Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Kalama, WA

The Daily News · Longview, WA

Nearby: Longview, WA

Miller, Maria

Maria Miller (Corsi) passed away peacefully at home in Longview, Washington, on November 5, 2026, at the age of 89, surrounded by the love of her family.

Jefferson County Leader · Longview, WA

Nearby: Longview, WA

Hazardous emergency at mill would require specialized responders

The Port Townsend Paper Co. weathers the first storm of the season. Leader photo by Jon Decker In the wake of the Port Townsend Paper Corporation’s $734,000 Department of Ecology fine, ongoing investigations into recent whistleblower claims of sludge being discharged directly into the ocean and the May 2026 fatal chemical disaster at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview, Washington, concerns are rising about the community’s ability to properly respond to a disaster at the local mill. In a written statement from local watchdog group Citizens for Safe Water and Air – Port Townsend, spokesperson Eve Epstein expressed concern about what would happen in the immediate aftermath of a similar disaster at the Port Townsend paper mill. “Our primary resource for hazmat response is through the Department of Ecology,” Epstein wrote. “And their nearest spill response team is based in Olympia, which means their response time for a disaster at the Port Townsend Paper Co.

Columbia County Spotlight · Scappoose, OR

Nearby: Scappoose, OR

Luke McNabb earns NWC Football Athlete of the Week honor for the second time this season

Luke McNabb is again the Northwest Conference Football Athlete of the Week, earning said honor for his standout performance against the University of Puget Sound this past weekend. McNabb, from Scappoose, Oregon, and former standout at Scappoose High School, is finishing his studies in sport management at Linfield. The quarterback totaled seven touchdowns in one half against Puget Sound, throwing for five scores and rushing for two more in tallying 365 yards of total offense; earning yet another NWC Football Offensive Athlete of the Week. McNabb completed 19 of his 20 passing attempts for 317 yards and five touchdowns, with a long of 57 yards, and rushed for 48 yards on six carries for another two scores. The reigning First Team All-Northwest Conference QB has backed it up thus far in his senior campaign, leading the conference in total offense, averaging over 309 yards per game. The honor is the second Player of the Week honor for McNabb this season.

The Columbian · Vancouver, WA

Nearby: Vancouver, WA

Making sense of senior care

Years ago, when Orchards resident Nicki Tucker went to work at the famously cylindrical Smith Tower — a high-rise, low-income senior citizen home in downtown Vancouver — she had never assisted a specifically elder population before. It was a new challenge, but Tucker was glad, after biding too much time as a school cafeteria “lunch lady,” to have scored a job that finally put her passion for helping and Master of Social Work degree to good use.

Forest Grove News Times · North Plains, OR

Nearby: North Plains, OR

North Plains jingle parade to light up city for the holidays

North Plains residents will jingle their way through the city to welcome the holidays at the start of December. The North Plains Events Association is calling on the town to wrap red and green lights around cars, homes and businesses Thursday, Dec. 3, for the city’s annual jingle parade and tree lighting. An annual tradition now in its 23rd year, the parade lines up at 6 p.m. at the parking area between the medical office and La Lotería Taco Shop, 10355 N.W. Glencoe Road. The procession lasts about 30 minutes. Community members and organizations are invited to “decorate anything that moves” — including trucks, trailers, motorcycles, bicycles and more. Many residents even rent golf carts to participate. As the vehicles come to a halt in front of the North Plains Senior Center on Commercial Street, the city will illuminate the community with a tree lighting between 7 and 7:15 p.m. Carolers and refreshments will also be available until around 8 p.m.

The Banks Post · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Blake still ahead in Banks as Fai widens county chair lead

Megan Blake's lead over City Councilor Pearcia Bogroff in the race for Banks City Council Position 5 grew to 21 votes in Washington County's unofficial 4 p.m. Friday results, and Commissioner Nafisa Fai's lead over Commissioner Pam Treece in the race for county chair widened to 460 votes, too wide for an automatic recount if it holds through the certified count. Blake had 369 votes (50.83%) to Pearcia Bogroff's 348 (47.93%), with 9 write-in votes. Since Tuesday, when Blake led by 20, Blake gained three votes and Pearcia Bogroff two. Pearcia Bogroff led by 30 votes in the first results on election night and by four at midnight. The two were tied at 227 votes each in the Nov. 4 count, and Blake led by 18 in the Nov. 6 count. Under state law, a recount would be automatic only if the certified count shows a tie or a margin of no more than one-fifth of 1% of the votes for the two candidates. In a race this size, that means a tie or a one-vote margin.

Forest Grove News Times · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Hillsboro, Forest Grove school districts see mixed student test scores; Banks, Gaston improve

Students in the Hillsboro and Forest Grove school districts saw mixed results in math, science and English test scores during the 2025-26 school year, while Banks and Gaston reported improvements across all three subjects. That’s according to the Oregon Department of Education, which released results of the Oregon Statewide Assessments in late September, showing statewide proficiency rates on the rise for the second consecutive year. Statewide, proficiency increased by 1.4 percentage points in math, 0.8 percentage points in English language arts and 0.6 percentage points in science compared to the previous school year. Despite those improvements, fewer than half of Oregon students who took the assessments demonstrated proficiency in each of the three subjects. “These results give us reason to be encouraged, but also reinforce how much more there is to accomplish,” Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams said in a release.

The Banks Post · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Kent Bond receives 2026 Banks Citizenship Award

Kent Bond, an assistant coach on two Banks Braves state championship baseball teams, received the 2026 Banks Citizenship Award at the Banks City Council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10. Joey Bonin nominated him. "Kent Bond is the owner of Impact Physical Therapy of Banks, and he exemplifies the Banks values of hard work, service, and commitment to the community," Bonin wrote in the nomination, which was read aloud at the meeting and printed on the city's award sheet. "Kent regularly volunteers his time and expertise, providing free treatment to BHS athletes, and serving as the on-field trainer/triage personnel at football games," Bonin wrote. "This past year, he stepped up to the interim baseball coach after an unexpected vacancy, having already contributed to the Banks culture of excellence, leading the 2019 Braves to a state championship," the nomination said.

The Banks Post · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Column | 1976 in Banks: swine flu shots at the Banks High School

The year is 1976. Hagg Lake is brand new, and the water is rising. In Forest Grove, Poppio’s is still slinging slices, and over in Banks, the newly remodeled Brown Derby is serving breakfast until 2 a.m. Welcome to a snapshot of life in western Washington County exactly 50 years ago. This week, we dive into the archives of the Washington County News-Times from November 10, 1976, uncovering the stories that had our neighbors talking, from major civic changes to the rhythms of rural life. A Note on Historical Context: We present these clips as they originally appeared. Please be aware that newspapers of this era often contained language or viewpoints that are racist, sexist, or otherwise unethical by modern standards.

The Banks Post · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Banks Taphouse cuts ribbon on downtown spot

Banks Taphouse celebrated its grand opening Friday evening, Nov. 6, with a ribbon cutting held by the Banks Chamber of Commerce at the new family-run taphouse on Main Street in downtown Banks. Brent VanLoo held a megaphone and addressed the crowd, and with a snip of a very large pair of scissors, the Banks Taphouse ceremonially joined the downtown Banks business community. Banks Taphouse opened on Halloween after a friends-and-family soft opening, and the ribbon cutting kicked off a grand opening weekend that ran through Sunday, Nov. 8, according to its Facebook page and website. "We're just doing this as a family," VanLoo, a Gales Creek resident who runs the taphouse, said in an interview the day before the ribbon cutting. "My daughter's been a cook and a chef for years." His daughter Nikki VanLoo has had her own food truck, the Nacho Witch, and some of the taphouse's fusion tacos and nachos are inspired by it, VanLoo said.

The Banks Post · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Blake still ahead in Banks as Fai overtakes Treece for county chair

Megan Blake's lead over City Councilor Pearcia Bogroff in the race for Banks City Council Position 5 grew to 20 votes in Washington County's unofficial 4 p.m. Tuesday results, and Commissioner Nafisa Fai moved ahead of Commissioner Pam Treece in the race for county chair. Blake had 366 votes (50.76%) to Pearcia Bogroff's 346 (47.99%), with 9 write-in votes. Since Friday, when Blake led by 18, Blake gained 24 votes and Pearcia Bogroff 22. Pearcia Bogroff led by 30 votes in the first results on election night and by four at midnight, and the two were tied at 227 votes each Wednesday. Under state law, a recount would be automatic only if the certified count shows a tie or a margin of no more than one-fifth of 1% of the votes for the two candidates. In a race this size, that means a tie or a one-vote margin. Washington County added Tuesday's update "in recognition of the public interest surrounding several close races," it said in a news post Monday. Another update is expected Friday.

Columbia County Spotlight · Banks, OR

Nearby: Banks, OR

Kessi wins, Scappoose girls place fourth at 4A state cross country championships

It was a good day to be a Scappoose Indian at the 4A State Cross Country Championships. Led by freshman Katherine Kessi, who won the individual championship, the Scappoose girls placed fourth in the team competition, scoring 101 points — nine points behind third-place Banks, 21 points behind second-place Philomath and 50 points behind winner La Grande. “I would definitely rate the girls race as one of the top races of the year,” Scappoose head coach Corey Hedger said. “They ran so tough, made some really strong moves in the middle of the race, pushed themselves to help separate from Klamath Union and get close to Banks. Our girls ran really tough, and I am super proud of them and the performance. The girls met the moment and met the expectation and then some.” Kessi — who splits time with the Indians’ girls soccer team — won the race with a time of 18:14.3.