North Valley chorus builds connection to music and one another

During the three months since they started rehearsing, members of the new North Valley Community Chorus have learned to harmonize as they sing classic choir pieces — and a few novelty songs. John ...

Commentary

This week’s column is built around information from artificial intelligence (AI) — intertwined (hopefully) with splashes of human intelligence (“HI”). In today’s unprecedented ...

For generations, foreign policy eggheads debated the question, “Who lost China?” I’m wondering if election analysts might soon ask, “Who lost the Latinos?”

Approaching his first anniversary in office, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, who ran most prominently on grappling seriously with the city’s homelessness, just made a major course shift. It may — and should — indicate more to come.

Analysis of why countries go to war sometimes argues that leaders are motivated by problems at home. They attack another country to divert attention from an economic crisis, an unlawful act, or, as in the Robert De Niro movie Wag the Dog, a sex scandal.

Fred Lockley interviewed a pioneer woman named Valeda Smith Ohmart in 1934. She remembered a story about Tabitha Brown, the founder of Oregon’s Pacific University. Mrs. Brown was a devout and s

Editorials

At this writing, a final, official reckoning is still not yet available for the $98.5 million parks and rec bond appearing on McMinnville’s November general election ballot. The most recent tally ...

At this writing, we finally appear poised to close the books on the longest federal shutdown in American history, exceeding that even of the 35-day closure marking the first Trump presidency. But in addition ...

A political storm brought thunder and lightning raining down on America’s east and west coasts Tuesday, and vast swaths of the heartland lying between. Almost everywhere, the results were delivered ...

So much of what local government entities do for their constituents is so mundane and routine it seldom gets any attention until things go wrong. Then a hue and cry arises. Everyone wonders why someone ...

In the face of troubling social issues, our first instinct has traditionally been to simply keep them out of the public eye, thus avoiding the messy necessity of addressing them. When that fails, our fallback ...

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 ...

Yes on Yamhelas Trail I am now a senior rider, after decades of being a cyclist for both recreation and transportation at different periods in my life. And I feel much safer on a trail away from the increasingly ...

It’s on us I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in marches against the man in the White House. With the help of the Supreme Court, he created a hopeless atmosphere of despair ...

No sense of mercy? I volunteer at the Soup Kitchen at St. Barnabas, and on the Tuesday evening of Oct. 28, we served 80 plates in the first 30 minutes. Are we people choosing to have a country without ...

Long tradition Citizens of McMinnville helped pay for public facilities long before I moved here in 1978. In fact, since McMinnville’s naming in 1856 and platting in 1876, its residents have most ...

News & Features

Reports of ICE detainment activity Friday include arrest of 17-year-old Mac High student - Updated

[Update 11/22] Family of a Mac High student detained by ICE say he was released around 7 p.m. Friday evening. Cesar Jimenez, the brother of Mac High senior Christian Jiminez, said the family was ...

Vintage N-R/Memory Lane: Nov. 21, 2025

10 years ago -- The thought of sledding across the tundra of northern Sweden and Norway makes Nadine Lew Basile shiver with delight. The Carlton-area resident is one of a handful of Americans vying to ...

Landscapers boycotting Recology over new fee

A new Recology fee for yard waste has local landscape companies looking at alternative dump sites to avoid hundreds in additional weekly costs. On Oct. 1, Recology Organics implemented a $16 per yard ...

Show at fairgrounds focuses on metal art gifts

Metal art gifts, from small items to larger sculptures, will be for sale at the fourth-annual Metal Arts Gift Show on Saturday, Nov. 22. The show will last from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Yamhill County ...

Amity man captured by K-9, multiple cases referred to DA

Keith Edwin Becker, 36, of Amity faces additional charges of assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Becker had been a fugitive from the law since he failed to appear for sentencing on Oct. 23. At 8:15 ...

North Valley chorus builds connection to music and one another

Head of nonprofit school finds flaws in how Oregon students are taught to read

The Oregon Journalism Project What Went Wrong? Oregonians believe in public education. And we put our money where our values are. K-12 schools claim the largest share of Oregon’s general fund, ...

Lafayette sign over joint water system to Dayton

Lafayette councilors transferred the city’s rights to a joint water system to Dayton at its Nov. 13 meeting. The joint water system was a secondary source for Lafayette. They city’s primary ...

Stopping By: A neighborhood tradition continues

For years, residents of the neighborhood west of Adams Street and south of Memorial Elementary School — called Saylor’s Addition — have been running the streets on Thanksgiving ...

Thanksgiving meals, events around the county

-- The Sheridan/Buell Grange will host a Friendsgiving community potluck on Sunday, Nov. 23, at Buell Grange Hall, 5970 Mill Creek Road, Sheridan. Vendors can reserve a space at the accompanying market, ...

McMinnville public works manager presents tool to prioritize capital needs

Capital projects will be a major topic in the coming years as the city of McMinnville works to address deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure. City staff debuted a new tool Wednesday that will help ...

MW&L: Building for the future

Plans for the renovation of McMinnville Water & Light headquarters are progressing under budget, with an expected completion date of summer 2027 for the approximately $25 million project. The remodel ...

An ‘atypical resolution’ results in probation sentence for Olague

During the sentencing hearing for Roberto Matias Olague Jr., 22, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, defense attorney Abraham Hanson said his client has a lot of incentive to prove the prosecution and court are not making ...

Offbeat Oregon: The Oregon Vortex - Keeping experts guessing for 95 years

About 20 years ago, Alex Hirsch, a student at the California Institute of the Arts, set out to make a low-budget short animated film that he hoped would become a demo reel one day. It was called “Gravity ...

Toy drives held in Lafayette, McMinnville

The Lafayette Fire Department Toy Drive is accepting applications until Dec. 1 for residents up to age 12 to receive items. Locals can pick up and drop off applications at the Station 10 entry any time ...

Failure of screen at Lafayette wastewater plant brews up trouble

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Lafayette had a major setback at its wastewater treatment plant when a $12,000 water pump broke after a rope entered the system. Lafayette Public Works Supervisor Greg Robinson told ...

Soup sale will benefit food bank

Four local restaurants will sell soup to-go to raise funds for the YCAP regional food bank. Soup and bread will be available at The Diner from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. Cost is $10 per quart. The ...

Arrests & Citations: Nov. 21, 2025

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Shawn Lee Smalley, 44, Sheridan, Nov. 13, interfering with a peace officer or parole and probation officer, fourth-degree assault, harassment, second-degree disorderly ...

Lafayette ponders future of fire district

Meeting with New Carlton Fire District Chief Jim Jech, the Lafayette City Council exchanged benefits and drawbacks of options for future fire services during their Nov. 13 meeting. The Lafayette department ...

City talks July 4th celebration for nation’s 250th anniversary

As the United States prepares to celebrate its semiquincentennial next year, the city of Lafayette already has Fourth of July on its mind. At the Nov. 13, Lafayette City Council meeting, Mayor ...

Sports

Team of destiny: Warriors praise Amity fandom after winning second championship of 2025

Not since the years 1999 and 2000 have two Amity High School athletic programs won state championships in the same calendar year. In the realm of varsity sports, the feat is not uncommon, but never unadmirable. When ...

Mac Soccer: Grizzlies combine for 19 All-League honors, Adam Howard and Isai Cuevas-George repeat with respective Coach and Player of the Year honors

Wortman Stadium was raucous this season for Grizzly soccer. Both of McMinnville’s varsity squads made the playoffs and impressed on the pitch, catching the attention of opposing players and coaches ...

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