Our Town / Santiam

12/12/2025

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If you need assistance, please visit any City of Stayton facility in person.

12/12/2025

Stayton to host Tuesday public comment meeting on Detroit Lake drawdown

By James Day

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has scheduled an additional meeting as part of its review of plans to institute a deep drawdown of Detroit Lake in an effort to improve fish passage.
The Corps will host the public comment session at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the Stayton Community Center, 400 W. Virginia St. A team of Corps officials will be on hand to brief members of the public about the project, answer questions and collect feedback.
The meeting will inform a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) the Corps is required to compile as the result of a biological opinion in December 2024 by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
In addition to the Stayton meeting the Corps also is taking feedback by email or U.S. mail. Here is how to participate: Written comments can be emailed or mailed to [email protected] or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CENWP-PME-E / Willamette SEIS, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946. The deadline to respond is Jan. 13.
Those interested in viewing the current draft of the SEIS can do so at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/WVS-EIS/.
The drawdown project would in phases take the level of Detroit Lake to its lowest point ever. The goal is to help rebuild stocks of endangered winter steelhead and spring Chinook.
The first drawdown is tentatively scheduled for late fall of 2026. First, the Corps must produce a supplemental environmental impact statement and then “record a decision” on the matter. The drop to 1,395 feet (full pool is 1,558) is scheduled to take effect over three autumns, with the Corps reviewing progress along the way. The drawdown would take place away from the boating season.
One of the reasons for community concern is that a drawdown in 2023 and 2024 at Green Peter Reservoir on the South Santiam River led to massive kokanee dieoffs and water quality problems as far downstream as Albany and Millersburg. Several lawsuits have been filed over the matter.
The biggest downstream Santiam Canyon customer is Stayton, which has grave concerns about keeping its slow sand filtration ponds operating amid high turbidity (sediment in the water). When the sediment load in the water gets too high the filters either a) do not operate as efficiently; or b) will have to be shut down.
City officials continue to actively participate in the debate.
The Corps also will study an additional alternative that would remove hydropower as an authorized purpose at some Willamette Valley dams. The SEIS will analyze the potential impacts of these changes on the environment, local communities, and dam operations.

Photo caption: Stayton interim Public Works director Barry Buchanan, left, and city manager Julia Hajduk are shown near the filtration ponds at the city’s water treatment facility during an Our Town tour. City officials are concerned that the planned Detroit Lake drawdown will adversely affect the ability of Stayton’s system to preserve water quality.
Credit: James Day

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12/12/2025

Legal Matters

Toddler death – Investigation ongoing, some charges filed...

Alleged drug dealer arrested again...

Woman arrested for counterfeit bills...

https://ourtownsantiam.com/news/legalmatters/legal-matters-13/

12/11/2025

Moving on – Bielenberg, Stayton Sublimity Chamber, see opportunities ahead

Carmelle Bielenberg has worn many hats during the decade she spent working for the Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce.

“I was first associated with the local Chamber as member,” Bielenberg recalled.

Then, in 2015 she began working as an event planner, followed by a position as the Membership and Communications Director and finally, in 2017, as the Chamber’s CEO. Now she is moving on.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/news/business/moving-on-bielenberg-stayton-sublimity-chamber-see-opportunities-ahead/

12/11/2025

BREAKING: $60.7 million awarded in latest PacifiCorp trial

The latest trial against PacifiCorp over the 2020 wildfires has resulted in $60.7 million in awards to 10 fire survivors as the case moves toward accelerated trials in February.

On Wednesday afternoon, jurors in Multnomah County Circuit Court rendered their verdict in James et al vs. PacifiCorp following a trial that began Dec. 1.

Awards included $5.2 million in economic damages, $39.3 million in noneconomic damages, $11.1 million in punitive damages and $5.2 million for a wildfire caused by recklessness. Individual awards ranged from $2 million to $8 million.

The latest trial against PacifiCorp over the 2020 wildfires has resulted in $60.7 million in awards to 10 fire survivors as the case moves toward accelerated trials in February. On Wednesday afternoon, jurors in Multnomah […]

12/10/2025

📣 Upcoming Open House – Detroit Dam Deep Drawdown

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be hosting an Open House to share information and answer questions about the Detroit Dam Deep Drawdown.

📅 Tuesday, December 16, 2025
⏰ 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
📍 Stayton Community Center (400 W Virginia St., Stayton)

This event is an opportunity for Stayton residents to learn more about the drawdown. Community members are encouraged to stop by, chat with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives, and ask questions.

12/10/2025

Hospital relief – Program fills gaps during fed shutdown

Santiam Hospital & Clinics activated its SIT (Service Integration Team) Mobile unit to offer food relief during the recent federal government shutdown.

During just one week of operation, SIT Mobile served 530 individuals across 164 households, including multiple households in Idanha and surrounding rural communities before shutting down Nov. 10. Through partnerships with the Santiam Community Health Workers program, Mehama Community Church, and Oregon Department of Human Services outreach, food and grocery cards were delivered directly to those without access to local food banks.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/features/helpinghands/hospital-relief-program-fills-gaps-during-fed-shutdown/

12/09/2025

Editor’s Note: Thank you, Our Town supporters

Six months ago we reached out and let our readers know Our Town needs your help to continue its work building community. The response has been heart-warming.

To all those who have contributed to the Our Town fund through the Oregon Public Information Partnership 501c3, thank you. To our advertisers, thank you. To those who offer words of encouragement and support, thank you. It’s a three-legged stool – each part is important for balance.

Our Town – Santiam, Our Town (Silverton), and The Canyon Weekly Our Town edition – all our publications – raised roughly $14,000.

Those funds go directly to keeping reporters focused on local stories and providing them with the tools they need to expand the papers’ reach and relevance as the way readers access news changes.

Our mission is to provide context and information so readers can connect with their community. Some stories are fun, others important, a few even potentially life-altering – all have a role Our Town.

I’ve said it before, and it’s still true: asking is hard. There are a variety of needs and good causes in our world today. Our Town reports on many of them. And that’s one reason why we must ask. Having a resource like Our Town slip away is not an option that’s good for the community.

If you believe having a free and easlily accessible source of community information and civic affairs is important – that the work that Our Town does matters – that reliable local news is important, please consider putting Our Town on your year-end giving list. Or, consider signing up for a 2026 monthly gift to help us budget and plan.

Support the Our Town news team by making a donation to: https://tinyurl.com/support-ourtown-santiam-news/ . Because OPIP is a 501c3 organization, your donation is tax deductible.

Or, if money’s tight, support us by telling our advertisers you saw their ad. That’s important, too.

We’re going to hold fast to this: together, we build community.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/features/thinkabout/editors-note-thank-you-our-town-supporters/

Help us continue to bring you the news of Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Lyons and MehamaMake a donation to maintain the Our Town news team Your donation will fund work by Our Town reporters, editors and photographers as they gather, write, edit, and publish local news. Our Town’s work is the epit...

12/08/2025

Sublimity holds first municipal court, fines door-to-door salesman

For the first time since being established in 2022, Sublimity convened its Municipal Court to adjudicate a local fine for door-to-door soliciting without a business license.

On Oct. 27, Judge Gary Milliman heard a case involving Victor Esquivel, 21, of Salem, who had been cited for selling services on behalf of Bright Side Windows without a city business license.

Court is held as-needed and this was the first instance in almost four years that Milliman’s services became necessary, said City Recorder Myrna Harding. Sublimity established a municipal court in January of 2022 to handle local code enforcement issues.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/news/legalmatters/sublimity-holds-first-municipal-court-fines-door-to-door-salesman/

12/05/2025

Hays appointed to Stayton council vacancy

Stayton Mayor Brian Quigley has appointed Budget Committee member and retired mental health therapist Leonard “Len” Hays to an open seat on the Stayton City Council.

Quigley’s appointment was confirmed by the council during its regular meeting Nov. 3. Hays was sworn in that night.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/news/civics/hays-appointed-to-stayton-council-vacancy/

12/04/2025

Sports Datebook: December 2025 – All home games

Saturday, Dec. 6
Boys Wrestling

10 a.m. Stayton, Cascade at Perry Burlison Invitational @ Cascade

Tuesday, Dec. 9
Boys Basketball

7 p.m. Stayton vs Molalla

Friday, Dec. 12
Girls Basketball

5:30 p.m. Cascade vs Cottage Grove

Boys Basketball

7 p.m. Cascade vs Cottage Grove

Monday, Dec. 15
Boys Basketball

5:30 p.m. Stayton vs Seaside

Girls Basketball

7 p.m. Stayton vs Seaside

Tuesday, Dec. 16
Girls Basketball

5:30 p.m. Cascade vs Crescent Valley

5:30 p.m. Regis vs Sheridan

https://ourtownsantiam.com/sports/sports-datebook-december-2025-all-home-games/

12/03/2025

Another title! Stayton boys claim Class 4A soccer crown

The Stayton High boys soccer squad took home the Class 4A title with a nail-biting 1-0 win against district foe North Marion on Nov. 15 at Liberty High in Hillsboro.

The Eagles finished 17-0-1 overall and went virtually wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in Class 4A. The championship was the third for veteran coach Chris Shields, following state wins in 2010 and 2020. Shields, in his 23rd year with the program, also has runner-up finishes in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. He passed the 250 win mark earlier this season.

https://ourtownsantiam.com/sports/another-title-stayton-boys-claim-class-4a-soccer-crown/