Volume 7, Number 205, September 17, 2026

VOLUME 7, NUMBER 205
Thursday, September 17, 2026

Good morning, Philomath.

The school district has transitioned to a new student transportation provider and we wanted to take a closer look at how things are going. A partnership between the city and University of Oregon on various projects is gearing up. We have a full obituary for Nephi Patton, who passed away on Monday. The School Board meets tonight with a PERS bond presentation on the agenda. City employee Brianna Harwood received nice recognition early this week. The BCSO Log has just one item. In partner content, an audit turned up expensive errors related to Medicaid payouts. FYI, yesterday’s newsletter picked up a link to an old girls basketball story somehow instead of girls soccer. Here’s the story if you missed it. — Brad Fuqua, Publisher/Editor

Editor’s Choice

District’s new bus company brings newer fleet, safety tech to Philomath routes

More than two months after First Student Inc. took over student transportation for the Philomath School District, the company’s buses are running, its new operations […]

News

City-UO partnership kicks off with housing, transportation projects

Philomath city officials outlined a slate of University of Oregon student projects planned for the coming year during Monday evening’s Philomath City Council meeting, part […]

Obituary: Nephi Monroe Patton (1934-2026)

Nephi Monroe Patton of Philomath, Oregon, passed away peacefully on Sept. 14, 2026. It is a testament to his devotion to his family that he […]

Harwood honored for 20 years of service to Philomath

The Philomath City Council on Monday night honored Brianna Harwood for 20 years of service to the city with a celebration of her rise from […]

Philomath School Board to hear PERS bond pitch

The Philomath School Board plans to meet Thursday evening for an agenda that includes an Oregon Public Employees Retirement System bond presentation and discussion from […]

BCSO Log: DUII arrest at Main and 17th

A rundown of recent responses from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office included a DUII stop at Main and 17th in Philomath.

Oregon Medicaid program erroneously paid up to $4.1M due to system errors, audit says

Oregon’s Medicaid program overpaid up to $4.1 million to local healthcare organizations across the state after state officials failed to account for hundreds of duplicate […]

Oregon isn’t on track to meet transportation emissions goals, forecast shows

Oregon has lost much of the progress it had made toward its transportation greenhouse gas emissions goal, according to a new progress forecast. More than […]

How much does memory care cost in Oregon?

The national average cost of a memory care facility is about $6,999 per month, according to proprietary data from A Place for Mom. Costs vary […]

Philomath in Photos

**THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, 2026:** Philomath High’s spirit rock promotes the upcoming Glow Dance. (Photo by Eric Niemann)

Community Calendar

Thursday, Sept. 17
• Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
• PHS Girls Soccer vs. Molalla, 4 p.m.
• PHS Boys Soccer at Molalla, 6 p.m.
• City of Philomath Citizens’ Academy — Session 3, 6-8 p.m.
• Philomath School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18
• American Red Cross Blood Drive, noon-5 p.m.
• Bingo at the Grange, 6-8:30 p.m.
• PHS Football vs. Molalla, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19
• PHS Cross-Country at The Mook XC Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
• Johnson Collection Center Tours at Philomath Museum, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Lego Saturday at the Library, 11 a.m.
• PHS Girls Volleyball at Astoria, 12:30 p.m.
• PHS Girls Volleyball vs. Warrenton at Astoria, 2 p.m.
• Choro na Cozinha at Lumos Wine Co., 2-4 p.m.
• Potluck and Open Mic Night at Marys River Grange, 5:30 p.m.

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Editor’s Choice

News

Philomath in Photos

In Case You Missed It

Community Calendar