Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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As Oregonians come to the aid of neighbors who have been forced to evacuate their homes due to wildfires, experts are reminding people to beware of disaster-related scams. In one survey from 2024, the Census Bureau found over three-quarters of disaster survivors experienced a possible scam within a month of the event. Paul Griffo, fraud prevention campaign volunteer lead for AARP Oregon, said the most important thing to avoid scams is to do some research before giving away money or personal...
BLUE RIVER: Possibilities for the 16-acre Three Sisters Meadow property range from a walking path connecting the school campus with downtown to lodging and recreation facilities that could help create a new economic hub for the McKenzie River Valley. Those ideas emerged during an August 12 planning session that brought together community members and representatives from more than a dozen local nonprofits. Among the most ambitious concepts was a timber-frame lodge with about 50 rooms,...
In May, state Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, area lost her bid for reelection to the legislature, the first such incumbent loss since 2018. Multiple reasons contributed to Sollman’s loss to union-backed challenger Myrna Muñoz, but a pivotal and new factor was data centers. Those massive buildings, consuming vast amounts of electricity and water and producing compute, serving as the physical location of much of the internet cloud and especially the locus of fast-growing artificial in...
Community newspapers are more than the articles that appear weekly. They’re part of the civic backbone of the communities they serve. For nearly fifty years, McKenzie River Reflections has filled that role in the McKenzie River Valley - covering schools and fire districts, county government and utilities, elections and public meetings, wildfires and rebuilding, businesses, volunteers and neighbors. If I, or someone else, catches a mistake, the next issue will include a correction. Reporting aims to preserve our community’s history. Years from n...
The Trump administration's take on monopolies, mega-mergers and related activity, among the most important economic actions available to a government, often has been buried under many of the other national headlines in the last year and a half. But the Oregon attorney general's office - with counterparts in other states - may be about to launch a significant effort in the area. The general purpose of anti-trust laws has been "to protect the process of competition for the benefit of consumers,...
In alignment with the close of the year, Eric Bergland died on December 31, 2025 in Twin Falls, Idaho. Born in 1947 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eric was the second child of Oscar and Charity (née Roys) Bergland. He leaves behind his beloved wife, artist Sally Metcalf, son Alan Olav Bergland (Louella Hill) and grandsons, Langston Olav Bergland and Abel Olav Bergland. Also surviving Eric are his older sister Christen (late husband Joe) Bement, his younger sister Melissa (Daniel) Burnham, three...
You may have your family food heritage represented in cookbooks but not even realize it. This doesn't have to be a collection of family recipes in one cookbook or notebook. You may discover that family members have contributed to community and organizational cookbooks. These might date back for several decades, but give you insight into recipes your family members used, places where they lived, and organizations they belonged to. These cookbooks compose a part of your family heritage as much as...
I bought a beverage refrigerator from Walmart a month ago. The first unit didn't get cold, and when I called Walmart, the representative said that others had the same problem and arranged a return. He also suggested I buy a replacement refrigerator from Walmart, which I did. The second one came from a company called Ca'Lefort. It didn't work, either. When I tried to return it, a representative first agreed to take it back and scheduled a FedEx pickup. The item was picked up - and then returned t...
I think I'm in a tight spot. My older brother is married with two young children. He was caught having a little Internet fling a few years ago. Nothing happened, but I suppose the correct way of putting it is he emotionally cheated. He felt like crud, and we all thought he had put this behind him. He and his wife have been to counseling, and he did his best to be the best husband ever. Currently they're tense whenever they are together. You can cut the air with a knife, and it seems they are...
"Hardly anyone writes cards and letters any more," a friend exclaimed "I always like receiving them from you." I grew up in a family of letter writers and enjoy carrying on that tradition. My maternal grandmother (Nanny) wrote letters to her family and friends every Sunday and Wednesday evenings. When I visited, I joined her in this activity. I still have a letter Nanny wrote to my sister and me - her "little girlies," as she addressed us. In going through my paternal Grandma Ella's...
The McKenzie School Board’s met October 14 included a lively report by student body representative Grace Weiss. She highlighted recent school events, including the homecoming dance. While the football team faced a tough loss, she said several players delivered standout performances. Recently, the College Careers class - made up entirely of seniors - took a field trip to Oregon State University and Western Oregon University. Another update noted the K–12 Tech Ambassadors program is preparing for a November launch, featuring a technology sho...
I tried buying a cable modem-router from AliExpress using PayPal, which charged my Citi Mastercard. After submitting payment, I never received an order confirmation, and the website showed no record of the transaction. PayPal charged me $370 anyway. I contacted AliExpress immediately via chat. They provided a case ID but no resolution or follow-up. When I disputed the charge with Citi, they closed the case, claiming they couldn't force a refund without merchant approval. PayPal also refused to...
ACROSS 1. Eye affliction 5. Nickname 8. Christmas tree variety 11. Not we 12. Use a whetstone 13. Lyric poem 15. New Haven University 16. Unrivaled 17. Buenos follower 18. *Number one pumpkin-growing state 20. Phishing attack 21. Dead to the world 22. Albanian money 23. *"One, two, ____'s coming for you" 26. Harasses 30. Bloodshot 31. System of newsgroups on Internet 34. Muscular strength 35. Not odds 37. Zedong of China 38. Do penitence 39. Form of wrestling 40. Certain Native American...
BLUE RIVER: During the Blue River Water District Board’s September 3 at the O’Brien Memorial Library issues ranged from licensing requirements to insurance liability, as well a ongoing operational challenges. During public comments, local resident Merrick Firestone asked which bylaw or policy authorized the district to “not approve a duly elected member of the board” - referring to Tony Casad, who had won a seat as a write in candidate in the May election. Firestone also questioned the distric...
Change may be on the horizon for thousands of McKenzie Valley residents as two utilities consider a major shift in how electricity is delivered to the rural community. The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) and Lane Electric Cooperative are in the middle of a joint study that could result in Lane Electric taking over some - or all - of EWEB's service territory in the McKenzie River Valley. The idea, utility leaders say, is to explore whether the cooperative's rural-focused infrastructure and s...
Ten years ago I discovered a condom in my husband's jacket pocket. I assumed he was having an affair at work. On confronting him, he admitted to sex with prostitutes. He was devastated he had hurt me and, of course, I was never meant to find out. I tried to understand it from his point of view. We didn't have sex often, mostly because he was cold toward me, bossy and critical. Just when I had enough and threatened to leave, he would soften and things would settle down for awhile. This cycle...
VIDA: A Sunday morning fishing trip turned dangerous when two men overturned their drift boat near the upper end of Leaburg Lake, leaving them clinging to the vessel in 60-degree water without life jackets. The incident happened around 11:40 a.m. on August 10. Michelle Spurlock, who was working with her partner downstream of the Goodpasture Covered Bridge, suspected trouble after hearing online chatter about a possible boating accident. With her cell phone out of commission after being crushed by a truck, Spurlock used a handheld General...
The Blue River Park District Board convened on August 6 for a wide-ranging meeting focused on park revitalization efforts, infrastructure projects, and renewed community engagement. The session opened with the swearing-in of three board members: Antony Abel, Shannon Goodpasture Lahr, and Kristin Gustafson. One board member, Melanie Stanley, was absent. During public comments, there was a concern about the park's neglected appearance and lack of children's activities. In response, Board Chair Jim...
July 28: Search Warrant - 43000 block of McKenzie Hwy. The search warrant was the result of a months-long investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, focusing on child exploitation. The suspect, William Harold Berry III, was a registered sex offender on post-prison supervision for a prior felony conviction of Unlawful Penetration in the First Degree. Berry was arrested during the service of the warrant. During the search, detectives seized several electronic storage devices, multiple firearms, and body armor. Berry...
I'm a long-time Best Buy customer and a Total Technical Support member. So when I had a problem with my computer recently, I expected Best Buy to help me. My computer was not working with the printer I bought from Best Buy. I spent five hours on the phone with Best Buy trying to get it fixed, but they could not help me. Worse, I was left with a computer that no longer connects to the internet, making it basically worthless. Since then, I have called multiple times and spoken to four more...
Over the course of five days 205 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice, and 115 children were rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Three people in Oregon were arrested the five day project led by the FBI in April and charged with federal child exploitation crimes as part of the operation. Among them was Berret J. Brown, 40, of Vida. He was charged by with enticing minors, receiving child pornography, using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and...
A new tool aims to equip Oregonians with the knowledge they need to take control of their personal data and protect their privacy online. Oregon Consumer Justice created the guide after the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act took effect last summer, empowering residents to control how businesses collect and use their personal data. The guide explained how to request records of collected and sold personal information. Malena Lechon-Galdos, program coordinator for the Portland-based nonprofit suma,...
Please defend our libraries! Citizens having free access to printed material is a fundamental tool of democracy. Our founders knew we could only remain a democratic republic if the people get the information they need to make decisions that are best for them about how they wanted to be governed. Our books also shape our culture and our realtionships with each other by expanding our knowledge of and interest in others who may not live in our neighborhoods. Books can increase acceptance and lower fear and suspicion. The internet can’t do everythi...
Freedom of speech is the most readily recognized of the five freedoms in the First Amendment and the only one that’s known by a majority of Americans. That’s not a surprise; it’s also the First Amendment freedom that most of us use every day and all day. Like the other guarantees in the Bill of Rights, our right to speak freely protects us from limits by the government. It does not, however, prevent rules limiting our speech in other settings. For example, an employer can tell an employee what...
The Lane Council of Governments (LCOG), Lane County, and Douglas Fast Net (DFN) have announced they’ve received $8.5 million from the Oregon Broadband Office to complete the Lane and Douglas County Rural Reach Project. The funds are earmarked to bring affordable and reliable, high-speed internet access to more than 1,900 homes across rural Lane County and parts of rural Douglas County by 2026. Eleven project sub-areas are slated for funding across both counties. 1,485 locations are currently u...
