Top Stories
Bull elk skeleton found near Yamhill, OSP seeks info
The Oregon State Police is seeking information about skeletal remains of a bull elk discovered earlier this month north of Yamhill. Evidence indicates the elk was killed during the first two weeks of ...
Yamhill County Commissioners approve spirits tasting at Duck Pond Cellars
Duck Pond Cellars has received clearance from the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners to open a spirits tasting room on its premises outside Dundee, with the stipulation it must manufacture spirits onsite, ...
Linfield will stream Night of Improvised Sketches
Linfield University theater students will perform “Out of the Box: A Night of Improvised Sketches,” at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Derek Lane will direct the show, which will be streamed ...
McMinnville teen arrested following speed racing crash
A 17-year-old McMinnville boy was arrested Sunday night on charges related to speed racing on Southwest Baker Street that resulted in his vehicle crashing into the Hagan Hamilton Insurance Solutions building, ...
Linfield president to lead Oregon college alliance
Linfield University President Miles Davis is the new chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, nicknamed “The Alliance.” Davis, who ...
Murder trial to be rescheduled after attorney withdraws, citing dispute with defendant
The murder trial for a 35-year-old man charged in a 2019 shooting death in McMinnville will be rescheduled after his defense attorney withdrew from the case. Dustin Brown is accused of killing 28-year-old ...
Wildfire evacuations interfere with COVID testing, county cases total 738
Wildfires that spread throughout Oregon in September, resulting in thousands of evacuations, reduced the number of people tested for COVID-19, the Oregon Health Authority says. The number of newly tested ...
Rethinking barriers: program helps job seekers let go of self-defeating behaviors
Some job seekers have already overcome major problems — gotten off drugs, served jail time or moved from the streets into safe housing. But they still might need help in surmounting an ...
Amity resident assaulted, robbed; suspects arrested
An Amity resident was bound behind his back with electrical cord and tape, assaulted and robbed early Monday morning. Two suspects were taken into custody. The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office identified ...
McMinnville candidates for mayor make their case in forums
McMinnville Mayor Scott Hill and challenger Heidi Parker described two different visions of city leadership at recent candidate forums organized by Yamhill County Republican Women and the McMinnville Lions ...
COVID-19 in Yamhill County - At a Glance
[Tuesday, Sept. 22] Yamhill County reported 6 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the county total to 744. Oregon Health Authority reported 328 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 today, ...
Wildfires intensify economic pain in the West
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer The fires consuming the forests of California and Oregon and darkening the skies over San Francisco and Portland are also damaging a regional economy ...
Volunteers, donors help with county response
Community support made it possible for Yamhill County to provide a safe haven for people and animals affected by Oregon wildfires over the past weeks, county officials told the Board of Commissioners Thursday. Hundreds ...
Carlton man's death ruled not suspicious
The death of a 51-year-old Carlton man whose body was found in the Panther Creek Road area last week is not considered suspicious, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. Capt. Chris Ray ...
COVID, smoke, other 2020 problems pile on stress
It’s been six months since we piled our shopping carts high with toilet paper, bought every single face mask in Yamhill County and hunkered down at home with Zoom meetings and banana bread ...
Chehalem Mountain fire evacuees return home
After transporting horses from evacuation zones near the Beachie Creek and Powerline fires, Michelle Ladd returned to her home on Bald Peak Road last Tuesday. She was unhooking her horse trailer when ...
Yamhill County commissioners approve new jail risk manager
Yamhill County commissioners approved a new position for the sheriff’s office, a deputy to manage COVID-19 risk in the jail during the pandemic. The employee hired for the job also will be ...
Mac farm helps lions, tigers that barely escaped fire
Tigers snarled and lions roared upon arrival at McPhillips Farms southwest of McMinnville, where they took shelter last week from forest fires burning east of Salem. The big cats and more than 70 other ...
How bad has the air been in McMinnville? No way to know
Just stepping outdoors in recent days has reminded McMinnville City Councilor Sal Peralta why Yamhill County, and McMinnville in particular, needs an Air Quality Index monitoring station. Smoke-filled ...
Sheridan council approves curb ramp improvements
The Sheridan City Council approved curb ramp improvements at this month’s special meeting, accepting a $233,000 contract for low-bidder Emory & Sons Construction Group of Salem. City Manager ...
State & Region
Lightning storm, easterly wind: How West Coast wildfires got so bad
By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — It began as a stunning light show on a mid-August weekend — lightning bolts crackling in the skies over Northern and Central California, ...
Oregon reduces number of confirmed wildfire fatalities
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Authorities in Oregon have reduced the confirmed number of fatalities from recent wildfires in the state from 10 to eight. The state’s Office of Emergency Management on ...
Seeping under doors, bad air from West's fires won't ease up
By SARA CLINE and GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Dangerously dirty air spewing from the West Coast wildfires is seeping into homes and businesses, sneaking into cars through ...
Easing fires not as simple as climate change vs. forest work
By ANDREW SELSKY and ADAM BEAM Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Deadly West Coast wildfires are dividing President Donald Trump and the states’ Democratic leaders over how to prevent blazes ...
Wildfires intensify economic pain in the West
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer The fires consuming the forests of California and Oregon and darkening the skies over San Francisco and Portland are also damaging a regional economy ...
Western fires raise fight over climate change before Trump's visit
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America BEAVERCREEK, Ore. (AP) — With crews battling wildfires that have killed at least 35 people, destroyed neighborhoods and enveloped ...
Winds a worry as death toll reaches 33 from West Coast fires
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and SARA CLINE Associated Press BEAVERCREEK, Ore. (AP) — Nearly all the dozens of people reported missing after a devastating blaze in southern Oregon have been accounted for, ...
Better weather aids battle against deadly Western wildfire
By ANDREW SELSKY and SARA CLINE Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Diminishing winds and rising humidity helped firefighters battling deadly blazes in Oregon and California, but with dozens of ...
Fires without precedent rage in usually cool, wet Northwest
By GILLIAN FLACCUS and ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press PHOENIX, Ore. (AP) — Numerous wildfires burned in Oregon's forested valleys and along the coast, destroying hundreds of homes and causing mass ...
Pacific Northwest fires approach Portland
[Updated at 3 p.m. with additional details, governor's remarks] By GILLIAN FLACCUS and SARA CLINE Associated Press ESTACADA, Ore. (AP) — Windblown wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest ...
Heat, winds fuel destructive Northwest wildfires
By ANDREW SELSKY and NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Strong winds and high temperatures continued to fuel catastrophic fires in many parts of Oregon on Wednesday, forcing ...
Winds kick up Northwest wildfires, Oregon Gov declares emergency conflagration
High winds kicked up wildfires across the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, mostly destroying the small town of Malden in eastern Washington state and forcing evacuations ...
Lawmakers talk police reform, other bills at special session
By SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers discussed unemployment benefits and police reform bills Monday as they returned to the Capitol for a special ...
Portland protesters cause mayhem again, police officer hurt
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A crowd of about 200 people, some wielding homemade shields, clashed with police early Friday in Portland, Oregon for the third consecutive ...
Special session: Oregon lawmakers return on Monday to big deficit, police questions
The Oregon Legislature will meet for its second special session of 2020 beginning Monday to try to fix a $1.2 billion revenue hole due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While some lawmakers predict the ...
Portland police, protesters clash for second consecutive night
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police and protesters in Portland, Oregon, have clashed for the second night in a row and the city’s police chief says the ongoing ...
Portland, Oregon, protests relatively calm after US drawdown
By GILLIAN FLACCUS and ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Leaders in Portland, Oregon, caught their breath and moved forward with cautious optimism Friday after the first nightly ...
Oregon reports decline in weekly COVID-19 cases for first time since May
By SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials reported on Thursday the state's first decline in weekly coronavirus cases since early May. During the week ...
Portland prepares for US agents to step back from protests
[Updated at 6 p.m. with additional detail] By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon police prepared Thursday to take over protecting a federal courthouse in Portland that’s ...
US agents to pull back in Portland but will stay on standby
[Updated at 10:40 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:05 p.m. with additional quotes and context] By GILLIAN FLACCUS and MIKE BALSAMO PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Some federal officers guarding a U.S. courthouse that's ...
Local News
American Legion remembers 9/11
American Legion members remembered those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and honored current first responders on Friday in ceremonies at the Carlton Memorial Post 73. Nearly 50 people gathered for the event, ...
Fire in the sky: High winds blow in smoke, blow down trees
If you were Dorothy Gale, you would have run for the storm cellar Monday evening as strong winds blew in smoke from regional wildfires and turned the sky an eerie yellowish-gray. It wasn’t a cyclone, ...
Carlton native Tom Jernstedt, known as the ‘Father of Final Four’, dies at 75
Tom Jernstedt, Carlton’s “Father of the Final Four,” died on Saturday. He was 75. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and pioneer of the NCAA Division I men’s ...
Larger ballot boxes going in around Yamhill County
Voting by mail and drop box won’t be anything new for Oregonians this November, but Yamhill County Clerk Brian Van Bergen is modifying the formula slightly anyway. As history shows Yamhill ...
Smoke raises COVID respiratory risks
In the days leading up to Labor Day, Oregonians were urged to stay home and avoid gatherings and those not living in their households, in an attempt to lessen spikes in COVID-19 the state recorded after ...
In-person sale canceled, but MacHub will still benefit from big sale
UPDATE: The community market scheduled for Friday and Saturday has been CANCELED. Our earlier story: MacHub, which resells community donations to support job training programs, will hold a large community ...
Burglar draws jail term
A judge sentenced a 40-year-old McMinnville man to 30 days in the Yamhill County Jail for his role in a crime spree in which churches and other businesses, including an auto dealership, were burglarized ...
Red flag warning issued through Wednesday
Unusually strong, hot dry winds are creating critical fire danger for much of northwestern Oregon, the Portland office of the National Weather Service warned. It issued a red flag warning that went into ...
Students go online for summer school
As the summer school class began, students’ photos popped onto the Zoom screen, joining teacher Chandler Harrison. “Good morning, Mila! Good morning, Nicholas!” Harrison called out, ...
Showing up, standing up: An anti-racism movement awakens in Yamhill County
In 2015, Jessica Haney bought her first home in Newberg. The therapist and her three children were cleaning before moving in when a new neighbor stopped by. Instead of welcoming her, the woman said, “You ...
Excessive heat watch issued for weekend
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening with a heat wave expected to raise temperatures into the triple digits over the weekend. The ...
Amity extends state of emergency
The Amity City Council has extended its COVID-19 state of emergency declaration through mid-February 2021. City staff had recommended the council extend only through the Wednesday, Sept. 2 meeting, which ...
Council approves zoning change for affordable housing project
McMinnville City Councilors approved amendments to property zoning near Three Mile Lane that would help pave the way for the Housing Authority of Yamhill County to develop an affordable housing project. The ...
Mac school board OKs anti-racism resolution
McMinnville School Board members unanimously approved an anti-racism resolution Monday during their first meeting since a group of parents and other citizens requested they take a stand. STAND UP Yamhill ...
Willamina residents spend ‘Willabucks’
“Willabucks,” the $100 scrips created to spur commerce and help families during the coronavirus pandemic, are being spent as intended, city officials say.City Manager Kenna West, who introduced ...
Carlton will wait for ODOT to consider Westside truck bypass
Carlton City Council members on Tuesday briefly considered asking voters to state their preferences for the path Highway 47 takes through town — along Main Street downtown, as the state ...
Along the Street: Soap business opens retail shop in Carlton
Rough Cut Soaps and Sundries has moved to a more visible location in downtown Carlton — West Main Street. Owner Tanya Braukman started making soap at her home in Carlton and selling it online and ...
Linfield hires deans for schools
Jennifer Madden Linfield University has hired deans for its new School of Business and College of Arts and Science. Formerly Linfield College, the university also has a School of Nursing in Portland, ...
Sports
Yamhill County's Greatest Games: An All-American, a faithful community and the '79 Mac title
Over 41 years ago, head coach Nick Robertson, All-American Charlie Sitton and the McMinnville boys basketball team etched their names into the history books with an undefeated 27-0 season. The ...
Early improvements spur Linfield success against rival Raiders
Week two games for any football coach concern improvement. After teams have played their first game, coaches now glimpse their squad’s potential. Retired hall of fame head coach Ad Rutschman ...
Provoking Hope holds annual golf tourney
Provoking Hope is holding its fifth annual golf tournament September 26 at Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville. Provoking Hope provides a safe and supportive environment to the residents of Oregon’s ...
Coaching Conversations: Scott Nelson transformed Warriors into contenders
AMITY – Scott Nelson’s coaching career began in his backyard. His four sons – Cody, Kyle, Lance and Jaycen – would engage in hearty competitions at the family’s Amity ...
Remembrance of games past: Adversity spurs Wildcats’ run of dominance in 2010s
In Linfield’s first game of the 2008 football season, the Wildcats traveled to Abilene, Texas, opening head coach Joseph Smith’s third season, and arriving with high hopes for a play-off ...
Senior golf scores
Bayou Golf Course, McMinnville, Friday, September 4 KP No. 7: Vern Farrington LP No. 9: Charles Nagely LD No. 8: Dan Qualey LD No. 8: Bob Rino Low Gross No. 1: Jim Cox 43 LG No. 1: Charles Nagely ...
Carlton native Tom Jernstedt, known as the ‘Father of Final Four’, dies at 75
Tom Jernstedt, Carlton’s “Father of the Final Four,” died on Saturday. He was 75. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and pioneer of the NCAA Division I men’s ...
Coaching conversations: Rosenberg's odyssey in men's basketball
Fully embracing the Japanese term “kaizen,” Linfield head men’s basketball coach Shanan Rosenberg continuously seeks to improve himself. The term, which means “change for ...
Linfield football earns three preseason All-Americans
Three Linfield football players were named to the D3football.com Preseason All-America team. Senior quarterback Wyatt Smith, junior offensive guard Matt Metcalf and junior defensive tackle Chase Lydig ...
Senior golf scores
Bayou Golf Course, McMinnville, Friday, August 28 KP No. 7: Vern Farrington LP: Jimmy Lum LD No. 8: Vern Farrington LD No. 8: Harry Hamilton Low Gross No. 1: Duane Qualey 42 LG No. 1: Bob Huson 42 LG ...
Beacons sign Sheridan’s top javelin thrower Huffman
Rusty Rae/News-RegisterSheridan junior Taylor Huffman attempts a throw during a track and field meet at Amity High School in 2019. Huffman, with the Sheridan High School stadium in the background, signs ...
Senior golf scores
Bayou Golf Course, McMinnville, Monday, August 24 KP No. 3: Harry Hamilton LD No. 8: Charlie Nagely LD No. 8: Bob Huson Low Gross No. 1: Bob Vertregt 44 LG No. 1: Frank Warren 44 LG No. 2: Bob Larson ...
Y-C family moves to Idaho for fall sports
YAMHILL -- In early August, Quinten Ramsey and his stepsister, Ali Barnett, anxiously awaited the Oregon School Activities Association’s (OSAA) decision on the upcoming 2020/21 sports ...
Y-C’s ‘Father of the Final Four’ deserves Oregon Hall
For the past three years, former Yamhill-Carlton baseball coach Larry Hermo fought tirelessly for his ex-player Tom Jernstedt’s inclusion in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Jernstedt, one ...
Linfield sports suspended until 2021, rules Northwest Conference
Local Linfield fans must wait until 2021 to watch their favorite Wildcat teams compete in Division III athletics. Monday, the Northwest Conference (NWC) Presidents’ Council decided to suspend all ...
NCAA recommends free eligibility to affected fall sports athletes
By RALPH D. RUSSO AP Sports College athletes who play fall sports, including football, will be given a free year of eligibility no matter how much they compete over the next 10 months provided an NCAA ...
Nola drives in four, Mariners snap Dodgers seven-game win streak
By TIM BOOTH AP Sports SEATTLE — When he was younger and probably a little more stubborn, Seattle’s Taijuan Walker would have struggled to make a major in-game adjustment that called for ...
Lillard scores 34 and Blazers beat top-seeded Lakers 100-93 in Game 1
AP Sports LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — After sinking a deep 3-pointer midway through the final quarter, Damian Lillard did a little dance and teammate Jusuf Nurkic pointed to his wrist. This was Dame ...
Senior golf scores
Bayou Golf Course, McMinnville, Wednesday, August 5 KP No. 3: Harry Hamilton KP No. 7: Bob Dahlberg LP No. 9: Jim Givens LD No. 8: Frank Warren Low Gross No. 1: Les Miller 43 LG No. 2: Bob Dahlberg ...
Coaching Conversations: Dana Dickey-Greene creates a pipeline for future success
SHERIDAN — Inspired by her mother, Sheridan’s Dana Dickey-Greene has become a positive force in the Spartan volleyball program. Entering her fourth season with the team, Dickey-Greene ...
Features
Stopping by: She lives a philosophy of giving
Soup kitchen chef wants everyone to have access to nutritious meals Robin Miguel hitchhiked across the country looking for the meaning of life, and found it: helping others, especially by feeding ...
Putting their minds to it
Program helps job seekers let go of self-defeating beliefs and behaviors By STARLA POINTER Of the News-Register Some job seekers have already overcome major problems — gotten off drugs, ...
Stopping by: Making a difference for horses
Carlton woman has a passion for helping Oregon mustangs Horses have been at the center of Alexis Wilkinson’s life since she was a baby. As a child, before she’d mastered reading herself, ...
Rohse: Homesick for huckleberry season
Every year in late August, I get homesick for huckleberry picking trips. Eastern Oregonians anticipated those trips as much as they did Christmas. Rohse Colored Glasses McMinnville's Elaine ...
Stopping By: Writers shaped by McMinnville
McMinnville is a character in new books by two people who grew up in Yamhill County — New York Times reporter and longtime journalist Jim Tankersley, and attorney Mark Cushing, whose practice specializes ...
Stopping By: Past, present intersect at historic Carlton address
Young girls’ fingerprints are still visible on the bricks that form the interior walls of Troon Winery tasting room in Carlton. The prints are a clue to the history of this building, and ...
Gallery continues outdoor theater
After three successful, live outdoor performances, Gallery Theater plans two more: “Tea for Three,” a play about first ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford, on Thursday, ...
Rohse: When inanimate objects conspire
I am absolutely certain many of my inanimate objects have minds of their own — objects such as eyeglasses, car keys, computer, the hot water tap in my shower, even a favorite recipe. Rohse Colored ...
Stopping By: Labor of love
Darci Haney’s dream home came with a huge oven, big enough to bake eight pies at a time. “It’s an amazing thing,” she said of the appliance that’s perfect for an ...
Stopping by: Lafayette's history buff delves into area's past
Greg Goularte lives in a house once occupied by Josephine Wascher, a beloved Lafayette educator who was principal of the city’s old school and namesake of the new one. “When we moved in, we ...
Stopping by: Diamonds forever
A dapper fellow walks into one of the multi-story buildings in the diamond district in Antwerp, Belgium. After handing over his passport to assure dealers he is a legitimate buyer, he runs ...
Rohse: In Eastern Oregon, danger came with the territory
No one in my hometown of Monument had white-coat syndrome. The reason being: we didn’t go to doctors except when it was vitally important. And the reason for that was Monument had no doctors. Rohse ...
Stopping by: 'Message of caring'
Flowers bloom throughout the country thanks to a nursery on the banks of the North Yamhill River. County Garden Nursery, between McMinnville and Carlton, is a family business best known for hanging ...
Carlson: Thinking of adding a second dog?
I have to admit, especially when my patience is wearing thin, that bringing a 55-pound basset puppy home to a 2-year-old, 85-pound greyhound, and then trying to manage the ensuing chaos, was perhaps not ...
Rohse: In search of the elusive utopian community
For centuries mankind has attempted to establish a utopia, defined as an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), a scholar ...
Stopping by: 'The power of beauty'
Photographer, painter and gallery owner Marilyn Affolter can understand why some people consider art “fluff’ — especially when the coronavirus pandemic has people worried about staying ...
Carlson: Tips for dog owners heading back to work
I started this column in early June, when it seemed like the path toward our new normal seemed somewhat straightforward. Then on June 12, I heard there was another spike in coronavirus cases and Gov. ...
Stopping by: Roadside warrior: protecting native plants
Somewhere a monarch butterfly is fluttering its wings thanks to Susan Aldrich-Markham, whose volunteer efforts have helped the species survive the annual commute from Canada to Mexico. Monarchs lay eggs ...
Stopping By: Jam makers spread the love
Raspberry cardamom rosehip. Peach, vanilla, nutmeg. Blueberry chamomile. Strawberry lemon ginger. Those are some of the creative combinations developed by Alchemist’s Jam, the award-winning ...
Bottle drive raises grad night money
A no-contact can and bottle drive to benefit the McMinnville High School Class of 2021 Grad Night will be held the first Saturday of each month throughout the summer, as well on Sunday, July 5, ...
