The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced it will resume road restrictions this fall in the western part of the Tillamook State Forest to improve deer and elk escapement during hunting season.

The Banks American Legion officially changed its name to John Kalmbach Post 90, Banks, in memory of the longtime member who passed away April 21, 2019 at his home at age 83.

Gales Creek Gatherings is a column by guest writer, Sharon Hundley. Sharon covers local events and gatherings in the Gales Creek Valley, featuring community events, businesses, and special happenings. If you know of an upcoming event which is outside the regular community calendar events and would like to see it in here, please contact news@galescreekjournal.com, with Sharon Hundley in the subject line.

A free fishing weekend will return to Oregon this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, August 17 & 18. On those days, fishing, crabbing, and clamming is free to all residents and non-residents, meaning no fishing licenses or tags, including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement are required.

Deputy Chris Iverson, a 7-year member of the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Corporal Jeremy Braun, a member of the sheriff's office for 16 years, were both injured during the shooting near Hagg Lake on August 8.

Anne and her husband Rene’ have been growing heirloom organic vegetables at Gales Meadow Farm in Gales Creek since 1999. If you have a question about vegetable gardening, Anne might be able to answer it. Send your question to news@galescreekjournal.com with subject line “Question for Gales Meadow Farm”

While responding to reports of the theft of a long gun at a Hagg Lake area home on Thursday, August 8, two members of the Washington County Tactical Negotiation Team (TNT) were shot. Now, the Washington County Major Crimes Team has released the name of the suspect, who remains in an area hospital.

At the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree & Logging Show today, there's expected to be a show of solidarity from local log truck drivers and logging outfits for a recall effort against Oregon's Governor Kate Brown, who faces two recall efforts

Multiple agencies, including Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District 13, and prison crews from South Fork Forest Camp and more responded to a motor home fire along Highway 6 that sparked a small brush fire near Gales Creek Camp Thursday morning

A brush fire has closed Highway 6 as crews battle flames near Gales Creek Camp

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue battled a small roadside brush fire — and yellow jackets — at the intersection of Stringtown and Ritchey Roads between Dilley and Watts.

The driver of a vehicle involved in a fatal crash on Wednesday evening west of Banks on Highway 6 has been arrested on six charges stemming from the crash.

In 2018, Alaskan wildfire fighters helped in fires that torched more than 225,000 acres in Oregon. Now, the Oregon Department of Forestry is returning the favor

A deadly crash involving a car and a tractor-trailer semi truck has closed Highway 6 just west of Banks

It’s Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday, and the Tillamook Forest Center is celebrating with a special birthday party on Friday, August 9 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. to honor the beloved forest icon.

On the grounds of the historic Gales Creek School, past attendees of this former elementary school will gather on Sunday, August 25 from 1 to 5 pm to remember days gone by learning and studying in the only school remaining in the Gales Creek valley.

A home was a complete loss in a fire Monday morning in rural Cherry Grove. Now the Washington County Sheriff's Office says two white male teen suspects were spotted running from the scene — one holding what looked like a gas can — toward Lee Falls Road.

Banks resident Alexis Mitchell, 22, is the new Oregon Ms. Agriculture USA Queen for 2019-2020. Mitchell will now move onto the final round, taking place next year in Ohio, in the Ms. United States Agriculture pageant.

After a devastating fire took the Gales Creek Store out of business, this venerable community gathering space is coming back to life

Gales Creek, June 1930. These are the diary entries of Esther Lilly Hundley, who lived in Gales Creek with the Lilly clan after the family moved to Gales Creek in the 1880’s. They paint a picture of what it was like to live in Gales Creek and the surrounding areas. They are published as they were written, with original spelling.

Looking for summer activities for the kids? In the class Club Med West: Medical Careers, students are offered the opportunity to investigate careers in the medical field at a hands-on experience at Pacific University.

Oregon motorists will be able to adorn their license plates with famous wildfire prevention icon Smokey Bear starting August 1.

The Continental Congress declared freedom from a tyrannical British government on July 2, 1776, and fully adopted the document known as the Declaration of Independence two days later on July 4, 1776. We've been dealing with the traffic ever since - and this year, AAA says it'll be one for the record books.

With the recent declaration of fire season in NW Oregon and the North Cascades, all of the land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry is now officially in fire season.

The Oregon Transportation Commission named retired Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Highway Division Administrator Paul Mather as ODOT Interim Deputy Director at a special meeting of the Commission in Salem.

Locally, Oregon Department of Forestry will launch the official fire season in NW Oregon on Monday, July 1. This year, ODF says that 21 fires have occurred in their coverage territory — almost double from last year's 11 fires — and that all of them were determined to be caused by humans

Frontier internet and landline customers are effected by a large outage up and down the Gales Creek valley and surrounding regions.

A dirt bike rider crashed at Browns Camp on Monday afternoon, requiring an extensive rescue to extract the patient, who was eventually transported via air ambulance to a Portland area hospital. Five agencies combined to rescue the downed rider.

The 53rd Annual Gales Creek Strawberry Festival drew more than 600 visitors to the heart of the Gales Creek Community on Saturday.

Gales Creek, May 1930. These are the diary entries of Esther Lilly Hundley, who lived in Gales Creek with the Lilly clan after the family moved to Gales Creek in the 1880’s. They paint a picture of what it was like to live in Gales Creek and the surrounding areas. They are published as they were written, with original spelling.