EDITOR’S CHOICE
Philomath Elementary crowns its Battle of the Books champion
Sitting up on a staged area in Philomath Elementary’s school library on Tuesday evening, 10 students took their positions and readied themselves for the competition. The older group featured five fifth graders that adopted the name, “Mini Helpenstell Readers,” an ode to teacher and one of the organizers, Emily Helpenstell. Opposite them were five third graders known simply as “The Bookworms,” certainly an appropriate nickname for the occasion. In the audience were family members, friends and a few other interested…
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BCSO Log: Fentanyl and meth arrest, sex offender registration violation, crashes
The latest Benton County Sheriff’s Office log includes drug arrests, a post-prison supervision violation, failure-to-appear warrants and a sex offender registration charge.
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Kings Valley Charter School reports attendance gains, curriculum changes to Philomath board
Kings Valley Charter School presented its annual report to the Philomath School Board on Feb. 19, touching on student attendance, math performance and graduation trends. Diana Barnhart, KVCS operations director, and John Corbin, board chair, fielded questions from board members on several topics covered in the report. Attendance was a…
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Newport boys claim Oregon West title with win over Philomath
In a battle for the Oregon West Conference regular-season title in boys basketball, Newport came through on its home floor Tuesday night to defeat Philomath, 76-58. The Warriors (13-9 overall, 7-3 Oregon West) will now turn their attention to the Class 4A state playoffs. Philomath will wait for the Oregon…
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Amid housing crisis, Oregon issues building permits for multifamily units at slowest pace in 12 years
Oregon is in a housing crisis. The state needs to build 95,000 housing units to compensate for years of underdevelopment and to house its growing homeless population, according to a recent state report. Multifamily units — from duplexes to large apartment buildings — are one of the most efficient ways…
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Mount Union Stories: Margaret Hill Taylor (1844-1899)
In this week’s Mount Union Stories, read about 54-year-old Margaret Hill Taylor, who died from kidney disease and heart trouble in 1899.
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SPORTS
Philomath girls close out regular season with dominant 59-20 win at Newport
In a final regular-season appearance on the road against an overmatched Newport squad, the Philomath High School girls basketball team on Tuesday rolled to a 59-20 victory. The Warriors (13-10 overall, 5-3 Oregon West) will now wait to see where they will go for the first round of the playoffs.…
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Philomath freshman qualifies for state in girls wrestling
Philomath High freshman Makinzey Harrington punched her ticket to the state wrestling tournament with a runner-up finish at 135 pounds in the 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 1 Championships Friday and Saturday at Molalla. The top four finishers in each weight class qualified for state, scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at Veterans Memorial…
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Philomath in Photos
VIEW PHILOMATH IN PHOTOS GALLERIES FROM PAST MONTHS
THURSDAY, FEB. 26, 2026: A large table at the Out West Farm and Ranch food court displays the brand of the late Winston Grant, longtime rancher in the Harlan vicinity. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 2026: Wood carvings above the entrance to Philomath Community Library. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
TUESDAY, FEB. 24, 2026: Philomath’s Liam Bennett recently led an Eagle Scout project to construct a sensory hub space featuring sandboxes at Clemens Primary School. (Photo provided by Tom Klipfel) 
SUNDAY, FEB. 22, 2026: Cheer squad co-captain Josey Schreiber glances back at family during Senior Night activities on Friday in the PHS gym. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 2026: Sketches of Philomath High School on the wall in the PHS Community Conference Room. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
THURSDAY, FEB. 19, 2026: Flags fly at the Philomath Scout Lodge’s veterans memorial. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18, 2026: Philomath Rotary Club President Fred Shaub goes through various notes with members at the organization’s Tuesday meeting. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
TUESDAY, FEB. 17, 2026: Two women walk Tuesday at Marys River Park and Natural Area on a morning that saw light snow. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
SATURDAY, FEB. 14, 2026: A “Happy Valentine’s Day” inflatable decoration on North 19th Street. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2026: The sun rises behind Philomath High School’s Forestry building, highlighting one of the school’s signature career and technical education programs. (Photo by Barb Davis) 
THURSDAY, FEB. 12, 2026: Open space under a blue sky at Marys River Park and Natural Area. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2026: A view of Philomath Community Library after the removal of the large American elm, which had been designated by the city as a Heritage Tree. The tree was removed because of Dutch elm disease. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
TUESDAY, FEB. 10, 2026: The Corvallis Indoor Winter Market at the Benton County Fairgrounds on Saturdays draws Philomath-area vendors and shoppers. (Photo by Brad Fuqua/Philomath News) 
SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 2026: Evening traffic along Main Street. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
FRIDAY, FEB. 6, 2026: The Shipley Family Homestead Marker in Newton Creek Park. Black History Month is observed in February. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 2026: A piece of Philomath High’s old gym floor before the high school’s remodeling project in 2012. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4, 2026: The Independent Community Center on the corner of Fern Road and Airport Avenue. (Photo by Eric Niemann) 
TUESDAY, FEB. 3, 2026: A snow moon on Groundhog Day over Philomath. (Photo by Eric Niemann)
GALLERIES
STATE
COMMENTARY
STACKER
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Philomath Community Services
Verses
By Kevin Ahern
DO IT YOURSELF
To build some bookcases
For his nook
The carpenter sought
A shelf help book
Where to Write
Click on the name below to send an email to an elected representative:
U.S. SENATE
Sen. Ron Wyden
Sen. Jeff Merkley
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rep. Val Hoyle
OREGON LEGISLATURE
Sen. Dick Anderson
Rep. David Gomberg
BENTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Commissioner Pat Malone
Commissioner Gabe Shepherd
Commissioner Nancy Wyse
PHILOMATH CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Christopher McMorran
President Teresa Nielson
Councilor Jessica Andrade
Councilor Diane Crocker
Councilor Spencer Irwin
Councilor Brent Kaseman
Councilor Rich Saalsaa
PHILOMATH SCHOOL BOARD
Chair Tom Klipfel
Vice Chair Erin McMullen
Director Ryan Cheeke
Director Erin Gudge
Director Sandi Hering