Jeb Bladine: Pot stores open: walk, don't drive
Oregonians and visitors hit the streets Thursday to begin visiting medical marijuana dispensaries now selling pot to the general public. The Oregonian even published a convenient map listing 109 locations ...
Jeb Bladine: Old memories of playing with Yogi
Yogi Berra died this week, and a generation of Baby Boomer sports fans paused to remember their childhoods. The occasion transported me back to 1960-61, taking my best batting stance in the corner of ...
Holly Nelson: Fulfilling the Oregon promise
With the word spreading that the Oregon State Legislature approved free tuition at Oregon community colleges, Chemeketa has been receiving calls from prospective students. The enthusiastic caller usually ...
Jeb Bladine: If you don't support Trump, you're fired!
When there’s an elephant in the room, it’s surprising when no one seems to notice. But that’s my take on this week’s second debate among Republican candidates for president. Donald ...
Albrecht Seer: The Refugee Crisis
There’s quite an issue at the moment in Salzburg since Germany suddenly closed down all train connections from Salzburg across the border to Munich. The first day, more than 1,000 people were stranded ...
Ken Moore: The heart of the matter
When asked how she was doing, country music star June Carter Cash often replied, “I’m just trying to matter.” Starting as host of the local TV interview show “Local Matters,” ...
Jeb Bladine: Story pace leaves no time for outrage
There is so much deplorable news these days we scarcely have time for outrage about one shocking story before another takes its place. Maybe that’s why so many just ignore it all; maybe that’s ...
Randy Stapilus: The right to water
We humans are better at devising legal systems to decide who gets access to water, than we are coming up with . . . more water. Water in the United States is governed primarily by the individual states ...
Jeb Bladine: Nation's unsettling teacher shortage
Our nationwide shortage of teachers — a trend mirrored in Oregon — is unsettling as America’s children return for another school year. Whatchamacolumn Jeb Bladine is president ...
Frank Sheridan: West Valley business
It is hard to write the beginning of a story until you know the end, and the end of this story is jobs. The prosperity and well-being of people are dependent upon continued employment, development, growth ...
Jeb Bladine: Reunions a fresh look at who we are
It’s high school reunion time — in McMinnville, throughout Yamhill County, all across America. Our newspaper reunion calendar reports that two weeks hence, there will be reunions of the Yamhill-Carlton ...
Jeb Bladine: Fire safety requires public responsibility
“Your help,” implored Oregon State Forester Doug Decker on Wednesday, “is critical in preventing the next wildfire.” The words scarcely had left his computer when yet another wildfire ...
Ossie Bladine: The Oregon Trail Generation
A few months ago, News Editor Don Iler and I were explaining to a couple of more seasoned members of the News-Register staff about our annoyance at being labeled Millennials. It turns out we’re not ...
Scott Gibson: End of life decisions
I recently had an older couple, currently in good health, come in for an office visit. As part of their appointment, they brought in their POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) forms for ...
Jeb Bladine: Stories stay alive in lawsuit after lawsuit
Sad stories don’t just go away; to the dismay of many, they play out again and again in the courts. That observation received several exclamation marks this week, ensuring that some of the most ...
