Sisters, Oregon, has been certified as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International, making it the state’s second such community and the seventh International Dark Sky Place overall in Oregon. Sisters joins an elite list that includes Eastern Lake County (Phase 1 of the proposed Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary), Oregon Caves National Monument, the city of Antelope, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Prineville Reservoir State Park, and Sunriver International Development of Distinction.
This prestigious designation represents years of dedication by the Sisters community to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the nighttime skies. By protecting this natural resource, the town ensures future generations can marvel at the stars while supporting wildlife that depends on darkness. The designation also paves the way for educational initiatives, lighting retrofits, and sustainable lighting practices, all while enhancing tourism—a cornerstone of Sisters’ economy.
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“Advocates in Sisters have shown a strong commitment to preserving their dark night skies. Their application underscores the town’s dedication to conserving its natural night sky through proactive conservation efforts and community engagement, said Amber Harrison, International Dark Sky Places Program Manager.
“Students, advocates, and local officials have played key roles in raising awareness and enhancing community lighting, ultimately improving both night sky quality and the overall environment for residents and visitors alike. We congratulate the Sisters team on this significant achievement and are thrilled to welcome another International Dark Sky Place in Oregon.”
USA, Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Central Oregon, Bend, High Desert at night. (Photo by: … [+] Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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UIG via Getty Images
Nestled in central Oregon, Sisters is a picturesque western-style town of 3,475 residents surrounded by forests and the Cascade Mountains. Recreational opportunities abound, with hiking, alpine lakes, and nearby ski areas all within a three-hour drive of Portland and the Pacific Ocean. Bend, a popular recreation hub, is just 20 miles away.
The town’s geography transitions from lush Ponderosa Pine and alpine forests in the west to junipers, sagebrush, and the expansive high desert to the east. Wildlife thrives in the region, including a town herd of deer, as well as bears, cougars, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Sisters is also home to significant fish populations, such as the native interior Columbia Basin redband trout and federally listed Steelhead salmon, thanks to conservation efforts.
The area’s history began with the Paiute, Warm Springs, and Wasco peoples, who fished in Whychus Creek and gathered huckleberries in the nearby mountains. European settlers arrived in the late 1860s, establishing the town of Sisters in 1901.
Over the years, Sisters evolved from a small pioneer hub with industries like sheepherding, cattle ranching, and timber production to a thriving community known for its Western architectural charm and tourism, particularly following the development of Black Butte Ranch in the 1970s.
Sisters’ commitment to dark sky preservation began in earnest in 2000 with the launch of an astronomy program at Sisters High School. This commitment led to the city’s Dark Skies Outdoor Lighting Ordinance and extensive community engagement. Through newsletters, social media, newspaper articles, and events, the town raised awareness about light pollution. The city also established astronomy clubs, retrofitted lighting to meet certification standards, and secured support from local officials and residents. Compliance monitoring and ongoing data collection further solidify Sisters’ dedication to its night skies.
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“Being able to gaze at an infinite sea of stars and feel our place in the universe has been an integral part of living in Sisters. The community values caring for and connecting with the natural world and came together to make sure the legacy of our starry skies continues,” said Rima Givot, a Sisters High School Science Teacher. “The International Dark Sky Community certification will ensure that we can continue to feel wonder as we gaze at the Milky Way on a clear night over the mountains, and feel our sense of place and connection”
The Milky Way over Central Oregon at Prineville Reservoir State Park.
Valerie Stimac
Mayor Michael Preedin expressed pride in the achievement: “We tried really hard to become the first city in Oregon with the designation, but alas, Antelope became the first just weeks ago, so we will take pride in being the second. This is another accomplishment that the Sisters community can proudly enjoy. Fostering our local environment by removing light pollution is something that helps all of humanity and we are excited about the astro-tourism opportunities. What a great accomplishment!”
The mayor also credited the Sisters Astronomy Club for its pivotal role in securing the designation: “We all need to thank the people that have been working on this for years before the city and the rest of the community joined the movement, namely, the Sisters Astronomy Club, who created the momentum to see this through.”
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Bill Kowalik, Ph.D., Chairperson of DarkSky Oregon, added, “The city of Sisters has now set a community standard for responsible outdoor lighting in Oregon. It’s a standard that benefits residents, visitors, and the surrounding wild environment. This international certification brings recognition to Sisters, known to visitors for culture and arts, and now globally, for environmental protection of dark skies too,”
Moving forward, Sisters plans to emphasize education about the benefits of dark sky preservation and the steps residents and businesses can take to retrofit non-compliant lighting. Outreach efforts will include newspaper articles, community events like stargazing parties, and funding assistance for lighting upgrades, ensuring that Sisters continues to lead by example in preserving its starry skies.
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Oregon hit back in the battle over transgender health care Tuesday, leading a coalition of states suing to block a proposed Trump administration policy that would cut off federal funding to institutions that provide gender affirming care to minors.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that rule change Dec. 18, with a declaration that condemned “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors as “neither safe nor effective”—putting the force the the U.S. federal government on the side of a mounting global movement that sees medical interventions, ranging from puberty blockers to hormone therapy to surgery, as plainly inappropriate treatments for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
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In the new suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon and 18 other plaintiffs states say the declaration is not only wrong—”research and clinical data support gender-affirming care as a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria in adolescents”—but in violation of multiple federal laws.
The declaration violates laws banning the federal government from intervening in certain ways in the practice of medicine, the plaintiffs say. They also argue it violates laws governing how new federal rules are established. And though the declaration says it is issued “pursuant to the authority vested in” HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the plaintiffs say he does not in fact have the authority to declare the standard of medical care in the United States.
The suit also notes the way federal guidance conflict with the laws of certain plaintiff states. For example, Oregon law guarantees that the Oregon Health Plan cover gender-affirming care. If systems like Oregon Health & Science University and Legacy Health cease to provide this care, the plaintiffs say, patients under the Oregon health plan will lose access to gender-affirming care for which they are statutorily guaranteed coverage.
The legal battle comes as different countries, and U.S. states, issue divergent policies governing medical treatment for transgender youth.
Compounding the confusion is the fact that gender affirming care is a rather capacious term. It can refer to social affirmation of someone’s chosen gender identity, or legal affirmation, where government documents reflect that identity (the Trump administration has moved to restrict this too).
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The term can also refer to medical treatments, such as puberty blockers, which are generally reversible, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It says other treatments like hormone therapy are partially reversible, while surgery is not reversible. The AAP endorses carefully-administered gender-affirming care in minors with gender dysphoria as a way to promote their physical and social well being.
The stakes in this debate are high for Oregon because OHSU has in recent years become a major provider of such care. The university’s press office hasn’t offered details on the scope of its patient base but, in a 2023 report, OHSU described its Transgender Health Program as one of the “largest and most comprehensive” in the United States.
The new Holgate Library opens in Southeast Portland on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The expanded space is now one of largest libraries in Multnomah County.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
The Multnomah County Library on Tuesday released the names of its most popular books in 2025, and the lists include several gems, including classics by literary giants Jane Austen and (for the under 5 set) Mo Willems.
Multnomah County’s 19 branches together hosted visitors more than 2 million times and checked out or renewed books and other items almost 9 million times so far this year.
Are your favorite books on the lists? Here are the most popular titles as of Dec. 1:
Physical books:
Top adult titles:
James: A Novel by Percival Everett (1,089 checkouts)
Tilt: A Novel by Emma Pattee (1,059 checkouts)
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (1,004 checkouts)
All Fours by Miranda July (973 checkouts)
Intermezzo: A Novel by Sally Rooney (758 checkouts)
Top teen titles:
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (507 checkouts)
The Blue Line Letters by Steven Christiansen (338 checkouts)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (217 checkouts)
Heartstopper. Volume 5. by Alice Oseman (192 checkouts)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (168 checkouts)
Top kids titles:
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems (636 checkouts)
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!: An Elephant & Piggie Book by Mo Willems (625 checkouts)
My New Friend Is So Fun! by Mo Willems (611 checkouts)
Watch Me Throw the Ball! by Mo Willems (569 checkouts)
I Will Surprise My Friend!by Mo Willems (560 checkouts)
E-books and audiobooks (checkouts combined):
Top adult titles:
Solito by Javier Zamora (10,006 checkouts)
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (7,835 checkouts)
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (6,320 checkouts)
Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen (4,923 checkouts)
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson (4,824 checkouts)
Top teen titles:
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (3,215 checkouts)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2,958 checkouts)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2,902 checkouts)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (2,822 checkouts)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (1,923 checkouts)
Top kids titles:
Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney (2,814 checkouts)
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (1,923 checkouts)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1,808 checkouts)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (1,478 checkouts)
Beth Slovic is an editor on the public safety/breaking news team. She previously covered Portland City Hall at The Oregonian/OregonLive and has taught journalism at a number of Portland-area universities and…
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm but say it’s still too early to predict how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
A car is crushed by a fallen tree on Northeast 24th Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 17., 2025 in Portland.
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Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A windstorm packing gusts of up to 65 mph could hit western Oregon and Southwest Washington on Christmas Eve, triggering power outages and downing trees, forecasters and electric utilities warned Monday.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm as it moves up the coast, but say it’s still too early to predict exactly how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
Gusts of at least 45 miles per hour could pass through much of western Oregon and Southwest Washington between 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
While there is still a lot of uncertainty around the windstorm, now is the time for residents to get ready, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.
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“People should take precautions such as securing any outdoor decorations, garbage bins, and be prepared for the potential for some localized power outages or tree damage,” she said.
Further south, two winter storms will bring snow and rain to Southern Oregon and northern California this week, just in time for holiday travel.
California’s Siskiyou County will get the brunt of the storms, particularly at higher elevations, starting Tuesday and lasting through Friday.
Heavy snow is expected on mountain passes over 4,500 feet, and some snow could fall on Interstate 5 in the area around California’s Mount Shasta on Friday as the snow level drops, according to the forecast.
Portland General Electric urged residents to prepare an outage plan and get emergency kits ready in case the power goes out. The utility company is also warning people of potential weather hazards like downed power lines.
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“You should always assume they are alive,” John Farmer, a spokesperson with PGE, said. “You should never go near them. Don’t touch them. Don’t use a stick or a branch to move. Just stay away.”
Following the heavy rains that plummeted the region last week, the NWS also warns that soils across the state are still really saturated. That, combined with gusty winds, could knock over weakened trees and branches.
Mindy McCartt, a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Transportation, says their crews are still working to clear up debris left behind by last week’s storms.
“Crews will continue cleanup from the previous storms while also preparing and staffing up for the next potential event,” she said. “If the storm hits as forecast, maintenance crews will be ready to respond as soon as conditions allow.”
McCartt says people who are planning to hit the road this holiday week should take extra precautions. She also recommends checking road conditions before heading out for possible closures or delays.
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