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Oregon passes some funding for arts, but 1 major org largely left out

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Oregon passes some funding for arts, but 1 major org largely left out


News was both good and bad Thursday for supporters of the arts in Oregon, when, in the closing hours of the short legislative session, lawmakers approved less than half of the funding arts champions had hoped for.

Still, that was better than they fared last year, when the Legislature didn’t pass any money to resuscitate arts groups.

All of the state’s “anchor arts organizations,” which include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the High Desert Museum, the Portland Art Museum, Portland Opera, Portland Center Stage, Oregon Ballet Theatre and the Oregon Symphony, received “resiliency” funding to support operations, from $342,000 for the Oregon Ballet Theater to $2.56 million for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The total is just shy of $6 million.

“The resiliency funding arrives at a critical time for the arts, providing substantial support to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as it rebuilds audiences,” said Tyler Hokama, interim executive director for the festival. “This funding serves as a significant boost for the current season and aids in planning for the next. OSF works on multiple seasons simultaneously and appreciates the timely support from the state as we begin planning for our 90th anniversary season in 2025.”

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Read more: Oregon arts organizations struggle as audiences are slow to return and money dries up

In addition to the state-provided operating funds, capital projects vetted by the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon will receive $5.9 million, including $1,000,000 for the Clatsop County Historical Society to expand the Oregon Film Museum and $900,000 for the Black United Fund of Oregon to build what it envisions as a United Futures Complex.

But $2 million for the High Desert Museum’s capital improvement campaign, the largest project on the list, did not make it into the final bill. Neither did an additional $13.5 million to develop and implement a grant program for Oregon cultural organizations still struggling in the wake of COVID-19. That money would have gone to smaller organizations throughout the state.

“It’s a total surprise,” Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the High Desert Museum, said Thursday afternoon. “We were assured that legislative leadership was supportive of all of the projects.”

The $2 million the state failed to allocate for the High Desert Museum is “a huge loss for central Oregon,” Whitelaw said.

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The museum is the largest arts organization in that part of the state, attracting 216,000 visitors in 2023. The population of Bend is around 100,000.

Whitelaw noted the museum is grateful for the $380,000 they received as part of the anchor arts package, but said the loss of the hoped-for funding will impact the timeline for the $40 million expansion project the museum is working on. So far, the High Desert Museum has raised $22 million.

“The High Desert Museum is a gem of central Oregon,” said Rep. Emerson Levy, a Democrat who represents parts of the region.

“I’m pleased to see the museum receive funding for operations, but disappointed the expansion project wasn’t chosen for funding,” she said. “The arts don’t stop at I-5 and we need more funding for the institutions that make central Oregon proud.”

– Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com or @lizzzyacker

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Iconic Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest returns on Oregon Coast

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Iconic Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest returns on Oregon Coast


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The beloved Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest returns for a series of events from June 19 to June 21.

In 1964, this event was founded by four locals to lift community spirits after a tsunami washed out the Elk Creek Bridge. Now, the event draws thousands of tourists and is recognized as the first and oldest sandcastle contest in Oregon.

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Registration for the contest is available online through the Cannon Beach events site.

To start off the weekend, contestants can pickup their competition materials from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on June 19.

The same day, Bill Rose will provide a live sandcastle demonstration on the beach off Second Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, the kickoff celebration will take place at Steidel Community Hall from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Competition day starts 8:30 a.m. on June 20 when the beach opens for parking. During the time of the contest, parking is allowed in every public parking lot, on the beach and the sides of the street.

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The contest will be on the beach west of Ocean Avenue near Madison Street.

The artists can begin crafting their masterpieces at 9 a.m. when the sandcastle building starts. Only natural materials native to the beach can be used.

Final judging takes place at 2 p.m. Judges are looking for team effort, enthusiasm, composition, detail, adherence to the rules and final appearance.

Spectators and competitors can celebrate from 7 to 10 p.m. with s’mores and music on the beach at the west end of Second Street. There is free admission for the party.

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For those looking to get their steps in, the weekend wraps up with the Singing Sands 5K Fun Run at 9 a.m. June 21.

Registration for the run is on the beach at the Tolovana Wayside entrance at 8 a.m.

The Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce and Information Center is available to answer any questions at 503-436-2623.

Makenzie Stamets is an outdoor intern at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at mstamets@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @MakenzieStamets.



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Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for June 18

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 18, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 18 drawing

1PM: 2-7-1-6

4PM: 4-7-3-2

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7PM: 3-7-5-1

10PM: 2-1-7-7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Oregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping

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Oregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping


A Benton County man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after prosecutors say he held his brother at knifepoint inside their family home, a confrontation that ended with police shooting the wrong person as the victim tried to escape, the Benton County District Attorney’s office said in a media release.

On Thursday, June 18, John Dakota Lyon pleaded guilty to Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Coercion, according to a news release from the Benton County District Attorney. He was sentenced to a total of 77 months in prison and two years of post-prison supervision.

The case stems from the morning of Jan. 6, when Maverick Lyon was home visiting his parents during winter break from college. Prosecutors said Dakota Lyon, his brother, was living at the home after recently being released from the Department of Corrections.

In February 2023, Dakota Lyon was sentenced to 58 months in prison for convictions of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, the release said.

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On Jan. 6, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon accused Maverick Lyon of conspiring with their father to do harm to him. Dakota Lyon armed himself with a large kitchen knife and, while holding onto Maverick Lyon’s shirt, pulled him throughout the house, implying he would harm him with the knife, according to the district attorney’s office. Despite Maverick Lyon’s pleadings, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon refused to release him or put the knife down.

Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon convinced Dakota Lyon to allow him to grab his own kitchen knife under the guise that they would leave the residence to confront their father together. Their father, who saw and heard what was happening through a surveillance system set up at the home, called 911 to report the crime, the release said.

Multiple Albany Police Department officers arrived and were able to see two men through a back door window, including one with a knife, according to the district attorney’s office. After a brief conversation between officers and the men, prosecutors said Maverick Lyon broke free and rushed out the back door.

The district attorney’s office said Maverick Lyon still had a knife in his hand as he began to break the plane of the door, and officers were standing near the door. Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon began dropping the knife, but officers, fearing for their lives and the lives of other officers, fired their weapons. Maverick Lyon was struck several times.

An earlier Officer Involve Shooting review by the Benton County District Attorney’s Office found the officers’ use of force was justified, the release said.

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Officers rendered first aid, and while being treated, Maverick Lyon said, “You shot the wrong guy,” according to the district attorney’s office.

Dakota Lyon was taken into custody without further incident, and the knife he was believed to have been possessing was located near him, prosecutors said. He has been in custody since Jan. 6.

After surgery and a lengthy recovery period, Maverick Lyon “appears to be doing well,” the release said.

The district attorney’s office said methamphetamine may have played a role in Dakota Lyon’s actions. A urine sample taken from him that day tested positive for methamphetamine, and he was known to use methamphetamine in the past and was believed by those close to him to have recently begun using methamphetamine again, according to the release.

“The tragic shooting was a direct result of Dakota Lyon’s actions. As Dakota marched Maverick around the house at knife point, Maverick feared for his life and wanted nothing more but to escape his drug crazed older brother. But for Dakota’s actions, police would not have been called, Maverick would not be a victim of kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, and coercion, and the police would not have shot Maverick,” Chief DDA Amie Matusko, who prosecuted the case, said in the release.

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At sentencing, Dakota Lyon’s attorney, Christian Strahl, acknowledged Dakota Lyon’s responsibility in Maverick Lyon’s shooting, the release said. Strahl indicated the remorse Dakota Lyon felt, saying Dakota Lyon wished he could have taken the bullets instead of Maverick, according to prosecutors.

“While this sentiment is appreciated, true accountability would be remorse in having raised a knife towards his brother and regret that the lives of Maverick and the family are forever changed,” Matusko said.



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