By Melissa Wagoner Right about the time Lexi Tucker was learning to talk, she was also learning to sing. Raised on a farm near Stayton, it didn’t take long before Tucker’s mom noticed her daughter’s talent and enrolled her in voice lessons. “I always took the chance to sing in talent shows,” Tucker said, recalling that, even when the family […]
By Melissa Wagoner Robby Morrissey’s AP Computer Science class at John F. Kennedy High School recently got the attention of an organization known as the College Board, which oversees advanced placement classes across the nation. The class enrollment is unusual in an industry composed mostly of white males. “Last year the majority of the class (we had about 20) were […]
By Melissa Wagoner During the spring conferences held on March 22, each family in the Mt. Angel School District was given a gift – a brand new copy of R.J. Palacio’s award-winning book, Wonder. “We saw a need, especially as we come out of COVID,” Middle School Principal Jeff Taylor said of the project, which he hopes will encourage a […]
By Melissa Wagoner It’s Best Fox Ever season at Silverton High School, a time when six members of the senior class go head-to-head in a competition to discover, not only who is the best fox but who can raise the most money for two important nonprofits, Silverton Area Community Aid and Medical Teams International – a nonprofit providing life-saving medical […]
Ronald (Ron) Edward Hunt of Salem, Oregon went to be with the Lord on April 2, 2024. He lived life to the fullest and died peacefully at Capital Manor in West Salem from heart related issues. Ron was born on May 22, 1933, in Portland, Oregon to William and Lucille (Bowman) Hunt. Ron had a life-long love of sports, especially […]
Ronald “Tad” Engle, Jr. passed away peacefully on March 11, 2024, at the age of 64. Tad is survived by his wife, Cookie Carroll; his parents, Ron and Connie Engle; his siblings, Eric (Cindy) Engle and Jacquie (Jon) Edgar; and his nieces and nephew, Jenny Jordan, Melissa Edgar, Keenan Engle, and Darian Engle. Tad grew-up in Silverton, Oregon. After high […]
Tricia Marie Mulder was born on Oct. 29, 1961, in Newport Beach, California. A graduate of CSU Long Beach, she was married to James Paul Mulder on Feb. 5, 1994 in the San Diego, California temple. Tricia found her greatest fulfillment in the embrace of her cherished family, the laughter of her grandchildren, and the warmth of devoted friends who […]
Dorothy Marie Fish, 92, beloved wife and mother, passed away peacefully at Salem Hospital on March 12, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. Dorothy was born on July 31, 1931 in Silverton, Oregon, to parents Emidio and Bertha DeSantis. She graduated from Mt. Angel Preparatory School (now JFK High School) and retired from the United States Postal Service after working many years […]
Michael Allen Bordelon, 72, of Silverton, Oregon, passed away peacefully at home on April 2, 2024, surrounded by family. Mike was one of five kids born to Patricia and Allen Bordelon of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. After graduating from high school in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry at Oklahoma State University (BS) and the University […]
By Melissa Wagoner Learning to read is one of the most important skills a child can master, according to Mark Twain Elementary School principal Katie Beckett. “It’s the gateway to equity,” she said. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy, especially for those students who spent their kindergarten year learning online during the COVID pandemic. For those students, lower than […]
The Kennedy High baseball team won its final 7 games in the 2022 season, ending up with a state Class 2A-1A title. Last year, a veteran team that started eight seniors went 31-0 and repeated as state champions. This season a young squad with just one returning starter, Brody Kleinschmit, won its first eight games. That’s 46 in a row […]
I grew up in a family, and community, which revered our small-town newspaper. We read it, we discussed it and we argued about it when we thought the viewpoint was flawed. We knew the writers. We saw them at gatherings, they were the friends of my parents and the parents of my classmates. In other words, they were people just […]
Former Newberg Superintendent Joe Morelock has been hired as interim superintendent for the Silver Falls School District (SFSD), with the goal of “stabilizing” its finances and administration. On Monday night, the SFSD Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Willamette Education Service District (WESD), where Morelock currently serves as superintendent. The agreement goes into effect April 3 through June 30, during […]
Silverton High School (SHS) Principal Sione Thompson has resigned from his position as of today to take the helm of a struggling charter school in Nevada. In a media release Tuesday, the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) confirmed Thompson resigned effective April 2 and Assistant Principal Patrick Mulligan has become interim principal. Mulligan is expected to serve through the remainder […]
By Stephen Floyd Officials with the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) believe workforce reductions are necessary as they learn a projected budget deficit may be greater than initially estimated. On March 21 during a special meeting of the board, Director of Finance Kim Doud said they were learning about revenue shortfalls that could deepen an original deficit projection of $825,000. […]
Scott Drue has resigned as superintendent of the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) amid a deficit projection of more than $825,000 and concerns from teachers of “toxic” leadership. Drue’s resignation was accepted by the SFSD Board during a special meeting March 13, effective immediately. The board then named Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch as acting superintendent. In a prepared statement, Drue […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is preparing a two-pronged approach to temporarily fill the vacant superintendent’s position. The board plans to appoint both an interim superintendent and a goodwill ambassador. During a March 21 workshop, the SFSD board members said they face the distinct challenges of repairing a growing budget deficit and restoring trust in district […]
The Silver Fall School District Board has unanimously voted to remove a $73 million bond measure Silver Fall School District Boardfrom the May 21 ballot amid broader financial and administrative challenges. The decision was made during a special meeting held virtually the afternoon of March 21, as the district had a deadline of 5 p.m. that day to pull the […]
By James Day Housing continues to be a major concern statewide, with the Legislature passing another major housing bill in its recently completed short session. The City of Silverton decided to bone up on housing and land use issues in a March 18 joint session involving city staff, the City Council and the Planning Commission. The special meeting heard from […]
By James Day Thriving in Times of Change is the theme for the Sustainable Silverton event set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 at The Oregon Garden. Admission is $12 and includes refreshments. Registration is available at https://www.simpletix.com/e/thriving-in-times-of-change-tools-for-adap-tickets-163552/. The conference begins inside the Garden’s education center, which is the building on the right as you enter […]
Submissions are open for the 10th annual Community Art Show at Oak St. Church and local artists are invited to share their talent, skill and creativity. The show is Saturday, May 4, 3 – 8 p.m. at 502 Oak St., Silverton. Art submissions are due April 24. To enter, artists can email [email protected] with a well-lit, in-focus photo of their […]
By Brenna Wiegand A visit to the emergency room is never fun, but having swifter care, greater privacy and up-to-the-minute amenities doesn’t hurt. March 18, Legacy Silverton Medical Center opened its brand-new entrance doors upon an expansion/remodel project that includes a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED). The 21,000-square-foot expansion brings visitors through a covered entrance into a spacious lobby and […]
Marlene Marie Kahut Ruef passed away at the age of 85 on Feb. 28, 2024 at her home in Mount Angel, Oregon. She was born on Sept. 22, 1938 in Woodburn, Oregon to Frank and Rose Kahut. Marlene was raised on a farm in Woodburn. She graduated from Mt. Angel Academy in June 1956. On July 14, 1956 she married […]
Francis Joseph Piatz of Mount Angel, Oregon, died Feb. 27, 2024 at the age of 89. He was born at home in the small town of Napoleon, North Dakota on June 7, 1934, to Joseph and Rose (Gross) Piatz. Francis was the middle child in between two sisters. The family moved to Mount Angel when he was two years old. […]
Roger Lawrence Willey, 72, of Silverton, Oregon passed away peacefully at home in his favorite chair Saturday on March 2, 2024. He was surrounded by his wife of 48 years, his three grown children, two grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Roger was born Jan. 1, 1952 in Macomb, Illinois to Russell L. and Elizabeth F. (Peterson) Willey. After he turned […]
