The first day of spring arrives on Friday, and Amity High School artists have been inspired by one of the season’s muses: the daffodil. Amity High Art Teacher Andrea Wilburn challenged students ...


Commentary

Investigating the Bible: With one mind, through prayer and fellowship

D.L. Moody is considered one the most influential evangelistic laymen America has produced. In the 1800s, before electricity powered public address systems, he preached to over 100 million people; Moody ...

 
Phil Forve: What next for democracy: obituary or reeaffirmation

America appears to be at an inflection point in its great experiment with self-governance — a system of, by, and for the people.

 

Jeb Bladine: Downtown project paying the high cost of delay

Somehow, a half-century ago, McMinnville crafted and launched an extensive downtown development plan in what today would be considered record time. City leaders approved the investment while declining ...

Jonah Goldberg: Pessimism so pervasive that it defies even death

Biologist and author Paul Ehrlich, the most influential Chicken Little of the last century, died at the age of 93 this week.

 

 
Quirk of the Week: Sense of place seen in the out-of-place

Long balls and other baseball delights are back, so Quirk this week also will “Go yard.” Here we have a quintet of interesting, yet out of place, landscape adornments seen gracing four front ...

Editorials

 
No time to change course on overdue downtown overhaul

By the turn of the 21st century, McMinnville realized its treasured downtown Third Street spine would need extensive below-ground renovation in the coming years. It also knew that would logically dictate ...

 
Bipartisanship has moment in most self-serving of ways

When newsroom e-mail boxes begin filling up with our-side congratulatory and their-side condemnatory press releases from Ashley Kuenzi, Jill Bakken, Mack Smith and Elizabeth Cronen, we never fail to offer ...

 
Oregon takes lead again on recycling/reuse front

Oregon broke new environmental ground 55 years ago with the bottle bill. It was the national pilot for a new generation of “extended producer responsibility” measures, designed to force producers ...

 
Short session shenanigans produce biggest stinker yet

One terrible bill being pushed through the 2026 Oregon Legislature would allow quorums of local government bodies to meet and discuss important public business in private. In opposing that bill, HB 4177, ...

 
Government budgets grow alongside limits on taxes

In this semiquincentennial birthday year for America, history reminds us that opposition to taxation measures — Stamp Act, Townshend Duties, Tea Act — helped light the fuse that sparked the ...

Letters

News-Register Letters Policy

The News-Register welcomes written opinions about issues of public interest and about the content of this newspaper. Letters from non-local writers are accepted only if they focus on local issues. This ...

 
Letters to the Editor: March 20, 2026

So much to say There’s so much to talk about. First, a rare commendation to the News-Register for a most excellent editorial, “Bipartisanship has moment in most self-serving of ways.” ...

 
Letters to the Editor: March 13, 2026

Fiscal ruin Trump’s policies are cruel, immoral and fiscally suicidal. Last year, his Big Bad Bill added $2.23 trillion to our national debt, bringing it to $38.86 trillion. Our debt now equals ...

 
Letters to the Editor: March 6, 2026

Simply wrong As an octogenarian, I’ve had a lifetime to learn the difference between right and wrong and live by that understanding. I don’t claim to have lived a perfect life, but I have ...

 
Letters to the Editor: Feb. 27, 2026

Where’s my refund? It’s always a good idea to read the fine print. Knowing exactly where you stand is important. By now, most people know that the foreign countries who send goods to the ...

News & Features

Board axes trail, urges residents to move on to other projects

The Yamhill Board of Commissioners officially removed the Yamhelas Westsider trail from future county plans Thursday. Two-thirds of the board advised the community to move on from the controversial planned ...

Car thief pleads guilty, says he’s ‘ready to be done’

“I’ve been doing this for far too long. I’m ready to be done,” said Keith Edwin Becker, 37, of Amity during his Tuesday, March 17, plea hearing. Becker will be sentenced on April ...

 
Council agrees to fix storm line, buy barricades with ARPA funds

McMinnville City Council agreed Wednesday to spend about half its remaining $1 million in federal Covid relief funding on a leaking pipe and police barricades. Consensus wasn’t reached on the remaining ...

Eluding suspect crashes into MSD property

An early Thursday morning high-speed chase through McMinnville ended after a McMinnville man crashed into a fence next to the McMinnville School District Learning Resource Center. Just before 3:20 a.m. ...

 
Stopping By: Movement for healing

Strength training, yoga and immersing yourself in nature are good not only for the body, but also for the mind and emotions, according to Lesley Rama Densmore Anderson, a personal trainer and yoga instructor ...

Mac lobbying efforts continue to pay off

The city of McMinnville is a signature away from receiving another $1.5 million from its lobbying efforts, which would bring the total received to $7.7 million since 2022. “That’s a fairly ...

 
Temporary downtown putt-putt course opens Friday for spring break

To give families something unique to do during spring break, Serendipity Ice Cream will host a miniature golf attraction in downtown McMinnville. Becky Simpson, who owns Serendipity with her husband, ...

 
Vintage N-R/Memory Lane: March 20, 2026

10 Years Ago • Homeless residents will no longer be allowed to camp on the grounds of McMinnville Cooperative Ministries once the Gospel Rescue Mission completes the addition of 35 more beds on Logan ...

$2M in ARPA projects nearing completion

As part of the update on American Rescue Plan Act funds, Finance Director Katie Henry provided insights into ongoing projects that will mostly be completed by the end of the year. The city has $2,068,929 ...

Chamber to host legislative forum April 7

State legislators will address constituents Tuesday, April 7, during a Legislative Town Hall hosted by the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce. The public event will start at 5:30 p.m. at Stillwater Event ...

Pet owners report giardia in Sheridan

Last weekend several Sheridan residents reported their dogs have contracted giardia. The Center for Disease Control states the parasite can be in water, food, hands and other surfaces. When swallowed, ...

Arrests & Citations: March 20, 2026

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Thomas Keneth Smiley, 36, McMinnville, March 12, probation violation; booked into the Yamhill County Jail without bail. Nathan Ryan Ingram, 36, Willamina, March ...

Brunch will help Habitat's Women Build

A brunch at Maysara Winery will raise money for McMinnville Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, in which women help future homeowners build their own houses. The Women Build & Brunch ...

 
Daffodil a muse for Amity High artists

The first day of spring arrives on Friday, and Amity High School artists have been inspired by one of the season’s muses: the daffodil. Amity High Art Teacher Andrea Wilburn challenged students ...

Fire truck’s hefty price tag growing

The Lafayette Fire Department needs a replacement rig engine, and prices are skyrocketing, Lafayette Fire Chief Tim Jech told councilors during their Thursday, March 12, meeting. The department’s ...

A look at the bills that failed in the short session

Oregon lawmakers proposed hundreds of bills in the packed, five-week-long legislative session that wrapped on Friday, including dozens that failed to cross the finish line.

 

Lafayette residents concerned about flagpole size

Not everyone is in favor of the Lafayette City Council’s bigger-is-better mentality for the proposed American flag at Veterans Park. Residents said during the March 12 council meeting they are worried ...

 
Community leaders showing up for area youth

“Show me how it’s done,” Lafayette Mayor Hilary Malcomson told a Wascher Elementary student preparing to traverse the monkey bars Wednesday morning. “I can see those muscles.” Malcomson ...

 
Plenty of food and jabs served during Battle of the Branches

Supporters of the Navy and Coast Guard — and member of other military branches who like to think they are superior to sailors — gathered Sunday for Battle of the Branches breakfast at the American ...

Lafayette water loss closer to 17%

After further investigation, the city of Lafayette’s 2025 water loss is closer to 17% than the 12% figure reported in January. “There has been some discrepancy in the 2025 water loss,” ...

Sports

 
Linfield's Jackson Vaughan recounts familial ties to university, town while reaching career milestone

In 25 seasons as Linfield’s head softball coach, Jackson Vaughan has done more winning than nearly anyone in the sport. On top of helping Linfield football qualify for the NCAA Division III playoffs ...

Mac Baseball: Brummitt blanks Lancers through four, Woodward proves wise beyond his years in 12-2 victory

For the second straight year, McMinnville’s varsity baseball team has opened its season in dominating fashion. In 2025, the Grizzlies downed 6A Mt. Hood Conference Reynolds 19-2 on the road, and ...

Wildcat Roundup: Baseball sweeps Pacific; tennis earns victories at Willamette; golf perfect in Salem

Baseball Leading into a three-game set with NCAA Division III No. 1, the Wildcats baseball club (12-4, 7-2) found its first Northwest Conference sweep as they took a trio of contests from Pacific University ...

 
Mac Softball: Bears bash Warriors in 20-1 opening day rout

Near-perfect weather and a still breeze crept over the Baker Street fields on Wednesday afternoon, but even if 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts blew in from the west, it wouldn’t have been enough to keep ...

Mac Basketball: Summers becomes fourth straight Grizzlies POY

McMinnville’s girls basketball season was full of growth, but one constant as the team clawed through league play to earn itself a playoff berth was Brooklynn Summers. The 6-foot-1 senior forward ...

 
3A Baseball Preview: Tigers hopeful playoff experience will make for stronger club in '26

As much as those in Tigers’ black and orange would like to forget how their 2025 season ended, it served as a prudent lesson for a Yamhill Carlton baseball team that hopes to return to the playoffs ...

 
3A Softball Preview: Pirates looking to repeat, Tigers exuding confidence

Following a loss in the title game to Scio last season, Dayton Head Coach Frank Baumholtz and the Pirates feel they have all the pieces for a return to Jane Sanders Stadium and another chance at glory. But ...

 
Linfield Softball: ’Cats outscore Willamette 22-1, sweep four-game set at home

Linfield’s softball team scored 22 runs and allowed just one in a two-day, four-game sweep of the Willamette Bearcats at Del Smith Stadium on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15. Day one of ...

 
State Champs: Amity athletes reach end of an era, send three-time champion seniors out on highest note

Less than 24 hours after winning the program’s second championship, the Amity girls’ basketball team arrived home, greeted by blaring sirens from the Amity Fire Department and crowds of proud ...

 
Mac Girls Basketball: Grizzlies hold heads high after playoff elimination

McMinnville’s girls basketball team ended its season in a constant fight on Wednesday, March 4, when they travelled to face the No. 12 Sheldon Irish in round one of the 6A Girls Basketball State ...

BC Harley ushering in VTwin classes at Woodburn

McMinnville’s Baker Creek Harley Racing team is opening pathways for Harley lovers of all walks of life to join in the fun that is motorcycle drag racing. On Saturday, April 18, BC Harley, Timber ...

Youth mock track meet and fundraiser hosted by Amity senior athlete

A track and field clinic and mock meet for kids from first to eighth grade is scheduled for Sunday, March 29, at the Amity High School track. Amity High School senior Jaxson Howard is organizing the event ...

Valley United offers offseason basketball camps for grades 2-12

Valley United offers offseason basketball camps for grades 2-12 Valley United, an athletic club aiming to unite student-athletes in the Willamette Valley through the sport of basketball, has begun spring ...

 
Wildcat Roundup: Vaughn reaches career win No. 900; baseball continues domination; Vrell sets best in throws

Softball With a 6-4 victory over Northwest Conference rival George Fox University on Sunday, March 9, at Morse Athletic Field, Wildcats’ Head Coach Jackson Vaughn reached a historic milestone, compiling ...

 
Mac Softball Preview: Grizzlies plan to control chaos

The Grizzlies’ varsity softball team is entering the season with aggressive intentions as a rough and tumble group. “We want to continue to build on our offensive pace,” Head Coach Josh ...

Mac Baseball Preview: Grizzlies incorporating lessons learned from trip to 2025 semifinals

McMinnville’s baseball team took a No. 7 ranking and share of the Pacific Conference as far as they could in 2025, until they were met with No. 11 Sunset and eventual San Diego Padres first-round ...

 
Upon Further Review: A stroll down Warrior Way

Winning a championship is one of the hardest achievements in sports. Winning a second is even more so. But winning a third undeniably proves that a team is the best at what they do. When I arrived in ...

3A Girls Basketball All-League Awards: Adie Nisly named PacWest POTY

The No. 2-seeded Amity Warriors were crowned 3A State Champions at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay on Saturday against No. 1 Vale, and with them they carried six PacWest All-Conference ...

3A Boys Basketball All-League Awards: Nine named to conference teams

Amity’s boys basketball walked away from the season with the most PacWest honors of any local squad after finishing one game shy of a state playoff berth. Leading the Warriors was freshman Carter ...

 
3A Wrestling: Dayton's Sauceda repeats history

Pirate senior Aliyah Sauceda (170) made history again, claiming third at the 4A/3A/2A/1A OSAA Girls State Championship on Saturday, Feb. 28, to become Dayton’s first two-time state placer. The 170-pound ...

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