"Whatchamacolumn" by Jeb Bladine
The News-Register publisher writes about the community; people; local, state and national affairs; and sometimes whimsey.
Jeb Bladine: Shutdown crisis reports spawn more questions
Every crisis-related news report about our 9-day-old federal government shutdown seems to raise as many questions as it answers. Warnings of air transportation gridlock cite understaffing because so many ...
Chamber honors business leaders
The McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce presented a lifetime achievement award to the News-Register’s Jeb Bladine at Friday’s annual Chamber awards gala. Bladine, publisher of the family-owned ...
Jeb Bladine: AI takes a dive into ambulance service finances
Readers — here and far beyond — will continue and expand their engagement with artificial intelligence, which has become the quintessential research tool of our age. Each time, readers should ...
Jeb Bladine: Reducing abuse of Oregon foster care children
Oregonians had a glimpse into the world of child foster care, but transparency is fleeting. From a report in The Oregonian: “Disability Rights Oregon and national advocacy group A Better Childhood ...
Jeb Bladine: Walking a mile, or two, in the other guy’s shoes
We’re often reminded that many news articles can’t capture the full human story behind the reported facts, especially when those facts involve the activities of law enforcement and the judicial ...
Jeb Bladine: McMinnville's founder left an interesting will
We newspaper people tend to be packrats of history. It shows in our weekly “Memory Lane” articles, “Vintage N-R” photographs and backroom stacks of newspapers dating into the 1800s. ...
Jeb Bladine: Maintaining connectivity among local leaders
McMinnville’s history includes eras with long-serving leaders integrated throughout what admittedly was a smaller, more cohesive community in less complex times. That history wasn’t without ...
Jeb Bladine: Financial uncertainty of downtown development
Plans for major renovation of downtown McMinnville infrastructure have been studied, debated, expanded, delayed, amended and delayed again to the point of great financial uncertainty. The long-promised ...
Jeb Bladine: City council faces tough decisions on expenditures
McMinnville City Council — acting as governing body for both the city and its Urban Renewal Agency (URA) — faces some serious financial challenges in a series of upcoming meetings. Years of ...
Jeb Bladine: Take blindfolds off RB Rubber project planning
Let’s acknowledge up front that community development under Oregon’s urban renewal law is complex and confusing. But that doesn’t justify the city of McMinnville’s long-delayed ...
Jeb Bladine: Linfield goes full-public with private finances
Governmental and institutional budgets are going under the knife. And while federal government cuts have drawn maximum attention, public interest is turning to local financial emergencies. It’s ...
Jeb Bladine: Americans tortuously trying to ‘follow the money’
Americans are stunned by the explosion of controversial statements, policies, executive orders and vengeful actions radiating from the White House. So much so — intentionally? — as to distract ...
Jeb Bladine: It’s never too late to correct a factual error
Consider this column a much-belated correction impacting a current story that is generating local controversy. That story is the city of McMinnville’s prolonged plan to flip the former Ultimate RB ...
Whatchamacolumn: Career criminals play a role in budget deficits
McMinnville’s huge city budget deficit was on display this week, with officials trying to figure out why it evolved while grappling with how to respond. “I’m failing to understand,” ...
