When you don’t have enough homes, prices go up until somebody is pushed out. That’s how economics works.
Editorials
Time county dealt itself in on the lodging tax bounty?
Since coming into vogue in the 1970s, transient lodging taxes have become almost universal in the U.S. and more the rule than exception elsewhere in the world — particularly in countries with at ...
Recent ICE actions untenable, un-American and unacceptable
From the outset of President Trump’s second term, masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in unmarked cars have been permitted to scoop up potential immigration status violators and whisk ...
Bond deserves another go with centerpiece retained
At this writing, a final, official reckoning is still not yet available for the $98.5 million parks and rec bond appearing on McMinnville’s November general election ballot. The most recent tally ...
Ending shutdown just a start on restoring American values
At this writing, we finally appear poised to close the books on the longest federal shutdown in American history, exceeding that even of the 35-day closure marking the first Trump presidency. But in addition ...
Political storm rakes nation, but gives Northwest a pass
A political storm brought thunder and lightning raining down on America’s east and west coasts Tuesday, and vast swaths of the heartland lying between. Almost everywhere, the results were delivered ...
Expecting the unexpected and solving the unsolvable
So much of what local government entities do for their constituents is so mundane and routine it seldom gets any attention until things go wrong. Then a hue and cry arises. Everyone wonders why someone ...
Suicide prevention a cause we can all come to embrace
In the face of troubling social issues, our first instinct has traditionally been to simply keep them out of the public eye, thus avoiding the messy necessity of addressing them. When that fails, our fallback ...
Bond right-sized for Mac, deserves support at polls
We have but one issue before us on ballots mailed to us this week in connection with Oregon’s Nov. 4 general election. The question is: Can our community afford to spend $72.5 million on a new combination ...
Local government doesn't get the credit it actually deserves
If you limited your local government exposure in these parts to online forums and social media channels, you would find yourself subjected, in large measure, to a torrent of highly charged and sharply ...
Transportation bill serves as starting point on rough road
Until Sept. 29, Oregon hadn’t enacted a major new transportation funding package since 2017. In the world of politics and public policy, that’s a veritable eon ago. Over the course of 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: Dec. 5, 2025
Ferrua best choice As a past long-time employee and board member in the McMinnville School District, I am writing in support of maintaining Dr. Kourtney Ferrua as school superintendent on a permanent ...
Letters to the Editor: Nov. 26, 2025
Time to stand up Ramming people’s cars is illegal. Assaulting people is illegal. Kidnapping people is illegal. Refusing due process for people — including immigrants — is illegal, and ...
Letters to the Editor: Nov. 21, 2025
Yes on Yamhelas Trail I am now a senior rider, after decades of being a cyclist for both recreation and transportation at different periods in my life. And I feel much safer on a trail away from the increasingly ...
Letters to the Editor: Nov. 14, 2025
It’s on us I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in marches against the man in the White House. With the help of the Supreme Court, he created a hopeless atmosphere of despair ...
Letters to the Editor: Nov. 7, 2025
No sense of mercy? I volunteer at the Soup Kitchen at St. Barnabas, and on the Tuesday evening of Oct. 28, we served 80 plates in the first 30 minutes. Are we people choosing to have a country without ...
Letters to the Editor: Oct. 31, 2025
Long tradition Citizens of McMinnville helped pay for public facilities long before I moved here in 1978. In fact, since McMinnville’s naming in 1856 and platting in 1876, its residents have most ...
Letters to the Editor: Oct. 24, 2025
Places to thrive Over the summer, I spotted something different happening around McMinnville. I began to see young people with fishing poles in their hands instead of phones. On an early fall paddle ...
Letters to the Editor: Oct. 17, 2025
Living within means This November’s ballot includes a $98.5 million bond for a new recreation facility, along with improvements to the library, senior center and park system. The bond will increase ...
Letters to the Editor: Oct. 10, 2025
Chance to be heard Attention Yamhill County citizens: Please attend upcoming hearings to let Commissioners Mary Starrett and Kit Johnston know they aren’t fooling anyone with their Oct. 2 attempt ...
Commentary
Cyrus: Javadi: The musical chairs of the housing market
When you don’t have enough homes, prices go up until somebody is pushed out. That’s how economics works.
Jonah Goldberg: Leaked peace wish list hardly America First
Late last month, a 28-point “peace plan” for the Russia-Ukraine war surfaced. It was apparently fleshed out in Miami over cocktails by President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Witkoff’s Russian counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev.
Jeb Bladine: Does search continue, or superintendent found?
McMinnville School Board meets Monday to answer this question: Do they continue the search, or have they already found their next District 40 school superintendent? The board reportedly is almost evenly ...
Rachel Flores Juarez: Mac’s housing shortage the abuser’s secret ally
It’s time to leave.
You have become accustomed to a persistent dread from navigating your partner’s volatility and abuse. Recently, things have escalated.
Letter to Readers: N-R unveils its Community Hub
I’m excited to introduce the News-Register Community Hub — a new resource designed to connect generous community members with the nonprofits doing vital work across Yamhill County. Until now, ...
Investigating the Bible: Mercy and kindness
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Long ago, a young Jewish soldier gave mercy when it was difficult.
Quirk of the Week: A review and round-up of rounds, slices, bulbs, boxes
Before we shift “Quirk” indoors for a while, here are a few timely outdoor ones — and a roundup of changes with past Quirk sightings: -- A horseshoes follow-up: A few weeks ago, Quirk ...
Quirk of the Week: Fun-sway, you could say, and the quirk of cork
With six weeks left in 2025, we are rounding out the second year of this column. As promised, a Thanksgiving smorgasbord of local Quirk awaits below. First, it feels like a good time for a sort of orientation: ...
Jonah Goldberg: Ours is a system of checks and balances
The president can do this or that, but the courts and Congress can put a stop to it, depending on the circumstances and relevant rules.
Jeb Bladine: Annual messages help launch holiday season
We’re helping official launch of the holiday season with this Thanksgiving-eve News-Register “print issue” for the first time in many years … thus, it’s a good time for some ...
John Charles Jr.: The Oregon Museum of No Business & Industry
About the writer: John A. Charles Jr. spent eight years as director of environmental policy with the Cascade Policy Institute, a free-market think tank, before being named CEO there in 2005. He previously ...
Jeb Bladine: AI gives partial thumbs-up to op-ed commentary
This week’s column is built around information from artificial intelligence (AI) — intertwined (hopefully) with splashes of human intelligence (“HI”). In today’s unprecedented ...
Jonah Goldberg: Has Trump already lost Latino vote for the GOP?
For generations, foreign policy eggheads debated the question, “Who lost China?” I’m wondering if election analysts might soon ask, “Who lost the Latinos?”
Randy Stapilus: The mayor and his mission with Portland's unhoused
Approaching his first anniversary in office, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, who ran most prominently on grappling seriously with the city’s homelessness, just made a major course shift. It may — and should — indicate more to come.
Investigating the Bible: When to be thankful
Fred Lockley interviewed a pioneer woman named Valeda Smith Ohmart in 1934. She remembered a story about Tabitha Brown, the founder of Oregon’s Pacific University. Mrs. Brown was a devout and s
Quirk of the Week: Mac’s Ford Street takes a strange turn
In keeping with Thanksgiving, next week’s Quirk will be a smorgasbord; more straight-ford is this week’s. This week, we look at a single Quirk. It involves strips of yellow paint, on Ford ...
Quirk of the Week: Hands up if you like interesting side streets
Kirby Street, no relation, is one of those odd ones in town. It has two stretches of two to four blocks each, separated by a dozen or more blocks. Same with its neighboring Northeast Logan, Irvine and ...
Jeb Bladine: Who won, or lost, the national game of chicken?
Our national game of chicken paused Wednesday night when Congress and President Trump approved a compromise plan to fund the government for another 79 days. I don’t work for the federal government, ...
Leland Thoburn: Acts of kindness can prove catching in the community
In 1998, volunteer organizations from around the world joined together to designate Nov. 13 as World Kindness Day and celebrate it annually.
