Oregon
Northern Lights expected to return to Oregon this week. Will the clouds clear in time?
Two unexpected phenomena are clashing in the skies over Oregon tonight.
A new magnetic storm means another good shot at viewing the aurora borealis – the strongest chance since the last big show of northern lights in May. However, the event is overlapping with a summer rainstorm that’s lingering over much of Oregon, potentially barring the lights from view.
The aurora may be visible Monday night for about the northeastern half of Oregon, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. At the same time, the National Weather Service is forecasting clouds and rain across most of that area. The northern lights should be strong again Tuesday night, and maybe even Wednesday, but the view line is expected to shift north, excluding most of the state.
Forecasts for the northern lights are notoriously tricky – weather forecasts much less so. Oregonians hoping to see the aurora will likely be better off trying to look skyward Tuesday or Wednesday night, when the clouds begin to part.
According to Spaceweather.com, the aurora was triggered by a “cannibal” coronal mass ejection, a mass of solar storms that flings a large amount of plasma and radiation into space. When those storms collide with Earth, they cause geomagnetic storms, which are disturbances in our planet’s magnetic field.
This week’s event is not expected to be as strong as the one in May, Forbes reported, though the two were created by similar solar storms.
–Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.
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Oregon
Iconic Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest returns on Oregon Coast
Video shows rafting Oregon’s iconic Wallowa-Grande Ronde River
Learn about an overnight rafting trip on a famous 40 mile stretch that includes both the Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oregon
Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for June 18
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
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.
Oregon
Oregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping
CORVALLIS, Ore. — 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.
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.
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.
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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