Columbus
Columbia County Spotlight
No. 15 Scappoose softball gets rivalry revenge with 2-1 quarterfinals win over No. 7 St. Helens
With runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, No. 15 Scappoose High School softball junior Brooklyn Schmidt wasn’t going to be denied. After fouling off five pitches and drawing a full count, Schmidt took pitch No. 10 of her at bat against No. 7 St. Helens pitcher Ava Eib and blooped it into short centerfield. The ball was placed perfectly where Lions...
State baseball playoffs & scores: Banks rolls to semifinals with 15-0 win over La Pine
No one thought it was going to be easy, but as it turned out — it kind of was. The No. 2-seeded Banks baseball team cruised into the 3A state semifinals with a five-inning 15-0 win over No. 7-seeded La Pine on Friday afternoon, May 24, at Banks High School. From the first pitch the Braves battered La Pine starter Deakon Looney, and with help from a shaky Hawks defense,...
Telling their stories: Korean War Memorial Interpretive Center to open in Wilsonville
Photos of Korean War veterans from Oregon line the wall of the Oregon Korean War Memorial Interpretive Center, with displays below sharing their stories through video, flip books and artifacts like Tootsie Rolls. The finishing touches are being put on the center, which is housed in the Wilsonville Parks and Recreation building in Town Center Park and took years to reach completion. Its official opening date will be June 29. ...
WRITERS ON THE RANGE: We won’t forget what happened 101 years ago
One hundred and one years ago, my Ute ancestors were forced to live within a barbed-wire camp in Blanding, a small town in southeast Utah. For six weeks, nearly 80 people were trapped in a cage, sleeping in tents and hastily constructed hogans. Only meager meals were provided, and the captors sometimes tossed food over the fence. Like the infamous Japanese American prison camps during World War II, the only...
Oregon’s congressional delegation cites ‘horrific findings,’ calls for changes at federal prison in Sheridan
Oregon’s congressional delegation on Friday, May 24, demanded the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons take swift action to address staffing shortages, inmate medical needs and other “alarming issues that put staff and inmates at risk,” at the Federal Correctional Institute, Sheridan, also known as FCI Sheridan. The medium-security federal correctional institution is southeast of McMinnville. Signing onto the letter were Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Reps....
Oregon joins federal antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, Ticketmaster, saying public hurt
Oregon has joined a group of 29 states in a federal lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its owner over an alleged entertainment industry monopoly that harms customers. The 124-page suit, filed Thursday, May 23, in U.S. District Court in New York by the U.S. Department of Justice, 29 states and the District of Columbia, accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment Inc. of using its control of artists and venues to stifle innovation and to “bend the industry” to its benefit. ...
Oregon lawmakers start statewide transportation hearings in Portland
Oregon legislators are beginning a statewide tour in Portland. The goal: Factfinding on the state’s transportation needs ahead of a proposed, big-budget transportation package the 2025 session. And if that sounds familiar, it’s because this year’s lawmakers studied the 2016 playbook. That year, lawmakers crisscrossed the state asking about transportation needs, which lead to a $5.3 billion statewide transportation bill that passed both chambers with strong bipartisan support in 2017. ...
Another one? Hops pitching dominates again in 2-0 win over Vancouver
The hits keep coming for the Hops. Well, actually it’s the pitching. Despite managing just three hits in the game, Hillsboro again leaned heavily on their arms en route to a 2-0 and third straight win over Vancouver on Thursday, May 23, at Hillsboro Ballpark. Hops pitchers allowed just a single hit in the game, led by starter Avery Short who pitched 7.2 shutout innings, allowing that hit while striking...
Pacific University offers all-sports summer camp for kids
If your son or daughter likes sports, are looking for instruction or are just interested in something new, Pacific University might have something for them. This summer Pacific University Athletics will be offering their 2nd Annual Athletic Department Summer Camp and Junior Boxer All-Sports Camp. The week-long camp is hosted by the Forest Grove university and provides a one-of-a-kind experience involving all 23 of the Boxer athletic department sports programs....
Our TV picks for Saturday, May 25: WNBA Basketball; Property Virgins; Big Sky River: The Bridal Path
WNBA Basketball KOIN 10 a.m. With their previous match-ups ending in wins for the Liberty, the Minnesota Lynx must be grateful for their home field advantage during this game against New York. Footage from the game will broadcast live from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Property Virgins ...
Monster at large: Real fears come to life in ‘Eric’
Some know him as Sherlock Holmes, others know him as Doctor Stephen Strange, and based on the title of his next project, a fair few might assume that Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game,” 2014) now also stars as “Eric” — but it is far more complicated than that. In “Eric,” Netflix’s new limited series, premiering Thursday, May 30, on the streamer, two-time Oscar nominee Cumberbatch stars as Vincent Anderson, a well-known puppeteer on the fictional children’s TV show “Good Day Sunshine.” Also a devoted father,...
Movie Review: ‘Batman v Superman’: Not much fun in the fight
Once upon a time, Batman and Superman used to be fun ... in the way that many of the Marvel characters have been in their movies. The DC Comics universe definitely began going for the darker side in its screen ventures. Rarely is that more evident than in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which doesn’t exactly put the heroes in league with each other. That’s much of the problem...
What to watch: The must-watch things to stream this week, May 24 - May 31, 2024
What’s Available NOW On Disney+ “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted” - Seasons 4, New Episodes (May 28) In this National Geographic series, chef Gordon Ramsay journeys to some of the most incredible and remote locations on Earth in search of culinary inspiration, epic adventures and cultural experiences he will never forget. “Jim Henson Idea Man” (May 31) ...
Sports Zone: Every sport, every channel May 24 - May 31, 2024
AUTO RACING Friday 7:55 a.m. ESPN2 Formula 1 Racing Monaco Grand Prix, Practice 2. (Live)10:30 a.m. FS1 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Qualifying. (Live)12:30 p.m. FS1 NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series BetMGM 300, Qualifying. (Live)3 p.m. FS1 ARCA Menards Series Charlotte. (Live)5:30 p.m. FS1 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200. (Live)3:25 a.m. ESPN2 Formula 1 Racing Monaco Grand Prix, Practice 3. (Live) ...
A place to gather: New Longhouse project underway at Pacific University
Smoke clouds a past of cultural erasure in Forest Grove, but Pacific University students are weaving a new narrative of belonging — and justice. Pacific University could become home to the first Longhouse in Washington County, as the school explores a prospective space for students to embrace and celebrate their cultural identities. The project was proposed by the university’s Indigenous Student Alliance as a step toward reconciliation and reconnection. The...
Newly opened food carts offer round-the-world cuisine in Scappoose
On-the-go international cuisine is now as close as Scappoose with the opening of The Lodge, a combination food pod and tap house adjacent to U.S. Highway 30. The ambitious project, partnered by Jeff Schultz, Nick Hurliman and Matt McHugh, is an 11-cart pod containing an inside tap house-eating area of approximately 2,200 square feet in size. In planning and developing the Scappoose complex, the three developers traveled outside Columbia County,...
Thomas Ray Kucera
May 18, 1952 – April 26, 2024 - Thomas Ray Kucera was born in St. Helens, OR on May 18, 1952 to parents Louie and Ann Kucera (Drapel). Tom passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 26, 2024 at the age of 71. Tom graduated from Scappoose High School in 1970 and served in the Air Force from 1972 to 1976 serving 2 years in the States in the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and 2 years as Sergeant in Korea with an honorable discharge...
Meet Romeo, the world’s tallest living steer
Oregonians have racked up quite a few world records over the years, claiming accolades for most cartwheels done in an hour, largest tongue circumference, fastest time to alphabetize a can of alphabet soup and many more. But for this new record holder, it’s his lack of opposable thumbs — or hands in general — that sets him apart. At 6 feet, 4.5 inches, Romeo stands among (and above) his fellow...
Columbia County sheriff disappointed at failure of jail levy, wants to try again in November
Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley is reacting to the rejection of a jail levy Tuesday, May 21, saying he will give the levy another go at November’s general election. The measure aimed to provide a new and higher tax to fund jail operations. The latest numbers Thursday morning, May 23, show the levy being defeated 64% to 36%. “I am very disappointed by the outcome of the jail levy," Pixley...
OPINION: You can help your Columbia County community by donating to GLOW
Our GLOW Fund provides emergency bill payment assistance to families in need. Through April, we have helped 178 families in our community, providing $17,800 in assistance toward their electric bills. In 2022 and 2023, we provided an average of more than $40,000 in assistance each year. Unfortunately, our GLOW Fund account balance is running low. GLOW is funded by generous contributions from our customers, employee fundraisers and surplus scrap metal...
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