Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County Council seeks volunteers to fill up to five seats on the fifteen-member Railroad Advisory Board. The board advises the county on matters relating to the county-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.

Applicants with railroad or railroad-related experience, or business experience using freight-rail service, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Board members serve three-year terms. Terms are anticipated to begin after Jan. 1, 2027.

To apply, volunteers should submit a letter of interest and/or resume to ailAdvisoryBoard@clark.wa.gov">PWRailAdvisoryBoard@clark.wa.gov or by mail to 4700 NE 78th St., Vancouver, WA, 98665. Applications must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6.

More information about the railroad and advisory board is available at clark.wa.gov/public-works/railroad-advisory-board.

For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor. Residents can also visit clark.wa.gov/public-works to sign up for email notifications.

Go to clark.wa.gov/public-works/news to read this information in another language. Click the button in the top right of the page that says “Change language” next to a globe icon and choose your preferred language.

Vaya a clark.wa.gov/public-works/news para leer esta información en español. Haga clic en el botón en la parte superior a la derecha de la página que dice "Change language " junto al icono de globo terráqueo y elija su idioma preferido.

Чтобы прочитать эту информацию на русском языке, зайдите на сайт clark.wa.gov/public-works/news. Нажмите на кнопку Change language (“Изменить язык”) в правом верхнем углу страницы рядом с символом земного шара и выберите свой язык.

Перейдіть на сторінку clark.wa.gov/public-works/news, щоб прочитати цю інформацію українською. Натисніть кнопку Change language (Змінити мову) зі значком глобуса у верхньому правому куті сторінки та виберіть потрібну мову.

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Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County Commission on Aging’s charge is to provide leadership in addressing the special needs of the aging population and to manage and assist with the implementation of the county’s Aging Readiness Plan.

Commission members welcome emergency management professionals from around the county to discuss winter preparedness at their October meeting. The meeting will be at 4:30 pm Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.

Meetings are currently held in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation options. Attend in the sixth-floor Hearing Room of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St., or join by phone or computer through information provided at: https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/commission-aging-meetings

Commission meetings are carried on CVTV Channel 23/323 and online at www.cvtv.org. To see replay times, go to www.cvtv.org.

Bend Fire & Rescue will open its doors to the community from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the North Fire Station, 63377 NE Jamison St., in celebration of Fire Prevention Month.

The free, family-friendly event will feature hands-on activities, safety demonstrations and opportunities to meet local first responders. Activities include:

• Climbing aboard a fire engine and ambulance and spraying a fire hose.
• Watching Airlink and Life Flight helicopters land and exploring the aircraft.
• Viewing a live fire demonstration.
• Painting a City of Bend snowplow and making family-friendly crafts.
• Enjoying free ice cream and other giveaways.

More information, including a schedule of events, is available at https://bendoregon.gov/departments/public-safety/fire-rescue/calendar/bend-fire-rescue-open-house/

October is Fire Prevention Month, and this year's theme is "Charge Into Fire Safety." The campaign focuses on the safe use of lithium-ion batteries, which power many everyday devices, including e-bikes, power tools, cell phones and tablets. Improper charging, use or disposal of lithium-ion batteries can increase the risk of fire. Residents are encouraged to purchase listed products, follow manufacturer charging instructions and recycle or dispose of batteries properly.

Community members can learn more about lithium-ion battery safety at the open house or by visiting the National Fire Protection Association website.

Bend Fire & Rescue abrirá sus puertas a la comunidad de 10 a. m. a 1 p. m. Sábado, 17 de octubre, en la estación de bomberos del norte, situada en el 63377 de la calle NE Jamison, con motivo de la celebración del Mes de la Prevención de Incendios.

Este evento gratuito y apto para toda la familia contará con actividades prácticas, demostraciones de seguridad y la oportunidad de conocer a los servicios de emergencia locales. Las actividades incluirán:

• La oportunidad de subirse a un camión de bomberos y a una ambulancia y usar una manguera contra incendios.
• Observa el aterrizaje de los helicópteros de Airlink y Life Flight y explora las aeronaves.
• Observar una demostración con fuego real.
• Pintar una máquina quitanieves de la ciudad de Bend y hacer manualidades para toda la familia.
• Disfrutando de helado gratis y otros obsequios.

Habrá más información, incluyendo un calendario de actividades, disponible en https://bendoregon.gov/departments/public-safety/fire-rescue/calendar/bend-fire-rescue-open-house/jornada-de-puertas-abiertas-de-bend-fire-rescue/

Octubre es el Mes de la Prevención de Incendios, y el lema de este año es “Adelante con la seguridad contra incendios”. La campaña se centra en el uso seguro de las baterías de iones de litio, que alimentan muchos dispositivos de uso cotidiano, como las bicicletas eléctricas, las herramientas eléctricas, los teléfonos móviles y las tabletas. La carga, el uso o la eliminación inadecuados de las baterías de iones de litio pueden aumentar el riesgo de incendio. Se recomienda a los vecinos que adquieran los productos indicados, sigan las instrucciones de carga del fabricante y reciclen o desechen las pilas de forma adecuada.

Los miembros de la comunidad pueden obtener más información sobre la seguridad de las baterías de iones de litio en la jornada de puertas abiertas o visitando la página web de la Asociación Nacional de Protección contra Incendios.

For immediate release

October 12, 2026

Contact Chris Nelson (503) 551-0531

TELECOMMUNICATIONS CURRICULUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon is working to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and protect communities by investing $10 million in projects that are part of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) landscape resiliency approach. 

The current grant awards will fund joint projects in Douglas, Grant, Jackson, and Josephine counties. The projects will reduce hazardous fuels, restore fire-adapted landscapes, and improve landscape resilience across more than 6,400 acres. 

Forest Resources Division Chief Josh Barnard said, “with more than 2 million acres burned by wildfires in Oregon so far in 2026, this work has become more important than ever. Every responsibly managed acre helps reduce wildfire risk around communities and improves the long-term health of Oregon’s forests and rangelands.” 

The ODF landscape resiliency effort is Oregon’s primary all-lands investment hub to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires before fires even start. This approach supports efforts across public, private, and Tribal lands that are part of Oregon’s 20-year landscape resiliency strategy. The goal is to coordinate and complete landscape-scale work that helps forests and protects communities. 

This year’s investments continue Oregon’s commitment to put wildfire risk reduction and landscape resiliency dollars to work where it matters most – on the ground. 

“This year’s projects demonstrate what can get done when local communities, landowners, Tribes, federal agencies and partners work toward shared goals – protecting our communities and stewarding natural resources,” said Barnard. 

ODF is focusing on larger forest resiliency by reducing tree density in some areas and planting better adapted trees in others. 

“ODF is improving methods to enhance landscape resiliency to better protect our forests from large disturbance events,” said ODF Forest Entomologist Christine Buhl. “We are building tools to better diagnose problems and offering strategies and resources to landowners to help them do adaptive management. This includes metrics to help identify site and climate conditions and where stress is predicted. These tools and identification processes are a part of how we prepare and recover from stress from heat and droughts, insect pests and diseases, and wildfires.”

The projects funded in this round include: 

• Douglas County

ODF will invest $1.29 million through the Little River Landscape Resiliency Project. This project will create strategic fuel breaks along Lane Mountain, the Little River drainage and Cavitt Creek. These breaks will improve firefighter access and reduce wildfire intensity in high-risk areas. 

• Josephine and Jackson counties

The two southern Oregon counties will see $4.85 million invested through the Hotshot Rx Connect project. This project will thin forest stands and use prescribed fire across almost 2,700 acres. The work will reduce hazardous fuels, restore forest health, and improve wildfire response access. 

• Grant County

ODF is investing $3.46 million into the John Day Landscape Resiliency Project. The work will include thinning forests, removing junipers that compete with more valuable timber trees for water, and planning ongoing wildfire risk reduction across 3,400 acres. The plan will reduce wildfire risk and improve landscape resilience. One example is a 57-acre prescribed burn of thinned areas on private ponderosa pine forest near Monument. That burn was carried out by the Prescribed Burn Association, a collaboration that included OSU, ODF, Soil and Water Conservation Service, and local landowners.

This year’s investment lays the groundwork for future success. The funds will help develop new landscape plans that align priorities among the USDA Forest Stewardship Program, Natural Resources Conservation Service, ODF, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. These plans pinpoint priority landscapes, improve coordination, and guide investments. 

ODF continues to strengthen this all-lands investment approach with ongoing funding and better coordination between local ODF districts, other public agencies, tribes, private landowners and local communities to identify and complete the highest-priority projects. 

Beyond funding individual treatments, ODF bridges state and federal programs through collaborative planning, leveraging investments, and coordinating cross-boundary work to produce larger, more meaningful impacts. 

An example of this coordinated work is the Central Oregon Shared Stewardship Project. Partners in the project, including ODF and multiple soil and water conservation districts among others, thinned ponderosa pine forest and cut brush along roadsides near Black Butte Ranch.  After the work was complete, this summer the 27,491-acre Akawa Butte Fire came through, burning part of the treated area.

“Because of the work done in this area, firefighters were able to fight the fire from safer places along roads where there was less fuel,” said ODF’s State Initiatives Grant Coordinator Jenna Nelson. “It also allowed fire fighters to immediately backburn the treated land without having to prepare it first, saving precious time. The back burns consumed fuel ahead of the advancing fire front, stopping it in those areas. Because treated areas burned with lower intensity, they will also have a better chance at recovering, with a high percentage of trees surviving.”

Landowners and partners interested in participating in future landscape resiliency projects are encouraged to contact their local ODF office. 

Previous Landscape Resiliency Program projects can be viewed at Oregon Department of Forestry : Landscape Resiliency Program : State of Oregon. 

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Monday, October 12, 2026

Contact: Heidi Hagemeier, Arts & Culture Communications Coordinator, heidi.hagemeier@biz.oregon.gov, 971-518-0966

Oregon Arts Commission awards $1.3 million in Sustaining Arts Program grants to 317 organizations statewide

SALEM — The Oregon Arts Commission has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to 317 arts and culture organizations across Oregon through its Sustaining Arts Program for fiscal year 2027.

The Sustaining Arts Program supports nonprofit arts organizations that offer ongoing, high-quality outreach programs and arts services or artistic programming in their communities. Awards are based on a funding formula that considers an organization’s annual expenses, the number of applications received and available grant funds. This fiscal year—from July 2026-June 2027—grant awards range from $1,000 to $18,000.

“We know there’s a multiplier effect in providing funding support for arts and culture,” said Oregon Arts and Culture Director Amy Lewin. “These organizations energize local economies and their communities by providing cultural opportunities in every corner of the state. We’re pleased to support their ongoing work.”

Funds for this grant program are provided by the state of Oregon general fund through its support of the Oregon Arts Commission and by the National Endowment for the Arts through a grant to the Arts Commission.

Grant category key:

Group A Organizations with annual expenses of less than $150,000.
Group B Organizations with annual expenses equal to or greater than $150,000.

FY2026 Sustaining Arts Program grants awards by region:

Central

Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties

Group A

Cascade Chorale Association, Bend: $1,000

Central Oregon Mastersingers Inc, Bend: $2,250

Ellipse Theatre Community, Bend: $2,000

Kaycee Anseth Legacy Foundation, Bend: $1,000

OperaBend, Bend: $1,000

Ballet Bend, Bend: $1,000

Group B

BendFilm Inc, Bend: $7,025

Cascade School of Music, Bend: $7,025

Scalehouse, Bend: $5,000

SFF Presents, Sisters: $7,525

SSJ Inc, Sisters: $5,000

Sunriver Music Festival Inc, Sunriver: $5,000

Tananáwit, Warm Springs: $5,000

High Desert Museum, Bend: $15,000

Tower Theatre Foundation Inc, Bend: $8,000

Greater Eastern – North

Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla, Wheeler and Grant counties

Group B

Pendleton Center for the Arts, Pendleton: $5,000

Oregon East Symphony, Pendleton: $5,000

Greater Eastern – South

Harney and Malheur counties

Group A

Drexel H. Foundation, Vale: $2,000

Group B

Painted Sky Center for the Arts, John Day: $5,000

Portland Metro

Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties

Group A

Airlie Press, Portland: $1,000

Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Portland: $1,000

Anonymous Theatre Company, Tigard: $1,000

A Notion, A Scream, Portland: $1,000

Aspen Meadow Band, Colton: $2,500

Aurora Chorus, Portland: $2,500

Bach Cantata Choir, Portland: $2,250

Bells of the Cascades, Tualatin: $1,000

Cathedral Park Performing Arts Collective, Portland: $2,250

Creative & Emerging Technology Institute, Portland: $5,000

Classical Up Close, Tigard: $1,000

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Micheal O Domhnaill Branch of OR, Portland: $1,000

Community Jams, Portland: $2,000

Conchords Chorale, Tualatin: $1,000

Shaun Keylock Company, Portland: $1,000

Dance for Parkinson's Oregon, Lake Oswego: $1,000

Elbow Room, Portland: $5,000

Elevate Unity Inc, Portland: $2,250

EnTaiko, Portland: $2,500

Fool House Art Collective, Lake Oswego: $1,000

Friends of IFCC, Portland: $2,500

FROGTOWN, Portland: $1,000

From the Ground Up, Portland: $5,000

Future Prairie, Portland: $1,000

Greater Portland Flute Society, Portland: $1,000

Heidi Duckler Dance Northwest, Portland: $1,000

Immigrant Story, Portland: $2,250

In Mulieribus, Portland: $2,500

ISing Community Choir, Beaverton: $2,500

Many Hats Collaboration, Portland: $2,250

Media-Rites, Portland: $1,000

Medicine Bear Native American Spiritual Encampment, Portland: $2,500

Misfit Academy, Portland: $2,000

MusicOregon, Portland: $2,250

Music Workshop, Portland: $5,500

Cascadia Composers, Portland: $1,000

New Moon Productions, Portland: $1,000

Northwest Dance Theatre, Tualatin: $2,500

Oregon Alliance of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Portland: $1,000

Oregon Chorale, Hillsboro: $2,250

Oregon Origins Project, Portland: $2,500

Performance Works NW, Portland: $2,250

Piano Santa Foundation, Portland: $1,000

Portland Area Theatre Alliance, Portland: $5,000

Portland Chamber Music, Portland: $1,000

Portland Child Art Studio, Portland: $2,500

Portland Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums, Portland: $1,000

Portland Panorama, Portland: $2,500

Portland Radio Project, Portland: $2,250

Portland SummerFest, Portland: $2,500

PUSH FOLD, Portland: $2,500

Radix Vocal Ensemble, Portland: $1,000

Renegade Opera, Portland: $1,000

Risk/Reward, Portland: $2,250

Rose City Pride Bands, Portland: $2,000

Shady Pines Radio, Portland: $2,500

Sincere Studio, Portland: $2,500

Siren Nation Inc, Portland: $1,000

Stage Fright Festival, Portland: $1,000

Swan Songs, Portland: $1,000

Takohachi Inc, Portland: $2,500

The Artback, Portland: $1,000

The Wave Elements Global Music, Portland: $1,000

Tualatin Valley Community Band, Tigard: $1,000

Tualatin Valley Symphony, Tigard: $1,000

Unlock the Arts, Portland: $1,000

Westside Orchestra Association, Hillsboro: $1,000

Women in Film-Portland, Portland: $1,000

Zephyr Clarinet Choir, Tigard: $1,000

Group B

21ten Theatre, Portland: $5,000

Alberta Abbey Foundation, Portland: $7,025

Friends of Noise, Portland: $7,025

All Classical, Portland: $12,000

Architectural Foundation of Oregon, Portland: $7,025

Art in Oregon, Portland: $5,000

Art in the Pearl, Portland: $5,000

Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland: $7,115

Clackamas County Arts Alliance, Oregon City: $5,000

A-WOL Dance Collective Inc, Portland: $5,025

Bag & Baggage Productions, Hillsboro: $5,250

The Beaverton Arts Foundation, Beaverton: $10,000

Beaverton Symphony Orchestra, Beaverton: $5,000

BodyVox Inc, Portland: $7,115

Boom Arts, Portland: $5,000

Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Tigard: $10,000

Caldera, Portland: $10,000

Cappella Romana Inc, Portland: $7,015

Chamber Music Northwest, Portland: $8,000

Clackamas Repertory Theatre, Oregon City: $5,025

CoHo Productions, Portland: $5,000

Corrib Theatre, Portland: $5,000

Cracked Pots, Portland: $5,000

Curious Comedy Productions, Portland: $5,115

CymaSpace, Portland: $5,115

Echo Theater Company, Portland: $7,025

Choral Arts Ensemble, Portland: $5,000

Ethos Inc, Portland: $7,025

Experience Theatre Project, Beaverton: $5,000

Film Action Oregon, Portland: $12,000

Friends of Chamber Music, Portland: $6,025

Gather:Make:Shelter, Portland: $5,025

Hand2Mouth, Portland: $5,000

Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum, Portland: $5,000

Imago the Theatre Mask Ensemble, Portland: $5,015

In a Landscape, Portland: $7,025

Independent Publishing Resource Center, Portland: $5,000

Lakewood Theatre Company, Lake Oswego: $8,000

Literary Arts Inc, Portland: $12,000

Live Wire Radio, Portland: $5,250

MetroEast Community Media, Gresham: $7,525

Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland: $7,025

Miracle Theatre Group, Portland: $5,025

Montavilla Jazz Festival, Portland: $5,000

My Voice Music, Portland: $6,025

New Expressive Works, Portland: $5,000

North Pole Studio, Portland: $5,000

Northwest Children's Theater & School Inc, Portland: $10,000

Northwest Professional Dance Project, Portland: $7215

Old Church Society Inc, Portland: $5,250

Open Hearts Open Minds, Portland: $5,000

Open Space, Portland: $5,025

Oregon ArtsWatch, Portland: $5,015

Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland: $15,000

Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras, Portland: $7,015

Oregon Center for Contemporary Art, Portland: $5,025

Oregon Children's Theatre Company, Portland: $7,075

Oregon International Ballet Academy, Portland: $5,000

Oregon Repertory Singers, Portland: $5,115

Oregon Society of Artists, Portland: $5,025

Oregon Symphony Association, Portland: $18,000

OrpheusPDX, Portland: $5,000

Outside the Frame, Portland: $6,075

Pacific Youth Choir, Portland: $5,015

PassinArt: A Theatre Company, Portland: $5,000

Phame Academy, Portland: $6,025

Play It Forward, Beaverton: $5,500

PlayWrite, Portland: $5,000

Portland Art Museum, Portland: $18,000

Portland Baroque Orchestra, Portland: $7,000

Portland Center Stage, Portland: $15,000

Open Signal, Portland: $1,000

Portland Cultural Dance Collective, Portland: $5,015

Portland Drama Club, Portland: $5,000

Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, Portland: $5,015

Portland Gay Men's Chorus, Inc, Portland: $5,250

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland: $8,000

PDX Jazz, Portland: $7,075

Portland Lesbian Choir, Portland: $5,000

Portland Opera Association Inc, Portland: $13,000

Portland Piano International, Portland: $5,025

Portland Playhouse, Portland: $7,775

Portland Revels, Portland: $5,000

Portland Street Art Alliance, Portland: $7,015

Portland Taiko, Portland: $5,000

Portland Youth Philharmonic, Portland: $7,525

Profile Theatre Project, Portland: $6,000

Regional Arts & Culture Council, Portland: $1,000

Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater, Portland: $5,000

Resonance Ensemble, Portland: $5,000

Scarlet Sails Cultural Foundation, Beaverton: $5,000

SCRAP Creative Reuse, Portland: $7,115

Shaking the Tree Theatre, Portland: $5,000

STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy, Hillsboro: $5,000

Sticky Culture, Portland: $2,000

Street Books, Portland: $5,000

Stumptown Stages, Portland: $5,025

Synth Library Portland, Portland: $2,250

The Portland Ballet, Portland: $6,025

The Vanport Mosaic, Portland: $5,000

Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Portland: $5,000

Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Portland: $5,025

Tilikum Chamber Orchestra, Portland: $1,000

Vibe of Portland, Portland: $5,000

Western Alliance of Arts Administrators Foundation, Portland: $7,025

White Bird, Portland: $7,025

Willamette Light Brigade, Portland: $6,025

Willamette Writers, Portland: $5,000

Write Around Portland, Portland: $5,000

Arts for Learning Northwest, Portland: $7,525

Young Musicians & Artists, Portland: $5,500

Youth Music Project, West Linn: $8,000

Mid-Valley

Yamhill, Polk and Marion counties

Group A

Arts Alliance of Yamhill County, McMinnville: $2,000

Focus on Book Arts, Monmouth: $1,000

Keizer Homegrown Theatre, Keizer: $1,000

McMinnville Film Festival Foundation, McMinnville: $2,250

Oregon Artists Series Foundation, Salem: $1,000

Oregon Community Theatre Alliance, McMinnville: $1,000

Salem Big Band, Salem: $1,000

Salem Orchestra, Salem: $1,000

Salem Pops Orchestra, Salem: $1,000

Salem Youth Symphony Association, Salem: $2,500

Silverton Arts Association, Silverton: $2,000

Oregon Spirit Chorus, Salem: $2,500

The Moxie Initiative, Salem: $1,000

Oregon Symphony Association in Salem, Salem: $5,000

Western Oregon University Development Foundation, Monmouth: $2,000

Theatre 33 of Willamette University, Salem: $2,500

Group B

Chehalem Center Association, Newberg: $7,025

Historic Elsinore Theatre, Salem: $7,025

Pentacle Theatre, Salem: $5,175

Salem Art Association, Salem: $5,500

Oregon Symphony Association in Salem, Salem: $5,000

Willamette Master Chorus, Salem: $5,000

Yamhill Enrichment Society, McMinnville: $5,025

North Central

Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties

Group B

Columbia Center for the Arts, Hood River: $5,000

Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association, Hood River: $5,000

North Coast

Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties

Group A

Arts Council of Clatsop County, Astoria: $1,000

Astoria Arts and Movement Center, Astoria: $2,500

Astoria Visual Arts, Inc, Astoria: $2,250

Columbia Chorale of Oregon, Warren: $1,000

North Coast Chorale, Astoria: $1,000

The Writer's Guild, Astoria: $2,000

Tolovana Arts Colony, Cannon Beach: $2,500

Trail's End Art Association, Gearhart: $1,000

Group B

Hoffman Center, Manzanita: $2,500

Liberty Restoration Inc, Astoria: $7225

Ten Fifteen Productions, Astoria: $5,000

Northeast

Wallowa, Union and Baker counties

Group A

Eastern Oregon Film Festival, La Grande: $2,500

Grande Ronde Symphony Association, La Grande: $2,250

Group B

Crossroads Creative and Performing Arts Center Inc, Baker City: $5,115

Art Center East, La Grande: $5,000

Fishtrap Inc, Enterprise: $5,015

Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Joseph: $5,250

South Central

Klamath and Lake counties

Group A

Klamath Music, Klamath Falls: $2,000

Group B

PLAYA, Summer Lake: $5,015

South Coast

Douglas, Coos and Curry counties

Group A

Bay Area Community Concert Band, Coos Bay: $1,000

Dolphin Players Inc, Coos Bay: $1,000

Oregon Coast School of Art, Gardiner: $5,000

Redfish Music Festival, Port Orford: $1,000

South Coast Folk Society, Coos Bay: $1,000

Wild Rivers Coast Foundation for Dance, Brookings: $2,500

South Valley/Mid Coast

Lincoln, Benton, Linn and Lane counties

Group A

Applegate Regional Theatre Inc, Veneta: $2,000

Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene, Eugene: $2,500

Coastal Voices, Newport: $1,000

Corvallis Guitar Society, Corvallis: $1,000

DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon, Eugene: $2,500

Eugene Gay Men's Chorus, Eugene: $2,000

Eugene Springfield Community Orchestra, Eugene: $1,000

Florence Regional Arts Alliance, Florence: $5,000

Free Shakespeare in the Park Theatre Company, Eugene: $1,000

New Zone Gallery, Eugene: $2,500

Oregon Brass Society, Eugene: $1,000

Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival Association, Newport: $2,000

Radical Alternative Development, Elmira: $1,000

Santiam Hearts to Arts, Mill City: $1,000

Springfield Community Concert Band, Springfield: $1,000

Generations Arts Academy, Harrisburg: $1,000

Willamette Valley Symphony, Eugene: $1,000

Group B

Radiant Community Arts, Eugene: $5,000

Ballet Fantastique, Eugene: $5,500

Children's Repertory of Oregon Workshops, Florence: $5,000

Community Center for the Performing Arts, Eugene: $6,025

Comunidad y Herencia Cultural, Springfield: $5,000

Corvallis Arts Center Inc, Corvallis: $5,250

Corvallis Fall Festival, Corvallis: $5,000

Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center, Corvallis: $5,000

Corvallis Youth Symphony Association, Corvallis: $5,000

Cottage Theatre, Cottage Grove: $5,025

Eugene Ballet, Eugene: $1,000

Eugene Concert Choir, Eugene: $5,025

Eugene Opera, Eugene: $5,025

Eugene Symphony Association Inc, Eugene: $1,000

#instaballet, Eugene: $5,000

Lane Arts Council, Eugene: $7,025

Lincoln City Cultural Center Inc, Lincoln City: $5,250

Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts, Eugene: $5,000

Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene: $5,015

Maxtivity, Philomath: $5,000

Music Education & Performing Artists Association, Eugene: $5,000

Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Otis: $8,000

Orchestra Next, Eugene: $5,000

Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, Newport: $7,025

Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Eugene: $5,250

Oregon Mozart Players, Eugene: $5,000

Siletz Bay Music Festival, Lincoln City: $5,000

University of Oregon - Oregon Folklife Network, Eugene: $5,000

Southern

Josephine and Jackson counties

Group A

Women's Choral Society, Phoenix:  $5,000

Art Presence Inc, Jacksonville: $2,250

Ashland Children’s Theatre, Ashland: $2,000

Ashland New Plays Festival, Ashland: $2,500

Guitar Society of Southern Oregon, Ashland: $1,000

Ashland Flute Circle, Medford: $1,000

Oregon Art on a Mission, Talent: $1,000

Rogue Valley Symphonic Band, Talent: $1,000

Siskiyou Singers Inc, Ashland: $2,000

Ashland Independent Film Festival, Ashland: $5,000

Southern Oregon Guild, Cave Junction: $2,000

Group B

Storytown, Ashland: $5,000

Camelot Theatre Company, Talent: $7,025

Collaborative Theatre Project Inc, Medford: $5,000

Grants Pass Museum of Art, Grants Pass: $5,000

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Association, Ashland: $18,000

Peter Britt Gardens Arts and Music Festival Association, Medford: $18,000

Rogue Valley Art Association, Medford: $5,000

Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, Ashland: $5,000

Southern Oregon University Foundation - Chamber Music Concerts, Ashland: $5,000

Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, Medford: $5,000

About the Oregon Arts Commission
The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, programs and funding for nonprofits and artists through its grants, special initiatives and services. Commissioners appointed by the Governor establish policies and provide advisory support for public investment in the arts. Nested within Business Oregon, the Arts Commission works to support the economies, educational opportunities and vibrancy of communities throughout the state. The Arts Commission is supported with funds appropriated by the Oregon Legislature, as well as by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Cultural Trust. Learn more at oregonartscommission.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Come for some wild and crazy fun!  On Saturday, October 17th, the Oregon Department of Forestry, State Forests Trust of Oregon, and the Westside Trail Federation will host the grand opening of a new CXT vault-style toilet in the Tillamook State Forest. The event is being held in conjunction with the Frienduro MTB event, an event where mountain bike riders come in crazy costumes, riding the Fear and Loaming Trail. This is the sixth annual running of the Frienduro event.  The toilet will be wrapped in toilet paper.  Frienduro contestants in wild costumes will be on hand for the "ribbon cutting."  This will be a fun and campy event.  Please join us!  Toilet grand-opening and ribbon cutting at 8 am at the Drift Creek Trailhead in the Tillamook State Forest:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/vTzR76VvRyFSxyGm7  The event will occur raiin or shine!  Beautiful fall color. MTB riders in wild costumes. A TP-wrapped vault toilet. Lots of humour and fun! And treats will be served!  Frienduro event follows immediately after, starting at 9am. 

Lebanon, Oregon

Lebanon Firefighters battled a blaze in the late morning of Sunday, October 11, 2026. The Linn County dispatch center was notified at 10:36 of the structure fire in the 300 block of E. Maple with occupants still inside. The Battalion Chief arrived and found an attached garage with heavy fire from the front doors, extending into the house with a neighboring home exposed to flames. When the incident commander began to size up the situation, he met the occupants coming from the front door trying to wrangle their small dogs. Firefighters began a quick exterior attack on the garage while crews from a Lebanon fire/medic were instructed to enter the burning home and begin a search for any other occupants. Firefighters then quickly gained access to the roof with ladders of the burning house, cutting a hole to let heat and deadly smoke and gases escape the structure making it easier for firefighters to see and giving better air quality for any other potential occupants of the house in which there were none. During this operation the IC asked for a 2^nd alarm for additional firefighters and equipment from surrounding fire departments while other Lebanon crews were busy extinguishing the fire in the garage and checking the inside of the neighboring structure for any extension of fire into its attic space. No injuries were reported by firefighters, and the two occupants were evaluated at the scene. Unfortunately, one of the family’s dogs didn’t escape and was later found and recovered by firefighters. The fire is currently under investigation by Lebanon’s investigation team.

Lebanon Fire District would like to thank Albany Fire Department, Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District, Lebanon Police Department and Pacific Power for responding to the fire on E. Maple, while Scio Fire District and an Albany Fire Department medic unit covered additional 911 calls in the district.

The district would also like to remind residents of the importance of working smoke alarms and that with colder weather approaching to follow safe home-heating instructions. Space heaters should be used with care, plugged directly into an outlet, and not permitted to remain on when residents are sleeping or away. Be Safe!

On October 10th, 2026 at approximately 8:25am deputies assigned to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Patrol Unit were dispatched to the area of Chinook Landing in the City of Fairview to the report of a single vehicle crash. When deputies arrived at the scene they located a deceased male.

The MCSO Vehicular Crimes Team responded to the scene to continue the investigation. Their initial investigation determined the vehicle left the roadway, crashing into the embankment near the entrance to Chinook Landing and that alcohol was a contributing factor.  The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available for release at this time.

Gresham, Ore.— Gresham police responded to a shooting at a bar in the 1700 block of NW Fairview Dr just before 11 p.m. Saturday.  One person was deceased at the scene and two additional victims were transported to local hospitals.

The East County Major Crimes Team is leading the investigation.  Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to call the GPD tip line at 503-618-2719 or toll-free at 1-888-989-3505.

There is no ongoing threat to the community.  No additional information is available at this time.  

Just before 5 p.m. today, Lebanon Fire District responded to a fire involving a grove of trees in the 31000 block of Sandridge Drive near Glaser Road after an unattended agricultural burn pile spread beyond its intended area.

Fire crews arrived on scene within seven minutes of the call and worked quickly to stop the forward movement of the fire, which was contained in 28 minutes. Approximately 1.5 acres burned as a result of the incident.

Lebanon Fire District responded with 15 personnel to contain the fire and prevent further spread. Sandridge Drive was closed for approximately two hours while emergency crews worked to bring the incident under control.

The Linn County Fire Defense Board has not reopened outdoor burning. This incident serves as a clear reminder that fire danger remains a significant threat, even in the fall. Unattended burn piles can quickly spread and threaten surrounding vegetation, property, and public safety.

Residents are reminded to follow all current burn restrictions and avoid any unauthorized burning. Do not assume conditions are safe for burning simply because temperatures have cooled or rain has occurred.

Please help keep our community safe by following current fire restrictions and never leaving a burn pile unattended.  

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The Centennial School District Governing Board will meet for their Regular Business Meeting on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 6:30 pm.

The Board and key staff will attend in-person at CSD's District Office - 18135 SE Brooklyn St., Portland, OR  97236.

The public and guests may join in person or virtually via the Zoom app.

To join the meeting, please click on the link below

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89331100906?pwd=aLzrmB9osC9a2I-Fv2QQtLFeeD_YHA.nKxi8i2HpFMKgM3x
Passcode:951959

Or Telephone, dial:

     +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799

Webinar ID: 893 3110 0906
Passcode: 951959

Public comment will be limited to a total of 30 minutes per meeting. Individuals wishing to address the Board will be required to submit their request and topic via the online form at least 24 hours prior to the start of the regular business meeting.  For more information regarding this process, please visit our website at www.csd28j.org.

The full board meeting packet is available for reference on the Centennial School District website at www.csd28j.org and can be found on the School Board page. The meeting agenda may be updated as needed and additional board meeting documents may be added as they become available. 

For information about the agenda email dan@csd28j.org">melissa_grindle@csd28j.org or oard@csd28j.org">board@csd28j.org.

On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an assault at a home near Metzger Park in unincorporated Washington County. The reporting party said he had come home and found an adult man in bed with his minor child.

Detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) identified the man as 30-year-old Jason Emmanuel Lara-Vazquez. Detectives learned that Lara-Vazquez was posing as a teenager when he met the victim on Snapchat and had sexual contact with her more than once.  Lara-Vazquez was taken to a hospital that night after a confrontation at the home.

On September 15, 2026, a Washington County grand jury convened and indicted Lara-Vazquez on the following crimes related to the incident:

• Rape in the second degree x2
• Sodomy in the second degree x2
• Sexual abuse in the first degree x4
• Unlawful sexual penetration in the second degree x2

On September 24, 2026, the Vancouver Police Department assisted WCSO detectives in arresting Lara-Vazquez. He was lodged at the Clark County Jail and extradited to the Washington County Jail on October 8, 2026.  

Detectives are concerned there may be additional victims and want to speak with anyone who has information about Lara-Vazquez or who was contacted by him on Snapchat or other social media. Please contact VCU detectives at 503-846-2500 and reference case number 50-26-10111.

In accordance with Oregon House Bill 3273, the Sheriff’s Office is releasing Lara-Vazquez’s booking photo to assist in identifying any additional criminal activity.

Salem, Ore. - Center 50+’s Wellness on Wheels (WOW) Van and Connection Kitchen was awarded the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association’s Section for Older Adult Resources Program of the Year at the 2026 state conference in Seaside, Oregon. 

The program, nominated for their exceptional innovation, impact and leadership in expanding access to essential services for older adults, has been supported by Center for Community Excellence, Salem Health Foundation, Home Instead and United Way of the Willamette Valley.

Traditional senior center programming often serves only those able to visit a physical facility. In response, Center 50+ identified a significant community need in the thousands of older adults who remain isolated due to mobility, transportation and health challenges.

The WOW Van and Connection Kitchen were created to close this gap by bringing connection, support and vital services directly to older adults where they live, be it in manufactured home parks, neighborhood clubhouses, local parks and even right to their front porch.

Strengthening Community Connections for Salem’s Seniors

The WOW Van travels to local parks, neighborhood clubhouses, housing communities and community hubs throughout Salem delivering fitness instruction, wellness and mobility programming, nutrition support, lifelong learning classes, technology tutoring and social check-ins.

The Connection Kitchen serves hot noon meals at local 55-and-older mobile home parks and independent living communities. The kitchen rotates between 13 locations including the Salem Housing Authority and 55-and-older mobile home parks throughout the month.

“This outreach-centered approach strengthens community well-being, fosters social connection and directly aligns with Oregon Recreation and Parks Association’s mission to broaden access to meaningful recreational and wellness opportunities for all,” said Marilyn Daily-Blair, Center 50+ director. “The WOW Van and Connection Kitchen remain a lifeline, ensuring no older adult is left unseen or unsupported. Simple acts of kindness like sharing a meal, checking on a friend and engaging in community projects continue to create lasting ripple effects of belonging and resilience throughout Salem.”

By cultivating whole-person wellness, these programs help older adults build and sustain relationships, contribute to their neighborhoods and rediscover a sense of purpose, which are powerful tools in reducing isolation and loneliness.

Monthly community events feature seasonal themes, special guests, interactive activities, and opportunities to connect with nature.

VANCOUVER, Washington - Discover something new about the natural world at Columbia Springs Fall Nature Days, a series of free community events featuring hands on activities, special guests, demonstrations, and engaging monthly themes. From exploring the misunderstood creatures of spooky season to learning about fish and evergreen tree communities, these events invite community members of all ages to learn, discover, and connect with nature.

Once a month, Nature Days offer a new theme and opportunities to explore the natural world through interactive activities and educational experiences. Whether attending with family, friends, or on your own, visitors can enjoy a welcoming environment that encourages curiosity and environmental appreciation.

Monthly Themes and Special Activities

October 17, 10 am – 1 pm: (Not So) Scaries

Celebrate the spooky season by discovering the fascinating side of nature! Meet the creatures you thought you knew and discover they're not so scary after all. Get up close with the facts about spiders, bats, snakes, opossums, and raccoons. Learn what's really behind the behaviors we find spooky and uncover the truth about these misunderstood beings. Visit an opossum expert for some trivia and collect an exclusive zine available only at the event.

Special lamp repair and knife sharpening demonstrations by Columbia Springs Repairs’ volunteers will add to the fun. Visitors can learn practical repair skills and learn simple fixes for broken lamps and the best way to sharpen knives. Visitors can bring up to 2 broken lamps and 3 knives. Please be sure to bring replacement parts for lamps (switches, cords, etc).

November 21^st, 10 am – 1 pm: Fish Games

Dive into the world of fish through play. Challenge yourself to jump as high as a salmon at our jump wall, navigate a salmon's life cycle through a labyrinth game, and explore fish-themed board and card games that bring aquatic science to your fingertips. Discover what makes these underwater athletes so extraordinary while gaming your way to a deeper understanding of the fish that shape our rivers and streams.

December 19^th, 10 am – 1pm: Evergreen Tree Communities

Step into the hidden world of evergreen communities. Discover how these trees share nutrients through underground fungal networks, shelter wildlife in their canopies, and build soil with the help of decomposers. Explore how returning salmon feed the forest, and learn to read the trees by their needles, bark, and cones.

Free Community Events for All Ages

Nature Days at Columbia Springs make nature education accessible and engaging for the entire community. Each monthly event features a unique theme, hands-on learning opportunities, and special experiences designed to inspire curiosity and encourage a deeper appreciation for the environment. All are welcome.

Community members are invited to join the fun each month and experience the natural world in new and engaging ways. From discovering the surprising benefits of often-misunderstood wildlife to exploring aquatic ecosystems and evergreen habitats, Fall Nature Days offers opportunities to learn something new at every event.

For more information about Columbia Springs’ Fall Nature Days, including event dates, times, and activity details, visit https://www.columbiasprings.org/events/nature-days/.

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About Columbia Springs
Columbia Springs’ mission is to offer a unique setting and educational experiences that foster a greater awareness of the natural world and inspire stewardship. Located within a 100-acre urban natural area in Vancouver, Washington, Columbia Springs connects children and community members with nature through field trips, salmon education, community programs and hands-on learning.

State of Oregon v. Daniel Haynes

Marion County Circuit Court Cases 25CR48419, 25CR37418 and 25CR69268

Salem, OR – October 9, 2026 – On October 7, 2026, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Manuel Perez sentenced Daniel Haynes (age 42) to 9.5 years in the Department of Corrections.

The conviction is the result of guilty pleas in three different cases. The first case stems from an incident on September 18, 2024 in NE Salem when Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene of a vehicle collision. Haynes, who was driving a motorcycle, crashed into a vehicle making a legal turn. Haynes and his passenger were ejected onto the road. Haynes, his passenger, and the other driver were transported to the Salem Hospital Emergency Room Department where Haynes’ labs later revealed four different controlled substances in his blood. Haynes pled guilty to Driving Under the Influence, Assault in the Third Degree, and Assault in the Fourth Degree.

In the second case, deputies arrested Haynes on June 11, 2025, after he was found in the parking lot of a Lancaster business with fentanyl and methamphetamine. He pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance.  

In the third case, deputies responded to a disturbance call in SE Salem and found Haynes in possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine and a firearm. He pled guilty to Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Manufacture/Delivery of a Schedule II Controlled Substance and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  Haynes was out of custody on a release agreement pending the earlier cases when this incident occurred.

The state was represented by Deputy District Attorney Matthew Estrada. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office wishes to extend gratitude to the deputies at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.  

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HILLSBORO, Ore- On October 2, 2026, Viviana Lucinda Vallejo pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree and was sentenced to 18 years in prison by Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin. Chief Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Senior Deputy District Attorney Dustin Staten prosecuted this case.
 

On November 4, 2020, Hillsboro police were dispatched to the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve after someone there found a body. Investigators learned that the victim, Alexis Vega-Cruz, was shot and killed.
 

In January of 2023, police received a tip related to the homicide. The caller reported that a person known to her had admitted to shooting and killing the victim. Investigators learned that the shooter believed Mr. Vega-Cruz was involved in an assault months prior and that the shooter was seeking revenge for the attack. They learned the shooter convinced Ms. Vallejo to lure the victim to the scene of the deadly shooting before he was killed.
 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the work of the Hillsboro Police Department on this case.
 

The co-defendant in this case is scheduled for trial in early 2027.

New location expands access to personalized, in-person banking and builds on OnPoint’s longtime presence in Lake Oswego

PORTLAND, Ore. — OnPoint Community Credit Union will open its second Lake Oswego branch on October 16 at 101 A Avenue in the heart of downtown, expanding its longtime presence in the community with a new location serving residents, businesses and visitors in the city’s growing downtown core. OnPoint will donate $5,000 to Hunger Fighters Oregon and host a community grand opening on October 24 to celebrate the new branch.

The opening comes as Lake Oswego continues to invest in its future, with new housing, commercial development and other improvements planned throughout downtown and surrounding areas. While population growth is projected to remain steady, continued development is expected to bring new residents, businesses and visitors to the community in the years ahead.

“As Lake Oswego continues to invest in its downtown and plan for the future, we’re excited to deepen our own investment in the community,” said Rob Stuart, president and chief executive officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “Our Kruse Meadows branch has served Lake Oswego for years, and this new downtown location will make it even easier for members and local businesses to access personalized financial services close to where they live and work.”

The Lake Oswego Branch will provide a comprehensive suite of financial services, including:

• Full member account support
• New membership enrollment
• Personal and commercial loans
• Home and equity lending
• Financial planning
• ATM services
• Notarization

OnPoint also offers free, one-on-one financial counseling, debt management support and educational resources through its partnership with GreenPath Financial Wellness.

Community invited to grand opening celebration

The Lake Oswego community is invited to join OnPoint's grand opening on October 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can meet the branch team, explore the new space and learn more about OnPoint's products, services and community partnerships.

Local leadership and community connection

Colette Young will lead the new branch as branch manager. Young joined OnPoint in 2002 and has held a variety of roles across the credit union, most recently serving as branch manager at OnPoint’s Kruse Meadows branch.

“I’m excited to continue serving the Lake Oswego community and welcome members to our new downtown branch,” Young said. “Having another location gives us an opportunity to build even stronger relationships with the people and businesses who call Lake Oswego home and make it easier for members to get personalized support when and where they need it.”

Young lives in Southwest Portland with her husband, Ryan, and their two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Outside the credit union, she serves on the board of trustees at Randal Children’s Hospital. A lifelong Oregonian, Young enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, fishing and camping.

OnPoint's $5,000 donation to Hunger Fighters Oregon reflects its ongoing commitment to strengthening the communities it serves. The food pantry provides food and essential household items at no cost to those in need, with no proof of income or residency barriers.

“Support from partners like OnPoint helps us continue our work to ensure that people in need in our community can access high-quality, basic and supplemental food and essential hygiene items,” said Simone Coker-Kamna, executive director, Hunger Fighters Oregon. “We’re grateful for OnPoint’s investment in our work and excited to welcome its new downtown branch to Lake Oswego.”

Expanding OnPoint’s presence in Lake Oswego

The new downtown location builds on OnPoint’s longstanding presence in Lake Oswego. The credit union will continue to serve members at its Kruse Meadows branch while providing another convenient option for personalized, in-person financial services closer to the city’s downtown businesses, residents and visitors.

Click here to view the full list of OnPoint's 61 branches, as well as 70,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide.

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About OnPoint Community Credit Union

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union headquartered in Oregon, serving more than 671,000 members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union’s membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 33 Oregon counties (Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and who lives, works, worships, or attends school in one of four Washington counties (Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, and Skamania), and their immediate family members. OnPoint Community Credit Union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). More information is available at onpointcu.com.

Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity.

More information

Additional background and resources on becoming a member of the Governor’s boards and commissions can be found on the Governor’s website.

For questions about the LGBTQIA2S+ Subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, send an email to tqia2s.commission@odhs.oregon.gov" target="_blank" title="mailto:lgbtqia2s.commission@odhs.oregon.gov">lgbtqia2s.commission@odhs.oregon.gov.

Salem, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry understands that with wildfire regulations changing at the city, county and state level, knowing what the fire restrictions are in your area may be confusing. Here are some quick Q&As to help clear up some of that confusion.

When can I burn my yard debris?

Across Oregon there are multiple jurisdictions that vary from city to county to state to federal, and each may have different restrictions on fire. While in fire season, debris burning is prohibited on ODF-protected lands. But what if you’re outside of ODF jurisdiction?

The easiest way to look up if it is safe to burn your yard debris is to visit beforeyouburn.net. The Before You Burn program simplifies and coordinates burns and provides real-time information to ensure the safety of Oregon’s communities. The online system empowers community members with the knowledge they need to comply with local regulations and burn responsibly.

What if I want to have a campfire?

Oregon is well known for its beautiful landscapes and forests, making outdoor recreation one of the most popular pastimes in the state. To keep these beautiful forests, it’s important to check the local regulations of the area or the regulations at state or national park you’re camping in. Campfires may be allowed but only in designated sites and, depending on fire danger, they may not be allowed at all.

Regulations may vary depending on where you are, so using the public resources available will make planning your trip much easier.

• Look up ODF fire regulations before recreating.
• Oregon State Parks has a trip planning tool that will give you all the information you need to know about the campsite you’re staying at. 
• Find the national forest you’re visiting and plan ahead.
• Learn about the different recreation activities and campground restrictions on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The common theme, especially during this time of year, is to check local regulations before you go. Taking that extra step will help protect Oregon’s forests from wildfire and keep them open for recreation.

What about the prescribed fires around me? Is that safe?

Prescribed burning is a valuable tool for maintaining a healthy forest, reducing wildfire smoke and reducing risks to public safety. These fires are thoroughly planned throughout the year to meet ecological objectives and are only lit when weather and fuel conditions are favorable to protect sensitive communities and areas from their smoke. If conditions change and are deemed unfavorable, the burn is postponed.

Battle Ground, Wash. - The Clark County Arts Commission invites the public to an engaging afternoon of art, creativity, and conversation at Arts Talk Live, taking place on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at 4 pm, at the Battle Ground Community Library.

This special event features three talented artists: Joylynn Woodard, Hiroko Stumpf, and Sharon Harbeck, who will share insights into their creative journeys, artistic techniques, and the inspiration behind their work.

Arts Talk Live is an ongoing community initiative designed to bring artists and audiences together through lively discussions about the creative process and the role of art in our everyday lives. The program provides a rare opportunity to hear directly from working artists, explore their perspectives, and engage in an interactive conversation.

Organized by Clark County Arts Commission, Arts Talk Live seeks to strengthen the connection between the arts and the wider community while celebrating the region's diverse creative talent.

The Arts Talk Live event is free and open to the public. Art enthusiasts, aspiring artists, and curious community members are warmly encouraged to attend.

Event Details:

4 pm Sunday, Oct. 25

Battle Ground Community Library, Meyer Memorial Trust Community Room, 1207 SE 8th Way

Trails will be closed starting mid- and late October.

Port Orford, Ore. – Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is conducting several land and forest management projects in October. This is a regular part of OPRD’s stewardship and supports healthy ecosystems.

Check the park pages linked below for updates.

Humbug Mountain State Park

Humbug Mountain Trail will be closed for about two weeks starting Monday, Oct. 19. OPRD is managing a sudden oak death infestation in tanoak. Sudden oak death is an invasive pathogen that causes tanoak to die. The treatment is necessary to remove the infected and dead tanoak to reduce the spread of sudden oak death within the park and surrounding areas.

Within the 21-acre treatment area all tanoak will be cut down and the tree stumps will be treated with herbicide to limit resprouting. This treatment will also reduce the chances of wildfire risk by removing the unhealthy and dead trees. Initially discovered in Oregon in 2001, this pathogen spread within Curry County affecting private, state, and federal landowners.

Cape Blanco State Park

The horse trail system will be closed for about three weeks starting Monday, Oct. 26. OPRD is reducing tree density within this area to enhance habitat, specifically to support the state and federally listed endangered western lily.

This work will take place across 34 acres and include removing tree seedings, saplings and other trees to allow more meadow species to thrive and reduce encroachment in the sensitive western lily area.

PF&R responds to two significant fires in short time interval

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to two significant fires in a 6-hour period in NE Portland. The first fire occurred at sunset and was confined to a single structure in an area of many buildings. The second significant fire response occurred at just past 1 AM on the next day, about 3 hours after the last crew picked up and cleared the first fire.

At just past 7 PM in the Hazelwood Neighborhood of NE Portland PF&R was dispatched to a fire in an apartment complex with heavy fire showing upon arrival. An active powerline bouncing alongside the structure with a vehicle leaking fuel actively on fire were challenges to the crew. Interior searches of the structure indicated all occupants were outside safely. A difficult access to the attic space led to the creative use of an infrequently used nozzle applicator to extinguish the body of fire in the attic spaces. There were no reports of any injuries in this fire. The cause of this fire is under investigation.

The second fire response was just past 1:30 AM with crews responding to a commercial semi-truck and trailer fabrication and repair structure in the Cully Neighborhood. Heavy fire showing from a large multi-story metal clad structure with a lot littered with semi cabs, trailers and other trucks led to a challenging approach for arriving crews.

The initial arriving company began using an offensive fire attack initially with access provided through a failed roll up garage door but quickly changed to a defensive operation pulling all firefighters from the interior of the structure. An additional access to the building was cut into an adjacent roll up door that allowed firefighters to apply water to the body of fire from these two openings. An aerial ladder truck was raining down water from above using the master stream on the tip of the extended ladder.

Water supply was crucial with the closest fire hydrants located blocks away. Multiple fire engines were used in pushing the required amount of water from the hydrants to the engines and trucks with their aerial master streams used to apply copious amounts of water from above to reduce the flames and body of fire. The closest fire hydrant was quite a distance which required multiple engines inline relay pumping to have enough water at the end of the nozzles to successfully extinguish the flames.

A battalion chief and engine company from the requested 2^nd Alarm were redirected to a row of homes located to the west of the building to begin preparing for potential fire extension. Fortunately, the crews working on the fire were able to reduce the flames and extinguish the fire by saving over half the building and preventing any fire spread to the row of homes on the elevated hill just to the west of the fire building.

The PF&R Fire Investigations Unit beginning to perform their work to determine cause. No reported injuries.

PF&R would like to thank PPB and the dispatchers at BOEC for their assistance in each of these incidents. Additional thanks to the utility companies for their assistance as well with both electric and gas companies responding to each fire.

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Vehicle Crash leads to Water Rescue

October 8, 2026 – Newport, OR
 

On October 8^th, 2026, at approximately 1:18 PM, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to a report of a single vehicle crash near SE Shady Cove Ln. The initial report indicated the vehicle crashed into the Alsea Bay and was partially submerged, approximately 40 feet from the shoreline. When deputies arrived on scene, they located a Gray Subaru Outback submerged in the water up to the windows. Deputies saw an individual who appeared to be trapped inside the vehicle and heard him calling for help. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Deputies acted swiftly, locating a small boat nearby, and rowed out to the vehicle. 

Once at the vehicle, Deputy Jacob Wright forced entry into the vehicle and established an elderly male driver, who was the sole occupant, was in distress and not able to get himself out of the vehicle. Deputy Wright exited out of the boat, entering the bay, and was able to get the elderly male out of the vehicle, holding him above water until Central Oregon Coast Fire personnel arrived. Deputies assisted fire personnel in loading the patient onto a Jet Ski and took him to shore, where PacWest Ambulance personnel were waiting to begin treatment and transport of the patient. 

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office would like to commend Deputy Wright’s swift and selfless action in rendering aid to an individual in crisis. His actions embody LCSO’s commitment to providing our community with outstanding service, ensuring the safety and quality of life of all our community members. LCSO would also like to thank our first responder partners for their assistance in safely resolving this incident.

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Vancouver, Wash. – On October 7, 2026, at around 3:15 p.m., Vancouver Police responded to the 3500 block of SE 164^th Avenue for the report of a kidnapping. A woman called 9-1-1 to report her husband had gotten into a vehicle in Portland with four males in a black Suburban who had approached him, asked him if he wanted to make some money and that they needed him to cash a check for them. The victim agreed and got into the vehicle but became concerned about his safety and was not allowed to leave. The vehicle traveled into Vancouver and the victim was able to provide his location to his wife who relayed the information to dispatch.

Vancouver Police and the Washington State Patrol responded to the area and located the vehicle traveling on SE 164^th Avenue toward SR-14. A traffic stop was conducted, and four occupants were detained. The victim was located on foot, uninjured a short distance away by the Washington State Patrol. 

Akeem J. Mattis, Dennis D. Nelson, Corey D. Jenkins and Jerome T. Boyd were arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail for second degree Kidnapping.

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The Beaverton Police Department is pleased to announce that 3-year-old Joshua E. Ovalles, who was reported missing on October 7, 2026 and was the subject of an Amber Alert, has been located, is safe and has been reunited with his father.

Joshua was located safely in the City of Lake Oswego after his mother, Mari Martinez, dropped him off at the home of a trusted individual.

After dropping Joshua off, Martinez fled the area, prompting a coordinated search by law enforcement to locate her. Officers and detectives from the Beaverton Police Department, along with personnel from the Lake Oswego Police Department and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, participated in the search. A Lake Oswego Police Department detective ultimately located Martinez, who was taken into custody.

Joshua had been the subject of an ongoing search after Martinez took him following a Washington County judge’s decision to grant temporary custody to Joshua’s father. The court determined Joshua was in “immediate danger” while in his mother’s unsupervised custody.

Following his recovery, Joshua was reunited with his father. Photographs accompanying this release capture the emotional reunion between father and son.

The Beaverton Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the Lake Oswego Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, and the many community members who shared information and helped bring attention to Joshua’s disappearance.

Most importantly, we are grateful that Joshua has been found safe and is back in his father’s arms.

Martinez is in Beaverton police custody and is facing charges of Custodial Interference and Kidnapping. 

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ASTORIA, OR - Clatsop County’s buildings will be illuminated green November 4 -11, 2026 as part of Operation Green Light for Veterans.

This national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties supports military veterans and raises awareness about unique challenges faced by many veterans and resources available at the county, state, and federal level to assist them and their families.

“Something as simple as changing a light bulb can send a powerful message,” said Clatsop County Board Chair Mark Kujala. “When our homes, businesses and public buildings shine green, we’re showing veterans throughout Clatsop County that their community stands with them. I hope everyone will join us in making that message visible.”

Along with lighting County buildings, residents, businesses, and other local agencies are encouraged to take part by changing one or more light bulbs inside or outside your home or place of business to a green bulb from November 4-11. This simple act not only expresses our support, it also helps spark conversations about the needs of veterans in our community and the services available to them and their families.

Confirmed participants so far include Clatsop Community Action, Astoria Elks #180, and the cities of Astoria, Cannon Beach, and Seaside. Clatsop County is grateful for their partnership in honoring our veterans and encourages other local agencies and businesses to join the effort. 

By shining a green light, we seek to let our veterans know that they are seen, appreciated, and supported. Community members can share their participation on social media using the hashtag #OperationGreenLight.

Need a green bulb? To help the community participate, a limited number of free bulbs are available at the following locations while supplies last:

• Veteran Services Office at Clatsop Community College
  1717 Lexington Ave, Astoria, OR 97103 | Thurs–Fri, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

• County Manager’s Office, 4th Floor Reception
  800 Exchange Street, Astoria, OR 97103 | Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Visit the County’s Veteran Services Program webpage for more information and links to resources available to veterans.

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October 8 – Lincoln County, Oregon

Lincoln County residents live on the Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake Faultline. This means it is even more important for our communities to be informed and prepared.

Lincoln County Emergency Management is encouraging community members, businesses, and community groups to participate in the annual Great Oregon ShakeOut. This event provides a chance for you to practice what you would do during an earthquake. While the official event takes place on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 10:15 am, you can practice your drop, cover, and hold during the days leading up to or directly after the drill.

Participants in the Newport Marina and Bayfront areas may hear the NOAA siren at approximately 10:15 a.m. on October 15 as part of the drill.

It is important to register if you participate. By registering you will help Lincoln County Public Safety agencies document the high level of preparedness in our community. Participation in this event shows that we are working together to strengthen our community resiliency and emergency preparedness. This event also provides a good reminder to update your emergency plans and supplies.

Below is a graphic on the annual summary of participants here in Lincoln County. So far, 5974 have registered for this year.
 

Oregon ShakeOut Statistics - https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/whoisparticipating/

More information on earthquake and tsunami preparedness:

Great Oregon ShakeOut:

• Registration & General Information: www.shakeout.org/oregon/
• Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions: www.earthquakecountry.org/library/ShakeOut_Recommended_Earthquake_Safety_Actions.pdf
• Earthquake Country Alliance: Welcome to Earthquake Country! https://www.earthquakecountry.org/accessibility/
• Earthquake Guide for People with Disabilities: www.earthquakecountry.org/library/ShakeOut_Earthquake_Guide_Disabilities_AFN.pdf
• Media – PSA Resources: www.shakeout.org/oregon/resources/index.html#multimedia

Lincoln County Emergency Management

• Cascadia Earthquake Factsheet: www.oregongeology.org/pubs/fs/cascadia-planning-for-em-and-public.pdf
• Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Guide: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/DocumentCenter/View/2062
• Hazards: Earthquakes: www.co.lincoln.or.us/emergencymanagement/page/hazards-earthquake
• Hazards: Tsunamis: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/772/Hazards-Tsunamis
• Main page: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/708/Emergency-Management

CDC

• Preparing for an earthquake: https://www.cdc.gov/earthquakes/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes
• Tsunamis: www.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/

Ready.gov

• Earthquakes: www.ready.gov/earthquakes
• Tsunamis: www.ready.gov/tsunamis

Red Cross

• Earthquake Safety: www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/earthquake.html

Emergency Management Programs (In Alphabetical Order)

• City of Lincoln City https://www.lincolncity.org/residents/emergency-preparedness
• City of Newport newportoregon.gov/emergency/default.asp
• Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians https://ctsi.nsn.us/east-lincoln-county-cert/
• Lincoln County https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/emergencymanagement

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Respectfully submitted,

Samantha Buckley
Emergency Manager
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office - Emergency Management
225 W. Olive St., Newport, Oregon 97365
uckley@co.lincoln.or.us">sbuckley@co.lincoln.or.us (541) 265-4199 Office
 

Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park opens 2026-27 Columbia Writers Series

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Clark College Columbia Writers Series will begin its 2026–27 season with Ed Park, author of the book Same Bed Different Dreams, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles TimesBook Prize. Additionally, Park has authored Personal Days, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the story collection An Oral History of Atlantis. His latest book is the memoir Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties. 

This event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, in the Penguin Union Building (PUB) Room 258 on Clark College’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.

Park’s accolades include the Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2025 and the Deborah Pease Prize from the nonprofit publisher A Public Space. He is a founding editor of the literary magazine, The Believer, and currently teaches writing at Princeton University.

EVENT DETAILS

Location: Penguin Union Building 258, Clark College main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98683

Parking: Green or Red lots—view online map and directions here.

Accommodations: If you need accommodations due to a disability to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email: hr@clark.edu

Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds.

Fall Columbia Writers Series Events

• Ed Park, author of the book Same Bed Different Dreams and Pulitzer Prize winner, Thursday, Nov 5, 11 am
  (see above)
   

• Debra Magpie Earling, fiction writer, February 2, 2027, 1 p.m.
  Earling is the author of Perma Red and The Lost Journals of Sacajewea, an award-winning novel that challenges dominant narratives of the life of Sacajewea. She has received both a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She was the first Native American to serve as director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Montana, where she was recently awarded an honorary doctorate and serves as professor emeritus. Born in Spokane, Washington, she is Bitterroot Salish.
   
• Erica Berry, author and essayist, May 26, 2027, 11 a.m.
  Berry is a writer and teacher based in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Her essays, which are often about the confluence of emotions and the natural world, appear in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, Emergence, The Yale Review, and Orion, where she is a contributing editor. She is the author of Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear, which won the Oregon Book Award, and the forthcoming Bodies in Heat: Love in a Changing Climate. Winner of a James Beard Award, Oregon Career Fellowships, and a Spark Award from the Miller Foundation, she was a 2026 Mark and Melody Teppola Presidential Distinguished Visiting Professor at Willamette University.

About Clark’s Columbia Writers Series

The Columbia Writers Series aims to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of Clark College by providing a platform for literature and the arts. Since 1988, the series has brought a diverse array of local, national, and international authors to the campus and the community. Learn more about the Columbia Writers Series.

About Clark College

Founded in 1933, Clark College is Southwest Washington’s largest public institution of higher education. Clark Collegeprovides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. This public community college offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves almost 10,000 students, including high school students, veterans, displaced workers, multilingual and mature learners. About three-quarters of its students are the first in their families to attend college.   

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MEDFORD, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing a gun he stole in a burglary, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.

Matthew Bertrand, 45, pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. Bertrand is a felon, having been previously convicted five other times for burglary and theft.

According to court documents, on January 5, 2024, Central Point Police responded to a burglary in progress. A witness told police that the witness saw a man wearing a black ski mask, a black jacket, and blue jeans jump the fence and go inside a home.

When police arrived and spoke to the homeowner, they saw Bertrand flee through the back of the home. Police caught Bertrand after chasing him through multiple backyards. Bertrand had a black ski mask. Police recovered the gun belonging to the homeowner in the area where Bertrand ran.

Bertrand admitted to "rob[bing] the house", stealing the gun, and being in the victim's house on a prior occasion because the owner had "lots of toys."

On June 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Bertrand with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. He will be sentenced on March 11, 2027, before U.S. District Court Judge Kasubhai.

Bertrand faces a maximum of life with a mandatory minimum of fifteen years’ imprisonment as an armed career criminal. He also faces a fine of $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 fee assessment.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Medford Police Department, and Central Point Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judi Harper is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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READ ONLINE: https://www.mcso.us/public-information/multnomah-county-sheriffs-office-leads-multi-agency-transit-mission-14-arrested

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore.  – As part of ongoing efforts to increase public safety in NE Portland and along the public transit corridors, TriMet’s Transit Police, led by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), coordinated a high-visibility enforcement mission on October 6, 2026.

The operation centered around the transit station at NE 122^nd and E Burnside. It lasted about four hours and resulted in the following:

• 14 arrests
• 19 code violations
• 5 traffic stops

In addition, one person was issued a transit exclusion, which prohibits them from entering TriMet property. Four of the arrested were charged with delivery of a controlled substance for fentanyl and methamphetamine.

This mission was part of an ongoing effort, under the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Enhanced Public Safety Initiative, to address drug activity and other public safety concerns extending onto the transit system. It was conducted in coordination with Transit Police, Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct Neighborhood Response Team, MCSO Corrections Transport Unit and MCSO’s Airborne Law Enforcement Support Team (ALEST).

About Transit Police:   

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) leads the multi-agency TriMet Transit Police. Transit Police officers and deputies help to ensure a safe transit system by riding trains and buses and visiting platforms and stations. They respond to calls for service and investigate crimes that occur on TriMet property in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. 

Current agencies comprising Transit Police include MCSO, the Portland Police Bureau, Port of Portland Police Department, Beaverton Police Department, Hillsboro Police Department, Lake Oswego Police Department, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

DOWNLOADABLE PHOTOS/VIDEO:  Photo 1 | Photo 2 |  Photo 3 | Photo 4 | B-roll Video 

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2026 Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 and Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitments

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and established Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled. The current vacancies are as follows:

BPSST: All Board applications must be submitted through Workday.com and are reviewed on a rolling basis

• One member who is an administrator of a municipality recommended to the Governor by the executive body of the League of Oregon Cities
• One member who is part of a marginalized or historically underrepresented community
• One member who is a representative of the collective bargaining unit that represents the largest number of individual workers in the DOC

Policy Committees: All Policy Committee applications must be submitted by December 17, 2026.

Corrections Policy Committee:

• One non-management corrections officer employed by the DOC

Police Policy Committee:

• One person recommended by and representing the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association
• One person representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a police officer, certified reserve officer, reserve officer or regulatory specialist and who is not related within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity to a person who is employed or utilized as a police officer, certified reserve officer, reserve officer or regulatory specialist.​

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

• One person representing unarmed private security professionals
• One person representing the manufacturing industry
• One person representing the retail industry
• One person representing the hospitality industry
• One person representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a private security provider or investigator

Private Investigator Subcommittee:

• One currently licensed private investigator

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

• One person recommended by and representing a statewide association of public safety communications officers
• One person representing Emergency Medical Services & Trauma 

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Policy Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above.

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at Workday Board and Commission Opportunities. (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

For further information regarding the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training or its respective Policy Committees, please contact Juan Lopez at (503) 551-3167 or juan.lopez-hernandez@dpsst.oregon.gov.

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committees Staff

Clark County Public Works is seeking two adults who are committed to working together to serve as park hosts to care for Lewisville Regional Park and its historic structures. These positions are part of Public Works’ volunteer park host program, where volunteers live at a county park and perform basic security and maintenance duties.

The park hosts at Lewisville Regional Park, located in Battle Ground, must reside in the county-owned residence at the park and assist with creating a safe and welcoming environment for all visitors. Host duties include (but are not limited to):

• Clean the park’s restrooms daily and as needed in response to messes.
• Open the park’s gates by 7 a.m. and close gates at dusk (a half-hour after sunset), daily. Hosts notify park users that the park is closing.
• Empty the park’s garbage cans.
• Pick up litter daily.
• Notify staff of emergencies, urgent maintenance needs, or impacts of severe weather.
• Help identify and respond to safety and security concerns.

Lewisville Regional Park is the oldest and the most popular park in the county’s park system. In the summer months, more than a thousand people visit the park on weekend days. The park has about 35 toilets, more than a dozen reservable picnic shelters, and many facilities that require daily cleaning. During the summer months, restrooms and other facilities often need cleaning several times daily. Applicants should be prepared for the physical commitment required to support this busy regional park.

The park host service term is one calendar year. This position would serve through Dec. 31, 2027. A host may be offered a term for the subsequent calendar year, based on results of a performance evaluation performed in the fall. There is no maximum to the number of consecutive terms a host may serve.

The residence includes a washer/dryer, refrigerator and basic kitchen appliances. Clark County provides basic utilities for the host, including electricity, water, sewer and garbage/recycling. The hosts must provide their own phone and internet service. A maximum of two adults and two minors/dependents may reside at the park residence. Additional restrictions, such as limits on pets and guests, are listed on the volunteer program webpage.

Applicants offered positions must submit to state and federal background checks and fingerprinting, provide a rental history and provide proof of renter’s insurance that meets program requirements. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read the park host policies and procedures, posted on the volunteer program webpage, before applying.

More information about this position, the volunteer park host program policies, requirements, minimum qualifications, duties, and more can be found at clark.wa.gov/public-works/volunteer#volunteer-park-host.

For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor. Residents can also visit clark.wa.gov/public-works to sign up for email notifications.

Go to clark.wa.gov/public-works/news to read this information in another language. Click the button in the top right of the page that says “Change language” next to a globe icon and choose your preferred language.

Vaya a clark.wa.gov/public-works/news para leer esta información en español. Haga clic en el botón en la parte superior a la derecha de la página que dice "Change language " junto al icono de globo terráqueo y elija su idioma preferido.

Чтобы прочитать эту информацию на русском языке, зайдите на сайт clark.wa.gov/public-works/news. Нажмите на кнопку Change language (“Изменить язык”) в правом верхнем углу страницы рядом с символом земного шара и выберите свой язык.

Перейдіть на сторінку clark.wa.gov/public-works/news, щоб прочитати цю інформацію українською. Натисніть кнопку Change language (Змінити мову) зі значком глобуса у верхньому правому куті сторінки та виберіть потрібну мову.

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On October 8, 2026, at approximately 10:41 a.m., Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a three-vehicle crash in La Center that left one person dead.

The crash involved a full-size C-TRAN bus, a Chrysler PT Cruiser, and a minivan.

Based on the preliminary investigation, the PT Cruiser was traveling westbound on NW La Center Road when it appears to have crossed the center line and struck the front corner of the C-TRAN bus. The collision triggered a chain-reaction crash involving a minivan traveling behind the PT Cruiser.

The female driver of the PT Cruiser, who was the vehicle’s sole occupant, died as a result of the crash.

The C-TRAN bus was carrying passengers at the time of the collision. Minor injuries were reported. An adult and a child traveling in the minivan were not injured.

NW La Center Road is expected to remain closed for several hours between Timmen Road and Paradise Park Road while investigators process the scene and crews clear the roadway. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes to allow first responders to safely complete their work.

The CCSO Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the crash. The cause remains under investigation.

Hockinson School District Board of Directors Work Session

Date: Monday October 12, 2026

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: via Zoom

State of Oregon v. Damon K. Johnson

Marion County Circuit Court Case 25CR38374

SALEM, OR (October 8, 2026) – Today, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Hart sentenced Damon Johnson (age 29), to 10 years/120 months in the Department of Corrections.  This sentence is to be served pursuant to ORS 137.700 (Ballot Measure 11).

Ten years is both the minimum and maximum sentence available to the state in this case.

Johnson was found guilty of Manslaughter in the First Degree, Manslaughter in Second Degree, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Violation of Open Container Laws, in connection with a July 10, 2025 crash on Delaney Road SE that killed Jeremy Wanak, a bicyclist.

At the time of his death, Wanak was a father of two and a Sprague High School science teacher.

On July 10, 2025, Marion County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene on Delaney Road SE.  Around 7:16 pm, Damon Johnson was driving eastbound when, while entering a 25 mph advisory curve at an excessive speed, he crossed the double line and struck Jeremy Wanak, who was riding his bicycle westbound in the correct lane of travel. Wanak died as a result of the injuries he sustained from the crash. During the investigation, deputies on scene noticed an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle.  Pursuant to a search warrant of Johnson’s vehicle, deputies located three cans of beer that were open and nearly empty, one full unopened can of beer, as well as marijuana.  Johnson denied consuming either alcohol or drugs.

Pursuant to a search warrant, Johnson’s blood alcohol level was tested and found to be above the legal limit at 0.098%.  His blood was also shown to have active components of recent cannabis consumption.

Johnson had a prior DUII and reckless driving conviction and multiple traffic violations.

Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted by the Keizer Police Department as well as the Marion County District Attorney’s Office in their investigation. 

“DUIIs are entirely avoidable, which makes DUII fatalities especially tragic,” said District Attorney Brendan Murphy. “I know that the victim’s death in this case impacted numerous local communities and people of all ages, and our heart goes out to them today. I hope this conviction secures some measure of closure for the victim’s family as they navigate life after facing this tragic loss.”

The state was represented by Deputy District Attorneys Justin Barbot-Wheaton and Sarah Meyer in this case.

The Marion County District Attorney’s Office wishes to recognize the thorough work of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, particularly the Marion County Inter-Agency Crash Reconstruction Team, as well as the Keizer Police Department.

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AMBOY, WASHINGTON – North Clark Historical Museum is in upper Amboy at 21416 NE 399^th St. in the renovated 1910 United Brethren Church. The Museum incorporated in 1988 and opened to the public in June of 2000.

Dates:  Friday, October 23^rd and Saturday, October 24^th    

Time:   10:00 am until 4:00 pm.

Vendors will provide a variety of hand-crafted items for sale: greeting cards, ornaments, aprons, baby bibs, journals, memory books, jewelry, woodburning & vinyl decals, to name a few. The Museum Store will be open for business. Stop by and find the perfect gift and/or home decor for the upcoming holidays from talented artists and craftspeople.

The vendors donate 10% of their sales to the Museum. The proceeds benefit the Museum’s development, maintenance, and operating expenses.

The museum is wheelchair accessible and has air conditioning.  Admission is free.  Donations are welcome.

Quilt raffle tickets will be available for “Country Life”, a beautiful quilt made by the Chelatchie Quilters. Tickets are $5.00 each, and only 500 tickets were printed.  This is the annual fundraiser, and proceeds go to the Capital Improvement Fund, which is being accumulated for a new roof in 2-3 years.

For more information, please contact 360-247-5800 and leave a message or email museumnch88@gmail.com or check out the website at northclarkhistoricalmuseum.com

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The North Clark Historical Museum was founded in 1988 and is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. The doors were opened in June of 2000. Mission Statement:   To preserve North Clark County’s natural and cultural history through collections and exhibits, and to sponsor educational programs and research opportunities for the enrichment of the public.

WEST LINN, OR—October 6, 2026—The City of West Linn received $392,400 for the first phase of implementing the West Linn Waterfront Vision Plan, which provides a framework for transforming the City’s underutilized waterfront areas. The goal is to facilitate reinvestment opportunities, improve multimodal access, provide access and connections to the Willamette River, and highlight the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

"This historic investment from Metro is an exciting step toward turning West Linn’s Waterfront Vision into reality,” said West Linn Mayor Rory Bialostosky. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our community to plan what the future of this area can look like and build on the vision residents have helped shape. This funding gives us a tremendous opportunity to move from vision to implementation and create a waterfront that serves our community for generations to come.”

Adopted in November 2025, the plan establishes a long-term vision for the City’s 275-acre waterfront, with opportunities for housing, economic development, public river access and preservation of the area’s natural and cultural heritage.

Phase 1 focuses solely on the Historic City Hall District at the north end of the waterfront area. It will include zoning, development code, and comprehensive plan amendments; transportation and economic feasibility analyses; infrastructure assessments; and evaluations of public access and environmental conditions. Community engagement will continue throughout the project.

The City has worked with community members since 2016 to shape the Waterfront Vision Plan. The City Council has prioritized a coordinated approach to reconnect fragmented areas, clarify development pathways and encourage reinvestment.

Partners supporting the grant application included commercial property owners in the Historic City Hall district, Willamette Falls Locks Authority, Portland General Electric, the Confederated Tribe of the Siletz, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Willamette Falls Trust. Community Development Director Steve Koper thanked area property owners and tribes for providing letters of support for the implementation project.

ABOUT THE GRANT PROGRAM

Metro’s 2040 Planning and Development Grant Program helps communities implement the region’s long-term growth vision. Funded by a regional excise tax on certain construction projects, the program supports planning that expands housing and employment opportunities, encourages economic development and enables complete, equitable neighborhoods.

Learn more about Metro’s 2040 Planning and Development Grant Program.

This story has been updated to correct an organization name. We regret the error.

Aurora, Ore. – Oregon State Parks invites you to join award-winning author Silpa Kona for the launch of A Dragon in My Campground, a reading, and a Monster Watchers camping activity for kids and families on Oct. 17 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Books will be available at to purchase from the author and at the visitor center store.
 

Kona’s Monster Watchers series, which includes A Monster on My Trail, winner of a Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Gold Medal, and A Dragon in My Campground, winner of a Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Silver Medal, are a celebration of imagination, courage and exploring the outdoors.
 

In her own words, “I wrote it because I wanted kids—especially kids with big imaginations, big fears, or big feelings—to see themselves out on the trail. To know that being scared is okay. And that sometimes, the monster is just… a shadow with good PR.”
 

The event takes place at the Champoeg State Heritage Area visitor center. Pets are not allowed inside the building. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The event is free, but all vehicles must display a valid Oregon State Parks parking permit or camping reservation.
 

Oregon State Parks is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. If you require an accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact Park Ranger Jeremy Williams at 503-800-3958 at least three days prior to the event.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver will host Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, director and producer Joey Clift as part of the 2026 DocArts Series to speak about his path into comedy and entertainment, his creative work and Native representation in media.

Clift’s talk, “Fighting Native Erasure Through Jokes” is from 12:05 to 1:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 on the WSU Vancouver campus in Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110 and on Zoom (bit.ly/4xKkv7L passcode: DocArts26). Clifts is a Peabody and two-time Emmy Award-nominated writer whose work centers Native representation in comedy, television and film. The event is free and open to the public.

Clift originally attended college to become a local television weather person. Growing up without seeing Native American comedians on television, he believed that comedy was not a career available to him. He later found his way into the field, and his experiences with Native representation in entertainment have helped shape his work as a comedian and writer.

Clift has written for television shows including Netflix’s “Spirit Rangers,” PBS’s “Molly of Denali,” Cartoon Network’s “Lego Ninjago: Decoded,” Dropout’s “Smartypants” and “Toonout” and Nickelodeon’s “PAW Patrol” and “Rubble & Crew.” His work has also been featured in The Washington Post, Pitchfork, NPR, Dead Meat, Dropout and Comedy Central.

Clift created “Gone Native,” a Webby Award-winning Comedy Central Digital series featuring Native American comedians. His short films have screened at venues and festivals including Just For Laughs and the Smithsonian Museum.

The DocArts Initiative is an outgrowth of decades of justice-oriented multimedia production and creation by WSU faculty. DocArts works to integrate multimedia production across the curriculum while creating content for local, national and international platforms

About WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations.

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver and is accessible via I-5, I-205 and C-TRAN bus service.

WSU Vancouver is located on the homelands of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Peoples of the Lower Columbia Valley. We acknowledge their presence here. WSU Vancouver expresses its respect towards these original and current caretakers of the region. We pledge that these relationships will be built on mutual trust and respect.

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4 WEEKS CASCADIA READY

Emergencies can happen anytime. Sometimes help may not arrive for days or even weeks, especially after big disasters like earthquakes or wildfires. In Lincoln County, we recommend being ready to take care of yourself and your family for at least 4 weeks. This is called being “4 Weeks Cascadia Ready.”

What does this mean?

• Have enough food, water, and supplies for everyone in your home for four weeks. This includes pets.
• You may need things like medicine, first aid supplies, flashlights, and extra batteries.
• Plan for how you will stay clean, cook food, and stay warm if the power is out.

How to Get Ready

Be Informed

• Learn about the dangers where you live, like earthquakes, storms, and floods.
• Know your local evacuation routes.
• Sign up for emergency alerts with Lincoln Alerts.

Make a Family Plan

• Talk with your family about what to do if you are not together during an emergency.
• Practice your plan at different times and places, like home, school, or work.
• Plan to check on neighbors and people who may need extra help.

Build an Emergency Kit

• Pack at least 4 weeks of food and water for every person and pet.
• Include a battery-powered or hand crank radio, flashlight, first aid kit, extra batteries, whistle, dust mask, face coverings, plastic sheeting, duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties, wrench or pliers, manual can opener, local maps, and a cell phone with chargers and power banks.

Find more information and resources at:

• Lincoln County Emergency Management – Plan and Prepare Resources
• Lincoln County Emergency Management – Hazards: Earthquake
• Be Ready – Make a Plan
• Be Ready – Build a Kit
• CDC – Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Red Cross – How to Prepare for Emergencies
• Oregon Emergency Management – 2 Weeks Ready

For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.

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Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County Council is seeking volunteers to fill two openings on the county’s Planning Commission.

Terms for the positions are four years and expire Dec. 31, 2030.

The Planning Commission is a seven-member committee that makes recommendations to the council on land-use planning, zoning and development in unincorporated Clark County. The commission also makes recommendations on issues such as growth management, roads, public facilities, development regulations and applicable county ordinances.

To apply, send a letter of interest and résumé to Jake Goodwin, Clark County Council Office, PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000 or jake.goodwin@clark.wa.gov.

Application deadline is 5 pm Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.

Learn more about the Planning Commission on the county’s website at https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/planning-commission.

City of Milwaukie Oregon Official Website

On October 6th, the Milwaukie Police Department hosted an interagency sex buyer’s interdiction in the City of Milwaukie.  Using online applications and other internet based dating or similar websites, decoy Officers posing as individuals offering to meet for sex, were contacted by buyers looking to purchase sexual services in exchange for an agreed upon monetary compensation. Upon making the substantial step of arriving at an agreed location, buyers were arrested.

The goal of Milwaukie Police sex buyer’s missions is to disrupt the demand portion of this illegal activity. According to Safety Compass, a local non-profit organization working to “extend hope & navigational support for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking”, from 2018 to the present, Safety Compass staff has had interactions with 1235 victims of sex trafficking in relation to 29,286 trafficking transactions. Of those victims, 606 were reported to be minors. Protecting victims, especially minor victims is the motivating purpose of disrupting demand in these illegal transactions.

The interagency team contacted six purchasers of sex over the five-hour operation and cited them for Commercial Sexual Solicitation. One male had an additional citation for possessing cocaine.

Some of the individuals receiving citations may be eligible to attend the Clackamas County “Sex Buyers Accountability and Diversion (SBAD)” academy at their own expense in lieu of charges or mandated by the court. SBAD is a partnership with Clackamas County Human Trafficking Multidisciplinary Team and the Clackamas County/Multnomah County District Attorney’s Offices. This instructional class is intended to present education to sex buyers on the community damage the industry leaves in its wake, along with sharing testimonies of victims and advocates to reduce demand for the purchase of victims of sex trafficking.  

The Milwaukie Police Department would like to thank our interagency partners, Sandy Police Department, Lake Oswego Police Department, West Linn Police Department and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Parole and Probation for their assistance in making this a successful sting.

If you or someone you know is involved in sex trafficking, help is available. The national  human trafficking hotline 888-373-7888 or text 233733  https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en or locally - Safety Compass survivor hotline (971) 235-0021  Safety Compass Advocates

Oregon joins in the celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) this October. It’s a time to celebrate the contributions people with disabilities make in workplaces and recognize businesses that recruit and hire employees with disabilities.
 

This year’s theme of “celebrating value and talent” is reflected in Oregon throughout the year in the countless ways people with disabilities bring value to their jobs and communities.
 

“Our communities and economy are stronger when the talents and strengths of people with disabilities are part of the workforce,” said Allison Enriquez, Oregon’s Employment First Coordinator. “Working is also a cornerstone to people’s independence, well-being and community connection.”
 

In Oregon, the employment rate for working-age people with disabilities increased about 10 percentage points between 2015 and 2023, from about 37.8% to 47.7%, according to the Center for Research on Disability. Despite this progress, a substantial employment gap remains: in 2023, 47.7% of Oregonians with disabilities ages 18 to 64 were employed, compared with 79.7% of Oregonians without disabilities.
 

“This progress speaks to the strong supports Oregon put in place to help people with disabilities enter and stay in the workforce,” Enriquez said. “However, there is still work to do. Oregon is committed to ensuring employment supports remain strong so everyone has access to reach their potential and fully participate in their communities.”

NDEAM webinar series

Partners who deliver employment services invite everyone to join a series of webinars in October to celebrate workplace successes and educate the community about resources and services available for job seekers with disabilities.
 

Webinars are scheduled Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom. For details on each session and accessibility information, go to Oregon’s NDEAM event web page.

• Oct. 13 – Oregon as a Model Employer: Promoting employment and career advancement for people with disabilities in state and local government
   
• Oct. 20 – What is ableism and why it matters in the workplace
   
• Oct. 27 – Technology in employment: How assistive technology and AI can support people with disabilities at work
   
• Nov. 3 – Peer2Peer: An award-winning employment mentorship program for students with disabilities

These events are hosted by the Oregon’s Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Developmental Disabilities Services and Vocational Rehabilitation program, Oregon Commission for the Blind and the Oregon Department of Education.

Employment resources for people with disabilities

• Office of Developmental Disabilities Services has employment services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
   
• Vocational Rehabilitation helps people with all kinds of disabilities find and keep a job and advance in their careers.
   
• Oregon Commission for the Blind helps people with vision loss find and keep a job and advance in their careers.
   
• Ticket to Work is a free federal program for people who are blind or have a disability and receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. People who are 18 to 64 years old and want to work may access this program to prepare for work and find a job.
   
• Employed Persons with Disabilities is a Medicaid program that helps people with disabilities go to work while keeping their Medicaid coverage.
   
• Oregon ABLE Savings Plan is a way people with disabilities can save for the future without the fear of losing needed government benefits.
   
• Free benefits counseling is available to answer job seekers’ questions about how working may affect their benefits.

Information on these programs is available on the ODHS web page “Get Help Finding a Job.”

HILLSBORO, Ore- October is Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office and the Washington County Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) are celebrating the five-year anniversary of a partnership with the national Cribs for Kids program. Since its inception in 2021, this program has helped provide free Cribette Kits and one-on-one education to more than 1,600 income-eligible families residing in Washington County.
 

Working in close partnership with the OHSU Doernbecher Injury Prevention Program, Washington County Maternal and Child Health, and other local hospitals, this program is designed to provide a free portable crib, infant sleep sack, and education for families in need. Public health or injury prevention professionals also provide safe sleep education in English or Spanish for eligible families.
 

The DA’s Office pursued this partnership to help prevent infant deaths in our community. In Oregon, about 40 babies die in their sleep every year, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
 

“Keeping kids safe and supporting families with this critical resource is a priority,” said Washington County DA Kevin Barton. “This program has saved lives and protected the most vulnerable members of our community.”
 

“An unsafe sleep environment is the leading cause of preventable injury and death in children under the age of one. That’s why we are so excited to partner with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to provide families with these lifesaving resources,” said Adrienne Gallardo, Injury Prevention Program Manager at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
 

Hillsboro Medical Center & Doernbecher Injury Prevention Program also host monthly “Welcome Baby Safety Resource Showers” designed to educate families on infant safety and to distribute the Cribs for Kids safe sleep kits. This program is supported by grant funding provided by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Intervention (CAMI) grant.
 

For more information on this program or to apply for a Cribette Kit, please visit our website.
 

For more information about the safety resources provided through the Braner Family Safety Resource Center at Hillsboro Medical Center, please visit this website.

The Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC) will meet in Springfield at the Springfield City Hall Library Room, 225 5th Street, and via online meeting on October 22 at 1:00 p.m. The agenda includes discussion of the Oregon Heritage Plan, partnerships that support the Laurel Grove Cemetery and publications about historic cemeteries. The meeting is open to the public and the agenda includes an opportunity for public comment. Meeting information is on the agenda or you can follow this link to register for online access information.
 

The Eugene Masonic Cemetery visit will be October 23 at 11:00 a.m. Meet at the cemetery at  University Street and E 25^th Avenue.
 

State law established the seven-member Commission to maintain a listing of all historic cemeteries and gravesites in Oregon; promote public education on the significance of historic cemeteries; and help obtain financial and technical assistance for restoring, improving and maintaining their appearances. For more information about commission activities, contact coordinator Kuri Gill at 503-986-0685 or by e-mail at i.gill@oprd.oregon.gov">kuri.gill@oprd.oregon.gov.
 

Special accommodations for the meeting – including translation services – may be made by calling (503) 986‐0609 or erly.Spivey@oprd.oregon.gov">Kimberly.Spivey@oprd.oregon.gov at least 72 hours prior to the start of the meeting. For call-in details and the agenda or more information about the commission, visit www.oregonheritage.org.

Special pre-release screening explores the enduring mystery of the 1967 Bigfoot footage, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers

Portland, OR — On October 20, 1967, Roger Patterson captured 59 seconds of film showing a creature walking through the Northern California woods — footage that became the most analyzed and debated in history. Fifty-nine years later, a reel of 16mm film discovered in a safe changes everything. 

On Wednesday, October 14, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) invites audiences to explore the enduring question of Bigfoot’s existence at a special screening of Capturing Bigfoot, a new documentary directed by Marq Evans, at the Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum.

The screening, which takes place six days before the film’s October 20 general release, will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk featuring Evans, producer Tamir Ardon, and Clint Patterson, son of Roger Patterson, who filmed the famous 1967 footage.

Capturing Bigfoot revisits the story of Sasquatch through newly discovered 16mm footage, interviews with people connected to the original film, and the perspective of Patterson’s son. The documentary considers not only whether the 1967 footage was authentic, but also the family relationships, friendships, financial interests, and deeply held beliefs that grew out of the film’s legacy.

Capturing Bigfoot has received attention since its premiere at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. The Hollywood Reporter described it as a “captivating and revelatory” exploration of cultural mystery and family history, noting that the newly discovered material is compelling not only because of what it may reveal about the footage, but also because of what people’s reactions to it reveal about “the need to believe.”

Bigfoot in Oregon

Long before Patterson’s film footage became a cultural phenomenon, stories of mysterious, hairy, humanlike beings were part of the folklore of the Pacific Northwest.

According to The Oregon Encyclopedia, OHS’s online compendium of Oregon history, Bigfoot is “a large and mysterious humanoid creature purported to inhabit the wild and forested areas of Oregon and the West Coast of North America.” The name Sasquatch is an Anglicization of Sasq’ets, from the Halq’emeylem language spoken by First Nations peoples in southwestern British Columbia.

The historical record of Bigfoot in Oregon dates to 1904, when settlers in the Sixes River area of the Coast Range reported sightings of a hairy “wild man.” Similar accounts followed from miners, hunters, and others, including reports in 1924 of giant “apes” near Mount St. Helens.

By the mid-twentieth century, Bigfoot stories had become deeply embedded in the culture of Oregon’s logging communities, where reports of enormous footprints mixed with jokes, pranks, chainsaw sculptures, and fabricated tracks. In 1970s Oregon, Bigfoot researcher Peter Byrne established the Bigfoot Information Center in The Dalles, helping bring national attention to the search for evidence of the creature.

“Bigfoot is a fascinating example of how history, folklore, popular culture, and our relationship with the natural world can intersect,” said Kerry Tymchuk, OHS Boyle Family Executive Director. “Whether you come to this film as a believer, a skeptic, or simply someone fascinated by one of the Northwest’s most enduring stories, Capturing Bigfoot offers a chance to look behind the legend and ask why this particular mystery has captured our imagination for generations.”

The event begins at 6pm, with doors opening at 5:30pm. Tickets are $20, or $15 for OHS members, and can be purchased at ohs.org/events/capturing-bigfoot.cfm. Seating is general admission. Attendees should check in at Rothko Commons in the main lobby of the Whitsell Auditorium. Because the film contains never-before-seen footage, all recording devices — including phones and Meta glasses — will be prohibited in the theater during the screening.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

Guests and members of the public may attend in-person or virtually. 

Virtual Link - Please click this URL to join: https://zoom.us/j/94961285856 or join by phone: 1-253-215-8782 Webinar ID: 949-6128-5856

We encourage and welcome all members of our community to engage with our board. Please email questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or call 503.408.2100 to arrange for translation services at least 72 hours before this meeting. Closed captioning provided on zoom. Other appropriate auxiliary aids and services may be provided upon request and appropriate advance notice.

The agenda is posted on our website at: LINK.

Agenda items include but are not limited to: recognitions for Indigenous Peoples' Day & National Principals Month, name change policy presentation, annual reports: alternative education programs, restraint and seclusion, integrated guidance SIA, division 22 standards, and district report card. Board and Superintendent evaluation planning and capital construction bond support

Executive Session topics: Conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor negotiations ORS 192.660(2)(d). 

Electronic/Virtual Public Comment Protocol - If you wish to submit a public comment before, or during this Board Meeting please fill out this electronic public comment form before "Public Comments" on the agenda: https://forms.gle/5sUjRZjxJikqmqVg9. If you don’t submit your comment in time we will read it at the next board meeting.

In-Person Public Comment Protocol - Upon arrival at the meeting, please fill out an Intent-to-Speak card and hand it to the Board Assistant prior to "In-person Public Comment" on the agenda. You will have a 3 minute time limit.

Board Meeting Video Recordings - For those of you who cannot attend we will post a recording of the meeting on our website at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXajhxrPxMclOQ6J00JUszQ.

Questions welcomed, please email: questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or leave a voice message at 503-408-2114.

Oregon meets tobacco reduction goals, but disparities, rising adult vaping highlight challenges

Portland, OR - Oregon has made significant progress in reducing tobacco use, meeting or exceeding all three tobacco-reduction goals established for 2017–2025, according to a new Oregon Health Authority (OHA) report.

The report, Evaluating the Impact of Statewide Policies on Tobacco Use and Sales, examines trends in tobacco use and sales before and after Oregon implemented three major statewide tobacco policies: Tobacco 21, which raised the legal minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products; increased tobacco taxes through Ballot Measure 108; and Tobacco Retail Licensing, which requires Oregon retailers to obtain a license to sell tobacco and nicotine products.

The report found:

• Youth cigarette smoking declined substantially. In 2024, 1% of Oregon eighth graders and 2.8% of 11th graders reported current cigarette use, down from 4.3% and 8.8%, respectively, in 2015.
• Adult cigarette smoking declined. The percentage of Oregon adults who smoked cigarettes fell from 17.1% in 2016 to 11% in 2024, exceeding the state goal of 13.3%.
• Cigarette sales declined. Annual per-capita cigarette sales fell from 38.3 packs in 2016 to 21 packs in 2024, surpassing the state goal of 34 or fewer packs per person.
• Youth e-cigarette use declined. Current e-cigarette use among eighth graders fell from 9.3% in 2015 to 4.1% in 2024; among 11th graders, it fell from 17.1% to 9%.
• Adult e-cigarette use increased through 2023 before declining in 2024. E-cigarette use and sales among adults increased over much of the evaluation period, highlighting the changing tobacco and nicotine market.

Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease in Oregon, so these declines represent meaningful progress,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer and state epidemiologist.

“At the same time, we know that not everyone in Oregon has benefited equally from that progress. Continuing to reduce tobacco-related disease will require sustained attention to the communities most affected and to the rapidly changing nicotine marketplace.”

Progress, but persistent disparities

Among youth, higher tobacco use was reported among some gender-non-conforming youth and American Indian/Alaska Native and North African/Middle Eastern youth. Among adults, tobacco use remained higher among Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native adults, bisexual adults, people with less than a college education, people with lower incomes, and people who were unemployed or unable to work.

The report recommends continued investment in tobacco prevention and cessation, particularly for communities experiencing higher rates of tobacco use.

Overall evaluation findings

Tobacco Retail Licensing, effective Jan. 1, 2022, required businesses that sell tobacco and inhalant-delivery systems to obtain a license through the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR). OHA’s Tobacco Retail Licensing Program works with DOR to monitor tobacco retailers and ensure they are held accountable to tobacco sales laws.

The evaluation found changes in tobacco use and sales associated with the period in which these policies were implemented. However, the report cautions that the findings do not establish that the policies caused the observed changes.

The full evaluation: Evaluating the Impact of Statewide Policies on Tobacco Use and Sales is available here.

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UNION COUNTY, Ore. (7 Oct. 2026) – The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the waste of a bull elk in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The bull elk was likely killed on the evening of Thursday, September 10, 2026, or the morning of Friday, September 11, 2026. 

The bull was killed along the Elk Creek Trail, Trail Number 1944, east of Burger Pass. The closest trailhead is the Buck Creek Trailhead east of the town of Union. The elk was killed approximately six miles from the nearest trailhead. The bull had been gutted, and its head and antlers were removed; however, all the meat was left to waste. The elk was likely killed by an individual participating in the Eagle Cap Zone archery elk hunt.      

Anyone who was hunting, horse packing, or hiking in the area, either from the Buck Creek Trailhead or along the Elk Creek Trail near Burger Pass in the Eagle Cap Wilderness on September 10–11, 2026, is encouraged to contact the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1‑800‑452‑7888 or call OSP (677) from a mobile phone. Please reference case number SP26‑308328.

Individuals who report a tip may remain anonymous.

Image: Eagle Cap Bull Elk (image may not be suitable for all viewers)        

Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators

The Turn In Poachers (TIP) program is a collaboration between the Oregon State Police, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outfitter and Guides Association, and the Oregon State Marine Board.

The TIP program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.  

Preference Point Rewards

5 Points: Bighorn Sheep

5 Points: Rocky Mountain Goat

5 Points: Moose

5 Points: Wolf

4 Points: Elk

4 Points: Deer

4 Points: Pronghorn Antelope

4 Points: Bear

4 Points: Cougar

The TIP program also offers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of the following fish and wildlife species. Cash rewards can also be awarded for habitat destruction, illegally obtaining hunting or angling license or tag, lending or borrowing big game tags, spotlighting, or snagging.

Cash Rewards

Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) cash rewards:

$2,000 Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, or Moose

$1,000 Elk, Deer, or Antelope

$600 Bear, Cougar, or Wolf
$400 Game Fish & Shellfish
$400 Snagging/Attempt to Snag

$300 Habitat destruction

$200 Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags

$200 Unlawful lending/borrowing big game tag(s)

$200 Game Birds or Furbearers

$200 Spotlighting

Rewards for Game Fish & Shellfish and Snagging/Attempting to Snag are sponsored, in part, by Northwest Steelheaders Association and Coastal Conservation Association.

Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) Cash Rewards:

$500 Hawk, Falcon, Eagle, Owl, Osprey

$500 Cougar, Bobcat, Beaver (public lands only), Black bears, Bighorn Sheep, Marten, Fisher, Sierra Nevada Red Fox

$1,000 Species listed as “threatened" or “endangered" under state or federal Endangered Species Act (excludes fish)
$10,000 for Wolves east of Highway 395 and $11,500 for Wolves east of Highway 395 and north of Highway 20

Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association (OOGA) Cash Rewards:

$200 Acting as an Outfitter Guide for the Illegal Killing of Wildlife, Illegally Obtaining Oregon Hunting or Angling Licenses or Tags, or Illegally Offering to Act as an Outfitter Guide as defined in ORS 704.010 and 704.020.

How to Report a Wildlife and/or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious Activity:

TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (677)

TIP email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov (monitored Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

For more information visit the Oregon State Police Turn-in-Poachers (TIP) web page.

# # #

About the Oregon State Police

Oregon State Police (OSP) is a multi-disciplined organization that is charged with protecting the people, wildlife, and natural resources in Oregon. OSP enforces traffic laws on the state’s roadways, investigates and solves crime, conducts postmortem examinations and forensic analysis, and provides background checks, and law enforcement data. The agency regulates gaming and enforces fish, wildlife, and natural resource laws. OSP is comprised of more than 1,400 staff members – including troopers, investigators, and professional staff – who provide a full range of policing and public safety services to Oregon and other law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon. 

WHAT:
Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation, donors, and community partners will celebrate the start of new Washougal Community Library construction. The event will include brief remarks from project leaders, followed by a ceremonial groundbreaking and photo opportunity.

WHO:
Remarks will be provided by:

• Jennifer Giltrop, Executive Director, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District

• Laura Klinger, Principal, Hacker Architects 

• Jennifer Wilkerson, Executive Director, Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation

WHEN:
2 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15

WHERE:
Future site of the new Washougal Community Library, 222 Durgan St., Washougal 

VISUALS:
Speakers, project partners, and community members will participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking. Photos from the event will be available to the media upon request following the event. Architectural design renderings of the new space are attached. 

BACKGROUND:
The new, 14,000-square-foot Washougal Community Library will replace the community’s current approximately 2,300-square-foot library, which has served Washougal since 1981. The new library will provide dedicated spaces for children, teens, and adults; a large community room; meeting and study rooms; expanded collections and technology access; and an outdoor courtyard.

The new library will be built on a 17,250-square-foot downtown property donated to FVRLibraries in 2021 at 222 Durgan St., near Washougal City Hall and other planned civic improvements downtown. Construction is expected to begin shortly after the Oct. 15 groundbreaking, with the new library scheduled to open in 2028.

The $19.4 million project is supported through a combination of FVRLibraries funding, a Washington State Department of Commerce grant, and private philanthropy.

Learn more at www.fvrl.org/NewWashougalLibrary.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Bend, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Russell Ian Boggess, 43, was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison and 5 years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on July 23, 2024, Boggess robbed a cannabis dispensary in Bend at gunpoint. Boggess was armed with a 9mm handgun, carried a bag, and wore a bandana covering his face. He pointed his gun at an employee and demanded the employee give him marijuana stored behind the counter. While pointing the gun near the employee, Boggess tried to fire the gun twice, but it jammed both times. Boggess then walked behind the counter and took the marijuana himself. Boggess pistol whipped the employee when the employee attempted to call 911.

Officers from the Bend Police Department (BPD) responded to the scene within minutes of the robbery and took Boggess into custody. BPD recovered the gun containing a 34-round magazine. The gun was later test fired and was found to be operational.

On September 19, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a 3-count indictment charging Boggess with interference with commerce by threats or violence, felon in possession of ammunition, and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

This case was investigated by FBI and BPD. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Nelson and Assistant U.S. Attorney William McLaren.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

# # #

At 6:46am on Wednesday October 7th, Cornelius Firefighters were dispatched to a reported commercial fire located at 2170 SW Lafollett Road, which is just outside the city limits in rural Washington County. While responding, crews observed a column of smoke and upgraded the incident to a 1st Alarm Fire. When firefighters arrived, they found a 17,000 square foot building with flames showing through the roof. Based on the size of the building, the first in chief officer upgraded the incident to a 2nd Alarm to bring additional resources to the scene. Firefighters began to attack the flames from the interior of the structure, but after approximately 15 minutes, those crews were withdrawn from the interior due to the roof becoming unstable. Crews transitioned to fight the flames from the exterior with hose lines as well as from a ladder truck. After fighting the flames from the exterior for 20 minutes, it was deemed safe enough for crews to re-enter the structure and extinguish the flames.

Full extinguishment of the fire was made difficult due to the roof section collapsing into the building and hiding several hot spots as well as difficult to access hot spots along the roof line. The incident was deemed under control almost two hours after the call was initially dispatched. Due to the rural location with no municipal fire hydrants nearby, fire crews had to bring water to the scene in 3,000 gallon water tenders. These water tenders would take turns shuttling water from the nearest fire hydrant in the city limits, which was a 1.25 miles round trip. One firefighter was assessed on scene for a minor extremity injury and did not require transport to a hospital.

The structure was originally built as a berry processing facility for the nearby agricultural community. The current use of the building was in the process of growing hemp. The building was divided into four sections, firefighters were able to keep the fire isolated to one of those four areas, with only smoke and water damaging the other three areas. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.

Cornelius Fire Department was assisted on scene by Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District, AMR Washington County, and Washington County Sheriffs Office.

Scene Information:

Engines - 7
Trucks - 2
Water Tenders - 7
Chiefs - 6

Total Fire Personnel: 59

A full evening of Western action, family fun and entertainment in Clatsop County

ASTORIA, OR — The Clatsop County Fair & Expo is bringing the excitement of roughstock rodeo to Clatsop County this fall with the Clash of the Cowboys Roughstock Rodeo, presented by Jason Kraushaar Contracting, LLC, on Saturday, November 14, 2026.

The indoor rodeo will feature an action-packed night of bulls, broncs and barrels, operated by Howell Rodeo Company. Rodeo fans and families are invited to experience the excitement of the arena, along with vendor exhibits and a variety of activities throughout the evening.

The fun begins before the rodeo with a free, family-friendly pre-show program at 4 p.m. hosted by the Clatsop County Fair & Expo. The pre-show will take place in the Exhibit Hall and outside the main entrance and is open to the public at no cost.

Visitors can enjoy retail vendors, food trucks, a mechanical bull, cash bar, dummy roping competition, music and more during the pre-show.

Event Schedule
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Clatsop County Fair & Expo
92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria, OR 97103

• 4 p.m. — Free Pre-Show: Exhibit Hall and food trucks outside the main entrance
• 6 p.m. — Indoor Arena Doors Open
• 7 p.m. — Clash of the Cowboys Roughstock Rodeo Begins

The rodeo will take place indoors with bleacher seating. Guests are welcome to bring a seat cushion for additional comfort. Free parking is available at the fairgrounds.

Ticket Information
Tickets are required for the Clash of the Cowboys Roughstock Rodeo.

Advance Tickets:

• Adults: $25 + ticket fees and taxes
• Children 10 and under: $10 + ticket fees and taxes
• Children under 24 months: Free when seated on a parent or guardian's lap

At the Door:

• Adults: $30 + ticket fees and taxes
• Children 10 and under: $12 + ticket fees and taxes

Tickets are available online at clatsopcofair.com. Sales are final. No refunds.

A Night of Western Action
The Clash of the Cowboys Roughstock Rodeo is designed to deliver an exciting night of Western entertainment for rodeo fans and newcomers alike. The evening will feature:

• Bulls
• Broncs
• Barrels
• Rodeo action operated by Howell Rodeo Company
• Vendor exhibits
• Food trucks
• Music and entertainment
• Dummy roping competition
• Mechanical bull
• Cash bar

With the combination of a free family-friendly pre-show and an exciting indoor rodeo, the event offers something for everyone — whether you're a longtime rodeo fan or looking for a fun Saturday night out.

The Clatsop County Fair & Expo is located at 92937 Walluski Loop in Astoria. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the free pre-show, grab some food, visit vendors and take part in the activities before heading into the arena. Go to clatsopcofair.com/ for more information.

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Oregon Surgical Wellness Welcomes
Breast Surgical Oncologist Sara B. Cartwright, DO

Dr. Cartwright brings advanced training in breast surgical oncology and a care philosophy shaped by her early career as a registered nurse.

EUGENE/SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Oct. 7, 2026 — Oregon Surgical Wellness (OSW), a division of Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center (WVCI), is pleased to welcome Sara B. Cartwright, DO, a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist. As part of WVCI’s multidisciplinary breast cancer team, she will provide specialized breast surgical care for patients in the southern Willamette Valley and surrounding communities.

Dr. Cartwright completed her Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Southern California, following a General Surgery Residency and dedicated research training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is board-certified in General Surgery and is an active member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology.

Before attending medical school, Dr. Cartwright worked as a critical care registered nurse. Her bedside experience gave her an early understanding of how patients and families experience medical care, which she brings to her work as a surgeon today.

“What I enjoy most about caring for breast surgical oncology patients is the opportunity to teach about breast cancer and the shared decision-making process,” Dr. Cartwright said. “I want my patients to understand their diagnosis and treatment plan so they can make a surgical decision they feel comfortable with.”

Dr. Cartwright has contributed to surgical and breast cancer research through peer-reviewed publications, national presentations and educational initiatives. Her work includes research on breast cancer treatment and surgical outcomes as well as surgical education.

“I’m excited to work alongside wonderful partners at OSW and be a part of the WVCI multidisciplinary team to bring specialized breast oncology care to the community,”

Dr. Cartwright said.

Dr. Cartwright will see patients at Oregon Surgical Wellness, 3783 International Court, Suite 200, Springfield, Oregon. To make an appointment, call 541-735-3778. Physicians may fax referrals to 541-735-3772.

About Oregon Surgical Wellness

Oregon Surgical Wellness is a division of Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center dedicated to providing specialized breast surgical care as part of a coordinated, multidisciplinary cancer program. Through collaboration across surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, imaging, genetics, supportive services and research, the team helps patients navigate diagnosis, treatment and recovery with care centered on their individual needs and goals.

About Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center

Since 1997, Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center has been a leader in advanced cancer treatment, serving the Willamette Valley and surrounding regions, including Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Florence, Lincoln City, Newport and Springfield, Oregon. As an affiliate of The US Oncology Network and Sarah Cannon Research Institute, WVCI is committed to offering innovative, integrated care supported by advanced technology and extensive clinical research. For more information, visit www.oregoncancer.com.

Media Contact:
Christy Curtis | WVCI Liaison
541-632-3156
info@oregoncancer.com

Salem - Main Street America has announced Astoria Downtown Historic District Association (ADHDA) as a 2027 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) semifinalist. This prestigious award is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization.

A jury of professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation convened to review a nationwide pool of applicants. After thoughtful deliberation, the jury unanimously selected eight semifinalists that demonstrate exemplary use of the Main Street Approach™ to lead community-based transformation strategies in their downtowns.

The 2027 Great American Main Street Award semifinalists are:

Center City of Amarillo, Inc. – Amarillo, Texas

Astoria Downtown Historic District Association – Astoria, Oregon

Downtown Excelsior Partnership, Inc. – Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Connect Downtown Johnson City – Johnson City, Tennessee

Village of Lake Orion DDA – Lake Orion, Oakland County, Michigan

Montpelier Alive – Montpelier, Vermont

Mainstreet Oceanside – Oceanside, California

Sapulpa Main Street – Sapulpa, Oklahoma

“The 2027 Great American Main Street Award Semifinalists are proud examples of the deep and lasting impact that Main Street programs can have on communities,” said Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. “From reimagining after decline to rebuilding after natural disasters, these communities demonstrate the power of resilience, vision, and meaningful community engagement.”

Collectively, the 2027 GAMSA semifinalists have generated over $2.1 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 1,271 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 7,607 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 2,411 historic buildings, and leveraged 252,493  volunteer hours.

Competing for the Great American Main Street Award is a significant achievement in the Main Street Movement, and receiving the award is an esteemed honor. Since its establishment in 1995, only 118 of over 2000 Main Street programs have been acknowledged as GAMSA-winning communities.

"Being a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award is an enormous honor," says ADHDA Executive Director Quinn Haase. "Being named a semifinalist two years in a row now just speaks to the commitment the community of Astoria has made towards a preservation-based approach to revitalization. The work itself is the reward, but it is reaffirming to know that our efforts do not go unnoticed." 

ADHDA is a member of the Oregon Main Street (OMS) Network, the state coordinating program of Main Street America that supports communities in preserving and enhancing their historic downtowns. As one of Oregon’s longest‑serving Main Street organizations, ADHDA has become a model for place-based revitalization that strengthens local economies and honors authentic heritage.

“We are incredibly proud of ADHDA’s leadership in preservation‑based revitalization," says Oregon Main Street Coordinator Ami Keiffer. “Their dedication to community engagement and strengthening Astoria’s historic downtown exemplifies the best of the Main Street spirit. Being named a semifinalist reflects the hard work, collaboration, and creativity happening in Astoria every day, and Oregon Main Street is excited to support and celebrate them in this national spotlight.”

The 2027 Great American Main Street Award ceremony will be held at the opening plenary of the 2027 Main Street Now Conference in Detroit, Michigan, on May 3, 2027, where three semifinalists will be recognized as recipients of the coveted honor.

ABOUT THE ASTORIA DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

For the past 40 years, the ADHDA (previously the Astoria Downtown Development Association) has been a faithful steward of the downtown and has strived to keep the unique culture and character of Astoria at the forefront. From the creation of outlandish events such as the Jane Barnes Revue and the Sea Lion Calling Contest, from our work in bringing almost $1 million in restoration grant dollars to our downtown buildings, to our running of community programs such as the Astoria Sunday Market and Artwalk, our commitment to the continued success of downtown Astoria is apparent in every bit of the work we do. For more information, visit www.astoriadowntown.com.

ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARDS

The Great American Main Street Award program recognizes communities exemplifying the use of the Main Street Approach™ to revitalize commercial districts. Winners are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a jury of Main Street professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation. Since the award’s inception in 1995, over 110 Main Street programs have been honored as GAMSA communities. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.

ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA

Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. For more information, visit mainstreet.org. 

ABOUT OREGON MAIN STREET
Oregon Main Street (OMS) partners with communities across the state to strengthen local economies, honor historic character, and foster vibrant, resilient downtowns. OMS is within Oregon Heritage at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and provides technical assistance, training, and a statewide network of support to communities of all sizes working to build vibrant, resilient commercial districts. Grounded in the Main Street

Approach™, the program empowers local leaders to celebrate heritage, foster economic vitality, and create welcoming places for all. More than 100 Oregon communities participate at various levels of the network, each demonstrating a shared commitment to preserving what makes Oregon’s downtowns unique. A 2022 Impact of Oregon’s Main Streets report found that between 2011 and 2021 Oregon Main Street communities helped generate $266 million in additional sales revenue in the State of Oregon and 2,400 jobs. For more information, visit www.oregonmainstreet.org.

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VANCOUVER, Wash. —  As summer counted down, donation bins across the Vancouver area filled with new school supplies. During their Write from the Start school supply drive, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools accepts both physical and monetary donations.

For the 11th consecutive year, Dick Hannah Dealerships helped make the drive a success by providing $10,000 in matching funds. The community responded by raising an additional $11,925, bringing the total raised through the campaign to $21,925. 

The funds allow Vancouver Public Schools’ community school coordinators to purchase essential supplies in bulk, stretching donations further and helping ensure students have what they need throughout the school year. The monetary donations supplement more than $15,000 worth of school supplies collected through the Write from the Start drive, including notebooks, pencils, crayons and backpacks. 

With 53.9% of VPS students living below the federal poverty line, these donations help remove a significant barrier to learning.
 

In addition to its $10,000 contribution to Write from the Start, Dick Hannah Dealerships also donated $10,000 to the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools’ general fund, bringing its total contribution to the Foundation this year to $20,000. The funds help with other Foundation areas of aid such as food, utility shut-off prevention for families, mental health supports, and more. 
 

Says Matt Berry of Dick Hannah Dealerships, “Helping students succeed in school aligns perfectly with our ‘Believe in Nice’ promise.”

PORTLAND, Ore.—United States Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced the continued work of the District of Oregon’s Government Fraud Task Force, bringing together federal law enforcement agencies and inspectors general to strengthen efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud against government programs and American taxpayers.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office hosted the task force’s most recent meeting on Monday, October 5, attended by federal prosecutors and representatives from participating agencies. The meeting focused on expanding intelligence and data sharing, developing new methods for identifying fraud, prioritizing investigative leads, and ensuring law enforcement resources are directed toward significant fraud schemes.

“Fraud against government programs is theft from the American taxpayer, and we are committed to using every tool available to identify and prosecute those who exploit these programs for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “By bringing our federal, state, and local partners together to share intelligence, prioritize the strongest cases, and strategically deploy investigative resources, we will more effectively detect fraud, hold offenders accountable, and protect taxpayer dollars.”

The agencies joining the Government Fraud Task Force at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon include:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• IRS Criminal Investigation
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• U.S. Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Units
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• U.S. Social Security Administration

Key priorities of the Government Fraud Task Force include:

• Expanding information and data sharing among participating agencies to identify potential fraud schemes;
• Cross-referencing government databases and benefit records to identify suspicious activity and potentially ineligible or fraudulent recipients;
• Prioritizing and ranking fraud leads and referrals so investigative resources can be directed toward the strongest and most significant cases;
• Deploying investigative resources strategically to address fraud leads in areas where agencies may lack sufficient personnel;
• Using data analytics and financial investigative tools to identify unusual billing, benefit, grant, and contracting activity; and
• Conducting annual reviews to evaluate the task force’s impact and identify opportunities to strengthen fraud enforcement.

The Government Fraud Task Force focuses on fraud affecting federal programs and taxpayer dollars, including health care fraud, government benefits fraud, Small Business Administration loan fraud, Social Security fraud, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud, trade fraud, and student aid fraud.

Participating agencies are also working together to investigate suspicious financial activity, False Claims Act referrals, and government claims data; and identifying connections between government beneficiaries and other law enforcement and government records.

These efforts support the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative, and creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”), to enhance coordination among federal agencies and strengthen the government’s ability to detect and prosecute fraud.

Federal prosecutors and representatives of federal law enforcement agencies in the Government Fraud Task Force attended the October 5, 2026, meeting at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland.

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Date: TUES, Oct 27th

Time: 7 pm

Location: Alberta Rose Theatre

Tickets: $15-$45

Event Website: https://www.scienceontaporwa.org/events/alberta_oct_27_k9s-wolves/

Dog lovers! Dogs in conservation show! 10/27 in PDX
(Bonus - live demonstration with a dog on stage!)
When wolves run out of deer - what do they eat? Some have adapted their diets to eat fish. How widespread this surf-and-turf phenomenon? Dogs (and researchers) are out to find out.

Kayla Fratt is a PhD student at Oregon State University and a co-founder of K9 Conservationists.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Science on Tap OR WA.

Attached:

B-roll from Wrap-Up event at High Rocks Park, Gladstone

WES-produced News Package

Portland, Ore., October 7, 2026 – A summer of hands-on action along Oregon’s waterways wrapped up in September. At High Rocks Park in Gladstone, 27 volunteers removed approximately 750 pounds of litter from the banks of the Clackamas River. The cleanup marked the final event of the ninth annual Waterway Cleanup Series, a partnership between SOLVE and Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES).

From May through September, the series supported 64 cleanup events across 10 counties, engaging 1,400+ volunteers who collectively removed over 24,000 pounds of litter from waterways and natural areas throughout the region. Volunteers also helped clear more than 10,000 square feet of invasive plants and mulch 2,700 plants, expanding the impact of the series beyond litter removal.

The series brought volunteers to a wide range of waterways and natural areas, from the Clackamas River to the Rogue River and Johnson Creek. Among the largest events were the Down the Clackamas River Cleanup, which drew 161 volunteers; the 34th Annual Rogue River Cleanup, with 150 volunteers; and the Johnson Creek Cleanup, where 133 volunteers helped remove more than 7,000 pounds of litter.

Together, these efforts help address litter where it can have an impact far beyond the place where it is found. Trash left on streets, riverbanks, parks, and other inland areas can be carried by stormwater into streams and creeks, eventually flowing into larger rivers and, ultimately, the ocean. Removing litter before it reaches these waterways helps protect wildlife and habitat while keeping rivers and recreational spaces cleaner and healthier for people to enjoy.

The impact of these efforts goes beyond the pounds of litter collected. Every piece removed is one small action that contributes to a larger impact, helping keep waterways cleaner for wildlife, recreation, and the people who rely on them.

“All of our cleanups are really vital to wildlife and the environment,” said Kris Carico, CEO of SOLVE.
“Most marine debris starts on land, so when we clean it up along our rivers, we help prevent it from reaching the ocean. It’s been a great season, and we’ve seen more and more volunteers coming out to make a difference.”

For nine consecutive years, SOLVE and Clackamas Water Environment Services have partnered to support volunteer-led cleanups and connect volunteers to the relationship between litter, stormwater, and water quality.

“Our rivers take care of us, so we need to take care of them,” said Ron Wierenga, Deputy Director of Clackamas Water Environment Services. “For nine years, our partnership with SOLVE has helped bring volunteers out to clean up our waterways and support clean water, public health, and the natural environment.”

The ninth year of the Waterway Cleanup Series marks another season of volunteers taking action to care for the region’s waterways, with the partnership now looking ahead to its 10th anniversary in 2027.

While the Waterway Cleanup Series has wrapped up for the year, opportunities to care for Oregon and Southwest Washington’s natural spaces continue year-round. From neighborhood cleanups to restoration projects, volunteers can find upcoming opportunities with SOLVE at solve.org.

About SOLVE 

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.

About Clackamas Water Environment Services

Clackamas Water Environment Services produces clean water, protects water quality and recovers renewable resources. We do this by providing wastewater services, stormwater management, and environmental education. It's our job to protect public health and support the vitality of our communities, natural environment and economy. Learn more.

Vancouver, Wash. – County Manager Kathleen Otto is seeking two volunteers to fill open positions on the county’s Ethics Review Commission.

These openings are to fill two new seats for three-year terms which begin immediately and end Oct. 31, 2029. 

Commission members must be qualified in the area of ethical conduct in government. During their tenure, no member shall hold elected office or be an officer of any political party nor be a county employee. 

The commission is responsible for hearing, investigating, and ruling on complaints of violations of the code of ethics in Clark County Code 2.07.01, Code of Ethical Conduct, and the updated Ordinance No. 2026-07-02. The group has regular quarterly meetings and special meetings as needed. Meetings are hybrid with options to attend in-person or virtually. 

The county council is required to confirm commission appointees recommended by the county manager. 

Anyone interested in applying should send a letter of interest and résumé to Michelle Pfenning, Council Administrative Assistant, PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000 or michelle.pfenning@clark.wa.gov.   

Application deadline is 5 pm Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. 

Learn more about the Ethics Review Commission on the county’s website at https://clark.wa.gov/county-manager/ethics-review-commission.

Wildfire smoke rolls over the skies near Warm Springs - July 25 2026 ODOT

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is reminding eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses, and most private nonprofit organizations that they may qualify for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans following the severe storms and wildfires that occurred July 15–August 24, 2026.

These low-interest, long-term working-capital loans help organizations meet ordinary financial obligations they are unable to meet because of the disaster.

The federal declaration covers the Oregon counties of Baker, Clackamas, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, and Yamhill.

Key SBA Wildfire Disaster Loan Details

• Application deadline: July 1, 2027
• Loan amounts: Up to $2 million, based on economic injury
• Interest rates: 4% for businesses and agricultural cooperatives; 3.625% for nonprofits
• Loan terms: Up to 30 years, based on ability to repay
• Eligible use of funds: Working capital only (loans cannot be used to refinance existing debt)
• Insurance requirements: Flood or hazard insurance may be required depending on location
• More information: MySBA Loan Portal

Drought Disaster Loans Also Still Available

SBA continues to offer low-interest federal disaster loans to eligible small businesses and private nonprofit organizations impacted by ongoing drought conditions in Oregon. Additional information is available on the MySBA Loan Portal.

Drought Disaster Deadlines and Affected Counties

Drought beginning March 24

Counties: Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Polk, Wasco, Wheeler, Yamhill

Application deadline: March 1, 2027

Drought beginning April 1

Counties: Baker, Clackamas, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lake, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, Wheeler

Application deadline: March 1, 2027

Drought beginning May 12

Counties: Benton, Deschutes, Harney, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk Application deadline: April 13, 2027

Drought beginning June 23

Counties: Grant, Malheur, Union, Wallowa

Application deadline: May 10, 2027

Technical Assistance for Native-Owned Businesses

The SBA Office of Native American Affairs offers technical assistance to help Native entrepreneurs navigate SBA programs, including access to capital, federal contracting, and business development resources. Support is available for tribal enterprises and Native-owned small businesses working to start, grow, or recover from disaster impacts.

More information is available on the Office of Native American Affairs website. If phone lines are busy or unresponsive, applicants are encouraged to use the online contact form or alternative SBA customer service channels.

Additional Assistance for All

Businesses and organizations can apply online at sba.gov/disaster. Additional assistance is available by calling the SBA National Support Network Center at (866) SBA-HELP or by emailing customerservice@sba.gov" style="color: rgb(59, 116, 181); text-decoration: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;">disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Background on this Declaration

Governor Tina Kotek requested federal agricultural assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 29, 2026, following wildfire‑related losses across Oregon. USDA subsequently conducted damage assessments and, on September 21, approved a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Gilliam, Klamath, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties, as well as 13 neighboring counties. This designation makes affected agricultural producers eligible for USDA emergency loan programs.

Following USDA’s action, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a corresponding disaster declaration on September 24. This allows businesses in the same primary and contiguous counties to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). SBA declaration OR‑20030 is linked to the USDA wildfire disaster designation, while OR‑20031 stems from the Governor’s direct request.

Update

Vancouver Police were notified that the pedestrian who was critically injured has died. 

The charge of Vehicular Assault will be updated to Vehicular Homicide. 

The Traffic Unit investigation is continuing and there are no further updates at this time. 

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Vancouver, Wash. – On October 5, 2026, at around 9:45 p.m., Vancouver Police responded to NE Andresen Rd./NE Van Mall Dr. for the report of a collision involving two vehicles and two pedestrians.

The driver of a Toyota RAV4, traveling westbound on NE Van Mall Dr., with a green light, was hit by the driver of a Jeep traveling southbound on NE Andresen Rd. who ran the red light at the intersection. The collision caused the Jeep to flip and strike two pedestrians who were in the south crosswalk on NE Van Mall Drive, crossing with the signal. One of the pedestrians, a 34-year-old female, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The male pedestrian, 43 years old, was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the Jeep, Noah Merchant, 26 years old, was arrested for DUI, Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, and Reckless Driving and was booked into the Clark County Jail. His passenger, a 20-year-old female, was arrested for Minor in Possession.

The Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit is continuing the investigation.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver Fire Department to Conduct Live-Fire Training at Station 5

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Vancouver Fire Department will conduct live-fire training today at Fire Station 5, from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

During the training, residents and businesses in the surrounding area may notice smoke, fire apparatus, and increased activity at the station throughout the day. The smoke and fire observed during this time will be part of planned, controlled firefighter training.

Live-fire training is an important component of preparing firefighters for the conditions they may encounter during an actual structure fire. These controlled exercises allow firefighters to work in realistic heat and smoke while practicing critical skills, including:

• Hose advancement and fire attack
• Fire control
• Search and rescue
• Fireground communication
• Coordinated company operations
• Decision-making under changing fire conditions

The training also supports the ongoing proficiency requirements for Washington firefighters. Under WAC 296-305-05502, firefighters who perform interior structural firefighting in immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) conditions must receive live-fire training appropriate to their assigned duties at least once every three years. The regulation also requires ongoing training and proficiency development to help prevent the degradation of critical firefighting skills.

Live-fire evolutions are conducted by qualified fire service instructors and follow required safety procedures and standards.

While the majority of firefighter training does not involve live fire, controlled live-fire exercises provide an important opportunity for firefighters to bring individual skills together in realistic conditions. This preparation helps ensure crews are ready to perform effectively when those skills are needed during an actual emergency.

The Vancouver Fire Department appreciates the community’s understanding and support as firefighters conduct this important training.

Media Contact:

Captain Raymond Egan

aymond.egan@cityofvancouver.us">raymond.egan@cityofvancouver.us

360-869-3914
Vancouver Fire Department
City of Vancouver, Washington

On October 6, 2026, at approximately 3 p.m., the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a body in the Columbia River near the tip of the sandbar. Deputies responded and recovered the body shortly afterward.  The body was identified as David Kalousdian, who was reported missing from the same general area on October 1, 2026.

The investigation determined that David’s inflatable life vest did not have a recharge kit installed, which rendered it ineffective.  The recovery concluded the search launched after his kayak was found adrift in the Columbia River.  Search efforts included the Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol vessel and Search & Rescue plane.

Although the search ended sadly, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office is honored to have recovered David’s remains and hopes this provides his family with some sense of closure.

Vancouver, Wash. — The Washington State Auditor’s Office recently issued its annual audit reports on Clark County activities.  For 2025 the state auditors did not identify any reportable findings in the areas reviewed, resulting in “clean” audit opinions.

In addition, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recently awarded the Clark County Auditor’s Office with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 2024 Annual

Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition for governmental accounting and financial reporting. This is the 45th consecutive year the Auditor’s Office has been recognized for the excellence of its financial reporting.

The GFOA also honored the Clark County Auditor’s Office with an Award for Outstanding Achievement for its Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). The PAFR is a user-friendly report that summarizes information from the county’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The Auditor’s Office produced the county’s first PAFR in 2020. This is the fifth consecutive year the office has received this recognition. 

“Proper accounting and financial reporting deliver accountability and transparency to the public. Our work reveals how the county used taxpayer dollars and if they were used for their designated purpose. I’m proud of our team for their commitment to provide accurate information to the public and pleased the county received clean audits from the state,” said Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.

The first report from the Washington State Auditor’s Office contains the results of their audits of the county’s compliance with requirements for: 1) accounting, financial reporting, and 2) federal grants. The second report describes the county’s compliance with state laws, regulations, policies, and controls over the safeguarding of public resources. Audit reports from the Washington State Auditor’s Office can be found on their website. The county’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Popular Annual Financial Report are available on the Clark County Auditor’s Office website.

SALEM, OR — A coalition of Marion County, the City of Salem, the City of Stayton, and the Santiam Water Control District made their case in federal court today, asking the U.S. District Court to halt the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to drain Detroit Lake below its minimum conservation pool this fall. Their arguments centered around concerns of harm to water for drinking, firefighting, and agriculture for more than 220,000 downstream residents. After hearing arguments from all sides, U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai took the matter under advisement and is expected to issue a ruling in the coming weeks.

“We made our case today, and we made it clearly: the Army Corps is moving forward with a catastrophic plan without safeguards for the people who depend on this water,” said Commissioner Colm Willis, Chair. “Whatever the outcome, we will keep using every tool available to protect our residents, our water, and our local economy.”

Marion County will provide an update once the Court issues its decision.

Read the full release: www.marioncountynews.org/news/marion-county-makes-its-case-in-federal-court-to-stop-detroit-lake-drawdown

The Willamette River Water Coalition (WRWC) Board Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 4:45 p.m.

This meeting will be held virtually; there will not be an in-person meeting option. If you wish to join this virtual meeting, please email ine.desau@tvwd.org">katherine.desau@tvwd.org or call 503-848-3078 by 12:00 p.m., October 13. 

The Board meeting agenda packet and additional information regarding the WRWC are available on the website: https://willametteriver.org

A donation of cedar, three summer articles, and Kelso High School Advanced Wood Tech students are coming together to create dozens of new homes for some important—and declining—members of the local ecosystem.

Students in Joe McWilliam’s Advanced Wood Tech class are building owl nesting boxes, bat houses, and Mason bee houses as part of a hands-on Career and Technical Education (CTE) project combining woodworking, research, conservation, and community service. Each student is building at least two houses: one to install at home and one to donate for placement in the community. Some students were so inspired by the project, they decided to make even more. And the impact will continue to grow: all three Advanced Wood Tech classes offered throughout the school year will take on the project.

The timing is especially fitting for one of the project’s beneficiaries: October is Bat Appreciation Month, dedicated to raising awareness about the important role bats play in healthy ecosystems and the challenges facing their populations.

The idea began this summer when McWilliam read three different articles about declining populations of owls, Mason bees, and bats. While each species faces different challenges, the articles had something interesting in common: cedar is particularly well suited for constructing their homes. That caught McWilliam’s attention.

At the end of last school year, local business A&J Fencing Inc. donated approximately 3,000 pounds of cedar to Kelso School District’s CTE program. McWilliam saw an opportunity to put that generous donation to work while giving students valuable hands-on experience.

“As soon as I relayed this information to the students, they were on board,” McWilliam said.

Before picking up their tools, students researched how to properly construct homes for each species, including different nesting-box requirements for various types of owls.

The details matter. Owl boxes provide alternatives when natural nesting cavities are scarce. Mason bee houses require properly sized, smooth nesting tunnels to help protect the bees and their young. Bat houses provide dry, protected roosting spaces for animals that play an important role in controlling insect populations.

Once the houses are complete, McWilliam plans to contact state and local parks about possible placement. Houses may also be installed on private property throughout Kelso. Community members interested in placing one on their property may be able to receive a house in exchange for donating additional cedar to help students continue building.

The project gives students an opportunity to develop technical skills while using those skills to solve a real-world problem and make a difference beyond the classroom.

From one generous donation of cedar, Kelso High School students are building much more than woodworking projects. They’re building habitats, and giving some of their smallest and most important neighbors a little more room to thrive.

About Kelso School District

Kelso School District has a goal of 100% (bit.ly/ksd-100) of students graduating high school and having post-secondary plans for college, career, trades, or military. Our mission is to prepare every student for living, learning, and achieving success as a citizen of our changing world.

Vancouver, Wash. – The City’s Main Street reconstruction project, spanning the heart of downtown Vancouver from 5th to 15th, is complete ahead of the original spring 2027 completion schedule.

This reconstruction, 33 years in the making and a $26 million investment, makes it one of the City’s largest infrastructure projects, improves safety, fosters community, and supports economic development along lower Main Street.

Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and a mix of local sources enabled the project to be completed.

Remarks from leadership, a performance from Metropolitan Performing Arts and live music from Liz Joy and Midnight Theory. This event is hosted in partnership with Vancouver’s Downtown Association.

Who: Attendees include:

• U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington
• Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle
• Vancouver’s Downtown Association Executive Director Michael Walker

When: 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7

Where: Kiggins Block of Main Street at 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Washington 98660

Learn more about the Main Street Promise project.

RSVP to a.shepard@cityofvancouver.us">laura.shepard@cityofvancouver.us, 360-624-0747

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COOS COUNTY, Ore. (6 Oct. 2026) – On Sunday, October 4, 2026, at approximately 7:35 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 540 near milepost 5 in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated that a silver Chevrolet Aveo, operated by George Cole Cleveland (41) of Coos Bay, was traveling the wrong way, eastbound in the westbound lane, when it collided head-on with a white Toyota Tacoma operated by Aric Dwayne Allen Adkins (35) of Coos Bay.

The operator of the Chevrolet (Cleveland) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Toyota (Adkins) had reported minor injuries. During the investigation, Adkins was arrested on a DUII charge.

The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Coos Bay Police Department, Charleston Fire and Rescue, and Bay Cities Ambulance.  

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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) 
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR-accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.

ASTORIA, OR — The deadline to register to vote in the November 3, 2026 General Election is Tuesday, October 13.

“Registering to vote is quick and easy,” said Tracie Krevanko, County Clerk. “You can sign up online at www.oregonvotes.gov or complete a registration card and send it by mail. Just make sure your card is postmarked by October 13 to be accepted.”

Voter registration cards are available from the Clatsop County Clerk and Elections Office, 820 Exchange St., Astoria, local post offices, public libraries and Department of Motor Vehicles offices. Cards can also be downloaded from the Oregon Secretary of State website and printed.

Voters who are already registered must update their registration if they have:

• Moved or changed their mailing address
• Changed their name
• Wish to change their party affiliation

You can find out your current registration status by going to the Oregon Secretary of State’s “My Vote” webpage.

Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on October 14.

More information on voter registration at clatsopcounty.gov.

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The Multnomah Education Service District Board Finance Committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. on October 8, 2026. 
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/89770490430?pwd=b33Ys0hOqTUad2xweXULJBpkCvraoe.1
Passcode:317884

Hillsboro Police are asking for the public's help identifying two vehicles seen near SE Tualatin Valley Highway and SE Cypress Street on the night of September 19, 2026.

At approximately 11:38 pm, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and killed. The incident is under investigation as a possible hit-and-run.

Video collected by investigators shows a white sedan passing the pedestrian. At the same time, a silver pickup truck is seen turning right from SE Minter Bridge Road onto eastbound SE Tualatin Valley Highway. The pickup appears to stop on the highway for a few moments before continuing east.

We want to identify the owners and drivers of both vehicles. We believe they may have information about what happened. If you recognize either vehicle, or if you were in the area that night, please call 503-629-0111 and reference case 26-17945.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Council for the Homeless Celebrates 37 Years at Gathering for Change & Begins a New Chapter for the Agency by Revealing its New Name 

VANCOUVER, Wash. (Oct. 6, 2026)— Gathering for Change, Council for the Homeless’ annual fundraiser, brings together community members, partners, supporters, civic leaders, and advocates for an evening of storytelling, community impact, and kicking off the start of a brand-new chapter. “Honoring the Past. Embracing the Future,” is the theme of the evening, which celebrates 37 years of dedicated service and impact by the lead agency in the Homeless Response System for Clark County. Co-presented by Access Architecture and Walsh Construction, the evening champions the agency’s collaborative spirit toward collective action. 

For the first time, CEO Sesany Fennie-Jones will publicly announce the new name of the organization and reveal its new brand identity before a live audience. 

“Gathering for Change is an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Council for the Homeless and look ahead to the future with hope and purpose,” states Fennie-Jones. “Our work is not changing. Our commitment to this community is not changing. In fact, we are more dedicated than ever, and look forward to stepping into a new chapter that reflects who we are today and where we are headed.” 

Since 1989, Council for the Homeless has served Clark County, working alongside dozens of community partners toward creating and delivering sustainable solutions to housing instability and homelessness. Gathering for Change invites the community to celebrate, support, and join this monumental time for the agency.  

Event Details:

What: Gathering for Change: Honoring the Past. Embracing the Future. 

When: Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | 6:30PM with doors opening at 5:00PM 

Where: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Downtown Vancouver 

Purpose: Raise awareness, raise funds, announce new name, and celebrate! 

Ticket info: https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/events/gathering-for-change/ 

Note: This event will not be livestreamed this year, so guests must be present. 

For interview requests and media attendance, please contact Communications Manager Nneka Coxeff at (360) 989-4653 or ncoxeff@councilforthehomeless.org. 

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About Council for the Homeless: Council for the Homeless (CFTH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Clark County, Wash., by providing community leadership, compelling advocacy, and practical solutions to solve homelessness on an individual and community level. Founded in 1989, CFTH serves as the lead agency and coordinated entry for the delivery of homeless services through the Continuum of Care for Homeless Services in Clark County, Wash. 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon’s community colleges are bringing students back this fall. Portland Community College is working on the harder question: What will help them stay?

This fall term, PCC will transition from Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution to Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) status after reaching the enrollment threshold associated with becoming a HSI school -- 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment. Federal HSI grant eligibility is measured in full-time equivalents, alongside other requirements, including offering strategic initiatives focused on Hispanic student enrollment, retention, and success.

PCC’s Latine student enrollment grew by over 33% from 2021 to 2025 and the college's new credit students this fall are 32.1% Latine. Achieving full HSI status unlocks federal funding to strengthen bilingual support, culturally responsive teaching, and equity initiatives designed to help Latine students thrive.

“Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution is about much more than reaching an enrollment threshold,” said Efraín Rivas-Flores, dean of College Access Programs. “It means looking closely at how we teach, advise and support students so Latine students and ultimately all students have equitable opportunities to belong, succeed and complete their goals.”

For PCC, the broader goal is changing how students experience college, from their first enrollment question through graduation or employment. PCC’s HSI Task Force is using the Seal of Excelencia framework to connect student data, effective practices and leadership accountability.

“We are examining the entire student experience, from the first application through graduation or transfer, to better understand where barriers exist and how we can remove them,” added Rivas-Flores.

Its College Access Latinx Initiative, known as CALI, demonstrates what that support can look like. Launched in 2022, CALI has served 122 students, all identifying as Latine, including 30 during the 2024–25 academic year. The cohort-based program combines bilingual family engagement, advising, emergency resources, academic planning and peer mentoring for Latine, first-generation, DACA and mixed-status students.

According to the program, participants completed 78% of attempted credits over three years, compared with 69% among Latine students outside CALI. First-year retention reached 100% for the first two cohorts, compared with 52.6% for Latine nonparticipants. The program also reports an average graduation rate of 92%.

“CALI shows what is possible when we intentionally design support around students’ experiences,” said Liz Mota, DREAMers and Latine Student Success coordinator. “We have seen students go from being the first in their families to navigate college to becoming paid peer mentors who now help the next generation find their own path forward.”

CALI was named a finalist in Excelencia in Education’s 2026 Examples of Excelencia. Former participants now return as paid peer mentors, helping students navigate financial aid, registration and college resources.

“Some of our strongest work is happening through programs that combine culturally responsive support with personal relationships,” Rivas-Flores said. “When students have trusted peers, advisers and community partners helping them navigate college, financial aid and other challenges, they are much more likely to feel that they belong here.”

Other efforts address barriers beyond the classroom. PCC formalized a partnership with SOAR Immigration Legal Services and the City of Portland for campus legal assistance and educational workshops. It secured a combined $267,000 in funding, $150,000 directly from the City Council and $117,000 from the Office of Civic Engagement, to support PCC students through immigration legal services and culturally responsive programming.  

Through La Bienvenida, 15 student leaders helped 45 students complete enrollment steps and connect with resources.

PCC is also examining financial aid access, achievement gaps and belonging while developing a framework that follows students from discovery and enrollment through completion and employment. Faculty and staff development will support more culturally responsive teaching and services.

“Our goal is to build a culture of ‘servingness’ across the entire college,” he said. “This cannot be the responsibility of one program or one division; it has to become part of how PCC designs its policies, curriculum, services, hiring practices and community partnerships.”

Learn more at: https://www.pcc.edu/unity/

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 57,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

For B-ROLL footage, visit PCC campus and student life highlight reel.

Klamath County Fire District 1 (KCFD1) responded to two escaped fires on October 5, 2026, highlighting that despite cooler fall conditions, grass and brush throughout the Klamath Basin remain extremely dry and capable of carrying fire rapidly.

At approximately 12:40 p.m., KCFD1 was dispatched to an escaped backyard fire in the 200 block of Michigan Avenue. Due to the fire’s location within a residential neighborhood and a large column of smoke visible from the area, the on-duty Battalion Chief upgraded the incident to a structural response.

The fire spread through open yard areas and damaged fencing on neighboring properties. Access to portions of the fire was difficult due to the residential setting. KCFD1 crews worked quickly to contain the fire and prevent further spread to surrounding properties and structures.

At approximately 2:00 p.m., KCFD1 crews had just cleared the Michigan Avenue incident and had not yet returned to quarters when they were dispatched to a second brush fire along Highway 97 South, south of the Main Street exit near the Wing Watchers Trail.

The fire was burning in dry grass and brush and was rapidly expanding as winds pushed the fire south. Access was challenging due to the fire’s location along the northbound side of Highway 97 between the highway and Lake Ewauna.

KCFD1 crews, with assistance from neighboring fire departments and agencies, including Kingsley Field Fire Department, Klamath County Fire District 4, and the Oregon Department of Forestry, were able to stop the fire’s advancement and bring the incident under control.

Crews remained on scene for approximately two and a half hours establishing fire lines, completing mop-up operations, and checking the burned area to ensure hot spots were extinguished and the fire would not rekindle.

These incidents serve as an important reminder that fall does not mean fire danger has ended. Grass, brush, and other vegetation remain extremely dry. Even light winds can cause an escaped fire to spread quickly and threaten nearby homes, property, roadways, and natural areas.

KCFD1 asks residents to remain cautious with any activity that could produce sparks, flames, or heat near dry vegetation. Never leave an outdoor fire unattended, maintain adequate extinguishing equipment nearby, and make sure all fires are completely extinguished before leaving the area.

Klamath County Fire District 1 would like to recognize the outstanding work of its firefighters and thank the neighboring fire departments and agencies that provided assistance during these incidents. Their coordinated response helped prevent additional property damage and further fire spread.