Rachel Thompson/News-Register##Brian Bixler spends time with students outside Willamette Elementary School, which in 2024 planted a Moon Tree that had flown into space on the Artemis I mission. Willamette is one of only a few schools in the nation to plant a Moon Tree seedling. Bixler, who is fascinated with the space program, applied for it on behalf of the school.

Stopping By: Space to learn

 

Teacher encourages kids’ natural ability to acquire knowledge through play


Commentary

Jeb Bladine: History urges strong response to youth violence

To be clear, there’s no public evidence the April 28 melee in Joe Dancer Park was gang-related. But if it was, historic lessons have taught us as a community to act quickly and vigorously. Last ...

 
Christine Bader: Chemeketa/WOU partnership creates rich new opportunities

For Bobby Garibay, post-secondary education wasn’t in the cards. “I didn’t really care about high school,” he says, and it showed in his grades. “I really let them drop because I didn’t see myself going to college.”

 

 
Quirk of the Week: Instructions included

Some signs are all-purpose, location-flexible: “Wrong Way,” “Yield,” “Breakfast All Day” … “Post No Bills.” Others are unique and perhaps site-specific: ...

Attention-magnets keep hiding important stories

It’s so easy to be distracted by attention-magnets while ignoring under-covered stories. Spectacle politics hides changes in structural governance; immigration drama shrouds realities of labor economics; ...

 
Jonah Goldberg: When violence erupts, blame game ensues

About the writer: Conservative D.C.-based commentator Jonah Goldberg serves as editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, hosts The Remnant podcast, authors a weekly Los Angeles Times column, holds a chair with ...

Editorials

 
Mounting SDC burden will stretch only so far

Oregon has pioneered an array of governmental and environmental approaches envied by, and frequently adopted by, other states across the country. It was the first to claim public ownership of its beaches, ...

 
Neyssa Hays best choice for commission’s Position 3

In the race for Position 3 on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, being vacated by term-limited Mary Starrett, we reached a clear consensus in favor of outdoor enthusiast and science educator Neyssa ...

 
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 ...

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: May 8, 2026

More follow-through The News-Register’s endorsement of Kit Johnston identifies serious concerns, but stops short of the obvious conclusion: After nearly four years in office, Johnston still has ...

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 ...

News & Features

 
Dayton and county inch closer to transfer of park, boat launch

Dayton City Council is 85% in support of obtaining Dayton Landing from Yamhill County, but they prefer to set aside negotiations on a potential land swap that would result in a new fairground location. Improving ...

Mac budget calls for 50-cent levy increase

Three years after voters approved a new fire district, the McMinnville Budget Committee will decide whether to fully restore its property tax rate to $5.02 per $1,000 assessed value. The first of four ...

 
UFOs, aliens incoming

Shine up your tin foil hats, alien pet costumes and headbands with eyes on stalks, and get ready for the arrival of McMinnville’s 26th annual UFO Festival, which will fill the city with all sorts ...

Trial opens for Mac woman charged in toddler’s death

On Tuesday, May 5, a manslaughter trial connected to a July 25, 2024, fatal accident opened in the Yamhill County Circuit Court. Ashley Dixon, 28, of McMinnville is accused of recklessly causing the death ...

School budget committee looks at 2026-27; staff cuts expected

With rising costs, declining enrollment and flat state school funding, McMinnville School District expects to trim several positions to balance the budget for 2026-27, Superintendent Kourtney Ferrua told ...

Acts lined up for county fair shows

The Yamhill County Fair & Rodeo will once again host a mix of country, rock ‘n’ roll and hip hop as the big name entertainment options in 2026. The lineup will start with two country musicians, ...

County delays zoning changes for footbridge project

The Yamhill County Board of Commissioners chose Thursday not to act on zoning changes needed to accommodate a Newberg park project, citing concerns over definitions and legal fees. In 2023, Chehalem Park ...

 
A tradition of new beginnings in Amity

Amity’s May Day celebration continued for its 101st year with senior Alyssa McMullen reigning queen for the evening. The May Day court is voted on by the student body, with seniors selecting three ...

Trails PAC files signatures for referendum

A referendum opposing removal of the Yamhelas Westsider from Yamhill County plans took a step forward Tuesday, with the submittal of signatures needed to place the issue on the November ballot. Trails ...

 
One-acts are ‘All in the Timing’

Gallery Theater will present “All in the Timing,” a collection of six one-act plays led by four new directors, May 15 to 24. The show includes comedic scenes written by David Ives. Directors, ...

 
Stopping By: Space to learn

Teacher encourages kids’ natural ability to acquire knowledge through play

Teen shot in park melee arraigned on riot charge

Juan Pablo Garcia Ramirez, 18, one of 16 males facing assault and riot charges connected to an incident at Joe Dancer Park on Tuesday, April 28, was shot in the shoulder by a 16-year-old during the melee, ...

 
Mac High to present ‘The Outsiders’

McMinnville High School students will perform “The Outsiders,” based on the classic novel by S.E. Hinton, May 8 to 16. Shows will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9; 7 p.m. Thursday ...

Amity gets parks planning grant

The city of Amity approved a grant agreement with the Department of Land Conservation and Development for future parks planning at the Wednesday, May 6, council meeting. Amity previously received DLCD ...

Arrests & Citations: May 8, 2026

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Helen Therea McDaniel, 36, Sheridan, April 30, driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving; booked and released. Katherine Ann Cornell, 39, McMinnville, ...

 
Students, Lions redo park pits

To the tune of water bubbling over rocks in nearby Baker Creek, Duniway Middle School sixth-graders and members of the McMinnville Lions Club dug and scraped and constructed Monday morning. The students, ...

Increase in available TLT revenue flagged for Dayton festivities

The city of Dayton’s proposed $8,789,406 budget for fiscal year 2026-27 features unfilled positions, raised fees and reductions of community event funding to build a general fund contingency. Events ...

Carlton to draft new leash law

After discussing dogs and a potential dog park for an hour, Carlton City Council members on Tuesday asked the city to draft a rule requiring canines to be leashed at all times in public spaces throughout ...

Law enforcement targets retail theft

Law enforcement agencies worked in coordination with the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office, Oregon Department of Justice and Fred Meyer Loss Prevention to execute a retail theft mission at ...

Alleged car thief, eluder arraigned on charges

A McMinnville man wanted since Nov. 20, 2025, was arrested last week in connection with vehicle theft and police chase. On Nov. 20, 2025, officers were dispatched to a report of a stolen vehicle in the ...

Sports

 
Gallery: Remembering good times

On Saturday, May 2, Maile Keliiheleua (1995-99), Chris Haddeland (2007-2011), Spencer Payne (2008-13) and the Grizzlies 2006 Boys Soccer Team were officaly inducted into the McMinnville High School Sports ...

 
Linfield Baseball: Former foes turned teammates help ’Cats to conference tournament

When Wildcat seniors Wyatt Hurley and Ely Kennel faced off in high school — Hurley a star at Yamhill Carlton and Kennel at Santiam Christian — neither thought their baseball careers would end ...

 
Linfield Softball: Wildcats claim eighth straight conference title

For the eighth consecutive season, Linfield’s No. 7-nationally ranked softball team are Northwest Conference champions. The Wildcats earned their title on Sunday at the home of Pacific Lutheran ...

 
Trio of up-and-coming track and field stars learning from each other with state dreams in mind

The future of Yamhill County track and field is bright and approaching fast, literally. Amity’s Ella Hatch, Delphian’s Lily Olivares and Willamina’s Katrina Huff — members of the ...

 
Mac Golf: Grizzly girls win conference, boys send Slaughter to state

For the second consecutive season, McMinnville’s girls varsity golf team will be forgoing its regional tournament. That is because on Tuesday at Chehalem Glenn Golf Course in Newberg, the ...

McMinnville Community Tennis Association offering adult clinics

Beginning Thursday, May 21, the McMinnville Community Tennis Association will offer adult clinics at the Linfield University tennis courts. Clinics will beon Thursdays through August 20 and will be taught ...

3A Baseball: Pirates, Tigers ramping up for first face off

The third and final automatic playoff berth in Class 3A Special District 3 could be decided during a pivotal two-game series between Yamhill County rivals. On Friday, No. 19-ranked Yamhill Carlton (10-8, ...

 
Mac Tennis: Grizzlies sweep Bowmen, Jaguars, Tide

McMinnville’s varsity tennis teams had a blazing hot week, spearheaded by the Grizzly girls completing a season sweep of Sherwood just weeks after defeating the Bowmen for the first time in five ...

 
Mac Softball: Kreft, Pesina-Wade, Stephens go deep in 18-3 smothering of Newberg

A parade of home runs helped the No. 15-ranked Grizzlies (9-9, 3-3) topple No. 30-ranked Yamhill County rival Newberg (9-11, 1-5) on Friday as Mac got back on track with an 18-3 road victory. There were ...

 
Mac Baseball: Woodward stays hot but Bears drop to Vikings

The high point of the McMinnville varsity baseball team’s three-game Pacific Conference set versus No. 25 Forest Grove (10-9, 6-6) was on Wednesday. It was the only game of the series that the No. ...

 
3A Softball: YC's Bradfield strikes out 13, clobbers home run in 4-0 victory over Dayton

As the upperclassmen gracing the softball diamond for Yamhill Carlton and Dayton have gotten older, the competition has stiffened and the margins have tightened. Such was the case on Thursday, where the ...

 
Gallery: Linfield Lacrosse celebrates Senior Day, Crist breaks three program records

On Sunday, April 26, the Linfield University lacrosse team held senior day before its final game of the season. The pre-game celebrations honored Linfield’s six seniors: Savannah Irwin (6), Gabby ...

 
DeLoe III, Hughes break respective school hammer records

On a warm, clear day at Amity High School on May 2, two local throwers set personal and school records in an event that only Amity can offer to local athletes. Taking to the Warriors’ Olympic-quality ...

 
Linfield softball: Embracing the toughest challenges on way to first time on road at conference tournament in five years

Though the Wildcats finished their regular season 34-6, they know there are improvements to be found the next time they hit the field. That moment will be Friday afternoon, when No. 10 nationally-ranked ...

Mac's McIrvin honored with national merit award

McMinnville High School Athletic and Activities Director Ryan McIrvin has earned the 2026 National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s (NIAAA) Award of Merit for Oregon. Organizers ...

 
Mac Softball: Stellar defense not enough to stifle Bowmen

With offense at a premium in recent games versus top-ranked Pacific Conference talent, the No. 15-ranked Grizzlies (8-9, 2-3) knew they could not give the opposition extra help. McMinnville’s softball ...

 
Yamhill Carlton's Kuehnel reaches 500th career victory, cherishes community

It takes consistency to win as much as John Kuehnel has. Yamhill Carlton’s head softball coach has been the heart and soul of the program since 1997. Kuehnel spent what time he had coaching youth ...

 
Tiger boys volleyball improves league standing, learning lessons in discipline

The Yamhill Carlton boys volleyball team was in a pickle on April 23, with only six players eligible to play. The match against league opponent Valor Christian was pushed back 30 minutes, allowing senior ...

Mac Golf: Boys fall behind at Pumpkin Ridge, girls fighting for conference crown

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains was the most recent site for Class 6A Pacific Conference action on April 27-28, with McMinnville junior Mabel Findley most notably securing her lowest score of the ...

 
MHS soccer of ’06: When the stars aligned

McMinnville’s head soccer coach in 2006 was no ordinary Joe. Joseph Crabtree was not an Oregon native. He moved to Yamhill County in 1990, working as the warden at the federal prison in Sheridan, ...

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