Connect with us

Oregon

Visitors flock to celebrate birthday of the elderly Herman the Sturgeon

Published

on

Visitors flock to celebrate birthday of the elderly Herman the Sturgeon


A crowd of onlookers — some wearing party hats — stood in front of a gigantic tank to sing “Happy Birthday” to Herman, a 500-pound sturgeon housed at Bonneville Fish Hatchery and one of Oregon’s largest tourist attractions.

Herman’s home, located in Cascade Locks about 40 miles east of Portland, is Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s largest hatchery facility. Starting in the 1930s, the sturgeon had been a longtime fixture at the Oregon State Fair.

He has lived in his enclosure at the hatchery since 1998, constructed so that he would have more room to move around, and for his hundreds-of-thousands of visitors to catch a glimpse at one of the state’s most famous fish.

Shannon Perez, right, and her son James attempt to locate Herman the Sturgeon at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Cascade Locks, Ore., on June 22, 2024. Dozens of people gathered to celebrate the famed sturgeon’s birthday.

Advertisement

Joni Land / OPB

It’s unclear exactly how old Herman is (likely in his 80s, according to the Oregon Wildlife Foundation), but that mattered little to those who trekked to the hatchery to see him in person. Small children quietly gasped as Herman trudged by the front of the tank.

Melody St. John of Los Angeles travels to Portland each year with a group of students enrolled in an exchange program she helps run, and said she always pays a visit to Herman. The fact that it was his birthday made it even more special.

“I’ve never been to a birthday party for a sturgeon before — this made my day,” St. John said.

‘Herman The Sturgeon’ Survives Stabbing, Kidnapping, And Now Wildfire

Advertisement

Despite being in the public eye for so long, onlookers are still impressed by Herman’s size and ancient appearance. Tim Greseth, executive director of the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, said sturgeons are remnants of prehistoric times.

“In Oregon, there’s a long public understanding of Herman the Sturgeon, and sort of a love fest with this creature,” Greseth said.

To be clear, there have been multiple “Hermans the Sturgeons” over the decades, and each iteration has seen its share of drama, more than one might expect for a gigantic fish. A man attempted to kidnap Herman in 1983, while another attempted to stab him.

Catch And Release Sturgeon: A New Game For A Very Old Fish

There have been multiple thefts of sturgeon from the hatchery, which Greseth said is because people were looking for sturgeon eggs that are often used to make expensive caviar. Herman’s new enclosure was created, in part, to provide him more security to deter would-be thieves, he said.

Advertisement

Nowadays, Herman leads a much more peaceful existence, except for the occasional song wishing him another happy year.

Amelia Schwarz, 2, looks at the sturgeon during Herman the Sturgeon's birthday celebration at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Cascade Locks, Ore., on June 22, 2024.

Amelia Schwarz, 2, looks at the sturgeon during Herman the Sturgeon’s birthday celebration at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Cascade Locks, Ore., on June 22, 2024.

Joni Land / OPB



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Oregon

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

Published

on

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class


With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.

So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?

If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.

In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.

Advertisement

Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Oregon

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

Published

on

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise


Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.

In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.

From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.

And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.

Advertisement

“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”

The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.

“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.

The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.

Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.

Advertisement

OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.

“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.

Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise (Source: Oregon Health Authority)

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office.

Support WW





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Oregon

Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue

Published

on

Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue


play

At times, the Oregon women’s basketball team has certainly made things much harder on themselves than it needs to be. The team has also produced some miraculous comeback victories, putting itself in position to make women’s March Madness for the second straight season.

March 1, in their final regular season game, the Ducks (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten) finished on the wrong end of yet another tight game to Washington, 70-69. It’s the second time this season Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, but ended up losing to the Huskies (20-9, 10-8).

Advertisement

Those aren’t the only times Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, like it did in wins vs. Nebraska and USC. The No. 11-seed Ducks are hoping they won’t need heroics in a Big Ten tournament first-round game against No. 14 Purdue this Wednesday.

Watch Oregon basketball on Peacock

“I think our biggest weakness this year has been our inconsistency,” coach Kelly Graves said, “something we’ve battled all year. The great thing is our kids know, regardless of the score, we’ve got a chance. We’ll make it a game at some point. As a coach, it drives you nuts. Hopefully we can figure it out and play more consistent basketball.”

Oregon’s volatility has seen it earn three double-digit comeback wins this year, but also blow several games in the final moments.

Advertisement

Against Wisconsin, the Ducks held a 6-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but lost in overtime. Against Illinois, Oregon held a 21-point lead at halftime, blew it in the third quarter, trailed by eight with minutes to play and somehow eked out a win.

That makes UO somewhat of a wild card heading into the conference tournament this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“It’s definitely (been) a rollercoaster,” guard Katie Fiso said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But one thing that I try to see through all games is our grittiness and our toughness. One thing that stays consistent throughout the season is our toughness and our grittiness. The game isn’t over until the last bell rings.”

The Ducks will be taking on a Boilermakers (13-16, 5-13) team that has struggled against most of the top competition in the league, but played Oregon tight in a Feb. 25 Ducks win.

Advertisement

Graves said when the Ducks went throughout the postgame handshake line after, the Boilermakers felt like their season would end after the regular season. Thanks to some upsets, Purdue is in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 14 seed.

“We’re playing a team that probably feels like it’s playing with house money,” Graves said. “We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get it done.”

What channel is Oregon vs. Purdue on today in Big Ten tournament?

Oregon will tip off vs. Purdue on Peacock, with no TV option to watch the game.

Oregon vs. Purdue start time in Big Ten tournament

  • Date: Wednesday, March 4
  • Time: Around 5:30 p.m. PT

Oregon and Purdue will play around 5:30 p.m. PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The first game of the day begins at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the next game 25 minutes after the first game ends, and so on. The Ducks play in the third game of the day, so no official tip time is listed.

Oregon women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Oregon’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

Advertisement
Feb. 15 Washington 51, Oregon 43
Feb. 19 Oregon 80, Nebraska 76
Feb. 22 Indiana 72, Oregon 65
Feb. 25 Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1 Washington 70, Oregon 69
March 4 Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Purdue women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Purdue’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

Feb. 14 Purdue 72, Rutgers 57
Feb. 19 Iowa 83, Purdue 74
Feb. 22 Maryland 99, Purdue 66
Feb. 25 Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1 Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
March 4 Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending