Week of August 27, 2026
Week of August 27, 2026
The Oregon Department of Justice is investigating the McKenzie Watershed Alliance after the nonprofit reported more than $1.5 million in "unauthorized payments," raising questions about whether public and utility funds were involved. The McKenzie Watershed Alliance serves as the fiscal sponsor for the McKenzie Watershed Council and has handled millions of dollars in federal and other funding for restoration projects in the McKenzie River watershed and elsewhere in the Upper Willamette Basin....
McKENZIE BRIDGE: Over four decades of McKenzie River Valley history can be searched from a computer screen through an online archive of McKenzie River Reflections. The archive contains thousands of pages documenting life along the McKenzie since Reflections began publication on August 23, 1978. The collection includes the big stories - floods, fires, elections and changes in the valley's economy - along with the everyday events that often provide a rich record of the community's history....
VIDA: One of the McKenzie River Valley's most distinctive traditions - maintaining the wooden boats that helped make the river famous - will return to a Vida workshop this fall. The McKenzie River Discovery Center will hold a 10-day hands-on boat-building workshop November 30 through December 10 at the Roy Pruitt Memorial Shop on Shelly Pruitt's Vida property. Participants will work alongside master boatbuilder Jayson Hayes of Hayes Custom Boats to construct two traditional 16½-50...
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene will feature Leading the Camino: Latinx Art by Juan de Dios Mora and Consuelo Jimenez Underwood Saturday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibition brings together prints and textiles exploring borders, cultural identity and life in the "borderlands." Mora combines humor, Spanglish and imagery ranging from luchadores and piñatas to Mesoamerican symbols to reflect his lived experiences. Jimenez Underwood uses textiles to explore cultural...
The last weeks of summer find Oregon and much of the Northwest experiencing historic drought, exacerbating what has become one of the most active wildfire seasons in the state and region, according to state and federal climatologists and hydrologists. Beyond fish and ecological impacts, drought across Oregon, Idaho and Washington is causing water supply shortages for public water and electric utilities, costing farmers tens of millions of dollars in lost crops and leaving vegetation and soils...
I have tried numerous times to ask Darin Harbick (representative - House District 12), Jake Pelroy (running for county commissioner against Heather Buch), Monica DeSpain (running against Val Hoyle) and Christine Drazen (running for governor), if they support President Trump with his 34 felony convictions and pedophile accusations, ICE, his Middle East war, and economic, forestry and energy policies and NO ONE has had the integrity to address any of these questions. I request that all responsible voters demand answers to these critically...
Next year, McKenzie River Reflections will turn 50. That’s a milestone my wife, Louise, probably didn’t have in mind when we picked up the first issue as it came off the press at the Springfield News. This newspaper hasn’t remained in business just by itself. Reflections has survived because generations of readers have subscribed, businesses have advertised, people have sent in photographs and story ideas, organizations have kept us informed and countless residents have said, or sent a note, beginning with some version of, “You ought...
It's hard to imagine a scenario where ranked choice voting - or, more to the point, the lack of ranked choice voting - won't have an impact on this year's race for governor. Ranked choice voting eliminates concerns about "spoiler" candidates and ensures that the winner has broad support among voters. Right now, we're teeing up a close gubernatorial election with at least one minor party candidate in the mix - with the potential for more to join the fray. Any time you have an election with more...
It's probably fair to say, with studied understatement, that the mid-Willamette Valley town of Corvallis is into alternative transportation. Corvallis is one of the most bike-friendly towns in the state. There are probably more electric vehicles per capita there than any other town. Every year at Da Vinci Days locals compete to navigate human-powered "kinetic sculptures" of various and crazy description through an obstacle course. And, of course, engineering students at Oregon State University...
Healthy plants start with healthy soil, and that means understanding soil texture, said James Cassidy, a soils instructor at Oregon State University. "The texture of a soil is its proportion of sand, silt and clay," Cassidy said. "Texture determines drainage, aeration, water-holding capacity, erosion potential and even nutrient storage." Cassidy recommends the "hand method" to get acquainted with your soil. Dig beneath the organic matter to the mineral layer, about 6 to 8 inches deep, and...
Aug. 18: 2:26 a.m: Alarm - 39200 blk, McK. Hwy. 8:19 a.m: Hit & Run - 92600 blk, Marcola Rd. 12:39 p.m: Animal Abuse - 41500 blk, McK. Hwy. 2:39 p.m: Suspicious Conditions - 38700 blk, Natures Garden St. 4:11 p.m: Reckless Driving - Marcola Rd. 4:45 p.m: Harassment - 37900 blk, MJ Chase Rd. 8:45 p.m: Livestock at Large - 89900 blk, Hill Rd. 9:15 p.m: Suspicious Conditions - 91800 blk, Mill Creek Rd. Aug. 19: 12:17 a.m: Disturb-ance, Dispute - 40000 blk, Deerhorn Rd. 8:32 a.m: Welfare Check - 52500 blk, McK. Hwy. 11:14 a.m: Assist, Follow Up -...
Aug. 17: 8:03: 87700 blk, Collins Ln. Medical, General. Patient Assessed, Refusal Obtained. 22:31: 88900 blk, Ross Ln. Assist Police Patient Assessed, Refusal Obtained. Aug. 19: 8:41: 41900 blk, McK. Hwy. Medical, General. Patient Assessed, Refusal Obtained by M16. Aug. 20: 7:48: 35300 blk, Camp Creek Rd. Medical, Trauma. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. 11:34: 49300 blk, McK. Hwy. Motor Vehicle Accident. Extricated Patient, Patient Care Provided. 12:03: McK. Hwy./Milepost 35. Medical, Heart. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. 15:26: 41400 blk,...
Aug. 20: 22:45: Medical – 55000 block, McK. River Dr. Male, Conscious, Breathing. Aug. 22: 12:49: Medical – 55000 blk, McK. Hwy. Male, Conscious, Breathing. 10:30: Smoke Check - McK. Hwy./Dexter St. Caller says it looks like smoke but could be fog - up in the mountains, in a clearing, approx. 15 - 20 miles from caller’s position. 10:32: Medical - 90740 Hill Rd. Male, Conscious, Breathing. 19:24 Illegal Burn - Old McK. Hwy./Milepost 71. Campsite at Scott Lake Campground. Involved had fire inside ring. The Upper McK. Fire District’s...
