Willamina city staff and volunteers have installed a dozen floating islands at Huddleston Pond to combat Brazilian elodea, an invasive waterweed that has been spreading throughout the pond. In July 2025, ...


Commentary

 
Quirk of the Week: No waffling: Ice cream just got even more fun

“Ice cream never asks silly questions. Ice cream understands.” — Anonymous Don’t ask why Serendipity Ice Cream did the thing they did on Saturday. They just did it, and a lot of ...

 
Randy Stapilus: Slate of independents to test major party disaffection

 

 
Jonah Goldberg: Keep artificial intelligence out of our classrooms

 

Jeb Bladine: This week, too many stories, not enough space

It’s Spring Grab Bag week, with multiple stories that deserve at least passing commentary. Muted Earth Day: Earth Day — April 22, often extended to Earth Week — involves more than 150,000 ...

Investigating the Bible: More on salt

A lady stood at a city corner, handing out brochures promoting her church. Evidently, she was having a bad day and was in a foul mood, which unfortunately was obvious to one man. As she extended the folded ...

Editorials

 
Narrow nod to Johnston for county's Position 1

Who should serve the next four years in Position 1 on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners is a tough call for us. Incumbent Kit Johnston has, during the last two years, given us a large measure ...

 
Nods go to Stephenson, Merkley and Brock Smith

We have three races on today’s endorsement menu, and in our estimation, the vast majority of you should be able to join us in making easy calls on them. In the non-partisan race for commissioner ...

 
Primary would best serve us by returning Kotek, Drazan

There are no fewer than 27 candidates for the Oregon governorship out on the hustings so far this year — 10 Democrats and 14 Republicans seeking major party nominations, one unaffiliated candidate ...

 
Depleted highway coffers demand a new infusion

Property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes and most other governmental taxes have one crucial element in common. They are based on percentage rates applied to ever-rising dollar volumes. That serves to ...

 
Bee-friendly pollinator garden a cause we should all support

So many national and international threats hanging over the heard of humanity these days seem so complex and distant as to defy meaningful impact at the local level. Fortunately, though, there is at least ...

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: April 24, 2026

Fiscal conservatism As the May 19 election approaches, I again review my choices. I collected signatures to get Measure 120 on the ballot, and it is an easy NO on higher gas taxes and fees. We are already ...

 
Letters to the Editor: April 17, 2026

Open and respectful I am following the 2026 Commissioner races with interest. Having served Yamhill County for eight years as sheriff and six as undersheriff, I am aware of what it takes to make county ...

 
Letters to the Editor: April 10, 2026

Out of ammo We’re about a month into the war with Iran. In that short time, we’ve started to run out of the interceptor missiles we and our allies rely on to defend against missile and drone ...

 
Letters to the Editor: April 3, 2026

Proceed with care Yes, McMinnville’s downtown needs major infrastructure work — and sooner rather than later. However, government and civic leaders need to understand the potential consequences ...

News & Features

 
Shooting at Joe Dancer Park, Mac student hospitalized with non-life-threatening injury

At about 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, law enforcement responded to a report of a fight and possible gunshots involving a group of people at Joe Dancer Park in McMinnville.

YCSO reports three dead from fentanyl overdoses

Three Yamhill County residents overdosed and were pronounced dead on April 20 in Newberg, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Tuesday media release. At about 4:20 p.m. on April 20, ...

Council praises EMPWR, but says it can’t make sign exception

McMinnville City Council lauded EMPWR Nutrition Group as an economic driver and large employer for the community Tuesday, but ruled that status doesn’t give the manufacturer leeway when it comes ...

Can Oregon GOP launch another anti-tax ballot referral?

New proposal will test political might of grassroots Republicans teamed up with state lawmakers

Plastic recycling event Saturday

Zero Waste’s Plastic Project will host a recycling event for hard-to-recycle plastics from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2. The location will be the McMinnville Covenant Church, 2155 N.W. Second ...

Lafayette committee weighs paying down debt and surcharge for sewer

The Lafayette Budget Committee on April 20 reviewed the nearly $22 million budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, which aims to pay off water debt early and use a sewer surcharge to fund improvements at the ...

 
Putting in overtime: Willamina students take night college trade courses

Willamina High School shop students have been working double shifts of classes — attending high school during the day and night classes at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). Four days a week, ...

 
Quirk of the Week: No waffling: Ice cream just got even more fun

“Ice cream never asks silly questions. Ice cream understands.” — Anonymous Don’t ask why Serendipity Ice Cream did the thing they did on Saturday. They just did it, and a lot of ...

Zero Waste talk addresses food waste, hunger

“Closing the Loop on Food Surplus & Hunger in McMinnville” will be the topic for Zero Waste’s Bubble Rap Speaker Series event on Monday, May 4. The free discussion will last from ...

Demise of local transit overstated, county says

Rumors that Yamhill County Transit is shutting down are unfounded, county officials said; however, changes to routes, fares and its Dial-A-Ride service will begin next month. County staff issued ...

 
Gardening the water: Willamina launches floating islands for weed control

Willamina city staff and volunteers have installed a dozen floating islands at Huddleston Pond to combat Brazilian elodea, an invasive waterweed that has been spreading throughout the pond. In July 2025, ...

Amity to celebrate 101st May Day

Senior Alyssa McMullen has been named Queen of Amity High School’s May Day Court for the 101st annual celebration. The traditional maypole dance and numerous performances begin at 7 p.m., ...

Sheridan budget meeting Thursday

The Sheridan Budget Committee will meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 30, for a presentation of staff proposals and a public hearing on state shared revenue. City Manager and Budget Officer Preston Polasek ...

Court Records: April 29, 2026

CIVIL FILINGS Sunwest Financial Inc. vs. Kenneth T. Stover, McMinnville: Renewal of $14,868.19 judgment. Capital One, N.A. vs. Kyle S. Burgdorf: Granted $14,706.81 judgment. Wells Fargo Bank N.A. vs. ...

 
Small business owners say tariffs, rising costs have hurt

Tariffs, uncertainties about tariffs, shipping delays and skyrocketing costs related to oil and gas prices have squeezed local small businesses, owners told U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas when she visited downtown ...

Landmarks committee delays decision on church demo

McMinnville’s Historic Landmarks Committee delayed for the second time a ruling on the demolition of a Second Street church last week, seeking more information on design elements for a planned four-story ...

 
Along the Street: Femme Ferments makes wine to support women

A new nonprofit organization is offering unique wines to raise funds for women’s causes. Karen Wright of Yamhill and Jessica Lindley of Portland conceived the idea for “Femme Ferments” ...

Apartment developer seeks to avoid 232% hike in parks SDCs

The McMinnville City Council on Tuesday will consider a housing developer’s request for a $540,000 break on development fees and EMPWR Nutrition Group’s appeal of the denial of a large sign ...

Former Sheridan manager files $4.26 million lawsuit against city, councilors

Former Sheridan City Manager Heidi Bell has filed a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit against the city, claiming breach of contract, defamation, economic damages, sex discrimination and wrongful discharge ...

 
Photos: Just for kids

Library celebrates Día de los Niños with activities for youths

Sports

 
Warriors speed by Tigers in first ever meeting of Yamhill County-rival flag footballers

Amity senior quarterback Haley Miersma threw three touchdowns and rushed in three of her own in a 53-0 victory over the Yamhill Carlton Tigers on Friday, April 24. It was the first meeting between county ...

County competitors set new state-best marks at Nike Relays

Jesuit High School hosted more than 150 schools on Friday, April 25, for the annual Nike Twilight Relays. Track and field athletes from across Oregon competed in one of the most intense regular-season ...

 
Mac Softball: Grizzlies dismantle Falcons after tough meetings with Tide, Vikings

The first full week of Pacific Conference play began with a rude awakening for the No. 15-ranked Grizzlies (8-8, 2-2). After rain forced a scheduled Tuesday matchup with Forest Grove to Thursday, the ...

Mac Baseball: Bears let leads slip away, drop series to Jaguars

April 20 McMinnville 3 Century 6 The No. 9-ranked McMinnville Grizzlies (8-7, 2-4) opened their series with No. 19 Century (10-6, 5-4) on Monday, April 20, with strong outings from both side’s ...

 
3A Softball: Tigers complete season sweep of Eagles before week of tough trials

A threat in the pitcher’s circle like Vale freshman Sophia Navarrete was just what the No. 6-ranked Yamhill Carlton Tigers (13-3, 7-1) needed to see with playoff hopes in mind. “This is state ...

 
Keliiheleua: Grizzly grad of '99 had to relearn how to walk before taking off

Through nagging injuries and multiple surgeries, Maile (Smith) Keliiheleua never lost sight of the family members and coaches who helped her achieve every athletic feat she dreamed of. While attending ...

 
Wildcat Roundup: Men’s golf earns second at finals; baseball rebounds; softball approaches tournament time

Golf Tigard alumni and Linfield junior Douglas Bailey repeated as the Northwest Conference’s medalist in the final NWC event of the season, firing rounds of 68 and 69 (-5) and winning in a playoff, ...

 
BC Harley reintroduces street-legal bike racing to Woodburn

Harley-Davidson racing is making a comeback at the Woodburn Dragstrip. Since about 2019, the racing strip at Woodburn has had few events for Harley-Davidson, but that was not always the case. More than ...

 
3A Softball: Pirates playing with intention

The No. 1-ranked Pirates (13-2, 7-0) aim to do three things when they take the field — avoid defensive errors, refrain from walking opposing batters and record double-digit hits. “When we ...

Mac Golf: Triple birdies at Rock Creek

With half the season remaining, McMinnville’s varsity golfers made a trip to Rock Creek Country Club in northwest Portland, where slick conditions made play more difficult for the Grizzly girls and ...

 
Mac Tennis: Grizzlies battle rain in trio of conference victories

Century, Newberg and Liberty were the foes of McMinnville’s varsity tennis teams last week as the programs tiptoed around inclement weather to put a bow on a trio of match days. For boys and girls ...

 
Pirate girls claim team title at PacWest League Meet

Among a slew of Class 3A-6A athletes, a trio of Amity Warriors earned top placements on Saturday, April 18, at the Jon Oliver Invitational and Panther Stadium at Central High School. Seniors Trenton Ruston ...

 
Mac/Newberg Baseball: Tigers take first series over Grizzlies since 2012

The last time the Newberg baseball team beat McMinnville twice in a row, current Tigers head coach Andrew Reichencach was a junior. Newberg secured a 2-1 series victory on Friday, downing Mac 8-3 ...

 
Mac Softball: Carton throws first career complete-game shutout in win over Century

With the offense sputtering, the No. 14-ranked Grizzlies (7-6, 1-0) relied on defensive heroics to provide the spark they needed to pull out their first Pacific Conference win of the season, 4-0 against ...

3A Baseball: Pirates route Warriors

Two days after believing his team had more to prove, the No. 25-ranked Pirates (8-5, 3-3) put on an offensive show to the pleasure of Dayton Head Coach Reed Rainey. Scoring 16 runs in the top of the second ...

3A Softball: YC splits trip east

The No. 7-ranked Yamhill Carlton Tigers (10-3, 4-1) took a trip into the Mountain Time Zone on Saturday, facing off with No. 2 Vale (12-0, 6-0) and No. 28 Nyssa (5-7, 3-3) on each of their home fields. YC’s ...

Mac Golf: Grizzlies reach halfway point

McMinnville’s varsity boys golf team continued to climb past Pacific Conference foes with a total team score of 315 to finish third behind Newberg (302, 2nd) and Sherwood (294, 1st) at Chehalem Glenn ...

 
3A Baseball: Dayton handles Amity, look to improve in hopes of a playoff run

It can be difficult to flip an off-speed pitch into the strike zone when you can’t feel your fingers, so Dayton senior Carter Webster relied on his heater on a cold, rainy Wednesday. “When ...

3A Softball: Bulldogs, Tigers on winning trail

April 13 Yamhill Carlton 6 Stayton 4 The No. 4-ranked Tigers (8-2, 3-1) travelled to the home of Class 4A No. 11 Stayton (4-5) on Monday and never looked back after taking a 2-0 lead before the home ...

Mac Baseball: Grizzlies tag Tigers with first loss of season, split first two of three-game series

April 13 McMinnville 7 Newberg 5 The first of three games between No. 6-ranked McMinnville (7-4, 1-1) and No. 5 Newberg (11-1, 4-1) began as a pitchers’ duel at George Fox University’s Morse ...

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