Garvin reflects on his first year as city manager

With a year under his belt as McMinnville’s city manager, Adam Garvin has gotten used to frequent calls, new issues emerging daily and the expectation of always being available. “The phone ...

Commentary

Here’s another occasional episode of “News You Can Use” (NYCU) – snippets of information sprinkled with small bits of gratuitous comment, offered during this annual transition time ...

On Aug. 11 of 2025, Donald Trump ordered the secretary of defense to mobilize the D.C. National Guard to combat what he claimed was “an epidemic of crime in our nation’s capital,” even though earlier that year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office had announced crime there had fallen to a 30-year low. In fact, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime had declined 26% the previous year alone.

About the writers: Mark Olalde covers environmental issues in the American Southwest for ProPublica. He previously held staff posts with The Desert Sun, Arizona Republic and Center for Public Integrity ...

Don’t look now, but we seem to have a moral panic on our hands.

Johnny Cash nicknamed his drummer, W.S. Holland, “Fluke”; all his successes seemed to come by luck. However, Fluke’s luck nearly ran dry in San Francisco. With Johnny Cash and his wife, ...

Editorials

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Deja vu I was glad to see the McMinnville Historic Landmarks Committee was willing to work to restore the historic brick wall in City Park. Unfortunately, eight months after the first accident, another ...

News & Features

Police seek info about downtown shooting

The McMinnville Police Department is seeking information about a shooting that occurred on Third Street late Saturday night. Mac PD and Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded shortly ...

Along the Street: Banks collect diapers for families in need

Nine Yamhill County banks are collecting diapers for A Family Place diaper bank, which distributes free diapers to families in need. The annual “Banks for the Bank Diaper Drive” will run through ...

In Willamina, on to phase two of school bond projects

As Willamina students returned to school Aug. 24, they entered through new vestibules that were constructed this summer as part of phase one of the bond-funded upgrades to the school district. The Willamina ...

Votes delayed for zone change, annexation of Chegwyn property

McMinnville City Council delayed annexing a 3.17-acre property into city limits last week after residents requested an additional hearing on the same applicant’s zoning change. Applicant Yamhill ...

County board joins Marion County in OHA rule requests

Yamhill County joined Marion County last week in requesting that the Oregon Health Authority revise behavioral health program rules to protect the safety of clients, staff and other residents. The county’s ...

Financial details for affordable housing stay hidden in Oregon

Oregon’s spending on low-income housing has exploded in the past five years. The state has given developers an unprecedented $1.4 billion, and the cost of developing each apartment has nearly doubled, to $540,000. Dozens of projects are lined up for an additional $850 million in future state funding. Federal tax credits, which the state oversees, will bring even more money to bear.

Yamhill County students return to school this week

School doors swung open around Yamhill County Monday morning. Students streamed in, followed by parents and grandparents carrying school supplies and hankies to wipe away tears. Robbie Wendling was all ...

Photo Gallery: Pool goes to the dogs

Pups go for a swim before aquatic center closure

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; ...

What in the Yamhill: Dundee, with its Scottish name, now known for wine

Dundee, like many other towns in Oregon, was named after the hometown of a settler. William Reid arrived in Oregon in 1874 from Dundee, Scotland. The etymology of the word consists of two parts. “Dun” ...

YCSO K-9 presence de-escalates Newberg domestic disturbance

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Koa, a one-year-old Dutch Shepherd, helped resolve a domestic disturbance on Aug. 10, according to a YCSO statement. Around 7:30 p.m., deputies responded to a ...

New lights and fresh pavement at Sheridan High

Sheridan High School students were welcomed back to school with a freshly paved parking lot, new exterior lighting and roof repairs to the old gym. “I really enjoyed seeing the parking lot redo ...

Terrarium making business inspired by Oregon’s landscape

When Julie Ann Irby moved to McMinnville after a lifetime in the Midwest, she wasn’t sure about the Northwest setting. “I’d never lived on the West Coast,” she said. “I’d ...

Garvin reflects on his first year as city manager

With a year under his belt as McMinnville’s city manager, Adam Garvin has gotten used to frequent calls, new issues emerging daily and the expectation of always being available. “The phone ...

Mural artist wants to add beauty

The beautiful scenery of the ranch owned by restaurateur Peter Kirchner inspired the mural that artist Johnnie LaRue is painting on the Third Street side of Golden Valley Brewery & Restaurant. LaRue ...

Missing out: With too many students absent, educators urge the community to help

Students should attend school every day unless they are ill, local educators say. But currently, about one-third of public school students in Yamhill County miss at least 10% of each school year. They ...

Second St. apartments clear likely final hurdle

The McMinnville City Council voted 4-1 to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval of a 72-unit affordable housing complex on Second Street Tuesday, citing state law aimed at spurring housing development ...

Law enforcement discusses plate-recognition cameras

Flock cameras have been making headlines nationwide and in Oregon, as the cameras using automatic license plate recognition, or ALPR, technology have sparked fears of a surveillance state. At least seven ...

Stopping By: On to the next stage

Active community member Charity Livingston is leaving McMinnville for new adventures — but she’ll be back

Amity man charged with sex abuse against relatives

Lloyd Earl Rosenbalm, 63, of Amity was arrested Wednesday afternoon at his residence on allegations of child sexual abuse of relatives. According to a probable cause statement by YCSO Detective Hugo Cerda, ...

Sports

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 ant 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 ...

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