The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting law enforcement agencies from receiving certain types of U.S. military surplus equipment from the federal government, including armored drones, grenades, and firearms silencers, among other types of gear.

Harold “Lloyd” Fellas, 96, a resident of the Banks community passed away on April 14, 2021 at the Marquis Forest Grove, OR.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning beginning Friday at 11 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. the same day for much of northwest Oregon and beyond. Fire officials from the local and state level have been warning for several days now of extreme conditions that could lead to wildfires.

A man who walked away from a South Fork Forest Camp work crew near the Gales Creek Campground on Wednesday, April 14 is back in custody.

Jedaiah Lunn, a South Fork Forest Camp inmate walked away from a work crew near the Gales Creek Campground Wednesday around 2:30 p.m., the Oregon Department of Corrections said in a press release. Minutes later, a carjacking occurred in the same area.

Beginning at 12 p.m. Wednesday, all outdoor burning in Forest Grove Fire & Rescue's territory, the Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and beyond will close due to fire danger. Those who start or allow a fire to spread could be on the hook for legal and firefighting costs.

The Portland office of the National Weather Service issued a "special weather statement" in advance of what the federal agency referred to as "unseasonably high fire danger" expected this week.

The March 2021 police log, as presented to the Banks city council on April 13.

“It’s really hard to get people excited about zoning code amendment packages,” said city attorney Dan Kearns, discussing an upcoming April 27 planning commission public hearing to consider amendments to the Banks Development Code. This and more in city council news.

Kathryn Harrington, the chair of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, will present the annual “State of the County” virtually on Monday, April 19 at 6 p.m.

With a mid-April forecast showing temperatures in the low 80’s, depending on which forecast you read, local and state fire officials are concerned about fire danger.

As wildfires spread across the western portion of the state in September 2020, the Tillamook State Forest and others across the state were declared closed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Now, the forestry agency is seeking to create a set of permanent rules for implementing a state forest land closure.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is seeking public help in locating an alleged hit-and-run driver and auto thief involved in a crash north of Cornelius on NW Susbauer Road and NW Long Road.

Starting April 19, all Oregonians aged 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Oregon Governor Brown announced Tuesday morning.

Just three days after Governor Kate Brown said a fourth surge of the COVID-19 pandemic was at Oregon’s doorstep, the Oregon Health Authority announced that wide swaths of the population now are eligible to schedule an appointment for a first round of vaccinations.

Pongratz Road has many road users, human and animal alike. But this summer, it will be closed for three months for a bridge replacement and a culvert replacement project.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced an expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for people with some underlying health conditions, and for family members that live with frontline workers.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown released a 10-point economic recovery plan for the state on Tuesday, March 23, outlining her administration's recovery goals in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 wildfires.

Want to advise the Oregon Transportation Commission on transportation issues in rural western Washington County? Two positions — each for a two-year term — on a little-known regional commission are open for just that purpose.

That includes many private crews that work in the logging industry in the region’s forests, and landowners in forested areas that aid firefighting efforts.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced Friday that the timeline of vaccine eligibility for frontline workers, those living in multigenerational households, and those ages 16 and older with certain underlying health conditions would be sped up from April 19 to April 5.

The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles issued a news release that says as early as May 5 many Oregonians will be able to go online to renew their driver’s licenses, permits, and identification cards.

Raymond Mott has served for eight years on the Banks School Board, but after seeing another candidate file to run for his seat, he withdrew himself from the race and endorsed that candidate. "It doesn't hurt to have some new ideas," Mott said.

Two separate sporting events Banks student athletes were scheduled to play in were cancelled after a positive COVID-19 test was reported from two separate team members of programs in Astoria and Seaside.

The filing window closed at 5 p.m. Thursday for the May 18 special district elections, and it’s a competitive field this time around. Here are the candidates running for local office in the Banks area and surrounding communities.

The Oregon Department of Forestry says demand is unprecedented for forest tree seedlings following the 2020 Oregon wildfires, creating difficulties for reforestation with as many as 140 million seedlings needed to replace what the fires consumed.

The Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that the federal tax filing deadline would be moved from April 15 to May 17, and Oregon will follow suit.

A $5.3 million grant Oregon, Washington, and California received is paying to develop software using open-sourced tools to upgrade the outdated technology used by local public transit systems that provide booking and payment, and allow riders to plan their trip.

The window to file for office closes on March 18, which means it's letter writing season. Here are some ideas and policies on writing a letter to the editor of the Banks Post for publication.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) gave an update via Zoom on March 12 where he discussed how the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan directly benefits Oregonians.

A summary of calls from February 2021, and a message on the passing of Banks Fire District's Captain Mark Hornshuh.

A woman last known to be near Hagg Lake was found dead Friday afternoon more than a month after she disappeared there on February 5.

President Joe Biden announced during a primetime speech Thursday evening that he would direct states, tribes and territories to open vaccine eligibility to adults by May 1. The announcement is the second major development undertaken against the coronavirus pandemic by the president on Thursday, having previously signed into law legislation approving the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Karin Power (D-Milwaukie) would prohibit the sale of petroleum diesel fuel for use in any motor vehicle by January 2027.

The Banks city council voted to extend the city’s development moratorium, adopted a work plan for the 2021- 2022 fiscal year, and adopted a number of more routine items at the city council meeting held March 9.

The ShakeAlert system, already implemented in California since October 2019, uses a network of sensors that detect the start of a major earthquake, calculate the magnitude and location of the quake, and then send the information to distributors that blast the information to cell phones and online.

Those behind on their Portland General Electric payments can see if they qualify for a partial grant to catch up, and nonprofits may see assistance from PGE's philanthropic arm as well.

"The male said he was in fact asleep in the car when he felt someone slapping his arm. He said he swatted the slaps away but kept his eyes closed the entire time as he was trying to sleep." This, and more in the February 2021 police log, as presented to the Banks city council on March 9.

A bill that appears to be fast-tracked by a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment would allow public utilities to charge consumers for the cost of supplying new electric vehicle charging stations with power and allow public utility companies to recover those costs through consumers.

Photos: Close to 70 students returned to classrooms Monday morning at the Banks Elementary School, the first of Banks' phased reopening plan.