 2026
Hate is learned Dear Commissioner Starrett: Several years ago, I discovered a disturbing drawing on the sidewalk at Jay Pearson Park here in McMinnville. It depicted a person being lynched and was accompanied ...
Letters to the Editor: June 26, 2026
Respect for all I am writing to express my profound concern regarding recent comments made by Yamhill County Commissioner Mary Starrett. As an elected official, she holds a position of public trust and ...
Letters to the Editor: June 19, 2026
Wall of honor Adie and I just wanted to show you what we’ve done with all of your amazing work over the years. Thank you so much for shining a light on our special teammates, coaches and community! Adie ...
Letters to the Editor: June 12, 2026
Canary in coal mine As a former hospital administrator in both non-for-profit and for-profit systems, and senior manager in a major Medicaid program, I read your article on United Healthcare Advantage ...
Letters to the Editor: June 5, 2026
Revise terms? Our present three-member board of county commissioners has the potential for a major adjustment every four years. The possibility of having two-thirds of the board subject to change at the ...
Commentary
Jonah Goldberg: Socialtists pose no real threat in America
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it’s almost like the GOP is secretly promoting the Democratic Socialists of America, which is now producing much of the energy and excitement within the Democratic and Republican parties.
Jeb Bladine: A daily flood of consequential surprise stories
Flash floods through the Midwest-South-Appalachian corridor have dominated summer news, often overshadowing a flood of consequential surprises in our daily news feeds. That thought surfaced this week ...
Investigating the Bible: Putting feet on prayers
A little girl was very upset that her brother made a trap to catch birds. Later the same day, her mother saw her daughter smiling and cheerful. Curious, she asked her why. “First, I prayed that my ...
Gary Conkling: Small liberal arts colleges as steadily disappearing
As a graduate of a small liberal arts college, I feel sad to see the demise of similar institutions around the country, with more likely to follow.
Quirk of the Week: A flippin’ fertile foray
Things can get topsy-turvy when it comes to Quirk. It’s the spirit of this appreciation of the unusual, but sometimes it’s literal, as one stop in this roadside roundup will show. Recent ...
Mel Gurtov: Trump triggers retreat on climate front
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, serves as an emeritus professor of Political Science at Portland State University. We once took for granted everyone concerned with global warming outside the Trump ...
Local editorial wins international honor
Steve Bagwell, editorial page editor at the News-Register, has been honored with a Golden Dozen award for editorial writing by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. This is the sixth ...
Cyrus Javadi: Why is health insurance so infuriatingly opaque?
Have you ever sat down at the kitchen table, opened a bill from a doctor, hospital or clinic, stared at the amount you owed, and exclaimed:
Investigating the Bible: Who can you trust?
Long before Amazon, many shopped using the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogue. Colorful and with around 1,000 pages, it supplied everything an American needed or didn’t need and wanted. A catalogue ...
Jeb Bladine: Blockbuster AI stories and hypothetical surveys
Every week seems to produce another blockbuster story about artificial intelligence, while we beginner, amateur and semi-pro practitioners try to navigate the giant web of AI opportunities and issues. This ...
Quirk of the Week: Nuts about Anthony
Third Street seems to be nuts about Anthony the squirrel. Squirrels may have their detractors, but you’ll find few on Third Street, at least when it comes to Anthony. Anthony, a lively Western ...
What in the Yamhill: The ABCs of McMinnville
To the observant eye or longtime local, the fact that McMinnville’s main north-to-south running streets in the city’s oldest section are in alphabetical order may not come as a shock. The ...
Kirby Neumann-Rea: Don't lean on the AI crutch for work you can do yourself
An ad line seen on Facebook proclaims: “New AI-powered software creates ghostwriter-level fiction books in under 90 minutes.” I am writing a book. I’m a walking cliche — a retired ...
Jeb Bladine: Legislature tosses transparency, citizen rights
Sometimes, I wonder if state legislators care about law-making transparency, or even bother to read proposed bills before voting on them. As evidence, look no further than the 2026 legislative session. Locally, ...
Jonah Goldberg: Iran war could shape policy for decades
By JONAH GOLDBERG The Iran war that never really ended is back on. Like everybody else, including members of the Trump administration and Iranian regime, I have no idea how it will end. But it eventually ...
The Conversation: Electronic warfare threatens safety of ships and crews
By ANNA RAYMAKEROf the Georgia Institute of Technology The war in Iran has dominated headlines in recent months with reports of airstrikes and other military activity. But beyond the immediate devastation, ...
Investigating the Bible: Hidden treasure, untapped power
In the southwest corner of Oregon is the unincorporated community of Kerby. It’s listed as a ghost town, for old buildings still stand from the mid-1800s, when it was a gold-mining town. ...
Gary Conklin: Novel suggestion raised on road project funding
Public affairs advocate Rick Metsger, a former legislator, has waded into the deep end of the pool by suggesting a bold idea for funding major transportation projects in Oregon — creation of a new state agency. Before rolling your eyes, hear him out.
Jeb Bladine: Scientists restore access to climate data
Decades ago, a NASA scientist told a U.S. Senate committee that human-caused “global warming” had begun, launching a wave of forums, programs and civic discussions focused on future risks. ...
