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Columbia County Spotlight
Oregon Symphony presents 'The Nature of Music' theme for 2024-25 season
Music meets natural world in Oregon Symphony’s season-opening performance. Led my Music Director David Danzmayr, Oregon Symphony opens its season, themed “The Nature of Music,” with Richard Strauss’ majestic “An Alpine Symphony,” a grand orchestral masterpiece with more than 100 musicians depicting the breathtaking beauty and challenges of an Alpine mountain — crashing waterfalls, misty meadows, furious storms. Pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins the symphony on Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” ...
St. Helens, Scappoose school districts sounding alarm bells over social media usage
Both the St. Helens and Scappoose school districts are warning parents and students of growing social media threats that have surfaced both locally and nationally. Of particular relevance was a recent community Facebook post on Thursday, Sept. 12, suggesting that Scappoose High School had been locked down after a student brought a firearm to school. That post was proven untrue, according to the Scappoose Police Department that day. ...
Upcoming St. Helens tour may convince you that there are ghosts
St. Helens is considered one of the more haunted cities in Oregon. You simply don’t know if you’ll bump into a friendly or not-so-friendly ghost in one of the town’s historic buildings. If you’re ready to get goosebumps, the second annual Old Town Ghost Walk takes place every Friday and Saturday night until the end of October, beginning Friday, Sept. 27. Tours begin at 9 p.m. on the stairs of the county courthouse. Admission is $15. ...
Week 3 scoreboard: 2024 Oregon high school football
The 2024 Oregon high school football season is in full swing for 2024 as week three brings about the start of many teams' league play. Another week means teams across the state will be in getting in on the action between Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and we've got you covered on final scores. Bookmark this tab and stay tuned for final scores throughout the three nights from across the state. ...
Evanson: Welcome to the WNBA era in Portland, one built on a foundation of hope
It’s been 22 years since Portland last had a WNBA team, so what’s another two? The WNBA announced Tuesday that Portland would be the landing spot for the women’s basketball league’s 15th franchise, beginning play in 2026. The announcement comes nearly five months removed from the league bringing Toronto into the fold, 11 months since San Francisco spawned the new Golden State Valkyries, and nearly a year after WNBA commissioner...
Two deputy directors at Oregon police certification agency are fired; third supervisor resigns
Two deputy directors at the Oregon agency that trains and certifies police officers were fired last month and a third supervisor quit, public records obtained by the Capital Chronicle show. The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training fired Brian Henson, the deputy director of operations, and Staci Yutzie, deputy director of the agency’s training division, both on Aug. 30, agency records show. A defensive tactics coordinator, Richard Daniel, resigned on Aug. 15. Henson worked at the agency more than 20 years, and so...
5 takeaways: Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, why you should care
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by half a percentage point on Wednesday, Sept. 18. It was the first rate cut since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rate now stands at 4.9 percent. And like many Oregonians, we wondered what that actually means and why anyone should care. Here’s what we found: ...
RURAL REFLECTIONS: A new season
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. You might think this column is about cereal, but it is much more than that. It is about the anticipation of fall, my favorite time of the year. My guess it is the same for many of you. So I want to return to the farm of my youth when I tromped my way through the leaves that Dad work so hard to rake. The old mulberry tree did its best to keep my father busy and his youngest entertained. ...
WNBA announces Portland team with excitement for the city's passion for women's sports
Inside the Moda Center on Wednesday, Sept. 18, a vision for the future of women’s sports in Portland came to fruition. After several years of effort from politicians, local leaders and basketball fans, the WNBA made it official that the league will be bringing a basketball team to the Rose City starting in 2026 with an expansion franchise, the 15th team in the league. RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal...
Run With Neil in Scappoose will get your heart pumping, and for a good cause
Dust off your athletic shoes and prepare to get your cardiovascular system pumping at the fourth annual Run With Neil event at Scappoose High School. The event, which honors Neil Hoffmann, a runner at Scappoose High School who died in 2020, starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Run With Neil features 1K, 3K and 5K events on different routes, and is open to everyone in the community. The 1K...
4 things to know about kitchen renovations
Kitchens are often described as the most popular room in a home, and that’s not mere conjecture. A 2022 survey from House Digest asked participants to identify the most essential room in their homes, and roughly 41% chose the kitchen. Residents tend to congregate in kitchens in the morning and then again in the evening when meals are prepared and, in homes without formal dining rooms, eaten. With so much time spent in the kitchen, it’s no wonder that the 2022 U.S. Houzz & Home...
Portland judge considers fate of the Kroger-Albertsons supermarket mega-merger
U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson in Portland heard closing arguments Tuesday, Sept. 17, over the proposed merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons. Kroger’s $25 billion dollar plan to acquire Albertsons would create a $200 billion company with about 5,000 stores in 48 states. It would be the biggest supermarket merger in U.S. history. The three-week trial over an injunction in the case has drawn national attention, in part because of the merger’s size, but also because of heightened consumer — and voter — concern about inflation and the cost of groceries. Oregon Public Broadcasting is a news partner of this publication. Find the original story here.
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Oregon map out long-term strategy
Planned Parenthood in Oregon is restructuring its advocacy and public policy arm to set the stage for expanding and bolstering reproductive health care access in the years to come. Officials from the state’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette and Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, said Tuesday, Sept. 17, that they are planning a new advocacy organization with 10 to 20 staffers. The new organization will replace Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, which is the lobbying and public policy organization that advances the...
It's official: WNBA is returning to Portland with expansion franchise
The WNBA is coming back to Portland as the league officially announced Wednesday, Sept. 18 that a team will suit up in the Rose City starting in 2026. Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report first broke the news back in August. Getting to the finish line hasn’t been easy as Portland was expected to receive a team earlier when the momentum to add it was led by ZoomInfo cofounder Kirk Brown last fall. ...
It's official: WNBA is returning to Portland with expansion franchise
The WNBA is coming back to Portland as the league officially announced Wednesday, Sept. 18 that a team will suit up in the Rose City starting in 2026. Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report first broke the news back in August. Getting to the finish line hasn’t been easy as Portland was expected to receive a team earlier when the momentum to add it was led by ZoomInfo cofounder Kirk Brown last fall. ...
Regional tests shows gas optional for driving fun
Manufacturers of all-electric vehicles are at a crossroads. Sales slowed early in the year, even though they are offering a wider selection of cars, SUVs and trucks than ever before — including the wildly entertaining 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N AWD that was recently honored by the Northwest Automotive Press Association at Drive Revolution 2024. “Many journalists were surprised with the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N AWD and its ability to provide an exceptional blend of performance and innovation, combining powerful acceleration with precision handling...
OPINION: Oregonians can’t wait for merger ruling, we need food affordability now
My spouse came home from our weekly grocery shopping the other day practically waving a paper-wrapped parcel of chicken thighs in victory. “Chicken at the deli counter is almost down to pre-pandemic prices!” he declared. This is a welcome change for our family as we feed ourselves and two young children whose appetites seem to balloon by the day. Along with my fellow Oregonians, we’ve been weathering food prices that...
Roar! School spirit is shining as new sculpture unveiled at St. Helens High School
A new metal sculpture is gracing the entrance to St. Helens High School thanks to the help of a local artist. The artwork depicts a male and female lion, honoring the nickname of the school’s mascot, a Lion. St. Helens local Paul Coca, a production and illustrator with Michael Curry Design, said the origins of his project date back to last winter. ...
Oregon Department of Corrections plans mail changes to curb drugs in prisons
To combat the flow of drugs into prisons, the Oregon Department of Corrections is considering a change to its mail rules that would prohibit inmates from receiving letters written with colored pencils or markers while only permitting white envelopes and paper. The proposed change comes as state prison officials seek to stop drugs from entering Oregon’s prison system, which has 12 facilities that handled nearly 1 million pieces of mail last year for some 12,000 people in custody. One pathway — but not the only...
Evanson: When it comes to Jordan Chiles and the elusive bronze medal...I have the answer
And you thought the Olympics were over? If you’re a fan of the Olympic Games and still long for what was in and around Paris for roughly two weeks more than a month ago, fear not, for the games live on thanks to a couple gymnasts, their coaches, attorneys of law and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that continues to amaze — and not in a good way. I really...
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