The Register-Guard
ROOM FOR ONE MORE
Through collecting shoes, the Kohl family is looking to grow their family. Anna Kohl knew next to nothing about Down Syndrome before her daughter’s diagnosis. When Anna and Zach Kohl found out their youngest daughter, Addy, had a genetic difference...
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Springfield mourns for lost school jobs
About 100 people gathered in front of Springfield Public Schools district office on Jan. 21 to protest cuts to certified staff members. Springfield Education Association’s “Solidarity and Action Vigil” drew teachers, students and community members to...
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Lane Fire Authority taking levy ask back to voters
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 | REGISTERGUARD.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Lane Fire Authority will try again to pass a local option levy this May, with the district’s board voting unanimously to send it back to the ballot at its Jan. 20...
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SC measles outbreak tied to West Coast cases
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026 | REGISTERGUARD.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Cases in the nation’s largest current measles outbreak are still ticking up after officials said infections have spread from the South into the Pacific...
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More than 1,000 march on MLK Day
More than 1,000 people marched to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and call for immigrant rights on Jan. 19 in an event organized by Eugene-Springfield NAACP. The crowd gathered in the icy morning at Autzen Stadium. Despite the freezing temperatures,...
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Cases heading to the courtroom
More than a dozen high-profile cases involving Lane County residents are scheduled to go to trial in 2026. Among them are people charged with murder, burglary and aggravated theft, attempted murder, child abuse, and more. The cases include an Oregon...
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Machado gains little in White House visit
WASHINGTON – Venezuelan opposition leader Marina Corina Machado got her courtesy luncheon with President Donald Trump on Jan. 15 but gained little else politically after the White House secured a $500 million deal for Venezuelan oil through ongoing...
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4J board approves another $18M in cuts
Eugene School District 4J will eliminate over 100 positions and cut some well-loved programs to balance its budget. The 4J school board voted unanimously in favor of the district’s Phase II budget cuts, which include cuts to programs like Eugene...
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Car fans welcome
A new car and coffee club in Eugene is open to all, even if you don’t own a vehicle. Eugene Car Club held its first event on Jan. 10. Although modestly attended by about 20 people, founder Peter Kincaid is hopeful it will take off in the coming...
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CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
Despite the futuristic look of his coffee roaster, John Danza claims the mechanisms of the machine are actually quite simple. He’s been working the roaster since 6 a.m., turning batches of matte green beans into the dark, shiny ones he uses in his...
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4J proposes next $18 million in cuts
Eugene School District 4J has identified another $18 million in net cuts as it grapples with a $30 million budget deficit. ● The majority of the $18 million in reductions would be done through eliminating up to 159 full-time equivalent staff positions...
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Pedaling safely
Drivers may find themselves with limited street parking options along Polk Street if Eugene goes ahead with plans to add bike lanes to the road in the coming years. ● In Eugene’s 2017 Transportation System Plan, the city identified Polk Street from...
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Loveall shares vision in annual State of County
Lane County Commissioner David Loveall’s vision for county government is to provide more robust law enforcement, while people outside of government to play more active roles in creating jobs and helping each other. Chair of the Board of Commissioners...
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2025 in photographs
The last 12 months included political turmoil, tragedy and heartbreak. But there was also joy, beauty and celebration as the community joined together to further shared dreams. Gatherings and the rituals of everyday life, protests, memorials, weddings...
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Eugene’s 2025 First Citizen
Growing up in Boulder, Montana, Brian Obie never thought his life would be what it is today, nor did he expect to be named Eugene’s 2025 First Citizen by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Obie is a developer whose name is plastered across much of...
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Path to nowhere
Miles of popular hiking trails at Silver Falls State Park will remain closed for an extended period following a series of storms that brought significant damage. Shellburg Falls Recreation Area, just to the south, was also damaged and has one trail...
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New office space used to be a Eugene DMV
Editor’s note: This holiday season, the staff of The Register-Guard decided to take a closer look at creative reuse in a series of stories we’re calling “That used to be what?” These five stories aim to tell the history and present use of some of the...
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Company says cuts from bill caused closure
A Medford-based solar power company blamed federal cutbacks from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act when it notified the state that it was closing as of Dec. 26 and laying off 109 employees. Purelight Power CEO JD Beck filed a notification to the state as...
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Do you know the history of Eugene’s Millrace?
Editor’s note: This holiday season, the staff of The Register-Guard decided to take a closer look at creative reuse in a series of stories we’re calling “That used to be what?” These five stories aim to tell the history and present use of some of the...
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FROM COP SHOP TO COFFEE SHOP
Editor’s note: This holiday season, the staff of The Register-Guard decided to take a closer look at creative reuse in a series of stories we’re calling “That used to be what?” These five stories aim to tell the history and present use of some of the...
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Biggest projects of 2026
Eugene continues to transform, adapting to changing times and evolving with the passage of time. In 2025, new city parks opened, Eugene’s newest neighborhood opened more apartment units and a new athletics facility moved forward with construction by...
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HELPING DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Editor’s note: This holiday season, The Register-Guard is introducing you to the people behind the scenes who keep things running. They work the late shift, the holidays, and respond when no one else will. You’ll get to know some of the faces you might...
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A focus on restoration
BLUE RIVER, Ore. – Bob Bumstead drives a willow branch deep into the mushy riverbed. Water flowing over submerged logs elicits a soft gargle, while the soppy quicksand swallows his boots up to his ankles. He beats the stake with a rubber mallet until...
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Oregon football: What Lanning said as team turns attention to Texas Tech
The postseason continues for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Orange Bowl prep is already underway for the No. 5 Oregon football team, which will face No. 4 Texas Tech at 9 a.m. New Year’s Day in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at Hard Rock...
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HOLIDAY HELPERS
Editor’s note: This holiday season, The RegisterGuard is introducing you to the people behind the scenes who keep things running. They work the late shift, the holidays, and respond when no one else will. You’ll get to know some of the faces you might...
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Howard Elementary’s ‘Mr. Cleaning Guy’
Editor’s note: This holiday season, The Register-Guard is introducing you to the people behind the scenes who keep things running. They work the late shift, the holidays, and respond when no one else will. You’ll get to know some of the faces you might...
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‘Come in, we’re happy to see you’
Editor’s note: This holiday season, The Register-Guard is introducing you to the people behind the scenes who keep things running. They work the late shift, the holidays, and respond when no one else will. You’ll get to know some of the faces you might...
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Soothing steam
Looking for a mix between enjoying the outdoors and staying cozy warm? A hot spring might strike the perfect balance. Luckily, Oregon has a plethora of natural hot springs thanks to geothermal heat caused by volcanic activity or active faults. While...
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FINISHING WHAT THEY STARTED
Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi landed their dream jobs earlier this month. Lucky for the Ducks, they’re not done with their old gigs just yet. The two coordinators for the No. 5 Oregon football team will remain on the clock and on Dan Lanning’s staff in...
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Moving forward
Big changes are coming to University of Oregon’s campuses. ● A new building could become the heart of UO’s Portland campus and, in Eugene, the university is looking to modernize a building constructed at the turn of the 19th century. ● The UO Board of...
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PeaceHealth illuminates grief during the holidays
In the lobby of the PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield on an overcast Sunday in December, soft sniffles and gentle harp filled the room. Visitors passed boxes of tissues around and bowed heads in prayer, looking through...
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SHS rallies for immigration rights
Springfield High School students and educators marched through downtown Springfield Dec. 11, denouncing local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and calling for support of immigrants. About 30 students and educators hoisted signs while...
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Back door searches, camera turning back on
On Dec. 5, the Eugene and Springfield police departments announced they are ending their contracts with Flock Safety, the vendor both departments had engaged for Automated License Plate Reader cameras. The Lane County Sheriff ’s Office joined them Dec....
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SHOP LOCAL!
Each year, the holiday shopping lists seem to grow longer while the season, against all reason, somehow feels shorter. With so much to do and only a few weeks to do it all, shopping during the holidays can be stressful. What is the perfect gift for...
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ONE-OF-A-KIND FINDS
Shoppers in the market for some truly one-of-a-kind items to jazz up the holiday shopping season have an unbeatable opportunity this weekend to peruse a collection of clothes, accessories and more that has been curated for more than 50 years. Nobody’s...
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Local gift shops offer holiday shopping without leaving town
Christmas lights abound and endless holiday playlists can confirm: ‘Tis the season. Eugene and the surrounding communities have a wealth of stores where you can complete your holiday shopping list. Rather than risk a package theft or spend your hard...
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Pinball heaven
On opening night, Cascade Underground Pinball Society didn’t have a sign posted outside yet. The only way pinballers could find their way into the hidden arcade was to follow the soft zinging and whirring of the machines, wandering through a dark,...
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Springfield starts holiday season with enchantment
The 73rd Annual Springfield Christmas Parade on Dec. 6 brought throngs of merrymakers to the streets in the city's favorite celebration of the holiday season. This year's theme was Enchanted Snowman Forest, and there were floats and goats, the...
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People detained by ICE seek court relief
Misael Garcia Lopez had just dropped his son off at a middle school in west Eugene when he was cornered by multiple vehicles and arrested by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement officials. Juanita Avila was driving her van around, looking for a...
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‘IT’S A TRADITION’
Lane County Youth Services hosted a free community meal Dec. 3 at the John Serbu Youth Campus in Eugene. Senior Juvenile Justice Supervisor Shellye Reynoso expected the volunteers to serve between 200 and 300 people during the 3-hour lunch. This was...
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Lively holiday cheer
Nothing brings on the Christmas spirit like decorating for the holiday — the most quintessential ornamentation being a Christmas tree. ● Families in Eugene and Springfield may be thinking the best way to spread some Christmas cheer is by picking out...
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Ground broken for affordable housing
For Jason Lear the corner of Fifth and Adams “has long been a site of great potential.” It is here, in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood, that a new 120-unit apartment building will rise next year. The affordable housing development at 890 W. Fifth Ave....
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Ski fun without freezing
Looking for a winter getaway, but not wanting to spend the entire time falling down in the snow? Sure, the majesty of the mountain, glistening slopes and expansive views all sound great, until you find yourself struggling to get up from a drift. Just...
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Christmas Junction an evergreen treat
Standing along a main road of the self-proclaimed “Christmas tree capital of Oregon” is a store that brings the holiday spirit all year long. A step into Christmas Junction in Monroe is a step into the gilded age of holiday festivities. The scent of...
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‘Land caregivers’ These Oregonians say the way they farm could slow climate change
At Troon Vineyard, in southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley, Garett Long has turned composting into an art form, using it to support soil microbes and eliminate the need for petroleumbased fertilizers. When Andrea Malmberg and her husband, Tony, bought...
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FESTIVAL OF TREES
For the last 33 years, the Festival of Trees has provided an injection of holiday spirit in the Eugene area and the long-time event is back again this year, raising funds for the Pete Moore Hospice House. The Tour of Trees showcases more than 45 trees...
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PeaceHealth makes 850 baskets for Thanksgiving
On the first floor of the Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, PeaceHealth caregivers, family, and friends worked together like a well-oiled machine toward a common goal. On this occasion, what they were working on wasn’t medical-related at all....
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THE SWEETEST SEASON
This is not retail manager Kyla Valdez’s first holiday season at Euphoria Chocolates. She knows to get ready for a large influx of customers and to start putting out product early. People who grumble about Christmas trees before Thanksgiving would be...
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Going to the birds Why there are so many turkeys around Eugene
If you live in Eugene, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered your share of turkeys. And you may wonder, “Why are there so many turkeys in Oregon’s second largest city?” Christopher Yee, Wildlife Biologist for Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife,...
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‘No place to go’
Lane County is making deep cuts to its homelessness shelter system following state budget reductions. In September, county staff told commissioners the state had nearly halved Lane County’s homeless shelter allocation from $15 million to $7.6 million...
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Peace on Earth sign lights the night sky
“There is peace on earth. I repeat, there is peace on earth,” maintenance worker Reed Gilchrist announced to staff standing on top of Ya-Po-Ah Terrace in Eugene on Nov. 10. This year marks the 49th year the “Peace on Earth” sign on Eugene’s tallest...
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ODFW stocks 50K kokanee in Green Peter Reservoir
Kokanee are coming back to Green Peter Reservoir. Whether they’ll actually stay there for anglers to catch remains an open question. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked 50,000 kokanee fingerlings in the reservoir northeast of Sweet...
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PROBLEMS AT THE SURFACE 20,000 people in Eugene live in homes at risk for landslides
In an instant, a landslide can level a home or even an entire community. ● Landslides aren’t always slow-moving, avoidable events. Debris flows — a dangerous combination of earth, debris and water that can move as fast as 50 mph — are not uncommon in...
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Weight loss drugs to receive price cut
President Donald Trump announced a deal Nov. 6 with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to cut prices of their popular weight loss drugs and expand Medicare coverage of these medications for older adults. The negotiated deals will allow Medicare and...
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How to watch king tides on the Oregon coast
King tide season has arrived on the Oregon coast. These monster tides are the highest of the year and occur when gravity from the sun, moon and Earth pull in specific ways to create exceptional ocean surges. They happen in late fall and winter in...
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Why board now has new chair, vice chair
Two Springfield Public Schools board members were stripped of their leadership roles and one was formally censured for violating board policies. Former SPS Board of Education Chair Jonathan Light and Vice Chair Ken Kohl directly contacted the Oregon...
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Radius Recycling fire under investigation
Highway 99 was closed for over 3 hours on Nov. 3 after a steel pile ignited outside of a building at Radius Recycling, formerly called Schnitzers Steel, in Eugene. According to Jeff Loewenheim, a battalion chief for the Eugene Springfield Fire...
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URCHIN CULLING DELIVERS RESULTS
For years, Macklyn Cove was a land of the living dead. ● Located near Brookings along Oregon’s south coast, the cove was once home to vast underwater kelp forests that supported species as small as shrimp to as massive as gray whales while sequestering...
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PAWS ON SUPPORT
Meet Serenity Sam, Rex-covery, Corporal Carlton, Sabrina, and Daisy, five dogs donated to local law enforcement agencies and adult treatment services tasked with providing emotional support to people during critical incidents, community outreach...
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Firefighters want special district to be in control
Firefighters in Eugene and Springfield say they want to be governed by a special district because they are under resourced as part of the city budgets. To test this claim, The RegisterGuard collected data on five metrics: staffing, response times,...
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Birds bounce back
When I started bird-watching as a teenager, a few years after the first Earth Day in 1970, several species that once thrived in my region were nowhere to be found. Some, like the passenger pigeon, were extinct. Others had retreated to more remote,...
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MIXED-REALITY
Thurston High students flew helicopters, welded damaged piers and captained ships — at least in virtual reality. The U.S. Navy brought its new “Strike Group” mixed-reality experience to Thurston on Oct. 29, inviting students to try out simulations of...
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Nights of horror
Ky Leavelle watched “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for the first time at her friend’s house on Halloween when she was 16. It was love at first sight, even though the movie didn’t make much sense the first time she watched it. Leavelle was drawn in by...
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No Halloween plan?
We’ve been waiting all month, and the day is almost here. Halloween! Do you have plans? There are all sorts of events and parties happening around Eugene and Springfield, depending on what you want to get up to. If you’re looking to celebrate with...
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REMAINING RESILIENT
Since becoming Clear Lake Community Center in June, the former elementary school has found new purpose, welcoming groups that benefit the Bethel neighborhood. The community center, now open 4 months, has become the home of childcare providers serving...
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Prince Pückler’s celebrates half a century in Eugene
When Laura Robertson first started working at Prince Pückler’s, she didn’t love it. Laura was 15 at the time, so young that her parents had to drop her off at the storefront because she couldn’t drive herself. She remembers feeling awkward scooping...
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11 Trump policy changes affecting the outdoors
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has sought to change public land management in the United States through actions aimed at shrinking the federal government and reducing environmental regulations. ● In Oregon, the goals include boosting...
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Birds bounce back
When I started bird-watching as a teenager, a few years after the first Earth Day in 1970, several species that once thrived in my region were nowhere to be found. Some, like the passenger pigeon, were extinct. Others had retreated to more remote,...
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A PLACE TO PLAY
Travel Lane County wants an indoor sports facility, saying such a project would drive travelers to Lane County in the winter, the slow season for tourism, and by extension boost the local economy. Samara Phelps, president & CEO of Travel Lane County,...
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La Mouette bakes fresh bread in West Eugene
A lot is happening in the Eugene restaurant scene this week. A new bakery is settling into the swing of things in West Eugene, where baker Guillaume Gras is making delicious Europeanstyle bread. Prince Pückler’s is turning 50 years old this month and...
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Fire and fermentation at ColdFire’s new restaurant
Food writer Michael Pollan once said fermentation is nature’s cold fire, a way to change food without cooking it. Brothers Dan and Stephen Hughes agree. The pair opened ColdFire Brewing in 2015 and have been harnessing the power of fermentation for...
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Hellscape? Portland, Oregon, begs to differ
PORTLAND – Ana Hilde doesn’t recognize the apocalyptic version of Portland that Donald Trump has been selling to the world. The Portland she loves is a creative community where people are openminded, think critically, push for change and help their...
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‘No Kings’ march shuts down streets of Eugene
Inflatable costumes, bubbles, loud cheers, honking cars, unique signs, Raging Grannies, cheerful marching, funky dancing, traffic jams and hopeful chants describe the scene at the “No Kings” protest in downtown Eugene on Oct. 18. Thousands of people...
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PacificSource’s change affects 90,000 policies
PacificSource Health Plans, an insurance provider based in Springfield, plans to stop serving Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members in Lane County on Jan. 1, 2026. PacificSource’s 90,000 members in the Lane County service area can expect to see their...
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A NATURAL FIT
Land on Eugene’s riverfront that the city obtained as part of a land swap with the University of Oregon is now officially part of the Eugene parks system, the city announced Oct. 14. In 2023, Eugene City Council and the University of Oregon Board of...
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