Oregon

Oregon Ducks Matthew Bedford Injury: Who Will Start At Right Guard?

Published

2 years ago

August 21, 2024

Oregon Ducks Matthew Bedford Injury: Who Will Start At Right Guard?

For many athletes, their sports career can take them great lengths. Senior offensive lineman Nishad Strother isn’t a stranger to a journey, whether he’s transferring to the University of Oregon from East Carolina University going into his junior year, or battling an acromioclavicular injury to the shoulder that kept him out from all but five of Oregon’s games during the 2023 season.

Now the lineman, who primarily takes reps at left and right guard, is ready to make the next jump in his journey: starting for Oregon this season.

Nishad’s versatility will be needed as projected right guard Duck starter Matthew Bedford, will be out for a projected significant amount of time this season with a knee injury.

“You hate to see a guy get hurt, especially Matt. He’s been a good guy for our room and all that. Hate to see him go down. It’s next man up mentality, always. So, I hope he comes back soon enough. But you know, next man up for now,” Strother said.

Getting back to the field after such a painful injury can be quite the challenge, as Strother elaborated. He assures that he’s back to one hundred percent as he’s vying for a top roster spot.

“Yeah, I was in a pretty tough spot last year, you know, dealing with the shoulder injury, you know, and kind of regressing a little bit from all the progress that I had made,” Strother said. “I was in a tough spot mentally, honestly, but you know, I had some good guys around me, and, you know, I’m happy to be back and healthy this year. So we’ll see what happens.”

“I do. I feel back to normal,” Strother said. “The rehab was a long process in the beginning. The AC was something I had never dealt with before. Kind of different, you know, grade three, so it was pretty significant. So dealing with that firstly, or like when it first happened, was kind of difficult, but it’s back to normal now for the most part.”

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Nishad Strother (50) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Being out for a long time can especially be taxing for a line position, as keeping a lineman physique can arguably be even more time-consuming and strategic than skill positions. Maintaining that balance of mass and muscle with explosive agility for release from a three point can be almost impossible with an injury. Building back that physicality and preparing to move big bodies can be a daunting task, as Strother explained.

“Honestly, it took me a while to, you know, throw a punch again, because you don’t want to re aggravate it, you know. But you know, you have to put yourself back, back out there at some point. So, you know, just kind of throw yourself back into the fire and help everything. You trust your rehab, trust your trainers, and everything will be alright,” Strother said.

Strother’s transition back to the trenches truly came to fruition during spring training. During his five game appearances last season, Strother saw 55 snaps with 22 coming from Oregon’s contest versus the Arizona State Sun Devils.

“A little bit during spring ball, you know, I was out there throwing my hands around a little bit. Felt like I was getting back to my old self so it was good to feel,” Strother said.

Nishad Strother talks to media during an Oregon Duck Football Fall Camp Media Availability on August 20th /

Strother could be a real asset to the big bodies up front. As an all-season starter for ECU, Strother earned a 72.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and helped clear gaps for the starting quarterback to throw over 3,000 passing yards.

Strother said he’s comfortable with either side of the interior line. A lot of that trust lies within the choice for center, the heartbeat of any trench. To Strother, the versatility in mastering multiple positions in the trenches Duck offensive lineman are known for still stands.

“Charlie Pickard, Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu, Kanen Rossi even. Yeah, I’m comfortable with all those guys [who] are really smart. Know the playbook in and out. So I think we’re solid at center as well,” Strother said.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Charlie Pickard (70) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most tenured groups as far as returning Ducks, the offensive line is set to be fairly strong this year. The biggest departure from last seasons’ 2023 class was center Jackson Powers-Johnson who was drafted second round to the Las Vegas Raiders. According to Strother, that leadership hole has been filled by walk-on Charlie Pickard. The former Sheldon High School lineman walked on to Oregon after being inspired by former Ducks’ center Ryan Walk, who is now an assistant coach with the Ducks.

“I think Charlie’s the leader of our room, honestly,” Strother said. “He’s been here for a long time. He runs a lot of our player-led stuff. I love Charlie to death. I think he’s really the backbone of our room. So Charlie is that guy for me, for sure. He’s a walk on, you know? So, I mean, he deserves everything he’s getting now. the recognition, you know, the rotations, Charlie, deserves it all.”

Focusing more on Oregon’s fall camp, linemen are typically off doing their own thing when it comes to drills. Strother added that the level of talent on the defensive line has added to his own preparation for the season.

“I love going against them. They’re going to make us great,” Strother said. “Yeah, it’s really battles every day, you know, little smack talking here and there. But those are really good players that I think they’re going to be great for us.”

Nishad Strother speaks to media during an Oregon Duck Football Fall Camp media availability on August 20th /

And the addition of two fields for practice, creating two spots, has made far more athletes get much needed reps. Strother claims the line is no exception.

“We got two spot in practice. I think it helps with the conditioning. You know, two groups on each field. So, you know, a lot of the young guys get reps, the older guys get reps. You know, everybody watches each other, you know, conditioning, development, mentally, all that. I think it helps a lot,” Strother said.

Strother said that even the young blood is impressing him in the trenches. But right now, all this group is thinking about is the amount of pancakes they can put up during their introductory season to the Big Ten Conference.

“We’re chomping at the bit,” Strother said. “But, you know, just a few more days, you know, I think it’s 10 now, but yeah, we’ll be out there soon.”

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Oregon

How did a small Oregon town become a hub for industrial development?

Published

7 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

How did a small Oregon town become a hub for industrial development?

Several large companies are investing over $500 million to build new industrial facilities in Millersburg.
The city has become a mecca for new or expanded industrial growth due to its low property taxes, available industrial land and pro-development attitude.
The city of 3,000 people has become an attraction to businesses due to its proximity to Interstate 5 and railroads.

Ball Corporation, Timberlab, ATI and Gordon Truck Centers are pouring a combined $500 million, at least, to build manufacturing plants and other businesses in Millersburg.

That’s the kind of economic development any city would love. Large employers bring jobs and an expanded tax base, among other benefits.

In a city of 3,000 like Millersburg, just south of Salem, those numbers make a major impact.

While some governments get “caught up in red tape and rule books” that make development difficult, Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist said, Millersburg city leaders welcome businesses.

“How can we get to yes for you on this?” Nyquist said.

When Millersburg uses the slogan “We Are Open for Business” on its website, it’s not just a line.

Millersburg’s low taxes, large tracts of developable land and easy access to Interstate 5 and rail service have made it popular for businesses. Few cities along Oregon’s predominant north-south arterial highway have experienced the city’s level of industrial growth, and certainly none of its size.

“What the difference is that attitude is from our council,” former City Manager Kevin Krietman said. “I will tell you that historically Millersburg has always had a council that understands the value of the industrial base and protecting that industrial base and growing that base for the benefit of the community.”

Millersburg was incorporated in 1974 to keep taxes low

The town was established as Millers Station in 1871 when a rail station was built for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It became a large shipping point for cattle in the 1880s and renamed Millersburg around 1900.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines established a facility to produce zirconium there in the 1940s. That plant was sold to Wah Chang and the company produced metals including hafnium, tantalum and niobium. The company was later renamed Teledyne Wah Chang and it became a Superfund site.

The environmental clean-up took 20 years.

The Willamette Kraft Corporation built a paper mill along one of the two rail lines that cut through it in 1952 to process wood chips into kraft paper. When it was owned by Weyerhaeuser, the plant was known for a smell reminiscent of rotting cabbage that greeted people driving by it on I-5.

“That was the smell of money, man,” Nyquist said.

Millersburg incorporated as a city in 1974, partially so businesses and residents could avoid being annexed into Albany and pay that city’s higher property taxes.

About a third of the city’s land was designated for residential development, which left lots of room for industrial and commercial growth.

International Paper created new urgency in attracting industry

The paper mill closed for good in 2009 and cost 270 workers their jobs. It was then owned by International Paper and torn down by 2012.

At the time of its closure, the mill was paying about $2.6 million per year in property taxes, the most in Linn County.

“We lost a lot of jobs,” Millersburg Mayor Scott Cowan said. “And so that was a big impact, and then of course as that sort of was the immediate situation once that news got out was of course the financial impact to the city was by the franchise fees and taxes from the IP property, we felt that.”

The loss of that revenue was significant to the taxing districts — officials had to find ways to replace the revenue to pay for city services and road repair, for example.

Millersburg didn’t levy a property tax for its first 40 years because the city earned enough money from franchise fees to pay for basic city services. It now charges the maximum $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. Most of that goes to contracted fire and sheriff’s services.

The city long tried to attract businesses to fill the gap left by International Paper.

In 2008, Peak Sun Silicon broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot building where it would employ 500 people to product an ingredient in solar cells.

The state foreclosed on the property when Peak Sun defaulted on a $14 million loan in 2012.

In 2019, the state gave $25 million to Linn County to build an intermodal facility on a portion of the former International Paper property.

That project cost $35 million, but has never operated.

Why companies are building in Millersburg now

When Timberlab was looking to build a new facility to manufacture mass timber, the company considered locations around the Willamette Valley including Independence and Corvallis, President Chris Evans said.

Then Timberlab found a 33.5-acre site in Millersburg. The location had challenges. It had a fish bearing stream, needed an entry road and the main connecting road to Old Salem Highway was under construction.

Still, Timberlab purchased the land from the city and expects to complete its first building this year. That project will bring an estimated 100 jobs to Millersburg.

Gov. Tina Kotek, who attended the March 2025 groundbreaking, said Oregon is “leading the way” in mass timber and pointed to the new roof at the Portland International Airport terminal.

“The city really facilitated taking a lot of the issues out of the sites here, so they could invite somebody into the community and have a quicker turnaround to have something rezoned from agricultural to industrial,” Evans said at the facility’s groundbreaking.

That will include a 185,000 square foot manufacturing facility and it has plans for 85,000 and 126,000 square foot buildings in the future.

Companies that build in Millersburg reap the same tax rewards as its citizens.

Property owners in Millersburg pay a combined tax rate of $15.61 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, one of the lowest rates in the state for a city that offers the services that Millersburg does.

A company building a $100 million facility can save over $1 million per year on property taxes compared to other cities if it builds in Millersburg.

The money brought in from taxes and fees also means residents don’t have to worry about being barraged with bonds and levies from the city.

“But don’t worry, our residents still complain about our taxes,” city manager Janelle Booth said.

Companies like Timberlab also get a tax break by building in enterprise zones, areas designated for large-scale industrial development by the state.

Enterprise zone projects have to meet requirements including a minimum investment cost, employee count and must pay workers between 130% and 150% of the county’s average wage.

Businesses are also exempt from paying property taxes on capital improvements for three to five years. In a rural enterprise zone, such as the one in Millersburg, businesses could be exempt from paying taxes on those improvements for up to 15 years.

In the meantime, the city will still benefit from the Timberlab development as it collects franchise fees from the company. Millersburg received nearly $1.2 million per year from Pacific Power last year, and that will go up with more power being used by Timberlab and Ball Corporation.

That money pays for basic city services like roads, parks and city administration.

“We’re looking at it for that long-term benefit, too,” Booth said.

Infrastructure investments make economic development possible

Millersburg has invested heavily in infrastructure that benefits residents and businesses. The city shares water filtration and wastewater treatment facilities with Albany.

Pacific Power owns and runs a regional operations center in the southern part of the city.

Millersburg city leaders convinced Pacific Power to build a new substation on Conser Road across the street from the Jefferson Fire Department station in 2024. That provides large industrial users with plenty of electricity for whatever they plan to build.

Several large parcels inside the city limits were zoned industrial and never developed. Over the years, Millersburg acquired several of those parcels for free or close to it.

To spur economic development, the city took an active approach in marketing the industrial properties.

The city updated its comprehensive plan in 2020, which essentially served as a sales brochure for prospective development.

“That’s an incentive that we can have with the industries to encourage them to come in,” Kreitman said. “We went through and we put together a presentation and the state asked us to come and talk about it for other communities to look at. It’s really helped us.”

The city council opted to be selective which companies it would sell properties to. For example, they chose not to sell land for warehouses that employ few people.

“As the property owner, the price of the property is one of our tools to get what we want in here,” Booth said.

The city still owns about 70 acres of flat, undeveloped land that is zoned industrial.

Ball Corporation development leads to interest from others

Cowan said Ball Corporation’s plans to build a plant helped spur much of the new economic development in the city.

“We heard about another company that was interested, but it was a lot of this loose interest and no one really serious until Ball came along,” Cowan said. “That really was a big one.”

Ball Corporation’s facility could be larger than 500,000 square feet when it’s finished, according to city planning documents, but will be smaller to start, Kreitman said.

It is unclear how many jobs the Ball facility will provide once it’s finished. The company did not respond to requests for comment from the Statesman Journal.

Center Market is planning a new 5,200 square foot building for its store and offices. Pure Energy is build a 7,480 square foot building.

Several businesses have announced plans for the former International Paper property.

Aymium, formerly known as National Carbon Technologies, signed a 16-year lease on 22 acres in 2022 to build a plant that uses carbon products to produce things like filters. Linn County approved a pause in that lease in 2025.

“And if they don’t go forward, we’ve got, guess what, flat land available at a reasonable price in close proximity to I-5 and rail,” Nyquist said.

In 2024, Omni Energy agreed to lease the site to transfer biodiesel from train to trucks. That still hasn’t happened.

“It’s going to take some infrastructure investment,” Nyquist said. “The operators want to work out a longer-term lease to justify that investment, and so that’s what we’re working on today.”

Corvallis-based Samaritan hospitals owns a 2.3-acre plot of land in the north part of the city at the intersection of Old Salem Highway and the I-5 interchange.

The hospital system planned to build a regional medical center when it purchased the property for $1 million, according to city documents.

“While we do not have definitive plans for that property at this time, we do consider it a very important asset that can help us meet community health needs as Millersburg and surrounding areas continue to grow,” Larissa Balzer, vice president of strategy and planning at Samaritan Health Services, said in a statement.

Millersburg still lacking in commercial, residential development

While Millersburg has a lot of industrial development, it lacks commercial businesses.

Humpty’s Dump Bar & Grill and Oregon Barbecue Company are among the few commercial properties in town.

The Love’s Travel Stop just off the North Millersburg exit, which opened in 2018, is the city’s most recent commercial development.

The city owns about 8 acres along Old Salem Highway between the new fire station, which the city built for $5 million in 2023, and Center Market. It has designated that for commercial development.

Unlike many small Oregon cities, Millersburg doesn’t have a downtown.

“We’re hoping to create one,” Booth said.

The city also lacks affordable housing. The only houses for sale in Millersburg are advertised for over $500,000. There are no apartments or multi-family housing.

“That is the constant feedback we hear from our community and our council and our planning commission, 10,000 square foot lots is the hill to die on for our folks,” Booth said.

There are a couple large parcels of undeveloped property zoned for residential development in the city limits. The city had significant housing growth until 2023, when the last parcel of developable land in the city limits was built on.

City leaders say they can’t expand the urban growth boundary to the north or west because of the prime farmland in those areas.

The city is looking to expand to the east side of I-5 at a long-hoped-for new interchange for more commercial and high-density residential growth.

Millersburg also owns land it intends to use for a YMCA building and a school, something the city hasn’t had since the last one closed in 1983.

“Last we knew, they are very interested in getting something in here,” Booth said.

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

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Oregon

PHOTOS: No Kings protests begin in Portland

Published

19 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: No Kings protests begin in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — No Kings protests are underway in Portland, with crowds already gathering in opposition to the Trump administration.

Event organizers said they are expecting tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets today.

See photos from the March 28 No Kings protests below:

Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN)
A protester in a frog costume is seen during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN)2
Protest banners are erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
No Kings protester gather outside the Oregon Convention Center on March 28 (KOIN)
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Crowds march along Potland’s South Watefront during a No Kings Rally on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A protest banner is erected during a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland. March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A No Kings Rally stage is set up during a march in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
A fire truck with a Veterans for Peace banner is seen at a No Kings Rally in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).
Large crowds march during a No Kings Rally against President Donald Trump in downtown Portland on March 28, 2026 (KOIN).

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 4 results for March 27

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at March 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 27 drawing

13-27-28-41-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 27 drawing

1PM: 5-5-9-1

4PM: 0-1-7-6

7PM: 6-6-7-3

10PM: 9-3-0-9

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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