The Register-Guard
EYES ON ORCA
The city of Florence was abuzz with energy and excitement the morning of April 8. Whale watchers donned their cameras and brought out their binoculars, heading toward the mouth of the Siuslaw River where a killer whale was spotted swimming upriver....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Springfield sends librarian layoff notice amid budget talks
The City of Springfield has sent a layoff letter to one of its librarians, has closed another position, and likely will close the library on Mondays, according to people familiar with the situation. According to library volunteers Jim Lauinger and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘IT’S SAFER NOT TO BE AFRAID’
An abundance of delighted — and frightened — shrieks filled the Walterville Elementary School gymnasium on April 3 as students watched box after box filled with critters be revealed. K-5 students crowded around “Oregon Reptile Man” Richard Ritchey as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
From chili crisp to the whole sando
Eugene’s hottest new sandwich shop isn’t a shop at all. Hidden away in an industrial area of West Eugene, there is a commissary kitchen. Ben Maude and Ginger McCabe spend many hours there working on Chili Royale, their chili crisp oil business. But a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STEAM PLANT TO DREAM PLANT
For decades, the Standby Steam Plant, located in Eugene’s developing downtown riverfront neighborhood, has sat vacant. Years of vandalism have broken dozens of windows and graffiti scrawls across the interior walls of the dilapidated building. Now,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PeaceHealth’s new inpatient rehab facility taking shape
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can impact how a person moves, thinks and acts. These injuries, usually caused by outside forces, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, can lead to severe and permanent disability and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Huge plans for EXPANSION
Even as sections of the former PeaceHealth University District hospital are demolished, one part of the campus is getting a second life. ● Bushnell University acquired two former PeaceHealth buildings along 11th Avenue in November. ● The monster,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CONVICTED
A Lane County jury convicted Scott Stolarczyk, 52, of second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence on April 2 in connection with a car crash that killed 79-year-old Sharon Schuman in South Eugene last year. The verdict was announced at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DevNW’s Floral Hill project to offer 40 affordable homes
A rundown fixer with stained carpets and no chance at financing. A home with a shop in need of electrical work and a yard filled with trash. An empty lot. Eugene’s real estate listings priced below $275,000 are slim picking. But a new Laurel Hill...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A SNEAK PEEK AT CHARRED
The foodies of Eugene and Springfield have missed Charred. The restaurant has been on hiatus since owners Terry McKay and David Lucht closed up shop inside the Washburne Cafe to focus on getting their new property ready for business. Lucht and McKay...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Carmen-Smith rec area is reopening
The Eugene Water and Electric Board is reopening the Carmen-Smith recreation area. It has been closed for nine years. EWEB’s Carmen-Smith Hydro-electric project is a network of three dams and reservoirs and two power-generating plants near the source...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
University District hospital demolished
The shuttered PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District hospital and ancillary building are being demolished at 1255 Hilyard St. in Eugene, according to Joseph Waltasi, PeaceHealth spokesperson. The hospital closed in 2023 due to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Eugene-Springfield protests Trump policies
Thousands of people gathered outside Springfield City Hall on March 28 for a No Kings protest, themed “No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings.” The gathering, which began at 11 a.m., is the latest in a series of mass demonstrations across the U.S., in cities...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Will Oregon enter new era amid logging push?
Editor’s note: In honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Statesman Journal and its sister publication, The Register-Guard, are embarking on a yearlong project exploring the history and culture that define...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
What happened to Manuel Bayya?
The family of Manuel “Manny” Bayya, a Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians member who went missing from Elmira in 2022, hosted a rally in downtown Eugene on March 27 to bring awareness to his disappearance. “I’ve never planned anything like this...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Federal audit of MacLaren praises staff effort
Federal auditors praised the staff of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon’s largest juvenile detention center in Woodburn, for working swiftly to protect residents from harassment or inappropriate comments. The Prison Rape Elimination Act (or...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
One-wheel wonders
Have you ever seen 75 elementary schoolers unicycling in unison? Probably not, if you haven’t had the pleasure of watching McCornack Elementary School’s Unicycle Club in action. This atypical extracurricular activity is a longtime tradition at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
UP IN THE AIR
Travelers across the United States face significant disruptions as Transportation Security Administration agents skip work rather than work without pay amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. In response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
What’s UpDog?
Inside a remodeled sprinter van, wet noses, wagging tails and panting smiles from dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds are abundant. UpDog Mobile Dog Gym brings a dog’s favorite activity to owners’ doorsteps with its roving facility dedicated to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘We’ve had to do some creative financing’
A historic fire truck shortage and extensive manufacturing delays are leaving fire departments across the U.S. with aging fleets. ● Eugene Springfield Fire is no exception. ● The department ordered new engines and trucks three years ago and has yet to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WHAT TO KNOW FOR CHERRY BLOSSOM DAY
The Oregon State Capitol Mall's Akebono cherry trees are approaching peak bloom just in time for the annual Cherry Blossom Day. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 146 in 2017, establishing Cherry Blossom Day in Salem on the third Saturday in March every...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘When you follow your heart, good things happen’
In February of 2026, Peggy Starr got off the train in Eugene. She had packed her bags in Wisconsin, tired of the snow and feeling trapped in her retirement community, and headed to the town she spent many years of her life in. After two days of travel,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Are park goers feeding coyotes at Mt. Pisgah?
Wildlife sightings at Mount Pisgah Arboretum, a park located within the greater Howard Buford Recreation Area, are common. In 2026, sightings of coyotes have been more common than usual. Frequency of coyote sightings in the park has increased...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oregon logging could quadruple
The Bureau of Land Management wants to increase logging in western Oregon and public comment is open on the proposal. The “Oregon and California Revested Railroad Lands Act” from 1937 gives the BLM authority to govern 2.46 million acres of federal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
What’s next for crisis response?
Two organizations have put forward very different plans for what services they would provide if awarded the contract city officials have described as Eugene’s replacement for the CAHOOTS community response program. In late January, Eugene invited...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Rumored ICE facilities on coast prompt protest
A few dozen protesters gathered at the Eugene Federal Building on March 14 to protest against the federal government’s pursuit of building new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Oregon. The demonstration was put on by Indivisible...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CARE IN CRISIS
After United Healthcare group Optum acquired Oregon Medical Group, prompting an exodus of doctors from Eugene-Springfield, state lawmakers took action. The state passed legislation in 2025 to prevent management services organizations, or businesses...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A LESSON IN PERSISTENCE
Amidst a financial scandal, loss of educators and a huge enrollment drop, South Hills Montessori School, which occupies the former Far Horizons Montessori School, is trying to bounce back. The private school was thrust into turmoil in summer 2025,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
EVERY 15 MINUTES
Editor’s note: This article contains depictions of fake blood and injuries as part of an educational simulation. Law enforcement bustled around to put finishing touches on the scene, applying fake blood and shoving empty beer cans in the door of a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BUILDING UP
The University of Oregon modified its request to build more dorms along the east edge of campus, and public comment is now open on the proposal. UO requested Eugene City Council loosen city land use code so the university can build a series of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lawmakers adjourn
Oregon’s 2026 “short” legislative session concluded March 6. Democrats, who hold a supermajority in Oregon’s legislature, largely celebrated the session, saying they succeeded in their goals of responding to President Donald Trump’s immigration...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TO RESPOND’
The Oregon Legislature passed a bill creating a legal pathway for those convicted on the basis of discredited “junk science” to prove their innocence. Supporters of Senate Bill 1515 B said it will deliver justice to wrongfully convicted Oregonians and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gwen’s Homestyle Kitchen soul food truck debuts
Chef Distro remembers the first meal he made for himself. He was 6 years old, and his mom was going out for the night. She told him to fix his own dinner. “I cooked some pancakes and eggs, and I fried some mush meat in the pan, and then I had some...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Breweries have been closing doors
When Professor Tom Shellhammer started working in OSU’s Fermentation Science Program in 2001, he remembers there being around 3,000 breweries in the United States. Each fall, when he would teach his Introduction to Wine, Beer and Spirits class, he...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ICE ON CAMPUS
Student groups and labor unions rejoiced after the Oregon Legislature passed a bill requiring schools and colleges send alerts when federal immigration is present on campus. House Bill 4079 requires public schools and colleges to adopt policies for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dick’s House of Sport coming to Valley River
Eugene’s Valley River Center plans to welcome a new anchor tenant at the shopping mall. Construction for a Dick’s House of Sport, a retail concept from Dick’s Sporting Goods, is expected to begin this spring. Dick’s House of Sport offers handson...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
What happened to Trevor Naughton?
Michael Trevor Naughton, 42, of Eugene, remains missing, according to the Lane County Sheriff ’s Office. ● Naughton’s vehicle was discovered on Feb. 19 in the Gate Creek area, east of Vida off Highway 126. He left the vehicle the day prior to get gas...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bill aims to keep suspects in custody
Members of Eugene’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community testified before the House Committee on Rules at the Oregon State Legislature on March 2 in support of a bill that would give magistrate judges the ability to consider primary and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘It’s still getting brighter’
A University of Oregon astrophysicist and her team have made a surprising discovery after years of observing a supermassive black hole. It was 2018 when a peer of UO assistant professor and astronomer Yvette Cendes first observed a supermassive black...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Healthcare workers, academics join protest
Hundreds of protestors gathered at Eugene’s Park Blocks Feb. 28 for a march and rally coordinated by the Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network that encouraged local labor unions to stand in solidarity against U.S. Immigration and Customs...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Looking for justice
The family of a man who police shot and killed just after Christmas in 2024 has filed a $12.5 million wrongful death lawsuit against Lane County, the State of Oregon and several law enforcement officers. ● On Dec. 27, 2024, three residents of Prindel...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLEAN ENERGY FUND
Local environmental groups have launched a ballot initiative to establish a “Eugene Clean Energy fund,” aimed at getting the biggest companies operating in Eugene to pay for local clean energy projects. The proposal, which proponents filed with the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Our customers have been asking for this’
REI is almost ready to welcome shoppers to its new location in Eugene’s Oakway Center. The store opens Feb. 27. REI Co-Op announced plans to relocate in January 2025. Since then, the company has been preparing the new location in a former Bed, Bath &...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Colorful disobedience
On any given Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Eugene Federal Building is alive with color and action. Protesters riding ducks, frogs, and unicorns rally with flags and megaphones. Passing motorists cheer them on as the characters stand against U.S....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Red Hat Resistance knits to protest ICE
Craft supply shops across Eugene and Springfield are selling out of red yarn. National yarn suppliers are struggling to keep up with demand. Why? The Red Hat Resistance. “It’s getting harder to find,” said Karen Mortensen, owner of Cozy, located in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Daisy CHAIN closes
Eugene’s longtime Daisy CHAIN postpartum nonprofit permanently closed Feb. 20. Since 2012, Daisy CHAIN (Creating Healthy Alliances In New-mothering) provided an array of services for people in the early stages of parenting in Lane County. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
255 Madison shuts doors
On Feb. 17, the food trucks outside 255 Madison saw a note taped to their windows. “Due to compliance and licensing issues, we are requiring you to remove your food cart from the property at 255 Madison indefinitely by March 5, 2026.” The owners of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Black exclusion laws still impact residents
Editor’s note: In honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Register-Guard and its sister publication, the Statesman Journal, are embarking on a year-long project exploring the history and culture that define...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Oregon in tariff lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Feb. 20, siding with Oregon in a 6-3 decision that will have broad impacts on his presidency. Oregon and 11 other states joined businesses in claiming Trump had exceeded...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘This was a clear line for us’
A talk about protecting water scheduled for Feb. 18 was canceled after the host church learned about the speaker’s association with transphobic views. Eugene’s First United Methodist Church planned to host the event as part of Community Rights Lane...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Why North Eugene students held an anti-ICE walkout
North Eugene High became the latest local school to organize an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement walkout, with at least 300 students marching down Silver Lane then River Road on Feb. 17. ● Students waved signs, yelled chants over megaphones and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Keep hope alive!’
In 1988 I was still finding my bearings as a newly hired photographer for The Register-Guard. Two weeks after my start day, on May 12, then-presidential candidate Jesse Jackson came to town. Jackson died Feb. 17, 2026. At that time he was one of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY
Students join Ebenezer Amartey, center, a dancer with Woseiko, a West African drum and dance group from Portland, in a traditional dance to end a “Celebrating Dr. King and Black History Month: HOPE – The Program” assembly at North Eugene High School on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lawsuits, contract delays, complaints
For those watching the turmoil at Springfield Public Schools closely, Superintendent Todd Hamilton’s impending resignation may not have come as a surprise. Over the past eight months, the board failed to renew Hamilton’s contract on time, complaints...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FALLOUT OVER FEES
The future of Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act is up in the air after a federal judge said portions of the law may be illegal, and can’t be enforced without full argument. On Feb. 6, Judge Michael Simon issued his initial order in the lawsuit that...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NEW TAX BREAKS
Eugene is looking for ways incentivize developers to build middle-income housing and living spaces in commercial areas. The City Council on Feb. 11 advanced two new tax exemptions with the goal of lowering the cost of these types of housing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
St. Vinnie’s ‘getting weird’ with Eugene’s Banksy, Suspish
Eugene stands apart from other cities in many ways: A hub for counterculture, an artistic environment and a community welcoming of all the weird, wonderful quirks of individuality. St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County has been a longtime supporter of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Concerts, puppets, book swaps, and drag shows
Oh, Eugene. If I was a tarot reader, I would say there is a week of love and romance in the cards for you this February. Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14, which lands on a Saturday this year. That means more time to celebrate the love in your life, whether...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Guerrero takes stage with Bad Bunny at Super Bowl
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2026 | REGISTERGUARD.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK This year’s Super Bowl game was pretty boring, but everyone’s talking about Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. Eugene music lovers might have spotted Giancarlo Guerrero, the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Polar plunge for a cause
John Hairston, the current administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, will most likely be the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s next general manager. Following closed-door interviews, EWEB commissioners picked Hairston to lead the local...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘A BRIGHT MIND’ LOST
The first thing you noticed about Erick Munene Njue was his smile. ● That’s what friends and loved ones of Njue, an international University of Oregon Ph.D. student, said. They described him as kind, humble, intentional, dependable, bright and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Knudson signs on to letter to Noem, Homan
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2026 | REGISTERGUARD.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson was one of 31 Oregon mayors who signed onto a letter with Gov. Tina Kotek demanding an “immediate halt” to federal immigration enforcement...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Woman sentenced for crash that killed daughter
A woman who was tried three times for a fatal 2022 crash on Highway 58 pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison plus three years of post-prison supervision. Lane County and the woman reached a plea deal and she was sentenced Feb...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Oregon’s iconic Abiqua Falls listed for sale
One of the most iconic waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest is up for sale. ● Abiqua Falls, a 92-foot cascade near Scotts Mills that’s graced the covers of magazines, newspapers and websites, was listed for sale, without a price, on Redfin on Feb. 2. ●...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Truffle dogs, polar plunge, Tina Turner musical
The eNewspaper is an electronic copy of your print newspaper. Enjoy every page by going to registerguard.com/enewspaper or scan this code on your mobile device. You will also find late news and sports in the bonus sections. Check it out today! Are you...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COMBATING THE COLD
Egan Warming Centers activated 11 days in a row from Jan. 15 to Jan. 25, the longest Egan activation since the program began in 2009. Egan Warming Centers are primarily volunteer-run temporary cold weather shelters that, when open, serve hundreds of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Despite contract win, OSEA dreads 87 FTE cuts due to budget shortfall
Eugene School District 4J and the Oregon State Education Association classified union have approved their final contract which includes cost-of-living adjustments and groundbreaking safety language. OSEA represents just under 900 classified employees,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘We literally changed his life’
At age 6, Ronan Lynch gained the independence to choose where he goes. While most parents mark off milestones like taking their first steps, Ronan’s parents Katie and Kevin Lynch never experienced that moment. Instead, seeing Ronan, who is nonverbal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Trump actions worry free-speech advocates
The FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home on Jan. 14 was a rare and intimidating move by an administration focused on repressing criticism and dissent. In its story about the search at Hannah Natanson’s home, at which FBI agents said they...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SOLE SISTERS
Temperatures dipped below freezing the night before, but Jennifer Zarazua is out on the running trail Saturday morning nonetheless. For the past half year, she’s been trying to start an all-women running group in Eugene that she calls Sole Sisters. Her...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Protesters clash with federal agents in Eugene
A tense clash between protesters and federal agents outside the Eugene Federal Building filled the air in downtown with noxious fumes and loud bangs Jan. 27. Just after noon, a “wall” of federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Giving on the menu
The smell of marinated meats, salsa, and juicy burgers mingle in the air at 4190 Barger Drive as people begin to line up for food. Eva’s Taqueria and B&B Burgerhouse are just opening for the day, and customers are hungry. As the food truck pod gets...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WEEKEND KILLING PROMPTS PROTESTS
People gathered outside the Eugene Federal Building Saturday and Sunday to protest the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday. Pretti was an ICU nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs. A vigil organized...
Read Full Story (Page 1)