Oregon
Two more Oregon newspapers go dark. This time in Columbia County
Another Oregon news source has gone belly up due to declining revenues.
The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief, a recently formed hybrid of two existing papers serving the rural environs northwest of Portland, printed its last issue Sept. 25.
Its publisher, Country Media, had merged the St. Helens Chronicle and Clatskanie Chief in December 2023, citing the need to cut costs in the face of declining print revenue and difficulties with staff turnover.
“Combining the two newspapers into one was a last-ditch effort to reduce expenses and reestablish profitability,” company president Steve Hungerford said in a statement. “Sadly, that wasn’t successful.”
The weekly Chronicle & Chief was down to a newsroom of one, plus an administrator and page designer when the closure was announced. Both papers had served Columbia County under a variety of mastheads since the late 1800s.
It’s the latest bad news for local print media publishers, who have spent decades searching for a sustainable business model while grappling with an ad market now dominated by tech companies.
EO Media Group stopped printing five newspapers and cut two-dozen staffers in June. Pamplin Media Group also saw job losses once it sold to the Mississippi-based Carpenter chain. The new owners are running house ads warning they will merge their Estacada and Sandy papers unless more readers start paying.
There are about 1,000 people left working for the state’s newspapers, a decline of three quarters since 2000, The Oregonian/OregonLive previously reported.
The Chronicle and Chief’s final issue included front-page reports on a delayed reservoir project and the loss of 24-hour police coverage in St. Helens. Its demise did not go unnoted.
“Social media cannot replace our county paper of record, because its content is not professionally vetted,” reader Margaret Trenchard-Smith wrote in a letter to the editor. “We have lost a chunk of our history.”
—Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane.
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Oregon
Oregon’s Dan Lanning Admits He Was ‘Pretty Nervous’ Watching Game-Winning Kick
Thanks to some special teams heroics, No. 9 Oregon slid past No. 20 Iowa, 18-16, on Saturday — a finish that left Ducks head coach Dan Lanning anything but calm.
Lanning admitted as much after watching kicker Atticus Sappington drill a 39-yard field goal in the rain with seven seconds left to seal the win. Truth be told, the redshirt senior’s composure in the clutch may have exceeded that of his head coach.
“If you want the truth, I was pretty nervous,” Lanning told reporters. “I’m nervous for him because it shouldn’t come down to that moment for Atticus. That guy’s going to feel an unbelievable amount of pressure, however that goes. But, I’m really proud that he’s able to handle a moment like that.”
By now, it’s no secret that it takes a special kind of focus for kickers to lock in and deliver under pressure. Recreating those moments in practice is one thing, but as Lanning put it, “there ain’t nothing like 70,000 fans.”
“Seven seconds left, having to kick that kick. Can’t recreate that in practice, and Atticus handled that like a champ,” added Lanning.
The nail-biting kick capped a game in which Oregon jumped out to a 2–0 lead on a wild safety, then trailed 16–15 after an Iowa touchdown with 1:51 left in regulation. A 24-yard Dante Moore completion boosted the ensuing 10-play, 54-yard series which Sappington closed with the game winner on the road.
After narrowly improving to 8–1 overall and 5–1 in Big Ten play, Lanning’s Ducks have held their own in their second year in the conference. Still, it’s clear the experience is taking some getting used to.
“Well, guys, I guess that’s what they call Big Ten football,” Lanning said to open his postgame press conference. “What an unbelievable game.”
Oregon now turns its attention to its next Big Ten showdown — a road game at Minnesota (6–3, 4–2). Kickoff is set for Friday, Nov. 14, at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.
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Oregon
Beavers Open Season with Win – Oregon State University Athletics
The Beavs dominated on the defensive end with 14 blocks and 13 steals while holding the Warriors to 29 percent shooting from the field.
“Tonight was a fun adventure to navigate through the ups and downs of the game. It wasn’t perfect for sure, but in the second half I thought we settled in and executed. The ball moved much more freely, which is a good sign of things to come,” head coach Scott Rueck said.
Five Beavers scored in double figures, led by Lara Alonso-Basurto’s 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. She is the sixth Beav all-time to record a double-double in her debut and first since Taylor Jones in 2020.
Tiara Bolden got the Beavers going early, scoring eight of her 13 points in the opening frame to pace the Beavs to a 23-7 lead. Bolden’s strong all-around performance included seven rebounds and six steals.
A slow second quarter followed the hot first, but the Beavs entered halftime up 35-14 and Kennedie Shuler ensured they would pull away even further in the second half. The junior scored the first four points of the second half on a blow-by drive and turnaround jumper, part of a 19-0 run when combined with a 9-0 end to the second quarter. Shuler finished the day with 10 points, five rebounds, 5 assists and three blocks.
Lizzy Williamson combined with Alonso to own the paint. The seventh-year senior scored 10 points with seven rebounds in just under 15 minutes. Fellow Aussies Keira Lindemans and Katelyn Field combined for 10 more points in their first collegiate action.
Ally Schimel added 11 points thanks to a 3-for-6 day from deep, leading a sophomore class that combined for 23 points. Cloe Vecina poured in eight on 4-of-5 shooting and Elisa Mehyar added four.
Oregon State committed just six fouls in the game, their fewest since being whistled five times on December 10, 2021 against Monmouth.
The Beavers are back in action on Monday when they take on Air Force at 6 p.m. Veterans can claim free tickets to the game on VetTix.
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Oregon
Oregon vs. Iowa score prediction by expert football model
A major Big Ten matchup kicks off this weekend as No. 9 Oregon goes across the country in a test against newly-ranked No. 20 Iowa in Week 11 college football action on Saturday.
Iowa broke into the first College Football Playoff rankings on the back of a strong defense and a 4-1 record in Big Ten play, while Oregon is at one loss and with little room for error in this road test.
What do the analytics predict as the Ducks visit the Hawkeyes this weekend?
For that, we turn to the SP+ prediction model to get a preview of how Oregon and Iowa compare in this Week 11 college football game, and use it to lock in our own projection.
The model likes the Ducks to stand firm in this road test against the Hawkeyes.
SP+ predicts that Oregon will defeat Iowa by a projected score of 28 to 20 and will win the game by an expected margin of 7.5 points.
The model gives the Ducks a 68 percent chance of outright victory over the Hawkeyes.
SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”
How good is it this season? So far, the SP+ college football prediction model is 263-253 against the spread with a 55.8 win percentage. Last week, it was 29-23 (55.8%) in its picks against the spread.
The betting markets are siding with the Ducks over the Hawkeyes, but not by as much as a touchdown.
Oregon is a 6.5 point favorite against Iowa, according to the game lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel lists the total at 42.5 points for the matchup, and set the moneyline odds for Oregon at -240 and for Iowa at +198 to win outright.
Oregon arrives with elite offensive balance and a defense that’s allowed less than 15 points per game, and they need this one to stay on a playoff trajectory.
Iowa brings a stout defense and home-field edge at Kinnick Stadium, aiming to capitalize on the Ducks’ road trip vulnerability.
Expect Oregon to edge the Hawkeyes, but Iowa could stay close if they dominate time of possession early.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams
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