VOLUME 6, NUMBER 173
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Good morning, Philomath.
Here’s a look back at the top stories of this past week. Sen. Ron Wyden made another town hall appearance in Philomath and we had coverage from Wes Flow with photos by Andy Cripe. We caught up with the Philomath School Board and wrote about this upcoming school year’s bell-to-bell cellphone ban. My weekend Three Things column covered PHS forestry, Maxtivity and Softstar Shoes. Plus, there were stories on last weekend’s back-to-back wildfires, an extreme heat warning that remains in effect, a preview on Monday’s council meeting and local items in the BCSO Log. I’ll be back Tuesday with the next newsletter. — Brad Fuqua, Publisher/Editor
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Wyden pressed on Israel, Trump at Philomath town hall
Senator defends vote on U.S. weapons sales to Israel, blasts Trump’s police actions and outlines tax, aid priorities
U.S. support for Israel and policies of former President Donald Trump dominated discussion at Sen. Ron Wyden’s Benton County town hall Monday in Philomath. Wyden spoke before a nearly full auditorium at Philomath High School, marking the 1,133rd town hall of his Senate career. The most contentious topic was Wyden’s stance on support for Israel. […]
Gallery: Ron Wyden Town Hall (Aug. 20, 2025)
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden holds his annual Benton County Town Hall event at Philomath High School on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Philomath School District prepares for cellphone ban under governor’s executive order
The Philomath School District will implement a bell-to-bell ban on personal electronic devices this fall as part of a strategy to build on last year’s limits while moving toward compliance with Gov. Tina Kotek’s executive order. The July 2 executive order requires schools to prohibit K-12 students from using personal electronic devices during the entire […]
Three Things: PHS forestry program status, Maxtivity publicity and Softstar Shoes acquisition
Superintendent says school district will not cut popular program; local nonprofit profiled in arts and culture publication; and minimalist shoe manufacturer expands its offerings
For the past two months at Philomath School Board meetings, citizens have come forward to share their concerns about the future of the school district’s well-respected forestry program. At the July 7 meeting, lifelong forester and agriculturalist Van Decker spoke during public comments about the importance of the program and how it impacts the lives […]
Two wildfires threaten structures in Philomath area last weekend
Multiple fire agencies respond to back-to-back blazes on Sunday to save homes and buildings
Fire crews from multiple agencies battled two separate wildfires within hours of each other Sunday afternoon to successfully protect threatened structures while containing both blazes, Philomath Fire and Rescue reported. The first fire erupted near Seeley Creek on Highway 34 on the afternoon of Aug. 17. Philomath Fire and Rescue responded at 2:29 p.m. with […]
Extreme heat warning issued for Friday until Tuesday
Temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees Friday followed by highs in the mid-90s Saturday through Tuesday
The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for several regions of the state, including the area that includes Philomath. The warning will run from 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, until 11 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26. Temperatures in the Philomath vicinity are predicted to reach a high of 100 degrees on Friday, 96 on […]