Lebanon school board weighs facility priorities
Facility needs dominated the Lebanon Community School District Board’s Sept. 10 meeting, with board members discussing aging school buildings, the Waterloo property,…
September 15, 2026
LATEST NEWS
Sweet Home remembers 9/11 with American Legion ceremony
Sept. 11, 2001 began “as just an ordinary Tuesday morning” 25 years ago, in the words of Sweet Home City Manager/Police Chief Jason Ogden. “People went to work. Parents dropped their kids off…
September 15, 2026
Hope for Lebanon museum gets brighter after council action taken
Eight years after an ad hoc committee was formed to pursue the establishment of a museum in Lebanon, one of the biggest hurdles – if not the biggest hurdle – to the end goal has been overcome.…
September 15, 2026
Grant Street closed through mid-October for construction
Grant Street in downtown Lebanon has been closed for the second phase of the Grant and Sherman Street Reconstruction Project in the city of Lebanon, which began Monday, Sept. 14. Grant Street…
September 15, 2026
WesternU HCOM researchers explore new treatment for muscle injuries
A researcher from Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon is leading a study that may help doctors discover new ways to treat muscle injuries. Dr. Belinda McCully, a researcher and…
September 15, 2026
Sweet Home businesses join Youth Wage Grant program
By Alex Paul Linn County Communications Officer Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger approved five First-Time Youth Wage Grant applications at their Wednesday, Sept. 9…
September 15, 2026
City property officially ‘Quarry Park’ now
The Sweet Home City Council approved the official naming of Quarry Park during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The park, located at 3101 Zelkova St., has been referred to as Quarry…
September 15, 2026
COMMUNITY
Scott Melcher remembered by hundreds at memorial
By Larry Mauter LCSWA writer With partly cloudy skies outside, some 700 people packed the Sweet Home High School gym Saturday, Sept. 12, to say goodbye to Michael “Scott” Melcher. He died Aug…
September 15, 2026
Bill Rauch a community contributor, bridge builder
Long-time resident Bill Rauch, one of those stalwart leaders who quietly built a cornerstone for the good of the community, was celebrated by friends, family and leaders on Friday, Sept. 10,…
September 15, 2026
Veterans Stand Down aims to connect veterans with services
Mid-Willamette Valley Veterans Network will host a Linn-Benton Veterans Stand Down from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E…
September 15, 2026
Firefighters stop structure fire Friday afternoon
Sweet Home fire crews, with some help from neighbors, put out a structure fire in a vacant home at 1430 Nandina St. in Sweet Home Friday afternoon, Sept. 11. The house is located just east of…
September 15, 2026
Red Cross: Blood donors still needed
The American Red Cross reported last week that its blood supply remains “vulnerable” after recovering from critically low levels during a summer blood shortage. Donors of all blood types are…
September 15, 2026
SCHOOL NEWS
Local students receive LCH Foundation scholarships
Fifteen local students who are pursuing careers in healthcare have been awarded scholarships through the Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation. “The foundation awarded over $60,000 in…
September 15, 2026
LBCC announces Summer Term Honor Roll
The following students have been named to Linn-Benton Community College’s Honor Roll after earning a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for 12 or more graded credits during summer term, June…
September 15, 2026
Six new teachers joining East Linn Christian
East Linn Christian Academy is adding five new teachers to their staff this fall. Below is a short introduction to the new arrivals. Allison Hale will be teaching sixth grade Bible,…
September 9, 2026
Eighteen new teachers arrive in Sweet Home schools
Sweet Home School District is adding 18 new teachers this fall. Here is a list of some of the new arrivals, with details as provided by them: Phillip Ayer will teach science at Sweet Home…
September 1, 2026
Lebanon schools welcome 21 new teachers
Lebanon Community School District is adding 21 new teachers this fall. Here is a list of some of the new arrivals, with details as provided by them: Brook Brown will teach fourth grade at…
September 1, 2026
OPINION
Rest in peace, Joan – and please ignore that typo
My introduction to Joan Scofield came in 2006, when she marched into The New Era newspaper office and told us we needed a proofreader. That was Joan’s style: straightforward but not at all…
September 15, 2026
Dear Editor: Disgusted by vandalism
Editor: Recently, my son and I changed the American flag at the Union Cemetery in Crawfordsville, for the second time this year. These are flags furnished by American Legion Post #51 of…
September 15, 2026
Opinion: Lessons from 9/11 were often too temporary
My memories of 9/11 are getting a bit hazy, perhaps because I’m not really a morning person and I was fast asleep when it happened. I remember being awakened by a phone call at 5 a.m. from my…
September 8, 2026
Editorial: AI’s biggest threat to students is failure to think
By Jennifer Puccio I recently spoke with a high-schooler who told me that she uses artificial intelligence (AI) to do her homework and “everyone does it.” I think this is the biggest nightmare…
August 25, 2026
Editor: OJP article missed the point
Editor: I am writing in response to the article “Medicaid Shortfall Follows Decade-Long Growth in State Spending,” posted in the Oregon Journalism Project (OJP) section on your website on July…
August 25, 2026