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  • Now's the time for snowplow safety

    Jan 11, 2024

    With the recent change to winter weather conditions, motorists might need a friendly reminder about what to do when they encounter a snowplow on the road. “It’s illegal to pass a snowplow on the right on state highways,” according to Oregon Dept. of Transportation Public Information Officer Mindy McCartt. And, on most Oregon highways, snowplows have “wing” plows that stick out more than eight feet from the right front edge of the truck, she adds. People should also be aware that the snow being p...

  • Briefs...

    Jan 11, 2024

    FINN ROCK: McKenzie River Community School students have notched a milestone in their “Constructing a Brighter Future” with the successful construction of another shelter for the unhoused. Their latest structure was recently installed at Square One Villages. The school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) project allows students to gain real-world experience while making a meaningful impact on the community. CTE instructor, Seth O’Hare says, “I am grateful for this opportunity, allowing...

  • Stashing CO2 under forests alarms critics

    Pam Radtke, Floodlight|Jan 11, 2024

    A proposal that would allow industries to permanently stash climate-polluting carbon dioxide beneath U.S. Forest Service land puts those habitats and the people in or near them at risk, according to opponents of the measure. Chief among opponents’ concerns is that carbon dioxide could leak from storage wells or pipelines and injure or kill people and animals, as well as harm the trees in the forests and their habitat, said Victoria Bogdan Tejeda, attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity....

  • Planning to connect

    Jan 11, 2024

    MCKENZIE BRIDGE: People had an opportunity to learn more about the capabilities of how a GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) system could benefit the local area at last week’s Coffee with the Locals at the McKenzie Bridge General Store. Topics covered during a presentation by McKenzie Community Communications (MCC) included how people with handheld radios could communicate within a neighborhood to check on conditions during emergencies. Those neighborhoods were envisioned as “probably” withi...

  • Readers pick - 2023's "Best of the River"

    Jan 4, 2024

    Woman of the Year Females had a significant impact on improving the quality of life in the area last year, judging by the close to a dozen names submitted for Woman of the Year. Most often nominated was Gerry Aster of Vida. Several people were impressed with her “grant writing successes to re-build the Vida Community Center.” Others called her an “all-around volunteer” who often works behind the scenes with “magic for meals at events including the Walterville Presbyterian Church,” or making s...

  • Historically, Oregon burned more often

    Steve Lundeberg, OSU|Jan 4, 2024

    Forests on the west slope of Oregon’s Cascade Range experienced fire much more often between 1500 and 1895 than had been previously thought, according to new research by scientists at Oregon State University. The findings provide important insight, the authors say, into how landscapes might adapt to climate change and future fire regimes. James Johnston of the OSU College of Forestry led the study, which was published in Ecosphere. “Wildland fire is a fundamental forest ecosystem process,” he sa...

  • Putting a crimp in the holiday

    Jan 4, 2024

    Some holiday cheer was blunted last week by two incidents just before Christmas. Around 2 p.m. on December 23rd, it was discovered someone had broken into the outdoor mailbox at the Walterville Post Office. An investigation by the U.S. Postal Service is currently underway. The following evening, McKenzie and Eugene/Springfield firefighters responded to a vehicle fire just before midnight. Upon arrival at the scene, east of the Thurston Road/Highway 126 intersection, they encountered an...

  • Closing out

    Dec 28, 2023

    January During the start of the year, opponents of the 5,000-acre Flat Country timber sale east of McKenzie Bridge had convinced Pacific Northwest Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa to form an interdisciplinary review team to review it. Their report resulted in the sale being put on hold. A new report concluded glacier retreat has accelerated, with 20 of Oregon’s glaciers disappearing since the mid-late 1900s, and no glaciers remaining in the Wallowa Mountains. The number of greenbacks i...

  • Christmas Edition 2023

    Dec 21, 2023

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  • Studies find nearly all salmon hatcheries hurt wild salmon populations

    Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle|Dec 21, 2023

    For much of the last century, fish hatcheries have been built in the Northwest, across the U.S., and around the world to boost fish populations where wild numbers have gone down. But an analysis of more than 200 studies on hatchery programs meant to boost salmonid numbers across the globe – including salmon, trout, and whitefish – shows that nearly all have had negative impacts on the wild populations of those fish. Most commonly, hatchery fish reduce the genetic diversity of wild fish, lea...

  • Listening Tour lands in Leaburg

    Dec 21, 2023

    As part of her campaign promise to visit every county in the state, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek stopped in at McKenzie Fire & Rescue’s Leaburg Station last Thursday. Kotek said she was focused on listening from community to talk about their hopes, challenges, and what issues are unique to each area. Offering insights as athe owner of Meyer’s General Store in Blue River, Melanie Brite said that she and others have talked alot over the last 3 years about the lack of recovery resources for sma...

  • New grant program helps pay for projects to improve stream habitat

    Dec 21, 2023

    The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is accepting grant applications for the new Small Forestland Investment in Stream Habitat (SFISH) Program. “Our goal is to improve fish habitat and water quality while helping small forestland owners fix their roads which are essential for the management of their forestlands,” said SFISH program coordinator Josh Hanson. The SFISH Program is a grant program established to help small forestland owners (SFOs) with road improvement projects that increase fis...

  • County looking for rural residents who need help reducing wildfire risk around homes

    Dec 21, 2023

    Rural residents who need help with fuels reduction to help make their homes less at risk from wildfire may be able to receive up to $4,000 in work from Lane County – and, unlike other grant programs, it does not require property owners to cover any of the cost. The focus of the grant is providing 50 feet of defensible space around homes through vegetation clearing. “This new grant funding is going to make a big difference for at least 100 properties in our community,” said Lane County Land Management Technician Cammryne Anderson. “Othe...

  • Letters to Santa

    Dec 21, 2023

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  • Rafting into Christmas

    Dec 14, 2023

    A whitewater fleet took part in the 3rd annual Christmas boat parade organized by the Horse Creek Lodge. Lights, Christmas trees, and background tunes all added to the festive scene that was greeted with cheers from bankside viewers....

  • Could Hwy. 126 be safer?

    Dec 14, 2023

    A newly released report contains several measures a transportation consulting firm says could improve safety along the Hwy. 126 corridor. Using crash data from 2016 to 2020, DKS Associates of Salem identified nine safety focus areas, primarily from Vida to the west. They include the Walterville canal bridge, the area near the Leaburg hydroelectric spillway, and Ben and Kay Dorris Park, as well as four intersections with Hwy. 126 - at Deerhorn Road, Ross Lane, Holden Creek (east and west),...

  • VMCC site gets some TLC

    Dec 14, 2023

    Habitat for Humanity, the Late Bloomers Garden Club, and other volunteers were busy last week on the grounds of the Vida McKenzie Community Center. Their work will help stabilize areas along the center’s driveway entrance and slopes below the south bank retaining wall....

  • Grinch made a showing

    Dec 14, 2023

    Despite a reputation for being ill-natured and mean-tempered, the Grinch didn’t dampen holiday cheer when he visited McKenzie Feed and Tackle over the weekend. The two-day Christmas Party proved to be popular with plenty of shoppers and families....

  • County takes on waste

    Dec 14, 2023

    EUGENE: The Lane County Board of County Commissioners has voted 3-2 to begin the process of building an Integrated Materials & Energy Recovery Facility (IMERF) in Goshen. The facility is described as potentially the most technologically advanced waste processing facility in the country and will be designed and built by a local manufacturer, Bulk Handling Systems (BHS). The new process will involve gathering residential garbage, commingled recycling, and organic waste to produce marketable...

  • Habitat plan could cost counties $18 million a year

    Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle|Dec 14, 2023

    To avoid major lawsuits under the federal Endangered Species Act, state and federal agencies have crafted a plan to reduce the amount of timber logged from Oregon’s western state-owned forests annually by up to 40%. Officials in some counties that have relied on those timber revenues for the past 80 years are angry and worried about the impact that could have on their budgets and social services. Last week, the Oregon Department of Forestry released its long-awaited projections showing how m...

  • Jess is "still serving"

    Dec 7, 2023

    BLUE RIVER: It may not be brick and mortar but a small coffee shop is making a stand as the first business to be up and running in “downtown” Blue River. “I didn’t think about it,” admits Jess Boykin when asked about that status. “It’s soaked in now and it’s kind of awesome.” Growing up near Bear Creek, she had life-long ties to the area but an urge to serve caused her to change course. She attended McKenzie Schools until the ninth grade when her desire to be part of the military caused h...

  • Slide plugged Aufderheide Drive

    Dec 7, 2023

    COUGAR DAM: A landslide closed Forest Service Road 19 (Aufderheide Drive) on Sunday near milepost 55.5 about ¾ of a mile south of Cougar Dam. Although the road has reopened, traffic is currently reduced to one lane. Repair work is expected to be ongoing and intermittent with the possibility of more rock falls, according to forest spokesmen. Due to stormy weather, the current condition of many roads and trails is unknown. Roads may not be passable due to fallen trees, rocks, debris, water, snow,...

  • Storm the Castle Run

    Dec 7, 2023

    Warnings of another atmospheric river didn’t douse the enthusiasm of runners who turned out for Saturday’s running of the “Storm the Castle” half marathon in Rainbow. The event, organized by Elevated Trail Racing, was an out-and-back 6.5 mile long course that began and ended at the Upper McKenzie Community Center. Along the way participants crossed the McKenzie River via the Belknap Covered Bridge and climbed up and down 2,815 feet to the top of Castle Rock....

  • A magical mood

    Dec 7, 2023

    Santa and his elf weren’t alone in spreading Holiday cheer at the Vida Community Center’s Christmas Bazaar last Saturday. The annual event drew a steady stream of people to the event inside the Walterville Grange Hall to sample vendor’s offerings, music and food....

  • Less gas taxes = less Oregon roadwork

    Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle|Dec 7, 2023

    Oregon’s top elected officials pledged to spend millions of dollars on winter road maintenance after dire warnings from the state Department of Transportation that highways would go unplowed because of a budget shortfall. Gov. Tina Kotek, Senate President Rob Wagner, and House Speaker Dan Rayfield announced Monday that the state would commit $19 million to make up the shortfall and allow the department to buy snow plows, purchase sand and salt for deicing roads and fix potholes and damaged p...

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