Oregon
Oregon Sen. Aaron Woods remembered as ‘courageous’ lawmaker who bridged divides
State Sen. Aaron Woods, D-District 13, right, talks with a colleague at the Oregon Capitol in Salem, March 20, 2023.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The Oregon Senate on Thursday commemorated the late Sen. Aaron Woods, who recently died of complications from cancer.
Members of Woods’ family, who traveled from Illinois and Colorado, sat at his desk on the Senate floor as lawmakers remembered him as a dedicated statesman known for his humor, his love of food and his passion for Oregonians.
“We’re all going to pass,” said Sen. Kate Lieber, her voice breaking as she recalled speaking with Woods about their shared experiences facing cancer and enduring chemotherapy. “But he showed us how to do it in a way that was courageous.”
Lawmakers spent roughly an hour Thursday speaking about Woods’s life and service. Some dotted their eyes with tissue. Others embraced and patted each other’s shoulders.
Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, read a passage from a Bible he keeps on his desk. Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn that has long served as a national anthem among Black Americans.
Democratic Senator Lew Frederick approaches the podium during a press conference on the first day of the legislative session at the Oregon state Capitol, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Salem, Ore.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“I considered him my older brother,” said Sen. Lew Frederick, a Portland Democrat.
A U.S. Army veteran from Chicago, Woods worked as a tech executive and is survived by five adult children. Self-described as a political centrist, Woods brought levity and wisdom to the arduous work of lawmaking. Sen. James Manning, D-Eugene, spoke of Woods’s “strut” as he crossed the senate floor, prompting Manning, a fellow veteran, to greet him: “Wassup player?”
“He looked at me and said, ‘Oh man, oh you crazy,’” Manning said, chuckling. “He had a sense of humor, which we all do. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with having a sense of humor. There’s too much hurt in the world today.”
Though he died during his first term in office, lawmakers said the 75-year-old Wilsonville Democrat made a significant impact on the chamber, sometimes providing the deciding vote for whether a bill advances. As political polarization grows nationwide, senators said Woods often worked across the aisle, building relationships with his Republican colleagues.
Oregon state Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, pictured in 2024.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“Aaron was one of the strongest men I knew,” said Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford. He spoke of Woods’s knowledge of the importance of port jobs in Brock Smith’s district along the southwest Oregon coast, and the ongoing struggles of generational poverty among residents there. “He wanted to know everything there is about you and why you care about what you care about.”
During his speech, Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, told Woods’s family: “I didn’t have a lot in common with your dad.” The two lawmakers sat on opposite sides of the room and were from opposing parties. McLane grew up in a small rural town, while Woods was from a big city.
But one day, over a meal at Brock Smith’s home, McLane said Woods approached him, smiling. The two found common ground, exchanging stories about their children and their “awful” Army instructors during boot camp.
“In that little act, he bridged divides: urban, rural, race, political parties, political views,” said McLane, a colonel in the Oregon Air National Guard. “When we got up from the table, your dad had shown me that I had a friend. I’ve lost both my parents. And it’s hard. But remember that his legacy, even in that meal with me, is what you carry forward.”
(Left to right) Senators Bill Hansel, Aaron Woods, center, Feb. 5, 2024, on the opening of the legislative short session at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem, Ore.
Jordan Gale / Pool
The vacancy left by Woods’s death will be filled in the coming weeks. Democratic party officials are set to meet in Wilsonville on May 4 to nominate between three and five people to finish out his term. The ultimate decision will be up to commissioners in Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill counties, which all contain pieces of Senate District 13.
At least one top-tier candidate for that position says he’s not interested. House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, whose district coincides with a portion of Woods’s, told OPB this week he will remain in the House.
“I trust the [precinct committee people] and county commissioners to pick someone who will represent our community effectively — and I look forward to supporting that person in their new role,” Bowman said.
State Rep. Courtney Neron, a Wilsonville Democrat whose district also aligns with Woods’s, was less definitive.
“The news is very fresh in the building, and we are still grieving,” Neron said in a text message. “That said, I know the process will need to move quickly. You can anticipate an announcement from me in the near future.”
As of Thursday morning, the Democratic Party of Oregon listed one candidate vying for the vacant seat, a Wilsonville energy consultant named Dave Backen.
All week, lawmakers have been debating bills that are receiving their third readings in the chamber, having recently passed the halfway mark of this year’s legislative session. With many bills to go, the Senate adjourned on Thursday, without voting on any legislation, to spend time with Woods’s family.
But before that, Senate President Rob Wagner said that Woods’s legacy would remain part of the Legislature, his name engraved into brass name plates on the sides of the chamber desks, alongside the names of other lawmakers who have died.
“You will forever see the name of state senator Aaron Woods,” said Wagner.
Then, members of the Senate stood for a moment of silence. They remained standing as Woods’s family left the room, some of them in tears.
OPB Reporter Dirk VanderHart contributed reporting.
The Oregon Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a Lane County man who once photographed child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey and was convicted in 2021 on several child pornography charges.
Randall DeWitt Simons, 73, of Oakridge, was charged in 2019 with 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse. He was later convicted on every count and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Simons was first arrested after authorities began investigating a report from a restaurant in Oakridge that someone had been using the restaurant’s Wi-Fi to download inappropriate and concerning images.
Law enforcement officers directed the business to track, log, and report all of the user’s internet activity to the investigating officer for more than a year, without a warrant.
Police tracked the computer’s IP address from the restaurant’s Wi-Fi system, which led officers to a man who lived near the restaurant and had given Simons a computer, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Lane County Circuit Court. Investigators obtained a warrant to search the laptop in Simon’s home, relying on information they had collected over time. He was subsequently arrested.
On March 26, the court ruled warrantless internet surveillance on public Wi-Fi violates privacy.
In an opinion written by Justice Bronson D. James, the court held that the Oregon Constitution recognizes people have a right to privacy in their internet browsing activities and the right is not extinguished when they use a publicly accessible wireless network. It’s even true in cases where that access is conditioned on a person accepting a terms-of-service agreement that says a provider may monitor activity and cooperate with law enforcement, James wrote.
During criminal proceedings in the Lane County Circuit Court, Simons moved to controvert the warrant and suppress the evidence obtained by police, arguing the business was a “state actor for purposes of Article I, section 9, and that its year-long warrantless surveillance was an unconstitutional, warrantless search attributable to the state,” the Supreme Court opinion said.
The Circuit Court denied Simon’s motion. The Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s decision in part and stated Simons had no cognizable privacy interest in his internet activities performed on a third-party network.
The Oregon Supreme Court rejected the state’s argument.
“The mere fact that a person accesses the internet through a public network does not eliminate their Article I, section 9, right to privacy in their online activities,” according to James. “Even when access is expressly conditioned on a user’s acceptance of terms-of-service provisions purporting to alert the user that the provider may monitor activity and cooperate with law enforcement.”
Justice K. Bushong suggested in a partial dissent the Court should reconsider its approach in a future case to what constitutes a “search” under the Oregon Constitution. The court’s decision reverses the Court of Appeals and sends the case back to the Lane County Circuit Court for further proceedings.
Simons has maintained his innocence since he was arrested in 2019.
Simons had been a photographer for 6-year-old Colorado beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey a few months before her still-unsolved 1996 murder, the Associated Press reported in 1998.
In October 1998, Simons was arrested on a charge of indecent exposure in Lincoln County, Colorado. According to the book “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town” by Lawrence Schiller, Simons was arrested in 1998 for allegedly walking nude down a residential street in the small town of Genoa, Colorado. Simons allegedly offered to the arresting deputy unprovoked, “I didn’t kill JonBenét.”
Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.
Umatilla, Morrow counties establish Young Republicans of Oregon chapter
Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026
IRRIGON — Young Republicans living in Umatilla and Morrow counties now can join a local chapter of the statewide Young Republicans of Oregon organization.
The Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans will advance Republican values and leadership in young residents through political training, networking opportunities and connection to Republican leaders. The group is focused on young adults, generally attracting college-aged people, though it includes people aged 18 to 40.
The five Young Republicans of Oregon members living in Umatilla and Morrow counties elected three officers to lead their new chapter. Irrigon’s Evan Purves was elected chair, with Connor Roberts of Hermiston as his vice chair and Kaelyn Moore of Milton-Freewater serving as secretary.
“I am super grateful for this opportunity to lead my neighbors,” Purves said. “It’s going to be really fun. We have some good events planned.”
Purves, 19, is a student at Blue Mountain Community College who eventually hopes to pursue a four-year degree in public administration. He initially became interested in the Young Republicans during an internship with Oregon state Rep. Greg Smith, of Heppner. He said it was an experience that showed him how the legislature works.
The internship also inspired him to step into a leadership role with the Young Republicans and help establish a local chapter of the organization. The newest chapter of the Young Republicans of Oregon, which was announced Monday, March 23, has been in the works since November 2025.
The Young Republicans of Oregon State Chair, Tanner Elliott, said the new chapter — the fourth chapter statewide — indicates momentum for conservative values.
“In less than a year, we’ve continued expanding because young conservatives are stepping up and getting involved in their communities,” Elliott said. “I want to congratulate the chapter’s leadership team on their election and especially commend their new chair Evan Purves for taking on this role. I’m confident this group will make a meaningful impact in Eastern Oregon and help drive our organization forward.”
Future plans in Umatilla, Morrow counties
The leadership team of UMYR already is making efforts to effect change.
In early May, Purves said, Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans will host a door knocking campaign in support of Smith’s reelection campaign. There also will be an official kickoff event the same weekend celebrating the new chapter and outlining priorities for the future.
“If there’s anything that we might struggle with is membership,” he said. “The recruiting part is us going out there and hosting events and socials, having opportunities for people to come out and do something fun that anybody’s invited to.”
Regarding other priorities, voter engagement is important to Purves,
“Even though we live in a big conservative area, there’s not a lot of politically engaged people, especially in my generation,” he said. “We want to get them involved.”
He said one of his concerns is businesses leaving the state due to policies that aren’t friendly to corporations, a common issue raised by Republican lawmakers. The decisions being made impact every community, he said, and he wants to have a say in what the leaders are doing.
“These bills affect all of us,” he said. “It’s just important to get people involved and get people to vote and be a part of it.”
People interested in updates on the efforts of the Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans can follow the group on Facebook or Instagram or become a member at yro.gop.
Doorbell camera shows fireball streaking across the sky over Stow, Ohio,
Thousands of people across eastern Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania heard a loud boom that the National Weather Service (NWS) said may have been caused by a meteor.
Yet another meteor has entered the Earth’s atmosphere.
Onlookers across parts of California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon spotted another space rock streaking across the sky on Monday, March 23.
Jason Jenkins, who spotted the fireball while driving to work, told ABC News that the meteor reminded him of a “lightning strike because it was so bright.”
“The video doesn’t do justice on how bright and close it seemed,” Jenkins added.
The American Meteor Society received 137 witness reports and 11 videos chronicling the brief but dazzling moment.
Watch ‘fireball’ streak across Oregon skyline
Videos show green fireball streaking across night sky
A green fireball was seen crossing the sky in the Pacific Northwest.
From northeast Ohio to Texas, the March 23 event was the latest in a series of sightings across the U.S. this week. Those sightings were characterized by a “loud boom” and a rogue meteor fragment.
Hundreds of people in California, Nevada and Arizona captured another “shooting star” on camera this last weekend. The vast majority of reports came out of California.
A bright, glowing orb zipping through the night sky, trailed closely by a signature fiery “tail,” is seen in various clips shared by awestruck residents over the course of the week. Some even reported a greenish-yellow glow as the space rock lit up the sky for about five seconds.
What is a meteor?
Meteors, like comets or asteroids, are space rocks that orbit the sun, according to NASA.
Often called “shooting stars,” meteors come from meteoroids − small, often pebble-sized pieces that break off asteroids or comets. When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it becomes a meteor.
Because meteors enter the atmosphere at such high speeds, the space rocks burn up as they fall from our sky, creating the streak of light we commonly know as a shooting star or “fireball.”
If a meteor survives the entry and ends up on the ground (or lodged in someone’s roof), it is then called a meteorite.
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
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