Bladine: Is there enough electricity for our tools?

I’ve been thinking about replacing my gas-powered leaf blower with a modern electric model. That idea got a boost this week when Portland City Council approved a phased-in ban on gas blowers, which ...

Investigating the Bible: Scriptures abound with moments of joy, humor

Some may think it sacrilegious to suggest the Bible could include humor. It deals in serious matters of eternal life and death. Comedy in our culture is often frivolous and vulgar. However, the Bible honestly portrays humans who sometimes were witty. We miss the funny moments because ancient stories are familiar and from the Bible’s lean writing style — no descriptions of laughing crowds. Here are some examples:

 

Hunnicutt: Hemmed in by too-strict boundaries

Fortune magazine recently published an article on Oregon Senate Bill 1537, legislation Gov. Tina Kotek managed to push through this year’s Legislature in a scaled back form.

Letter to Readers: Runaway paper bags and grocery store ‘gallantry’

We should all have at least one humorous and humbling public experience every month or so. On a recent Saturday I had two. They were 20 minutes apart. Both were funny for me, and they must have been ...

King: Getting old enough to join the aging club

Seventy, maybe. But it wasn’t until 80 that I began to take my age seriously

Kirby Neumann-Rea/News-Register##Strange and whimsical art (and dozens of 1980s-’90s concert posters) line the walls of McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon. This is an example of one visible while taking the stairs to the Rooftop Bar.

Calendar of Quirk: Weird? Random? Obsolete? This week’s Quirk checks all the boxes

From overhead water bottles to rows of indoor umbrellas. Calendar of Quirk has it covered. March 11 Pair of water bottles tied together and looped over the power line on Southeast Ford, have remained ...

##A color guard holds American flags and a banner emblazoned with a swastika during the German American Bund rally in February 1939 in New York City. The three-hour event, described on posters as a “Mass Demonstration for True Americanism,” drew 20,000 people to Madison Square Garden.

Thoburn: Lest you think that it can’t happen here

About the writer: Leland Thoburn is a retired business consultant. He has been a writer all his life, but didn’t start writing professionally until 2007. He has had more than 100 articles and short ...

News-Register file photo

Futornick: Streetscaping vital element of downtown Mac rebuild

I would like to express my support for McMinnville’s Third Street Improvement Project, and especially its inclusion of trees and shrubs. I live outside the city, but have for many years enjoyed the vibrant downtown.

 

News-Register file photo

Bladine: Legislative session ending with a bipartisan flurry

Unlike Congress, Oregon’s 2024 Legislature is winding down with a strong showing of bipartisan attention to public interest legislation. Thursday, as this column goes to production, the Oregon Senate ...

Investigating the Bible: Let’s instead say, ‘Spare the rod; school the child’

The toddler threw a tantrum. His father gently carried him to an empty corner of the dining room so he wouldn’t hurt himself. However, the tike began spitting on the linoleum floor. This continued for several minutes and then silence. His father asked: “Are you ready to come out now and behave?” The child yelled, “No! I’m waiting for more spit!”

 

Kirby Neumann-Rea/News-Register##Sunflower, elk, blue moon, blackbird, images on mural from before it became the tribal cultural center.

Calendar of Quirk: ‘Toma un libro’ and other worthy oddities found all around Yamhill County

Another week’s worth of oddities, from legacy ceramic tiles to badminton on carpet: March 4 We mentioned the Dayton-area Highway 18 moose in recent weeks; we should also mention the deer statue ...

Letter To Readers: Remembering Nex, seeking respect for non-binary people

When tragic incidents happen time zones away we tend not to focus on how they affect us or anyone around us. Some might feel that way about the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict after they were attacked ...

Investigating the Bible: Love of money: ‘don’t pay too much for the whistle’

Joe Louis is one of the greatest boxers ever, the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. When he was asked in retirement who hit him the hardest in his career, he replied, “Uncle Sam.” As we prepare to pay income tax, we may agree with Joe. Does the Bible consider income and money evil?

 

Photo submitted by Nelia Olmelchenko##Two people were killed and 16 injured when a building in Sumy, Ukraine, was hit in a Russian drone attack on June 3, 2023.

Schuck: U.S. must remain steadfast in repelling Russian hegemony

The 1998 National Defense Authorization Act awarded “Cold War Recognition” certificates to uniformed and selected civilian personnel who supported the Department of Defense between 1945 and 1991. While trivial to some, these certificates are important mementos in my family, and with good reason.

 

Williams: Don’t let affiliations thwart lifesaving medical decisions


A practicing physician’s response to the county commissioners’ request for information about vaccines:

Thank you for the opportunity to speak of the impact of vaccinations. As a frame of reference, I was born in 1955 and have experienced directly or indirectly many of the illnesses now prevented with vaccines, both personally and as a practicing physician.