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Lake Oswego star running back reopens recruitment

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Lake Oswego star running back reopens recruitment


One of the top seniors in Oregon’s class of 2026 has changed his mind after originally verbally committing to Oregon State.

On Friday afternoon, Lake Oswego’s LaMarcus Bell announced via social media that he was reopening his recruiting.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back originally committed to Oregon State back in January.

“This was not an easy decision, and I have so much respect and love for Coach Bray, Coach Pickering, and the entire Oregon State staff for believing in me,” Bell wrote.

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Bell was the Class 6A all-state Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and a first team all-state selection at running back, rushing for 1,630 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. He was a big piece for the Lakers’ offense as Lake Oswego went 11-1 in 2024 and fell to West Linn in the Class 6A open state championship game.

He is considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports and currently holds offers from BYU, Utah, Boise State and Cal.

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— Nik Streng covers high school sports in Oregon. Reach him at nstreng@oregonian.com or @NikStreng

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Oregon is getting a new campground close to the coast. Where is it?

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Oregon is getting a new campground close to the coast. Where is it?


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The Oregon Department of Forestry is transforming an off-highway vehicle staging area into a new campground in the Tillamook State Forest.

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The Diamond Mill OHV staging area is currently undergoing reconstruction into a full campground that is scheduled to open in the Tillamook State Forest on April 1.

“Diamond Mill is in the heart of some of the most active OHV usage areas in the Tillamook State Forest,” said Ben Burns, the recreation facilities manager for ODF. “Historically, Diamond Mill has been a staging and parking area for mostly single track (motorcycle) trail users.”

The campground is being prepared with boulders, soil, gravel and vegetation, along with site contouring to give campers more privacy and a more comfortable overnight experience, according to the agency.

Here’s what to know about the campground at Diamond Mill.

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How many campsites will be at Diamond Mill?

The new campground at Diamond Mill will have 16 sites, multiple posts and signage, new picnic tables, fire grates and a double-vault pit toilet.

What is the Diamond Mill fee?

The fee for the sites at Diamond Mill will be $20 a night.

Can people reserve camping sites at Diamond Mill?

Camping sites at Diamond Mill are not available for reservation in 2026.

“For this first year the campground ground will remain a first come first served area,” Burns said. “Then, we will consider user feedback and might go to a reservation system in 2027.”

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When does Diamond Mill open?

Diamond Mill and other seasonal State Forests campgrounds open on Wednesday, April 1.

People can learn more about camping at state forest campgrounds on the ODF website at oregon.gov/odf/recreation/pages/camp.aspx.

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.



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Gresham grocery store identified as measles exposure site

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Gresham grocery store identified as measles exposure site


GRESHAM, Ore. (KPTV) – The Oregon Health Authority identified a grocery store in Gresham as a measles exposure site on Thursday evening.

Shoppers who visited the WinCo Foods at 2511 SE 1st St between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on March 7 may have been exposed to measles, according to OHA.

Community members who visited the store during that timeframe are advised to contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Data from OHA’s website shows the measles case count in Oregon for 2026 sits at six total cases as of March 12. Of those six cases, five patients were unvaccinated and one had an unknown vaccination status.

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More information about measles in Oregon can be found here.



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An iconic Oregon waterfall was put up for sale on Redfin. Lawmakers approved the money to buy it

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An iconic Oregon waterfall was put up for sale on Redfin. Lawmakers approved the money to buy it


The state of Oregon may soon have some new public property: A spectacular waterfall, beloved by generations, that was recently put up for sale on Redfin.

Abiqua Falls — known for its 92-foot (28-meter) vertical drop over a columnar basalt cliff — has been privately owned for over a century but open to the public. Its owner, a nonprofit that supports a community of Benedictine monks, put it on the market earlier this year.

The listing worried fans of the natural wonder. But at the tail end of the legislative session this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers stepped in and approved $2.1 million to buy the falls and its surrounding land.

“It’s not every day where you see a waterfall come up for sale on Redfin or Realtor.com with no price,” said Travis Williams, president of the Willamette River Preservation Trust, a conservation nonprofit. “The public was really confused and fearful that the site would be closed off.”

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The waterfall is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the state capital, Salem, and roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Portland. It’s reached by a rough, unpaved road and short, steep hike — so steep that previous visitors have left ropes in some spots for assistance.

In a statement, Republican state Sen. Fred Girod, whose district includes the waterfall, said “Oregon is pledging that Abiqua Falls will continue to be protected and accessible for generations to come.”

The waterfall was acquired by Mount Angel Abbey in 1908 and transferred to The Abbey Foundation of Oregon, a nonprofit that supports the abbey, in 2002, according to Amanda Staggenborg, the foundation’s communications director.

“We just realized that it was time,” she said. “There were a lot of people that were hiking on the property, and while we welcome that, we wanted to ensure that the proper stewardship was overseeing it.”

The foundation put the property up for open auction in early February, meaning there was no minimum or maximum bid, she said. It accepted the offer the state made under the bill that passed.

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The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department must complete due diligence, including reviewing environmental and archaeological information, before the purchase can move forward, spokesperson Katie Gauthier said in an email.

The property won’t necessarily become a state park, which would require additional money, she added. It could be managed by a local or tribal government or another state agency.

“Abiqua Falls is a beautiful but very remote and difficult-to-access site, and we are concerned about the impact managing a property like this could have on an already stretched state park system and our current budget shortfall,” Gauthier said

Many people who commented on the Willamette River Preservation Trust’s social media posts on the issue welcomed the idea of the falls becoming public land, although some worried that state acquisition might lead to fees and crowds.

The trust, which submitted a bid soon after the waterfall was listed for sale, has supported the state’s move to acquire it, said Williams, the trust’s president.

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“It has a sense of spirituality about it,” he said. “It’s just gorgeous.”



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