South Fork Forest Camp entrance in November 2017. Photo: Chas Hundley 4/15 5:50 a.m. update: Lunn is back in custody, according to the DOC. 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[Read More…]
Chas Hundley
Burn ban enacted due to fire danger
Banks Fire District Engine 16 heads toward the Powerline Fire. Photo: Chas Hundley 11:20 a.m.: This story has been updated with a quote from the Banks Fire District. Beginning at 12 p.m. Wednesday, all burning — backyard debris, agricultural slash and more — in the Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley[Read More…]
National Weather Service: ‘Unseasonably high fire danger throughout this week’
A burn pile that escaped control on NW Strohmeyer Rd on Tuesday, April 13. Photo: Forest Grove Fire & Rescue 11:15 a.m.: A burn ban will go into effect at 12 p.m., local fire agencies announced. 9:07 am.: This story has been updated with more information from the Oregon Department[Read More…]
City council talks zoning, forestry, audits and more at April 13 council meeting
Banks City Hall. Photo: Brenda Schaffer At the council work session, where councilors discuss items of import but do not vote or make decisions, councilors discussed an expiring police services levy, an overview of federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan, a discussion centered around finding a new city[Read More…]
Washington County’s Harrington to present ‘State of the County’ virtually April 19
Chair Kathryn Harrington at her home office. Photo: Washington County 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. Harrington will be joined by Commissioners Nafisa Fai (district 1), Pam Treece (district[Read More…]
Concern over fire danger mounts as April temperatures rise
A series of burn piles burn near Highway 6 between Banks and Gales Creek on March 24, 2019. Photo: Chas Hundley 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. “While the unseasonably[Read More…]
Sheriff’s Office seeks public help in locating suspect wanted on litany of charges
Michael Scroggins booking photo courtesy Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 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. According to a press release from the Washington[Read More…]
Brown announces vaccine eligibility for all 16 and older on April 19
A face mask. Photo: Chas Hundley Starting April 19, all Oregonians aged 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Oregon Governor Brown announced Tuesday morning. Previously, adults and those aged 16 and over were scheduled to be eligible no later than May 1. The announcement comes[Read More…]
Pongratz Road to close for three months for bridge, culvert replacement
Geese near Wingham Farms, located just east of the bridge replacement project on Pongratz Road. Photo: Chas Hundley A three month road closure is coming to Pongratz Road between Manning and Buxton this summer, according to plans by Washington County to replace a bridge and a culvert on the gravel[Read More…]
Vaccine eligibility expanded for more underlying conditions, families of frontline workers
Ansu Drammeh, R.N., a cardiovascular intensive care nurse at OHSU, is given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday, December 16. 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. “As we move into[Read More…]