The Newberg Graphic · Yamhill, OR
The Community Christmas Cantata, an annual fundraising event this year benefiting the Yamhill Community Action Partnership food bank, is on tap to return for seven dates in December in the 40th year of the event. “A Thrill of Hope” is the theme of this year’s event, slated to begin Dec. 5 and continue through Dec. 21 at locations throughout the county. Donations will be accepted at each stop of the event this year. The hope of the organizers of the performance is to significantly add to the nearly $391,500 raised during the 2004 through 2025 cantata seasons, organizers said in a release. In Newberg, the groups that perform in the one-hour cantata will make stops at 11 a.m. Dec. 5 at Seventh-day Adventist Church, 530 E. Edgewood Drive, and 3 p.m. Dec. 19 at Joyful Servant Lutheran Church, 1716 N. Villa Road. Other performances are slated for 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1500 S.W. Old Sheridan Road in McMinnville; 7 p.m. Dec.
Molalla Pioneer / Herald Pioneer · McMinnville, OR
Nearby: McMinnville, ORLocal conventional wisdom thought this year’s Ward 3 city council race in McMinnville would have a conventional outcome. The probable winner would be Carson Benner, an uncontroversial incumbent, a centrist and long-time school board member active in many local civic groups. His main challenger appeared to be Realtor Katie Russ, backed by political heavyweights on the right and by the county Republican Party. Her main chance to succeed would come if the Benner vote was diminished by the less-connected third candidate, Richard Smith Savage, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. The conventional wisdom was wrong. Russ has taken a distinct third place, and in voting tallies as of the evening of Nov. 11, Savage, the Democratic Socialist — an identification he doesn’t highlight on his website but has in news reports — had a slight lead over Benner for the one competitive McMinnville council seat.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORChallenger Elise Yarnell Hollamon’s lead in the race for Newberg mayor has widened, according to the most recent count released by the Yamhill County Clerk’s Office. Results in the race were updated Nov. 12, with Hollamon’s lead increasing from 50.4% to 50.5% of the vote to incumbent Bill Rosacker’s 49.5%, a drop of 0.1 percentage points from the Nov. 5 tabulation. The disparity in votes between the two candidates grew from 79 to 106 votes. More than 680 voters did not check the box for either candidate on their ballots, while 25 write-in votes were received. There were so far 11,470 ballots received out of the 17,368 voters registered, a rate of 66%. “With the last ballots counted and reported last night, our lead grew and I’m confident that Newberg has chosen a new direction,” Hollamon said in a text. Hollamon, however, stopped short of announcing an outright victory.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORA band that takes its lead from the maritime traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America will soon travel to Newberg to take the stage. The trio that comprises the Celtic band Kalos will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E. Sheridan St. Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and students and $5 for Arts for All members who possess an Oregon Trail Card. The band’s emphasis on maritime tunes is reflected in its two latest albums — “Harbour” in 2019 and “Headland” in 2023 — and were intended to “honor the meeting point between the land and sea (as) they sing songs about shorelines, seafarers and drownings,” a release said. “They revel in the driving danceability of Irish tunes, but also take inspiration from the pastoral melodies and naturalistic metaphors of Scottish music,” the release continued.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORA pair of local organizations are on the receiving end of the most recent spate of grants from the Oregon Community Foundation. Newberg Area Habitat for Humanity netted $25,000, while the Vivian Lee Foundation received $15,000 to continue to expand its assistance program for families living with cystic fibrosis. Habitat Executive Director Shannon Selah said she already has plans for the grant money. “We will apply that toward our ReStore truck,” she said. “We are raising money to replace our aging box truck that we use to pick up donations for and drop off purchased items from our ReStore.” The local nonprofits are among the nearly 260 organizations throughout all of Oregon’s 36 counties that received a total of $5.3 million in the fall round of giving from the foundation’s Community Grants Program. “Behind each grant from the statewide funder are people stepping forward to meet local needs and opportunities,” a release from the foundation said.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORAnyone with information on these individuals may call the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, its detectives or the Newberg-Dundee Police Department. The sheriff’s office crime information tip line is 800-577-1707. Newberg police can be reached at 502-538-8321 and Yamhill County detectives can be reached at 503-43407508. Nov. 11 – Max Guenter A. Kliese-Hartzog, 37, is wanted for failure to appear (FTA) to face a charge of second-degree criminal mischief. – Edward A. Klingensmith, 65, is wanted on an FTA for DUII. – Joshua Joseph Klupenger, 37, is wanted on an FTA for DUII. – Randy James Koenighain, 59, is wanted on a probation violation for possession of controlled substances (PCS). – Melody Jo Krewson, 61, is wanted for violating post-prison supervision on a conviction for custodial interference. – Matthew Eric Kurtz, 42, is wanted on a warrant for first-degree theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, first-degree attempted theft and second-degree theft.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORElection Day has come and gone, and the voters of Newberg, Dundee and Yamhill County have made their wishes known in races ranging from Newberg’s mayor and county clerk. Mayoral race Results in the race for Newberg mayor remained unchanged over the weekend, with challenger Elise Yarnell Hollamon earning 50.4% of the vote to incumbent Bill Rosacker’s 49.6% — 79 votes apart according to the most recent tabulations released Nov. 5. “Given the heightened partisan energy surrounding this midterm election and our short 67-day campaign, I knew this would be extremely close,” Hollamon said in a text to the Newberg Graphic. “I needed to cut through the national political noise and speak directly to voters with a clear, compelling vision for Newberg’s future grounded in improving our livability, and I’m incredibly honored that it appears we’ve done just that.” Hollamon added that she will demur from claiming victory until the final ballots are tallied.
The Newberg Graphic · Newberg, OR
Nearby: Newberg, ORThe Newberg Community Band’s fall concert, unofficially called “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas” after one of the tunes it will perform, is on tap this weekend. Set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, in Bauman Auditorium, 1009 E. North St. on the campus of George Fox University, the lineup for the free concert includes a variety of music genres. “It is a ‘hodgepodge’ of styles from marches to serious music,” said director Dick Elliott, a veteran of more than two decades with the 55-musician band. Rehearsals for the performance began in September, Elliott said, adding that the band’s other 2026 performances were in March, during a Fourth of July celebration at Friendsview Manor and during the Old Fashioned Festival in late July. The Nov. 15 date will be the last performance of the year. “Our next performance will be after the new year as we do take some time off for family during the holiday season,” he said.
Forest Grove News Times · Forest Grove, OR
Nearby: Forest Grove, ORForest Grove’s “grab, pay and go” art show is popping up for another weekend of original artwork and local creativity. Now in its ninth year, the 97116 Art Show will take over Pacific University’s Kathrin Cawein Gallery, kicking off with an opening reception from 6-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Les AuCoin Hall, 2043 College Way. The annual exhibition showcases hundreds of original creations from artists of all ages and experience levels across Washington County and surrounding areas, with everything priced at $150 or less. Unlike traditional art shows, where purchased pieces often remain on display until the exhibition closes, 97116 lets visitors pluck their favorite creations right off the walls and take them home the same day. Organizers encourage visitors to arrive early for the best selection, with the show continuing from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, and Sunday, Nov. 22. Admission is free.
The Banks Post · Forest Grove, OR
Nearby: Forest Grove, ORJesse Lieble spent 2021 to 2024 in custody at South Fork Forest Camp, a minimum-security prison in the Tillamook State Forest. There, he learned to maintain trails, plant trees and fight fire. Now he's a wildland firefighter for the Oregon Department of Forestry in Forest Grove, he told the crowd at the camp's 75th anniversary ceremony Oct. 29. Lieble and two other men who served time at the camp and went on to careers with ODF were honored guests at the ceremony. The Oregon Department of Corrections and ODF, which run the camp jointly, held the invitation-only event in white tents off the Wilson River Highway. "Being at South Fork made me excited to get out and go to work every day to do something meaningful," Lieble said. He hadn't fought fire before his time at South Fork, he said, "but I found out that I love it." "I learned many skills related to reforestation and firefighting that I needed to kickstart my career with ODF," Lieble said.
Forest Grove News Times · Forest Grove, OR
Nearby: Forest Grove, ORWhile two Forest Grove businesses have bounced back from a sewer line backup that flooded several storefronts at Ballad Towne Square in August, a neighboring Vietnamese restaurant is still trying to regain its footing. Pho Pot owner Michelle Tran hopes to reopen on Black Friday, Nov. 27, at 2834 Pacific Ave., more than three months after contaminated water swept through the restaurant — leaving much of its interior gutted and its finances strained. With months of lost revenue and bills continuing to pile up, the restaurant has turned to community fundraising to help ease the financial burden. A GoFundMe campaign launched Oct. 14 seeks $45,000 to help cover rebuilding costs and ongoing expenses. As of Monday, Nov. 9, it had raised just $445 from 12 donations, about 1% of its goal. “We kept hoping we could find a way through this ourselves,” the owners wrote in the fundraiser.
The Banks Post · Forest Grove, OR
Nearby: Forest Grove, ORFor nearly half a century, Miracle Sign has dominated western Washington County's sign business. Walk through downtown and turn your head. Chances are, there's a Miracle Sign in your view. Now, after nearly 50 years, Lynne and Andy Magner are retiring, and the business will shift to a new model. Located at the corner of Elm Street and Pacific Avenue, where it has sat for most of its existence in what was once the Guyton Dairy, Miracle Sign has pretty much been the go-to sign shop for businesses in Forest Grove, Banks, Gales Creek and beyond. That era is coming to a close. Around Thanksgiving, the Forest Grove shop will stop taking new jobs, and it will finish its remaining work by Dec. 31, Lynne Magner said. By Dec. 31, she said, "we will have the signs come down outside the buildings, and the hours will come down off the doors, and there will be no open sign anymore." Dan Magner, the Magners' son, runs the company from a shop in Beaverton, Lynne said.