evoked by last week’s nighttime spring showers… Ask one hundred people to name their favorite piece of music and you are likely to get a different answer from each This question came to mind the other night as a much-needed Southern California rainstorm was drumming madly on my rooftop and rat-a-tat-tatting against my bedroom windowpanes Buddy Rich nor Keith Moon ever played more magnificently “Rain is such a lovely lullaby,” I thought cocooned warm and dry beneath a Hudson Bay blanket back to humid summer weekends at our family’s modest cabin with a nearby pond and a not-far-off lake I conjured up another magical melody: the chirping of crickets; joined occasionally by bullfrogs croaking their basso notes a short walk away; and in the distance eerie-but-beautiful lonesome howls of coyotes instead of counting sheep to fall asleep one could count a cricket’s chirps for 15 seconds and arrive at an approximation of the outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit have their own soundtrack for inducing slumber one actually hears an absence of noise as the snow muffles out all but the loudest of sounds it is a beautiful lullaby indeed for as Mozart noted: “The music is not in the notes Nearly as hushed as snowfall and softer than tap-dancing rain with a cadence slower and more soothing than a cicada’s summer song is to fall asleep to the whispered breathing of someone next to you pressed to choose only one song to drift off to I will opt for a percussion performance of waves crashing on the beach but at nighttime the ocean’s anthem is mesmerizingly magnified tenfold One of the magical properties of music is that it is a time machine Hearing a specific song can instantly transport us back to where we were — and who we were — when we first heard it and listened to it frequently Such was the case for my wife’s recent birthday when our family rendezvoused at a rented beach house in Avila Beach — or “Vanilla Beach,” as three-year granddaughter Maya renamed it — for a weekend celebration the cymbal-like crashing waves were largely drowned out by talking and laughing and all other goings on of life after the moon rose and “Goodnight Moon” had been read to Maya and we had all later likewise retired to bed the music was as much in the silence — the sea rising into a gentle swell rising into a vibrating crest — between muffled oceanic thunderclaps back to age 12 when I spent the full summer at Solimar Beach with my godparents For a kid from the Midwest who had never before seen any ocean falling asleep nightly to the Pacific’s pacifying cadence was even better than listening to a rooftop symphony of rain or a concert of cicadas the surf’s song remains my favorite lullaby A Woodburn woman died April 27 in a single vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near Wilsonville Oregon State Police said police responded to the crash at 6:20 a.m A preliminary investigation found Gudino was driving north on I-5 and began to take the exit near milepost 282 when she left the road drove through the grassy shoulder and struck several trees It was not immediately clear what led to the crash The highway was not impacted during the investigation Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of John "Champy" Frank Woodburn created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne 2025 11:22 p.m.The board rejected a resolution late last month and decided to revisit it in March The vote was met with strong pushback from staff families and students.The Woodburn School District now has a ‘Safe and Welcoming Schools’ resolution that reaffirms student protections But the narrowly approved resolution comes after two weeks of community pressure and a couple hours of tears protests and calls for resignations during Tuesday night’s school board meeting The “Reaffirming Safe and Welcoming Schools for All” resolution says Woodburn schools should be welcome places for everyone have a right to safely access free public education The resolution says the board is committed to eliminating barriers that may prevent students from attending school including “the fear and anxiety related to immigration topics and federal immigration policies.” Two weeks ago, the Woodburn School Board rejected the resolution on a 2-3 vote The split vote surprised community members and union leaders alike The board majority worried that backing a public statement on a contentious issue could put the district in a risky financial position as threats of federal funding cuts loom Concerns from three board members at the time led to the resolution’s defeat the members agreed to revisit the conversation in the near future A revised version of the resolution was later added to the March 11 meeting saying the board members had voted to let Immigration and Customs Enforcement Some posts called out individual board members and included their photos Dozens of people packed the boardroom Tuesday night to urge members to pass the original resolution Many argued the newer version watered down the language and made it less legally firm Dozens of people pack the Woodburn School Board meeting on March 11 Most were urging board members to pass the original 'Safe and Welcoming Schools' resolution they rejected in a split vote two weeks prior The resolution reaffirms protections for students Several people held up signs with messages such as: “Students over funding,” “In Woodburn Protect our students!” A petition was presented during testimony that called for the resignation of the three board members who voted against the resolution last month Passions and accusations erupted from both sides Some said the board should be ashamed for not passing the resolution before; one board member who opposed the resolution said the board should be ashamed for considering such a political topic in the first place the board voted to rescind their previous action from Feb They considered the modified version but ultimately passed the original resolution on a narrow 3-1-1 vote Members Ryan Beyer and Courtney Elwell voted again in favor of the resolution allowing the resolution to pass this time around and Legaspi was strict about requiring individuals only read verbatim from written This is a standing practice in the Woodburn boardroom though it isn’t specifically required under the board’s public comment policy — nor is it that common in other Oregon school board meetings About an hour and 40 minutes into the meeting a young person named Neida Robles began her testimony speaking softly: “Before I get started I want to share an experience that I was …” “I just want to share something real quickly,” Robles said “I used to be that little girl crying under the sheet.” “I have three minutes to speak,” Robles responded “You have three minutes to share what is in your statement,” Legaspi said crying under the sheets that my parents were gonna be ripped apart,” Robles continued “Are you going to choose to follow the process?” Legaspi said “Now is my time to speak up for those kids that are living in fear,” Robles said Legaspi turned to Superintendent Juan Larios for guidance as audience members chanted The chair then called the next person up for public comment; Robles stopped her testimony and stepped aside called out the board for having this process in place requiring people to submit testimony “for prior approval,” as she put it you could just arrive and sign up,” Guevara said in Spanish an interpreter speaking in English after her there is pressure and ridicule for me to come and read something that you already have seen “This raises the question: who makes the rules Guevara argued the process aids the people in the room with the most power while harming the most vulnerable in the community She spoke in favor of the resolution before ending her testimony and thanking the board members who voted in favor of it two weeks ago “I cannot thank the other ones,” she said before walking away The vast majority of those testifying Tuesday night spoke in favor of the resolution retirees and community advocates showed up in support a second-grade teacher at Woodburn’s Washington Elementary School “After having worked for this district for a decade I wholeheartedly believed in the work we were doing here,” she told the board All that mattered was your ability and your desire to learn To be the best version of yourself you could be.” Amie touted the district’s multiple dual-immersion programs and access to teacher-driven professional development as well as “the way we support and raise up our students to be proud of their diverse cultural heritages.” Student protesters hold up a flag on March 4 The action was in response to the Woodburn School Board voting down a 'Safe and Welcoming Schools' resolution the week prior The board later revisited and passed the resolution on March 11 especially since the main reason given when voting against it was the concern that federal funds could be taken away and that approving such a resolution could put a target on the district’s back Federal funding for education supports a range of priorities including higher-poverty schools under Title I special education and services for students experiencing homelessness President Trump’s executive orders aimed at ending government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have been tied up in court, with legal pauses suggesting they likely violate the constitution. This is happening as major cuts came this week to the U.S Amie pointed to the timestamp in the February meeting — before they voted on the resolution — when the board received an update about federal funding “The director of the business office said there would be ‘no to little impact on federal funding for schools for the next school year,’” Amie quoted she reported to you all that it would take a bipartisan effort to upend school finances The excuse of being worried about federal funding falls flat with what we now know “Vote to make this district a place we can be proud of again Nikit Ovchinnikov was one of the few who vocally supported the board majority’s February vote against the welcoming schools resolution “I am here today to show my support for the school board and the work you guys have been doing over the last couple of years,” he said “You have my and my family’s support on this and also the support of a lot of people in this community,” he continued “Thank you for keeping your focus on giving the kids a quality education.” School board members generally don’t respond directly after public comment Members Beyer and Elwell held their support for the resolution this week Beyer reminded the board that the resolution did nothing other than support current school policy and current state law “There’s already a target on Oregon as a sanctuary state There’s already a target on Woodburn because of our demographics,” he said if anyone thinks that not passing this resolution will save us from not losing funding Elwell reaffirmed her stance as well: “I appreciate your passion so much; it brings me to tears because I feel the same way that you do about our students.” Newest member Carr’s vote ultimately swung the final decision in favor of the resolution Carr had previously sided with Burkoff in wanting more time and input and she shared Legaspi’s chief concern that such a resolution could jeopardize federal funding “I will not always be as perfect,” Carr said and the fact that I have heard so many people tonight say that they support the first resolution versus the second one will inform my vote,” she continued speaking about the revised version that was proposed for this week’s board meeting “and I’d love to see all of you back for the next one Roughly 40 students participate in a school walkout on March 4 The protest was in response to the Woodburn School Board the week prior voting down a 'Safe and Welcoming Schools' resolution reaffirming the rights of immigrant students The board revisited and passed the resolution on March 11 Vice-chair Burkoff maintained her vote in opposition “We were elected to focus on students and education and by bringing this resolution to the board “Shame on our educators and shame on our board members Burkoff said the focus of a nonpartisan school board should be on the students and their safety — none of which they can do if funding is cut “It doesn’t belong here on the school board Chair Legaspi also spoke about the divisiveness of the last two weeks She talked about the emotional impact it has had on her and spoke about her experience as a member of the Hispanic community “Give it whatever name you want to give it She closed comments with a final message to the board before she abstained in her vote: “Our mission is to educate This statement reassures the community of that so let’s pass it and move forward and refocus on improving educational outcomes for all students.” Tags: Immigration, Education, Kids, Schools, Ice, Woodburn Stand with OPB and protect independent journalism for everyone Listen to the OPB News live stream (opens new window)Streaming Now – A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle The Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accident call at 11830 Nashville Road on Tuesday at 6 pm a man who left Dollar General walked into the roadway of the northbound lane of 31W They say several vehicles swerved to miss the man as he walked directly into the traveling portion of the roadway Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower says a vehicle was unable to stop and struck the man Witnesses at the scene performed life-saving measures until first responders arrived and he later died due to injuries sustained in the collision He has since been identified as 57-year-old Paul Horacio Caputto of Jeffersonville Authorities say Caputto’s next-of-kin has been notified  Watch WNKY Live (KATU) — Dozens of comments on Better Business Bureau Gas Buddy and Yelp tell similar stories -- enraged customers who were not forewarned when they pulled up to an Arco AM/PM gas station off Interstate 5 in Woodburn that they would be paying double or sometimes more than they could have paid at the Chevron across the street "I had exactly $30 or $40 for gas that day I anticipated that it was going to get me really close to at least a reasonable full tank ended up with a little less than a half tank," said Woodburn resident Heather Lagaso during an interview The Oregon Department of Justice says it has received 256 similar written complaints about the business since 2017 and many more phone calls Though Oregon requires pumps to display gas prices it does not require other types of signage that states like California or New Jersey do most Oregon gas stations have various price displaces and many are on tall signposts that are visible from the road Though the gas station in question does have a tall sign posted it does not post prices where they would normally go Customers like Lagaso say an attendant offering to pump gas is often obscuring their view of the prices listed on the pump Lagaso said most people who live in the area like her are familiar with the issue "I think everybody kind of in the area has been there once," she said seems to get a decent amount of business due to its proximity to the freeway entrance and exit Lagaso says when she went there a year ago she used up her normal weekly gas budget and was unable to go to work on serval occasions that week as a result It's an issue Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, is hoping to address with HB 3647 that would require all gas stations to have signage visible from the road and near the pump I have heard from constituents that they are having tough decisions about how much groceries they can afford to buy and if they will have enough gas money to get to and from work," she said during testimony on her bill on Thursday before the House Committee On Commerce and Consumer Protection The Oregon Fuels Association is concerned that small business owners will not be able to afford the cost of adding large signage which it estimates can cost between $40,000 and $50,000 The association says it is working with Muñoz to try and amend verbiage to make it more feasible for those business owners said they have been aware of the Woodburn Arco issue "We learned about this several years ago This is not a member of the Oregon Fuels Association This is also an embarrassment to the Oregon Fuels Association," she said "There are over 2,000 local gas stations in the state of Oregon including many family owned and locally owned businesses and we would like to avoid adding costs to these local businesses due to this one station." When KATU visited the gas station on Friday an attorney representing the gas station's business owner says the price reduction is the result of Arco BP and the owner coming to a mutual agreement to terminate their contract Mills said the owner will soon be purchasing gas from VP Racing and will be removing the Arco branding in a matter of weeks Mills claims Arco BP was charging the gas station's owner above average prices resulting in the excessive cost to consumers When asked about the lacking signage he said the owner is within his legal rights to post on the pump only When asked for evidence of how much the owner had been paying for gas when contracted with Arco other gas station owners testified that gas profits are generally minimal and that gas stations make a profit on their goods and services inside the station like food Lagaso feels the current reduced price is merely due to public pressure and believes the business will continue to price gouge if the bill is not passed to prevent it and they hope to be able to do it," she said there is a seaside bar — orbrasserie — appropriately named “The Good Mood” because how could one not have some helium in their heart while enjoying a glass of wine or pint of beer at an outdoor two-top table overlooking a postcard bay filled with sailboats aplenty and a few swimmers with gentle waves rolling onto a picturesque beach populated by frolickers and sunbathers were I asked to describe the café or pub or brasserie with the most-beautiful view I have ever experienced I would be strongly tempted to answer The Good Mood or else a good-mood-inducing bar on the beach in Kona I would ignore these temptations and offer forth MadeWest Brewing Company’s location atop the iconic Ventura Pier with its sweeping panoramic view of the ocean and Channel Islands afar and near shore surfers doing their water dancing and beachgoers strolling and kids building sandcastles and teens tossing Frisbees and adults playing volleyball and on and on a pale imitation of the painter’s palette of colors routinely brushed across our coastal sky with Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands turning purple in the background In a good mood myself recently as I savored this masterpiece scenery and sipped an award-winning Hazy IPA my focus unexpectedly narrowed and nature’s beauty became lost on me like someone turning a blind eye to a museum’s showing of Monet masterpieces I do know that I stared at her for the longest time long enough to have a second pint largely as an excuse to keep from taking my eyes off her I should mention that Charlotte was a spider She was on the other side of the window directly before me as close to my eyes as my computer screen is as I write this while spinning a bridge line to serve as the anchor adding thread after thread in all directions She did this seemingly with the innate calculations of an MIT engineer even accounting for the salty breeze to swing her sideways; with the skill of a Chiricahua basket weaver; with the grace and pace of Picasso filling a canvas might also prove advantageous by helping guide flies into the finished death trap the lights inside the window might attract moths I do not know what Charlotte dined on that night but I did stay long enough to see her delicate tapestry woven to masterful completion the central hub grew from the size of a beer coaster to big as my splayed hand to larger than a dinner plate And here is the most amazing thing about this Charlotte’s web; just as author E White’s famous Charlotte wove the messages “Terrific,” “Radiant,” “Humble,” and “Some Pig” into her web my happy hour buddy spun into hers “Better View Than The French Riviera” and “Some IPA.” President Donald Trump makes a major sports announcement. The announcement comes amid reports Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft. WATCHTeen faces attempted murder charge in Woodburn shootingby KATU Staff (KATU) — Police arrested an 18-year-old man on Thursday accusing him of shooting and injuring another person Police were called to North 2nd Street near Yew Street on a report of a shooting at about 5:10 p.m He was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive Marion County sheriff's deputies found a suspect 18-year-old Eduardo Rodriguez Castillo on Whitman Circle NE in Salem and arrested him Rodriguez Castillo faces charges of attempted murder reckless endangering of another person and unlawful use of a weapon The Woodburn City Council decided it will not ask residents to approve a bond for a new community center and proceed with building a scaled down version at the current Woodburn Aquatic Center at Settlemier Park just south of downtown The city opted to use the $20 million it has secured to build a 3,400-square-foot dividable event space with a commercial kitchen larger locker rooms with improved accessibility a redesigned reception and lobby and parking lot The Aquatic Center also would be renovated with structural repairs and equipment updates The city received approval from the state in late January to use a $15 million grant the Oregon Legislature approved for the community center and $5 million in system development charges 27 to enter into a contract with Opsis Architecture for concept design for the project “$20 million should still get us a nice project,” Woodburn Mayor Frank Lonergan said Woodburn voters in November 2024 rejected a $40 million bond that would have included a warm water pool a gymnasium and improvements to neighboring Settlemier Park such as a playground “They’ve done a tremendous amount of baseline design work that’s going to be reused,” assistant city manager Jim Row said The initial concept will allow the city to accommodate a gymnasium if funding becomes available Row also hopes to find grant money for improvements at the park He told the city council that Woodburn is projecting a 16-month construction process construction would start in October and the center would open in early 2027 The pool could be closed for nearly a year during construction “The $15 million grant has to be expended by May of 2026 and that timeline is coming upon us so quickly that we’re going to have to be aggressive,” Row said Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com 2025 12:51 a.m.Opponents worried that the resolution would have put an ‘unnecessary target’ on the district’s back and jeopardized federal funding Board members plan to reconsider a possible resolution in March.The Woodburn School Board rejected a resolution Tuesday night expressing public support for the rights and protections of immigrant students The proposed “Reaffirming Safe and Welcoming Schools for All” resolution stated that Woodburn schools should be welcome places for everyone have a right to free public education — and the ability to access it safely It says the board is committed to eliminating barriers that may prevent students from attending school In a split vote that surprised community members and union leaders the board majority worried that a public statement on a contentious issue could put the district in a risky position While some pushed the board to do more to protect immigrant students concerns from three board members led to the resolution’s defeat The resolution repeats language from Oregon’s existing sanctuary laws as well as from messages previously shared by Woodburn Superintendent Juan Larios immigration officials are not allowed to access any part of a school beyond the front office without proper paperwork officials can’t remove a student from school And student records are protected under federal and state law Larios confirmed to the school board multiple times that nothing in the resolution was new He said it was approved by the district’s legal team before the meeting “We do have protocols in place in our buildings to protect students,” the superintendent said “This is just an opportunity for us to all get behind a singular message.” The largely symbolic resolution failed on a 2-3 vote, with members Ryan Beyer and Courtney Elwell voting in favor. Chair Noemi Legaspi, vice-chair Rosie Burkoff and new member Lisa Carr voted against it Larios told OPB in a statement Wednesday that the board’s vote will not diminish the district’s efforts to support students from immigrant families. His office has sent out information meant to lower anxiety around immigration concerns several times and community members need to feel safe and welcomed when accessing our campuses,” he said “The fear and anxiety related to immigration is real for many and we remain committed to creating inclusive environments where all our students can thrive.” The school district is unique in Oregon for its Russian program offerings today Of note, though Oregon’s voting majority supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election, Marion County, where Woodburn is located, tipped slightly in favor of Trump A mural near North Front Street in Woodburn The city of about 30,000 is made up largely of immigrant Mexican or Latino residents Community members such as Tony Salm — a fifth-grade Spanish dual-language immersion teacher and president of the Woodburn Education Association — have been fighting for a resolution like this for weeks When Salm testified to the school board Tuesday night he did so with the belief that such a resolution would pass easily No one testified against the resolution during the meeting “While this is a vital first step in affirming our support for the students we serve We can’t rest on that,” he told the school board members is what we do in our classrooms to put these words into action.” He said hiring more school counselors, for example, could help support students’ emotional and physical well-being. Another teacher suggested distributing red cards created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center to students and families that inform immigrants of their legal rights Salm told OPB that the majority’s “refusal to speak up in defense of the most vulnerable members of this community many of whom are currently living in a state of fear is a shameful derogation of their primary duty to represent and advocate for all of our students.” He added that standing up for these students and their families should have been a “no-brainer.” Jody Daniels described the vote as “indefensible.” Daniels is a former board member and district administrator who’s lived in Woodburn for 40 years She said she’s raised six children who graduated from the district She has kids who’ve taught in the district and grandchildren who are current students she sent in a statement — because she assumed the resolution would pass unanimously “I am not asking the board to do something illegal or outside the scope of their responsibilities,” she wrote in her statement “But I am asking the board to make clear to our families that you will have their backs and assist them in any way possible to assert their rights.” Daniels listed examples from other leaders — school districts, the Woodburn Police Chief various mayors and governors — who have issued clarifying and supportive statements for immigrant families “I ask the Woodburn School Board to do the same.” The Woodburn school board members spent about an hour Tuesday night discussing the resolution before it ultimately failed Supporters Beyer and Elwell both said this would just be a first step — but a crucial one Beyer said the board should have taken this step a long time ago guiding the district on how to roll out key information We’ve already put out this information,’ ” Beyer said seemed to center around incidents outside the district’s control “I lived in Woodburn at a time when ICE used to roll in but they didn’t come to the school districts.” “No, because taking away kids wasn’t an option,” Elwell said. “They were looking for illegal, working parents. They weren’t looking for undocumented kids. Now, that’s the fear; that’s what they’re threatening these children with.” A water tower near a train track in Woodburn When voting no, Burkoff said she wanted more feedback from the Oregon School Boards Association regarding whether such a resolution would affect their funding. OSBA has put out information and resources about possible impacts of federal decisions and an FAQ on immigration enforcement which is neutral on the question of whether to adopt a “sanctuary” resolution Carr seemed to support the ideas behind the resolution but the newest board member wanted the specific language to have less legalese and be more user-friendly She wanted more time to look over the resolution but she was also concerned about it putting an “unnecessary target” on the district’s back Chair Legaspi was firm that her main issue was funding concerns When she asked legal counsel whether approving a resolution like this would jeopardize the district’s federal funding asking whether Legaspi was concerned then about all the other actions already taken by the district that were summarized in the resolution Legaspi said her focus was specifically on whether to approve the resolution saying they likely violate the constitution “My role in many of these things is to maintain neutral and think about what is best for all,” Legaspi said especially when we don’t know if it’s going to impact funding.” Woodburn board members said they planned to reconsider a possible resolution at a meeting in March Tags: Immigrants, Woodburn, School, Education Alejandro was a food reporter for WYSO in Yellow Springs Ohio through Report for America — a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms he covered the lack of access to healthy and affordable food in Southwest Ohio communities rural and urban agriculture plus the occasional general assignment story Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University You can send your news tips or any agriculture or food story idea to afigueroa@opb.org Alejandro Figueroa is a reporter and producer covering food production and agriculture through a climate change lens for OPB To extend the metaphor from this space a week ago my email inbox spilled over with responses about my column headlined “Having a laugh over spilled milk.” Before proceeding with one note in particular that tickled my funny bone let me backtrack and quote that column’s meandering opening sentence to set the stage for what will then follow: “Imagine a tiny car in a circus where clown after clown after clown climbs out a veritable boxcar’s worth of clowns emerging in all and you get an idea of what happened when I carelessly knocked over a tall drinking glass while reaching for the breakfast menu and a tsunami of iced tea a gallon wave impossibly squeezed inside a 16-ounce plastic tumbler washed over the entire tabletop before cascading onto my lap and vinyl booth seats and tile floor.” came across my words after Googling the keyword “circus” as he routinely does I congratulate you on your colorful and whimsical comparison of a clown car with a tall glass of cascading iced tea It summons up a fetching image that I enjoyed “As a garrulous retired professional circus clown I cannot help sharing the briefest of memories with you of the real clown car and pummeled into at Ringling Brothers some fifty years ago and after stripping the interior we managed to fit fifteen clowns into it As one of the tallest buffoons in clown alley With fourteen other bodies piled on top of me when my turn came at last I shot out of that benighted Gremlin like a bat out of purgatory I was knocked on the head with a foam rubber truncheon by the whiteface constable and then smacked in the kisser with a shaving cream pie repeated twice a day and three times on Saturday The day I left Ringling Brothers to join an international pantomime troupe in Mexico I hooted out loud like a maniac loon at the thought of no more buttocks thrust willy-nilly into my mug is the son of a bartender; grew up in Minneapolis; and in high school After his Ringling Brothers heyday and Mexico nights Dusty says he performed as a “merry andrew” — a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior — at countless venues from schools and prisons to Disneyland and even played Ronald McDonald “to keep bread on the table and the wolf from getting too far inside the door.” Just as the happier image of a Gremlin door forced shut with 15 big-shoed clowns shoehorned inside made me laugh Dusty’s lovely closing to his note made my heart spill over with nostalgia as I felt 8 years old again and under the Big Top for the first time: “May all your days be circus days.” (KATU) — An incident unfolded early this morning when a pedestrian was fatally struck by a car on N The Woodburn Police Department reported that the crash occurred at approximately 1:43 a.m was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of medical personnel the victim was crossing the roadway from east to west when he was hit by a car traveling southbound READ ALSO: Portland man guilty of attempted murder after striking pedestrian, aiming truck at witness identified as 27-year-old Santino Antonio Saldana remained at the scene during the investigation He was taken to the Marion County Correctional Facility and booked into custody The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team assisted in the investigation which led to the closure of all lanes on N Pacific Highway between Young Street and Cleveland Street Authorities are withholding the victim's identity until the next of kin is notified Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Officer Josh Mitchell at 503-982-2345 (This story was updated to include new information) Description: Plans are underway for Woodburn's first food cart pavilion The backers of West Salem's first food cart pod, Checkpoint 221 submitted a site plan with the city of Woodburn on Feb 4 for a 20-cart pavilion with two dining halls totaling 9,308 square feet According to the site plan for Woodburn's Checkpoint 211 the location would have indoor and outdoor dining spaces covered food concourse and 130 parking spots Checkpoint 221 opened at 1233 Riverbend Road NW in West Salem The all-ages spot offers more than a dozen food carts The location also hosts events like "Sip & Shop" pop-ups to support small businesses Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com city leaders said at Monday's City Council meeting safety improvement projects remain underway and could be completed before the start of next school year The city is also asking Union Pacific Railroad to voluntarily make changes, including reducing train speed, to improve safety after Harley Marston was struck and killed by a train at the end of January The city and school district are taking a "multi-prong approach" to preventing more railroad deaths In addition to pedestrian safety projects and collaboration with the railroad company the city and school district are also planning enhanced railroad safety education and awareness Railroad safety has been an issue since Woodburn's founding in 1889 "I don't know how many souls have been lost during that time but I'm sure that we've had this kind of conversation after every one," Lonergan said "A very good friend of mine in 1967 was killed driving across (the tracks) after he'd just gotten his license the railroad did come in and they put the crossing arms down At least three teens have been killed by trains in Woodburn in the last 11 years Lonergan and Larios asked the company to reduce train speed install additional fencing and adjust the train schedule to avoid operation during times when students are likely to be walking on or near the tracks Woodburn city administrator Scott Derickson said he worked with the city attorney's office and they found the city has no authority Derickson noted when train speeds were last increased in 2020 to a maximum of 70 mph that's always been the position of the city," he said since we don't have the authority to require it." Union Pacific Police Department Chief Tom Mengel and a railroad representative visited Woodburn last week They met with a city crew and public works and looked at areas where the city wants additional fencing based on our past experiences with incidents that they actually come here," he said The city is requesting an extension of the fencing that runs between the tracks and Ogle Street north to Cleveland Street They also requested additional fencing along the railroad tracks from Hazelnut Drive to Cleveland Street The city posted the letter for residents to sign and show support The city has two pedestrian safety projects in the works, which were launched after Jesus Garcia Santiago, 17, was killed by a train in 2022. Special projects director Renata Wakeley said the city has long wanted to install sidewalks and better pedestrian routes on the Front Street overpass but has been rejected by the Oregon Department of Transportation because of the overpass's age and weight constraints She said the new option is to repaint Front Street and move the travel lanes further east widening the pedestrian path on the west side and installing "curb mounts" with bollards to separate the pedestrian path is likely to take longer and may need to wait until 2026 "We're calling the current work that you're going to see "There's more work that can and will be done." A second project at the intersection of the Highway 214 Front Street exit is expected to be completed before the start of the next school year That project would add a pedestrian island She said the plans were just developed in the last few weeks The city will plan to begin construction bids in May with work to begin in June and conclude in August "Our goal with the fencing and with the improvements is to redirect traffic away from the rail to alternative routes that are also direct by making improvements," Derickson said Community services director Jesse Cuomo said the school district has been in contact with Operation Lifesaver a nonprofit focused on rail safety and education to bring assemblies and workshops to Woodburn schools The city and school district are also looking into the state Safe Routes to School program which would provide funding for a position to lead safety education But there's also this education piece as well," Cuomo said Larios said he and the district "fully support and advocate" for the changes the city has discussed is what we need as we wrap around this together as a community to address this issue," Larios said A student who said Harley was a friend and classmate asked for speed limits to be lowered and for increased awareness around the dangers of the railroad Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk Click here to read this story in Spanish. Haga clic aquí para leer en español People often share with him their fears of deportation as President Donald Trump takes office once again Luis Lamas was sitting in a storage closet behind his coffee stand — Café La Onda — in Woodburn he had already wiped the counters and washed the dishes The coffee stand is inside the food court-style Metropolis Marketplace downtown. Lamas is a familiar face in a diverse downtown where many of the businesses are Latino-owned, most store fronts have Spanish signs in their windows and almost two-thirds of the city’s residents are Latino or Hispanic “I’m like a therapist sometimes,” he said in Spanish when customers walked in and made small-talk he’s noticed a shift in the tone of those chats but there is also a resignation,” Lamas said It’s a familiar sentiment. During the first Trump administration, communities across the U.S. saw an increase in immigration enforcement. In Woodburn, officials worked to build trust with community members as U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers investigated and made arrests in the area OPB spoke with a number of Woodburn residents who said they’ve felt tension building over the past several months Lamas said fear and anxiety over arrests loom once again Before Lamas immigrated from Mexico to the U.S he worked an office job at a construction company that had contracts with the Mexican government But when the administration changed in 2018 to then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador his company lost the contract and Lamas lost his job His family owned a small clothing store that kept them afloat for a while He’d work in roofing under the scorching Texas sun watching men get sick from the heat and then get back to work He pruned almond trees in the San Joaquin Valley of California and drove long distances to work in nurseries across Oregon “I had never done anything like that in Mexico,” he said you’d feel pain sometimes all the way to your fingertips.” “I’ve become more attuned to other people’s pain,” he said or who to ask for help because they arrive with fear.” those fears now include increased immigration enforcement from the Trump administration Whenever the topic comes up at the coffee shop Lamas said he gets a wide variety of thoughts I’ll sell and go back to Mexico,’” he said It’s the only thing that worries me the most Another man recently told Lamas he didn’t know anything about the increased immigration enforcement and plans for mass deportations from the new administration Early on in the first Trump administration people in Woodburn described heightened attention from immigration enforcement In 2017, one month after Trump took office, two buses of farmworkers heading to harvest flowers were stopped near Woodburn as part of “a targeted enforcement operation.” Eleven people were detained and seven were taken to an immigration detention center in Tacoma residents of the predominantly Latino town of Woodburn meet to talk about increased detentions by federal immigration agents The meeting was held in the offices of PCUN a union that represents farmworkers and others and which is housed in a former church these community members are facing similar threats After that raid, people in Woodburn reported a significant downturn in business and widespread fear “That sent a chilling effect in our community Children were not showing up to school,” said Reyna Lopez executive director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) — an advocacy group for Oregon farmworkers seeing an unmarked white van or unfounded claims on social media can set people on edge “It’s really hard to trust what people are seeing on social media or even what they’re hearing They’re really looking for trusted information the executive director of a farm worker union known as PCUN — an acronym in Spanish for Pine Workers and Farmers United of the Northwest — at the union's headquarters in Woodburn Woodburn’s Education Association and a network of dozens of other Latino and immigrant advocacy groups have coalesced to put together a wide range of resources like “know your rights” meetings legal services and training rapid response teams ready help families if or when there is a raid “Another thing we’re asking folks to do is some [contingency] planning If it is the case that you’re not here tomorrow what happens to your children who might be citizens and are in local public school “That kind of planning is really hard and it’s not an easy conversation to have Woodburn city officials said they’ve taken some of the lessons they learned from the first Trump administration to engage with the community “We really want the community to feel safe,” said Scott Derickson “We try to mitigate unreasonable fear in our community and encourage people to access services and resources that we offer as a local government without fear.” The city has intentionally met with local farmworker advocacy groups and religious institutions to let people know about the role of city government and the programs and services available to people without fear of arrests said it’s common for his office to respond to a call from someone who might be undocumented “It’s understandable that people do have a fear “Our message is: Please [do] not fear local law enforcement We cannot have people who are victims of crimes afraid to call the police.” Oregon’s sanctuary laws prohibit local or state police authorities from asking about a person’s immigration status or sharing information between public entities and federal immigration officials “The city has no desire to take on federal responsibilities,” he said “People aren’t going to be subject to immigration policies in City Hall if they need to come to City Hall or the library or our schools We don’t want people to retract from the community because of unfounded fear.” Oregon’s sanctuary law is already facing challenges. A three-page memo sent this week from the U.S attorneys across the country to investigate local officials who refuse to follow the new administration’s immigration policies The town faces fear and anxiety following the second inauguration of President Trump Lopez said she feels it’s brought neighbors closer “There really aren’t enough resources in the world to arrest every single person We have to continue to be able to provide for our families.” he’s noticed fewer people coming by the coffee shop since the election Lamas plans to keep talking with people – through their fears Tags: Immigration, Trump, Woodburn, Community A countywide analysis found gun violence in Marion County has more than tripled since 2014 and most incidents were "tightly concentrated" among a small number of people months after the county originally said it planned to release it in November The report was commissioned by the county after the Salem Police Department conducted a similar gun violence analysis The report analyzed data from 2014-2023 across the county The findings mirrored those from the Salem Police analysis which showed Salem had a 100% increase in shootings between 2018 and 2022 The report found Marion County experienced an increase in violent crime following the COVID-19 pandemic and that most gun violence incidents have occurred in Salem “Reducing violence within our community requires a collaborative approach and pro-active enforcement," Sheriff Nick Hunter said in a news release we have worked tirelessly to foster and strengthen relationships throughout Marion County to support open dialogue and collaborative efforts to better our community.” The Statesman Journal requested to speak with Hunter about the report's findings but has not yet received a response The report analyzed the 69 gun homicides and 164 nonfatal injury shootings in the county that occurred between 2014 and 2023 self-inflicted gunshots and "justified" self-defense were excluded Marion County has seen a 233% increase in fatal and nonfatal shootings between 2014 and 2023 About two-thirds of cases that occurred in unincorporated areas of Marion County happened in the East Salem Service District which includes the Hayesville and Four Corners neighborhoods Two main hotspots were identified in east Salem and near downtown Woodburn The report also found that victims and suspects of gun violence were disproportionately male Hispanic and between the ages of 18 and 34 About 87% of victims and suspects were male and 51% were Hispanic Hispanic residents comprise about 29% of the county's population About 7% of victims and suspects were Black Black residents comprise about 2% of the county's population About 61% of Woodburn residents are Hispanic The mean age of victims and suspects across the county was 28.8 Juvenile involvement in violence also increased between 2018 and 2023 juveniles comprised about 6% of victims and suspects while in 2023 they made up more than 19% of victims and suspects The report found of those involved in gun violence about half had previously been incarcerated and 58% had previously been on probation Most victims and suspects with prior offenses had been arrested in Oregon about six times About half of juveniles referred to the Marion County Juvenile Department by law enforcement for committing a serious violent offense About a quarter of gun violence incidents occurred between individuals who knew each other and 17% were group or gang-related disputes about 33% of incidents involved people who were confirmed to be members of groups or gangs In another 47% of incidents the group or gang involvement was unknown meaning conflicts that "emerge suddenly without prior history," drug-related disputes domestic disputes and robberies made up most of the other incidents The report identified the Sureño and Norteño groups as the most active gangs in Marion County with the Sureños being involved in more of the shootings between 2014 and 2023 The report said the groups are primarily involved with narcotics and weapons trafficking About a quarter of group or gang associated victims and suspects were 17 or younger The report found group and gang member involvement in gun violence has steadily increased growing from 22% between 2014 and 2018 to 42% between 2021 and 2023 Report recommends increasing agency partnerships focused effortsThe report also included recommendations for addressing gun violence The report recommended focusing resources on areas where high-risk groups and gangs are most active The report identified northeastern areas of Salem as a cluster where proactive investigations and hot spot controls should be concentrated It also suggested an extension of Salem's Community Violence Reduction Initiative to Keizer and Woodburn The report recommended enhancing county partnerships by increasing intelligence-sharing meeting frequency and involving more local agencies "The MCSO’s gang intelligence is especially comprehensive and could likely serve as an asset to ongoing investigations throughout the County," the report said The report encouraged law enforcement to focus on people who are "very highest risk" for involvement in gun violence primarily Hispanic men between the ages of 18 and 34 involved in groups or gangs It recommended identifying those individuals and prioritizing outreach to them as well as creating regional processes to share information about them The report's recommendations involved creating more programming to engage high-risk youth partnering with school districts and intervening with young people at risk of gang involvement It also recommended creating processes to allow county agencies to make referrals to specialized community-based organizations for care of at-risk youth The report recommended strengthening partnerships with the criminal justice system to identify individuals who have been arrested for violent offenses "with the goal of immediate intervention" to prevent reoffending (This story has been updated to include new information) A 41-year-old Woodburn man was arrested Thursday in connection to a shooting in Grand Ronde that injured one Sheriff's deputies responded to a call early Thursday morning for a shooting at a residence in the 46000 block of SW Lachance Road in rural Grand Ronde Deputies found a Sheridan man who had been shot several times He was taken to Salem Health hospital for critical care according to Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott but was then transferred to a Portland hospital Elliott said Monday the victim had shown improvement but remained hospitalized The homeowner remained at the scene and attempted to help the victim Cesar Flores initially fled before turning himself into police several hours later Police said alcohol was a factor in the shooting and Flores and the victim were coworkers who knew each other Flores was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon He was being held at Yamhill County Jail with a bail of $750,000 Police said there is no danger to the public and there are no additional suspects The newest Chick-fil-A location in Woodburn will officially open its doors on Dec The fried chicken fast food restaurant location will be a drive-thru only four walk-up windows and patio seating for more than 20 people there will be no indoor dining at this location Franchise location owner Kasi Corbett said she's "honored" to have the opportunity The chain restaurant is known for its fried chicken sandwiches The new location will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program which redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens The location is also recognizing 100 "local heroes," providing them with free meals for a year the restaurant’s Facebook or Instagram page A memorial with photos, candle and flowers has been set up to honor 15-year-old Harley Marston, who died after being hit by a train in Woodburn Marston was struck by a Union Pacific freight train on Jan 24 as he attempted to cross the railroad tracks in the area of Stark Street and Ogle Street As of Thursday, a GoFundMe had raised more than $6,660 to help his family pay for memorial costs Marston was a jokester who loved his family and playing Mario Kart with his mom They said the teenager loved eating sushi and was starting to improve and connect with peers in school Other teens have also been killed by trains in the area in recent years Locals have been pushing for years for increased pedestrian safety The Woodburn School District in a letter to families offered their condolences and said support rooms and trained members of the district's Crisis Response Team would be available to students and staff we lost a 15-year-old that was unfortunately killed in a train accident," Woodburn Mayor Frank Lonergan said at Monday's City Council meeting Alexander Banks is an intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach him at abanks@statesmanjournal.com A Woodburn gas station known for charging high prices at the pump and not advertising those on its street sign has changed from an ARCO AMPM to a VP Racing Fuels location and is now displaying its prices had hundreds of complaints in online reviews and Department of Justice complaints alleging that a combination of deceptive business practices has allowed the station to overcharge consumers Customers have complained about how the station didn't advertise the price of gasoline since 2016 The station was charging $6.69 per gallon of regular gasoline on March 6 when AAA said the average in the Willamette Valley was $3.73 a gallon Online reviews say the station has at times charged as much as $8 per gallon of regular gasoline The price of regular gas on Wednesday was $3.38 with cash or $3.48 with card The location is owned by LB Group and Silverton attorney Michael Mills is the registered agent Mills said LB Group still owns the location but decided to sever its relationship with ARCO about a month and a half ago He said the high gas prices were due to the price the owners were being charged by ARCO "ARCO was charging them much more than the new supplier would charge so they switched," Mills said Current state law only requires gas stations to post the price of gasoline at the pump New Jersey and New York — have laws that require gas stations to post prices at signs visible from the street Mills said the owners were unaware of the bill when they decided to make the supplier switch and it was not a factor in the decision The bill is scheduled for a work session Thursday Statesman Journal reporter Bill Poehler contributed to this story Highway 219 has reopened 4 miles north of Woodburn after a crash closed the road on the afternoon of April 17 the Oregon Department of Transportation said ODOT said a detour was set up to direct drivers around the crash Khylee Dornon pins flowers to Alex Cossio’s shirt before Woodburn High School prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School students celebrate prom at Mt Woodburn High School students slow dance during prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School senior Hailey Helzer wears flowers in her hair for prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School students take to the dance floor during prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School seniors Guadalupe Cabrera Yoselin Pena and Daniela Hernandez before prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School students dance to the "Cha Cha Slide" during prom on April 19 in Mt Rogelio Corona and Adamryz Camacho attend Woodburn High School prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School junior Moises Barrera before prom on April 19 in Mt Sunday Affinito and Lily Lunsford dance at Woodburn High School prom on April 19 in Mt Woodburn High School seniors Azelya Leyla Arioz and Fatima Linares Rodriguez before prom on April 19 in Mt Melissa Dezsofi and Thatcher Ohmart attend Woodburn High School prom on April 19 in Mt Suzie Woodburn resigned after three seasons as the women's tennis head coach at Montana State BOZEMAN — Montana State women’s head tennis coach Suzie Woodburn who recently finished her third season with the Bobcats MSU Director of Athletics Leon Costello announced Thursday afternoon Woodburn stepped away from the program to spend more time with her young family “It was an honor to lead this team and be part of the MSU Athletics program,” Woodburn said “It is something I’m going to treasure and cherish I want to thank Leon for this opportunity to work under him and see how he leads I’ll cherish the staff that I was able to work with and I’m always going to bleed Blue and Gold.” A national search for the open position has begun who came to Montana State after serving as an assistant at Wisconsin and Boise State guided the Bobcats to an 11-11 overall mark and a 4-4 Big Sky record this spring MSU advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament a week ago marking the first time the Bobcats had participated in the semis since 2017 “We are sad to see Suzie go but fully support her and her decision to put her family first,” Costello said “She built the foundation for the women’s tennis team to be perennial contenders in the Big Sky Conference and we will miss having her as a part of our team.” Bozeman native Meg McCarty earned 2025 first-team singles and doubles All-Big Sky honors Marta Garcia-Reboredo earned second-team singles and honorable mention doubles Jojo Bach earned first-team doubles and Hudson Hawkins earned honorable mention doubles 20 All-Big Sky academic honorees and five players of the week “These girls are amazing tennis players and amazing students,” Woodburn said “But even more important is that they are all amazing humans I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to be part of such a great group We built a phenomenal culture and became a winning team with incredible athletes that made it so fun.” In Woodburn's first season with the program Montana State went 5-13 overall (2-6 Big Sky) the Bobcats posted a 13-7 mark (4-4 Big Sky) and made their first Big Sky postseason appearance since 2017 the Bobcats notched their first back-to-back non-losing seasons since 2008 and 2009 and she did an outstanding job executing her level of play last week." MSU head coach Suzie Woodburn "Coming into a program in January can be intense for a variety of reasons but she’s just molded right into our culture." MSU head coach Suzie… the whole community gets behind the university and it was a great place to play tennis and go to school." M… “This award is special as it speaks to the broad-based success of all our programs." MSU athletic director Leon Costello “It’s an honor to become part of the Bobcat family." Suzie Woodburn Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account A 49-year-old man died early Sunday morning after being hit by a vehicle in the southbound lanes in the 200 block of North Pacific Highway Medical personnel were also dispatched but the man died at the scene Police did not identify the deceased and said identification was being withheld pending notification of next of kin Preliminary information showed the man was crossing the highway from east to west and was hit by the vehicle in the southbound lanes Police said all lanes of North Pacific Highway were closed between Young Street and Cleveland Street during the investigation Police said the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team was requested to assist in the investigation Police identified the driver as a 27-year-old Woodburn man The man remained on scene during the investigation and was arrested on charges of driver under the influence criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault He was taken to the Marion County Jail and was being held without bail Jail records showed he was released from custody Monday and the charges were cleared Police said anyone with information about the incident can contact Officer Josh Mitchell at 503-982-2345 and reference case # 25-3176 Jonathan Williams is the news editor of the Statesman Journal Reach him at JCWilliams1@salem.gannett.com Woodburn’s proposed $40 million bond to construct a new community center is failing by a 2-1 margin in initial election returns on Tuesday night property owners would pay 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed property taxes for 21 years An owner a property valued at $250,000 would pay about $247.50 per year The community center would be built at the city-owned Settlemier Park It would encompass the existing pool at the Woodburn Aquatic Center with extensive renovations The Aquatic Center dates back to 1948 and was remodeled after being damaged in the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake a playground and walking paths connecting with other trails The city received $15 million from 2021 Oregon Legislature for the community center but had to sue the Department of Administrative Services and Treasurer Tobias Reed in 2023 so that the state would sell the bonds to fund the appropriation Woodburn also received $1 million from the 2018 Legislature to pay for the center design, a $2 million loan from Business Oregon for expenses and the city has pledged $5 million from its general fund construction is expected to start in 2025 with a goal of being completed in the fall of 2026 On a recent afternoon with springtime in the rising breeze something else wonderful was in the air: a kite Like bookends separated by a row of volumes these two park scenes played out with an hour sandwiched between a third kite bears mention — this one flown a quarter-century ago by my daughter It was her first kite and she had impatiently waited many days for the wind to be steady enough for a maiden flight and I am certain it does for this remains a cherished image My Little Girl skipped to the park while happily singing from the film “Mary Poppins” these happy lyrics: “Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring After getting her 99-cent rainbow kite airborne I handed the string to My Little Girl and her reaction it feels like catching a big fish in the sky.” This was a wonderful observation considering My Little Girl had never yet felt the tug of a fish Which returns me to the first kite I sighted this spring was flying a triangle decorated with a unicorn instead of a rainbow I readily imagined she also was likely thinking of fishing in the sky… …because instead of holding a spool of cotton string this little girl controlled her kite with nylon line spooling out from a fishing rod I thought back to climbing a tree to retrieve My Little Girl’s rainbow kite after the cheap string snapped and it fluttered into the clutches of a high branch we promptly went to a kite store and bought nylon “rope” as she called the heavier string The little girl with the unicorn kite tethered by fishing line seemed as excited as if Christmas morning arrived on a shining June afternoon she skipped off to retrieve her fallen unicorn; held it overhead; then giggled when her father got the kite back up where the air is clear but too soon the happy pair departed hand-in-hand a second kite flyer arrived and the contrast could hardly have been more striking sailing a stunt kite without a fishing reel but with multiple strings that allowed him to make it zigzag and spin and even dive to within inches of the grass before soaring again the fishing metaphor was clear for the gentleman was wearing a flannel shirt and brim hat that begged to be decorated with tied flies he seemed to belong lakeside or on an ocean’s pier seated patiently as if waiting for a big fish to strike his line my mind returned to the little girl I had just seen; and then to My Little Girl; and in turn one more lovely thought… …I imagined the gentleman’s mind was also wandering carried back in time on the spring breeze to memories of flying a kite with his own little girl A Woodburn man was arrested Tuesday night after an armed standoff with police Officers responded to a report of a person firing a gun in the air in a residential backyard in the 1400 block of Sunflower Street at 3:16 p.m Witnesses said they saw a 28-year-old man discharge a handgun before going back inside his home Officers issued a shelter-in-place message to nearby residents and the Marion County Sheriff's SWAT team was called to assist along with the County Tactical Negotiations Team Officers encouraged the man to surrender peacefully The man was arrested on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and violation of a release agreement Police said the man also had outstanding warrants for stalking and failure to appear in court He was taken to Marion County Jail and the shelter-in-place order was lifted Officers recovered two handguns and ammunition from his home The Marion County Jail roster showed he was not in custody Wednesday morning Court records show he was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in the stalking case but had no other cases pending Woodburn police arrest suspect in convenience store robberies hoax bomb vest incidents(Photo courtesy of Woodburn Police) Woodburn police arrested a man for robbing convenience stores while wearing hoax bomb vests Woodburn police detectives contacted a man matching the description of an armed robbery suspect involved in two recent convenience stores The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Nicolas Contreras-Salmion detectives discovered Contreras-Salmion was wearing what appeared to be a "bomb" vest under his clothing The Oregon State Police bomb squad was called to the scene and determined the device was a hoax 19 robbery at Crossroad Grocery & Deli and another on Feb The hoax device from the Crossroad Grocery & Deli robbery was found days later near Johnson Street and Bryan Street The second device from the EZ-Stop Grocery and Deli robbery was discovered in the 200 block of Harrison Street Both were confirmed as hoaxes by the bomb squad Contreras-Salmion has been charged with two counts of Robbery II three counts of Possession of a Hoax Device He is currently held at the Marion County Jail The Woodburn Police Department is seeking additional information on these cases Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Jonny Ellis at 503-982-2345 referencing case numbers 25-1607 and 25-852 Woodburn Police said a 15-year-old was struck by a train and killed about 4 p.m A preliminary investigation indicated the teenager from Woodburn was struck by a Union Pacific freight train as they attempted to cross the railroad tracks in the area of Stark Street and Ogle Street Settlemier Park and the Woodburn Teen Center are on the west side of the tracks along S Front Street Officers asked that anyone who may have witnessed anything to call 503-982-2345 and reference case number 25-1042 Roads in the area were expected to be cleared Friday evening Cherrill Crosby is the executive editor of the Statesman Journal which was designated in honor of Theodor Seuss Geisel let me share a couple of personal book tales in a major bookstore on a prime shelf and displayed front-facing like a bestseller I spotted my debut novel “The Butterfly Tree.” in Whoville they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day” — similarly a sharp needle popped my overinflated ego when I came upon another book of mine — my memoir “Wooden & Me” about my longtime friendship with Coach John Wooden — in a secondhand bookshop in the rear of the labyrinth of stacks on a high shelf only its spine visible sandwiched between two other orphaned books Out of curiously I looked inside to see how much it was selling for and despite being “signed by the author,” as noted in light pencil in the top right corner of the title page it was marked at less than half the cover price new the author — me — had personalized the inscription “For Lorraine” and suddenly I did not like her even though I have no idea who she is It was all a good reminder of this cautionary maxim from Coach Wooden: “Talent is God given the surest anecdote for conceit is to grow up with two older brothers If I had a great youth basketball game and bragged about how many points I scored would see to it I did not score a single basket the next time we played hoops in the driveway when I won a tennis tournament and proudly put my first-ever trophy on display on the fireplace mantle in the family room by day’s end it had it magically moved into my bedroom my brothers put much bigger football trophies on either side of my suddenly puny-looking one when I was writing sports for a newspaper in Torrance the advertising department ran a billboard campaign with me juggling a variety of balls with the proclamation: “Columnist Woody Woodburn: He Writes the managing editor mailed me a framed photo of one My wife and two kids were mildly upset I had not told them about the ads “You never asked me if I was on a billboard,” I joked in reply I’m on a couple of giant billboards!” never crossed my mind That impulse was wrested from me at age ten to make sure my head in real life did not grow three sizes would have been tempted to climb up in the dark of night and paint a mustache on me or change “He Scores” to “He Stinks!” instead of being hurt by faceless Lorraine I am just happy the signed book hadn’t originally belonged to Jimmy or Doug A 19-year-old Woodburn man died Friday night after a single-vehicle crash near Mt Marion County Sheriff's deputies responded to a crash on the the 11000 Block of Mt Torres-Cruz's family has set up a GoFundMe to pay for his funeral expenses The coffee stand is inside the food court-style Metropolis Marketplace downtown. Lamas is a familiar face in a diverse downtown where many of the businesses are Latino-owned, most store fronts have Spanish signs in their windows and almost two-thirds of the city’s residents are Latino or Hispanic It’s a familiar sentiment. During the first Trump administration, communities across the U.S. saw an increase in immigration enforcement. In Woodburn, officials worked to build trust with community members as U.S Fear during the first Trump administration In 2017, one month after Trump took office, two buses of farmworkers heading to harvest flowers were stopped near Woodburn as part of “a targeted enforcement operation.” Eleven people were detained After that raid, people in Woodburn reported a significant downturn in business and widespread fear Woodburn officials look to keep community at ease Oregon’s sanctuary laws prohibit local or state police authorities from asking about a person’s immigration status or sharing information between public entities and federal immigration officials Oregon’s sanctuary law is already facing challenges. A three-page memo sent this week from the U.S This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.