Oregon
Oregon Ducks 4-Star Commit Tradarian Ball Shuts Down Recruitment: ‘Officially Over’
The Oregon Ducks are locking in one of their top commitments in the 2026 recruiting class this offseason.
Per reports Thursday from On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Oregon 2026 four-star running back commit Tradarian Ball is shutting down his recruitment and will set his sites on Eugene following the end of his senior year.
He confirmed the news with a post on X.
“Officially OVER #SCODUCKS,” Ball wrote.
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A product of Texas High in Texarkana, TX, Ball is the No. 6 player in the state and the No. 3 overall running back in the 2026 class, per 247Sports’ rankings.
Ball joins 2026 five-star tight end Kendre Harrison as another Duck that’s shut down their recruiting process. The Ducks have lost commits from players like four-star receiver Dallas Wilson in the 2025 class and more recently four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, four-star offensive tackle Bott Mulitalo and four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui of the 2026 class.
Harrison and Ball are arguably two of the best players in Oregon’s ’26 recruiting class, so being able to secure their pledges should give Duck fans a major sigh of relief.
Ball and Harrison headline an Oregon class that features commitments from four-star talents and Tony Cumberland, offensive tackle Kodi Greene and linebacker Tristan Phillips along with three-stars like defensive lineman Viliami Moala, safety Xavier Lherisse and edge Dutch Horisk.
It will still be another year until Ball arrives but in the meantime, Oregon has some impressive talent in the backfield for running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples. The Ducks landed elite Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes out of the portal and are bringing back Noah Whittington for another season. Jordan James, Oregon’s leading rusher in 2024, is heading to the NFL.
Samples was rumored as a potential candidate for the same role with the Texas Longhorns, Fans caught wind of the buzz on X, with one Texas fan even speculating a Sample hire for the Longhorns could also mean a commitment flip for Ball.
The young running back shut down the speculation quickly.
“If Texas does steal Samples from Oregon, I wonder if that could mean a Tradarian Ball flip,” a fan in the “Longhorns Twitter” community on X wrote.
Ball responded, “I don’t think so #Scoducks.”
Ball made his commitment to the Ducks on July 27. He landed on Oregon despite receiving offers from some major programs like Texas, Georgia, Penn State, Ole Miss, Michigan, Tennessee, Florida State, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Baylor, Texas Tech, LSU, Wisconsin, SMU, Oklahoma and many more. The Ducks originally made the offer to him on Feb. 24, 2023.
During the 2023 season, Ball finished with 183 carries for 1,285 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 24 catches for 400 yards and six more scores through the air.
Oregon
Public asked to help find missing 2-year-old Armani Andrews in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon officials asked the public to help find a two-year-old boy who went missing from Portland last Wednesday, June 17.
The Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division, is asking the public to help find Armani Andrews and call 911 or local law enforcement if they believe they saw him.
Armani is believed to be in danger and is suspected to be in Portland, around any of the following areas: Rose Haven, Multnomah County Central Library, or Southeast Portland around 82nd-103rd.
Armani is a two-year-old Black/mixed race baby. He is about 24 inches tall, he has brown hair, brown eyes, and his weight is unknown.
If contacting Portland Police Bureau about Armani, reference the case number: #PP185430
The report number for Armani with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Report is: 2093182
ODHS said in a statement when a child is missing, they may be in significant danger and the department “may need to locate them to assess and support their safety.”
KATU News reached out to ODHS to clarify whether there is a custody aspect to the missing child’s case. The department said they are unable to provide that information.
Armani Andrews with Mother Rashonda Andrews/ODHS photos
You can report suspected child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). The toll-free number allows anyone to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year.
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KATU News included photographs of Armani to help the public identify and find him.
Oregon
The Cost of the Crackdown: How Trump’s immigration enforcement affects Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — President Donald Trump campaigned on carrying out what he called the largest deportation operation in American history.
After taking office, his administration quickly ramped up immigration enforcement. Border czar Tom Homan also pledged to focus on so-called sanctuary cities, including Portland. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 675,000 people were deported in 2025, while the agency says more than 2 million people “self-deported.”
READ ALSO | Supreme Court hands Trump immigration wins, but birthright citizenship might be different
In Oregon, state data shows state and local agencies experienced a 265% increase in immigration-related requests from federal authorities last year.
So what does that mean for Oregon’s economy?
The state’s chief economist says the effects are beginning to emerge.
Carl Riccadonna, Oregon’s state economist, said immigration enforcement actions are influencing consumer spending and activity across several key industries, though the state cannot yet quantify the overall impact.
“What we’re seeing in terms of immigration action is playing out in either consumption patterns, which we’ve seen in some communities, or in industrial or sectoral activity,” Riccadonna said. “This does then have implications for how we are reading the overall macroeconomy and putting together that revenue forecast.”
Portland police officers walk outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Riccadonna said the effects extend beyond agriculture, an industry that has historically relied on immigrant labor.
“We have certainly, in sector-by-sector analysis, we’re hearing evidence of impacts from immigration in consumption numbers, so retail, groceries, those sorts of things,” Riccadonna said. “There are also significant impacts in the retail sector and leisure and hospitality, restaurants and construction, important legacy industries of Oregon like timber, forestry … and manufacturing has a very large footprint as well.”
While the state is seeing those trends, Riccadonna said economists cannot yet calculate exactly how much immigration enforcement has affected Oregon’s economy.
“We haven’t done an exercise to say, well, this is what the forecast would have been otherwise. We don’t produce counterfactuals … but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from the cherry harvest this past summer and stresses elsewhere throughout those specific sectors,” he said.
National data offers additional context.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the recent immigration surge — which the report says mostly comprises immigrants who were not lawful permanent residents, were not eligible to apply for lawful permanent residency based on their current status, and were not admitted on a temporary basis under the Immigration and Nationality Act — generated approximately $10 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2023. During that same period, governments spent nearly $19 billion on services such as schools, shelters and border security.
A damaged car is seen as law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
The Congressional Budget Office also projects the immigration surge that began in 2023 will increase the U.S. labor force by approximately 5.8 million people by 2034 and boost the nation’s economic output by nearly $9 trillion over the next decade.
Riccadonna said Oregon expects to gain a clearer picture of the economic effects as more tax and revenue data becomes available.
This story is part of KATU’s “The Cost of the Crackdown” special, which examines how increased immigration enforcement is affecting Oregon, from businesses and workers to the state’s broader economy.
Oregon
Oregon National Guard tests drone to remotely deliver explosive during training
Oregon Army National Guard soldiers tested a new method of clearing battlefield obstacles during annual training this week by using a heavy-lift drone to remotely deliver and detonate a live explosive charge.
The proof-of-concept demonstration took place June 22 and was led by soldiers with Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The exercise focused on using an unmanned aircraft to carry a live Bangalore torpedo — an explosive device designed to clear wire obstacles — allowing engineers to breach barriers while remaining farther from potential enemy threats.
Army engineers are responsible for creating safe routes for friendly forces by clearing obstacles such as concertina wire and minefields. Traditionally, placing explosive charges requires soldiers to move close to enemy positions, increasing their exposure to danger.
During the demonstration, a heavy-lift drone carried the explosive charge to a wire obstacle before remotely detonating it, successfully creating a lane through the barrier.
The project was the result of several months of planning by the battalion’s drone working group under the direction of battalion commander Lt. Col. Eric Zimmerman. The unit partnered with Ashland-based Lorica Technologies, which provided the heavy-lift drone used during the demonstration.
Lt. Col. Zimmerman said recent conflicts have highlighted the importance of adapting new technologies for the battlefield.
“Watching what’s happening in Ukraine and seeing how innovative they’ve been inspires you to get better and think bigger,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said.
The team conducted multiple tests before the live demonstration, beginning with inert training devices before progressing to live explosives. Officials said the final test successfully delivered and detonated a two-section Bangalore torpedo.
Lt. Col. Zimmerman credited the project’s success to collaboration between battalion leadership and the soldiers responsible for carrying out the mission.
“I’m really proud,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said. “The Soldiers of Bravo Company took an idea from the battalion staff and applied their expertise to make that idea functional and effective.”
Military officials said the demonstration highlights how the Oregon Army National Guard is incorporating emerging unmanned aircraft technology into engineer operations. Lessons learned from the project are expected to help shape future training and the Army’s continued integration of drones into combat engineering missions.
The Oregon Army National Guard is made up of citizen-soldiers who serve part time while maintaining civilian careers, attending school or raising families. In addition to federal deployments, Guard members respond to state emergencies such as wildfires, floods and winter storms when activated by the governor.
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