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Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival highlights spring events near Salem
The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival and cherry blossoms at the Oregon State Capitol highlight spring events around Salem and the Willamette Valley.
CORVALLIS — Oregon State leaned on timely hitting and another stellar performance from its starting pitcher to stay atop the Pac-12 standings.
The No. 5 Beavers topped Stanford, 3-1, at Goss Stadium Saturday evening and secured a series win in the process.
Had they lost, the Beavers (29-4, 10-3 Pac-12) would have fallen behind No. 17 Oregon (25-9, 10-4) in the conference standings as the Ducks beat USC, 5-3, in Eugene earlier in the day. But junior catcher Wilson Weber extended his recent hot streak and provided the go-ahead knock in the fifth inning, and the Beavers never looked back from there.
“Two consecutive days of high-quality pitching and defense,” Oregon State head coach Mitch Canham said. “Controlled the heck out of the (strike zone); 12 (Stanford) walks, and we only had two there. Great grit. … Impressed by how we carried over from yesterday and how the guys went about it again today. Today was a great momentum-builder.”
Oregon State starter Jacob Kmatz, who tossed a complete game against Arizona State last weekend, produced another quality start on Saturday. The junior righty held Stanford to one earned run on six hits while striking out six in 6.0 innings of work.
Dallas Macias provided the Beavers with an insurance run when, for the second day in a row, he launched a home run that cleared that right field bleachers.
“I think it’s definitely a byproduct of putting in work with the swing,” Macias said of what has been clicking for him lately. “The guys around the team: (Travis Bazzana), (assistant coach Ryan Gipson); I went to Driveline, too, over the winter, which helped out a lot with different things. I’m also just making better swing decisions, getting the right pitch and squaring it up better.”
Stanford third baseman Jimmy Nati ambushed Kmatz for a solo homer in the top of the second to open the scoring and give the Cardinal an early advantage.
One inning later, Kmatz briefly lost command and surrendered a one-out walk to Stanford No. 9 hitter Ethan Hott, and then a single to leadoff man Owen Cobb. Cort MacDonald followed with a hard-hit single to right field, and Hott attempted to score from second.
But Beavers’ right-fielder Gavin Turley delivered an outstanding throw home to gun down Hott for the second out of the inning.
“I gave (Turley) a big hug there in the dugout,” Kmatz said. “I had to. That was pretty cool. Defense has just been on lock right now.”
The danger wasn’t over for Oregon State at that point, though. Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore, who is widely considered to be one of the top Major League Baseball Draft prospects in the nation, stepped to the plate with two outs and runners in the corners.
Moore ran up a full count against Kmatz. But the Beavers’ hurler struck him out looking with a fastball to end the inning and escape the jam.
“The goal is to get him out soft and away,” Kmatz said of his battle with Moore. “It’s pitch after pitch after pitch after pitch, and then you see a window (inside) late in the at-bat and get him leaning over the plate a little bit. So, just throwing my best heater on the inner half right there and letting it play up like it can and giving myself and the team the best chance of succeeding in that situation. Because getting that out right there was a pivotal moment.”
Meanwhile, Stanford freshman lefty Christian Lim stymied the Oregon State bats, allowing just two hits and four walks throughout his first 4.0 innings. Oregon State’s bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth, though, when Bazzana scorched a leadoff double to right-center, and then moved to second when Turley followed with a walk.
Lim bounced back and struck out Mason Guerra and Brady Kasper — the Beavers’ No. 3 and No. 4 hitters — in succession. The Cardinal then turned to hard-throwing righty Joey Volchko with hopes of escaping the inning unscathed.
But Weber greeted Volchko with a two-run single to right to ultimately serve as the go-ahead hit.
Midway through the seventh, Canham turned the game over to closer Bridger Holmes. The standout junior tossed 2 1/3 innings scoreless innings and struck out four to slam the door on the Cardinal.
In 20.0 innings this season, Holmes has struck out 27 batters, surrendered just eight hits, and has yet to allow a run.
The Beavers take on the Cardinal in Game 3 of the series at noon on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.
Jarrid Denney is the high school sports reporter for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at JDenney@salem.gannett.com or on X @jarrid_denney
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 30, 2026, results for each game:
1PM: 7-1-4-0
4PM: 1-4-7-0
7PM: 7-0-6-4
10PM: 8-5-1-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
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.
Crime
A man from Oregon pleaded guilty Wednesday to a 1979 murder in Back Bay, a crime he confessed to in 2023, authorities said.
John Irmer, 71, was charged with first-degree murder of 24-year-old Susan Rose, whose body was found in an apartment at 285 Beacon St. on Oct. 30, 1979, according to a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.
In August 2023, Irmer confessed to the murder at an FBI field office in Portland, Oregon. He initially spoke with federal authorities twice, each time admitting to the crime, before Boston Police Homicide Unit detectives traveled to Oregon to interview him, according to a 2023 statement of facts filed with the court.
Irmer told detectives that his decision to confess stemmed from becoming sober and “finding Jesus” after serving a lengthy prison sentence for a separate murder conviction in California, the statement of facts noted.
Irmer described meeting the victim, identified as Rose, in Boston around Halloween 1979 while she was arguing with her boyfriend, court records indicate.
After visiting Rose’s basement apartment and walking around Back Bay, Irmer and Rose stopped at a house under construction. As Rose walked up a set of stairs inside the house, Irmer struck her in the head with a hammer “so hard that he believes that he killed her instantly,” according to court documents.
Irmer also confessed to sexually assaulting Rose after killing her, authorities said.
After the murder, Irmer admitted to stealing Rose’s wallet, taking the cash, and discarding the remainder of the wallet into the Charles River before traveling by bus to New York.
Irmer additionally confessed to committing another murder in a southern state, which authorities from that state are investigating. He also admitted to shooting someone in a different southern state, though he was uncertain if that victim died, according to court documents.
“Irmer repeatedly stated that he wanted to do what was right and cited his finding Jesus and feeling bad about what he had done for his reason for confessing and wanting to plead guilty immediately,” the statement of facts noted.
First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
A different man was initially arrested for Rose’s murder but was ultimately found not guilty, according to Hayden. In 2005, a DNA profile was developed from sperm cells located on a broom that had been found inserted inside Rose’s body, and the person previously arrested was excluded as the source of the sperm found on the broomstick.
Rose’s older sister presented a victim impact statement during Wednesday’s hearing, Hayden said. She held a photo of Rose from first grade, saying she wished to remember her that way.
Rose was described by her sister as adventurous, intelligent, and motivated, with dreams of becoming a lawyer.

“All of this was taken from her … Susie never got to finish school, get married, or have her own children,” she said. “She never got to see all the places she wanted to visit, meet new friends, or have new adventures. Her life was cut short at the age of 24.”
Rose’s sister explained how the murder profoundly impacted her family.
“My parents were never the same after Susie’s murder,” she said. “Though they lived long lives, they were never truly happy or at peace.”
Mourning the loss of her only sibling, Rose’s sister shared her personal grief, saddened by the fact that her daughter would never have the chance to meet her aunt.
“I am relieved that there is some closure to this nightmare,” she said. “I truly hope that John Irmer understands what he did because I will never forget.”
Following the hearing, Hayden commended the investigators on the case. He also addressed Rose’s family, saying “The answers for Susan Rose’s sister and friends finally came today, though after a very long and sad period of time. I hope other families affected by John Irmer’s murderous behavior find similar answers.”
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BANDON, Ore. – It was the kind of beautiful shot golfers dream about. Pure contact, the ball soaring against a blue sky and sliding just a touch a right before touching down on the green near the flagstick on the closing stretch at iconic Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. And it was all propelled by a late bathroom break and a quick walk back into the fairway that left little time to overthink a pressure-packed situation.
This particular shot, an 8-iron from 173 yards, had significant meaning. Jesse Droemer, a teaching professional at Riverbend Country Club near Houston, was tied for the lead through 16 holes in Wednesday’s final round of the PGA Professional Championship. His lead had been as many as three during the back nine, but he had been run down by Ben Kern. Droemer needed to make something happen.
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On No. 17 of the resort’s Bandon Dunes course, Droemer faced a challenging shot into the green with the flag tucked on the left behind a knob as strong winds blew off the left. He nailed that 8-iron to within birdie range. He missed the putt and settled for a par, but that proved to be enough. Kern, playing in the final group behind Droemer, soon after landed his approach on the right side of the putting surface and watched the ball slide off the green into the rough. Kern’s ensuing bogey gave Droemer a one-shot lead, and after both players parred the 18th, the title was Droemer’s.
Jesse Droemer won the 2026 PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
What were Droemer’s thoughts as he left the 17th tee on his way to what would prove to be the tournament-deciding shot? Probably not what you would think, as Droemer explained after receiving the trophy.
“Well, honestly, I had to use the restroom so bad, I had to run from the tee over to the Porta Potty that was like 200 yards away,” Droemer said with a smile. “[Caddie Carl Everts] got the number, and I said, ‘Give me a yardage,’ and he had it, and I just stepped up and hit the shot. No time to think, just react. I do think that was one of the shots of the tournament, for sure.”
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After nearly holing a 77-yard approach shot into the par-5 18th that set up the winning par, Droemer finished with a 2-under 70 in the final round, good for a 4-under total of 283. Kern, of South Bloomfield, Ohio, shot 71 in the final round to finish in second place at 3-under. Michael Kartrude of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was third after a closing 70 and a 2-under total. It was the second straight day of strong breezes that at times surpassed 20 mph, causing havoc for club selection and making it tough to hole putts of any length.
“I was just embracing the challenge,” said Droemer, 34. “I knew it was gonna be windy. I knew the conditions were gonna be tough, and I was just really was trying to embrace the elements. And, you know, I’m glad it was windy. I’m glad it was playing hard.”
Droemer, Kern, Kartrude and 17 other players now have a new challenge: the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 14-17. The top 20 from the PGA Professional Championship qualified for the major in Pennsylvania. It will be Droemer’s third appearance in the PGA Championship, having first qualified via the PGA Professional Championship in 2023 and again in 2025. He missed the cut in both those tries, but the victory at Bandon Dunes inspired fresh confidence.
“Well, this will be my third one, and the first one was in ’23, and I realized that I was a lot more comfortable last year after that one,” Droemer said. “But going into that tournament, I’m not trying to just enjoy it. I’m trying to go out and win a golf tournament. I said it last year: I’ve never played a tournament to try to lose, so I’m gonna go out and try to win a golf tournament.”
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Droemer had experience to lean on in the PGA Professional Championship. He finished second behind Tyler Collet in 2025 at PGA Golf Club in Florida, and he tied for 11th at Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Golf Club in 2023 in New Mexico.
Droemer worked for years as an assistant professional before switching to teaching full-time, and he commits long hours to combine golf instruction with his own needs to practice — such is the life of most of the contenders in the PGA Professional Championship who represented 41 PGA of America sections at Bandon Dunes.
“Sometimes I have to get to the golf course at 6:30 and practice before (giving) my 8 o’clock lesson,” Droemer said. “I have to stay until dark. But I love to compete. This is why I practice, being in situations like this. So I just have to make a lot of time for it.”
All that work in Texas, well-known for its frequently windy golf, helped prepare him for Bandon Dunes. Most people would think the toughest shots in the breeze are those up in the air, but at Bandon Dunes, it was the putting that was most difficult for most competitors. When winds exceed 20 mph, a rolling ball often breaks in unexpected ways. “Honestly, that was the hardest thing of the week, making putts,” Droemer said.
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He hired Everts, who has caddied at Bandon Dunes for seven years, to help. Evert’s experience reading putts in the breezes proved invaluable in all four rounds. Droemer had played at Bandon Dunes Golf resort in the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and qualified for the match play portion then, so he was familiar with the resort’s typically firm and bouncy turf conditions, but he wanted all the help he could get from his caddie on the greens in this PGA Professional Championship.
“It was huge,” Droemer said. “I mean, he saved me I couldn’t even tell you how many shots, with different reads that I didn’t see. I just trusted him. I told him, ‘Just whatever you see, tell me,’ and I wouldn’t have been able to do without him. No chance.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Texas teaching pro takes title at PGA Professional Championship in Oregon
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