• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • Part of an estimated crowd of 750 people give Sen. Jeff Merkley a standing ovation at the end of his town hall on Sunday afternoon at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • Philomath School Superintendent Susan Halliday passes out a booklet that Sen. Jeff Merkley distributed at the town hall. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • A town hall attendee asks Sen. Jeff Merkley a question during Sunday’s Benton County Town Hall at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • Karen Rowe, left, and Sharon Thornberry of Philomath Community Services were recognized for the work of Nancy’s Food Pantry at Sen. Jeff Merkley’s town hall. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • Philomath Mayor Christopher McMorran leads the crowd with reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley chats with the Philomath News prior to Sunday’s town hall. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley town hall meeting at Philomath High School. (Photo by Andy Cripe/Philomath News)

Andy Cripe is a longtime professional news and sports photographer who worked several years in this region for the Corvallis Gazette-Times and Albany Democrat-Herald.