Remote Surveillance Trailer in Oregon City, OR

OREGON CITY, Ore. (KPTV) — Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center has opened a new short stay unit, an expansion hospital staff said will increase capacity and help nurses work more efficiently.

The unit opened at the end of January. Nurses who work in the unit helped design parts of the space, including the head wall layout and where items such as hand sanitizer and blood pressure cuffs would be placed.

“It’s just fantastic to have a light bright clean new unit,” short stay unit nurse manager Meredith Rueda said.

Rueda said nurses were involved in planning and drawing the unit.

“We have been planning and drawing it and having the nurses that are working here with the patients figure out how do we want to design the head wall for the patients, where do we want to put the hand sanitizer, where do we wanna put the blood pressure cuffs, so it was a fun project to work alongside the caregivers here and design it ourselves,” Rueda said.

Charge nurse Joni Hanson said staff were asked for input during the design process, which was different from past projects.

“They would be like, OK, this is the head board, where do you want your baskets? Questions I’ve never been ask before. Everything has just already been in place before,” Hanson said.

One feature nurses said they like is that equipment, including computers and beds, is on wheels.

“Because we designed every little detail of this room and the whole unit, we are efficient in getting patients in and out more smoothly. Everything is brand new so everything actually has motors in it so they can move quicker,” Hanson said.

Hospital staff said the expansion is also helping other parts of the medical center. The former short stay unit is being used to add inpatient capacity, which they said will help decrease wait times in other departments, including the emergency room.

“If you have a space that has everything that you need that you’ve designed, you don’t have to think about those details, you can just focus on the patient,” Hanson said.

With the expansion, Willamette Falls Medical Center said it can perform about 1,000 more surgeries each year to keep up with demand in Oregon City and the southeast metro area.

“It’s that relationship with the patients that is most important and this facilitates us to be able to do that even better,” Rueda said.

Bend, a central Oregon city known for attracting outdoor enthusiasts, has been named one of the United States' best up-and-coming cities by a major TV network.

HGTV created its list using information from the U.S. Census Bureau and a report by the Milken Institute that tracks which small cities display the most economic growth, increased jobs and wages, housing affordability, and access to broadband.

Bend's population has doubled in the past 25 years and was recognized for its outdoor recreational activities and its local brewery scene.

Here's what to know about Bend and why it's one of the best up-and-coming small cities in America.

Bend named to HGTV's list of the 30 best up-and-coming small cities

Bend appeared in the No. 12 spot on HGTV's list of the best up-and-coming small cities.

"It’s easy to fall for Bend and never want to return home," HGTV said. "In recent years, Bend has attracted remote workers drawn in by plentiful recreation opportunities and natural beauty."

The network recognized Bend for attractions that include its craft brewing scene along the Bend Ale Trail, popular summer recreational activities like tubing and paddling on the Deschutes River, and in-town scenic hikes like the one leading up to Pilot Butte State Park.

Mount Bachelor, 20 miles west of Bend, was also noted as a driving force behind Bend's growth for its ski and snowboarding activities. Mount Bachelor is the seventh largest ski resort in North America and has more than 4,323 skiable acres.

How much has Bend's population grown during the last 25 years?

Bend's population has doubled during the past 25 years.

In 2000, Bend's population was reported at 52,029, according to a count by the city. By 2010, the city's population had grown by 47% to 76,639 residents. The next decade saw another 29% increase in Bend's population, growing to 99,178 residents.

As of 2023, Bend's reported population was 104,557, more than double what it was 25 years ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

What cities appeared on HGTV's list of the 30 Best Up-and-Coming Small Cities in America?

Here is HGTV's full list of the 30 Best Up-and-Coming Small Cities in America:

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at or on X atGinnieSandoval.

Clackamas County got a late-season soaking Thursday, as cold, pounding rain moved in and quickly turned streets slick and neighborhoods soggy. Flood watches and scattered flood warnings stretched across the county while crews hustled to clear storm drains, check trouble spots and remind residents to keep a close eye on rising creeks and low-lying areas.

As posted by Clackamas County, The Father's Heart in Oregon City opened a warming shelter with doors set to open at 6 p.m. The Father's Heart lists its day shelter at 603 12th Street in Oregon City and describes regular daytime services for people in need. Volunteers and county partners urged anyone who needs a dry, warm place to stay to seek shelter or connect with local outreach teams.

The National Weather Service in Portland issued a Flood Watch for much of northwest Oregon, warning that heavy rain through Friday could push creeks and rivers higher, trigger urban flooding and loosen hillsides in steep terrain. Forecasters said clogged storm drains and runoff from already saturated slopes raise the odds that some creeks could spill their banks or that low spots in roads could become impassable.

Clackamas County keeps a standing severe weather shelter plan and regularly coordinates openings with nonprofits and schools. The county's emergency information notes The Father's Heart as a key partner, along with an overflow arrangement at the Gregory Forum during storms. As outlined by Clackamas County, people in need are asked to call 211 so outreach teams can connect them with shelter, transportation and other services when the weather turns dangerous.

State and local officials are again reminding drivers that it takes very little water and debris to turn a road from “wet” to “not worth it.” Oregon authorities advise staying away from flooded stretches, and checking current road conditions on TripCheck before heading out. Transportation crews warn that heavy rain can trigger landslides and washouts, and they urge residents to respect closures and detour signs until crews can clear hazards.

Residents are encouraged to keep tabs on the National Weather Service in Portland and official county channels for updated watches, warnings and rain totals. County Facebook posts will also carry shelter details and quick-hit advisories as conditions change. If you or someone you know needs immediate shelter tonight, call 211 or watch Clackamas County's social posts for pickup points and intake information.

A city administrator, a judge, a quality compliance analyst, a purchasing clerk, a Realtor, and a previous executive director of the Oregon Economic Development Foundation are among the applicants who submitted resumes to fill the position of Oregon city administrator.

Public Service Director Paul Roman has been acting administrator until a permanent replacement can be found. Former City Administrator Joel Mazur unexpectedly resigned in January to take care of personal matters.

Thirteen resumes were submitted for the position by the Feb. 28 deadline. They are:

● Todd Saums, commissioner of water operations with the city of Toledo.

● Zach Boraby, a Realtor at Juscot/Rylan/Disalle.

● Cassandra Schweikart, a sales associate for Men’s Wearhouse in Toledo from March. She is also a restaurant server in Maumee.

● Kelcie Kaweski, a payables/purchasing clerk for Neighborhood Housing Services of Toledo.

● James Joldrichsen, who works at Mercy Health St. Vincent Hospital in facility services and has been a quality compliance analyst.

● Ann Marie Pumphrey, vice president of Shepherd Health and Living LLC. She was head of school at Bishop Hoffman Catholic school in Fremont.

● Bradley R. Henning, who served as executive director of the Oregon Economic Development Foundation.

● Roberto Torres, who was executive director of the mayor’s office on immigrant affairs and economic inclusion in Detroit.

● Ashley Hirzel, executive director and chief administrative leader of Open Arms Wellness Center.

● Scott Winckowski, a private practice attorney with Breier & Winckowski Ltd. He is also an acting judge in Oregon Municipal Court.

● Marc David Glotzbecker, village administrator of Gibsonburg.

● Michael L. Brillhart, administrator of Washington County in Georgia.

● Brodin L. Walters, planning, zoning and economic development administrator in the city of Perrysburg.

Mayor Steven Salander said a committee composed of various city officials, including himself, and councilmen Kathy Pollauf, Beth Ackerman, and Paul Gibbs, will review the resumes and narrow the list of candidates to the most qualified before interviews start. He said he would like to hire a new administrator by the end of March.

“We’ll narrow the list to four or five people, then the committee members will make recommendations and find someone,” the mayor said.

Among the issues the new city administrator will have to address include a planned and controversial data center and developing the town center, he said.

The administrator will also have to bring together the council and the mayor.

“We’ll have to work together and find some unity and get some forward movement,” the mayor said.

First Published March 10, 2026, 2:23 p.m.

The 1930s Art Deco Clackamas County courthouse on Main Street is now living on borrowed time, as the county moves ahead with a private redevelopment deal that clears the way for demolition. Signs posted on the construction fence say teardown work is scheduled for this month, and county records show the property has been shifted into private control while the next steps are negotiated. The developer says it will salvage select architectural elements and expand the public plaza next door as part of the project.

The developer, Level Development NW, is pitching a five-story, roughly 83,000-square-foot mixed-use building with about 84 market-rate apartments, mostly studios and one-bedrooms, plus roughly 2,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to the Level Development NW proposal. The plans call for about 75 off-street parking stalls, including 48 sub-grade spaces and a lower-level garage accessed from 8th Street. Developers say they are intentionally keeping in-building amenities limited so future residents will be more likely to frequent downtown merchants and take part in programmed activities on the plaza.

Clackamas County commissioners have approved a Disposition and Development Agreement for the Main Street site, with board documents tying the agreement value to an appraisal “not to be less than $100,000,” according to Clackamas County. County staff noted that Level Development NW was the lone respondent to the Request for Expressions of Interest and argued that a private sale would reduce the county’s ongoing maintenance costs for a vacant building. Negotiations with the developer have continued since the county opened its replacement courthouse at the Red Soils campus.

The project will not erase every trace of the old landmark. The proposal pledges to salvage the courthouse’s oak double doors, portions of bronze trim and the historical plaque, and to remove exterior reliefs featuring eagles and justice iconography so they can be incorporated into an enlarged Liberty Plaza, according to the Level Development NW proposal. Under the plan, the developer would dedicate the plaza parcel to the city so it remains a public gathering place. Proponents argue that this approach keeps civic memory alive while allowing a new structure that addresses safety and geotechnical challenges.

Nearby merchants say they have already felt the courthouse’s absence. “Business dropped about 40%,” Jake Joy, owner of the Verdict Bar & Grill next to the building, told OregonLive after the courthouse closed in May 2025. Residents and business groups have been weighing in at public meetings for months; one early forum drew particular attention.

County and consultant materials point to erosion and seismic vulnerabilities along the Willamette River edge that complicate preserving the masonry courthouse, according to the county’s Main Street Courthouse RFEI and related reports from Clackamas County. Staff estimates for holding and maintaining the empty structure were cited by commissioners as another reason to pursue a private redevelopment option. The developer’s submission incorporates geotechnical and seismic study work that is intended to stabilize the riverbank as part of the new project.

Signage on the fence says demolition is slated to begin this month. County records also show that commissioners approved a DDA setting a sale floor at $100,000, according to Clackamas County. The developer’s schedule projects construction beginning in mid-2027, with the building opening in 2028 and targeting finishes in the third quarter of 2028, contingent on permitting, design review and any requirements from the State Historic Preservation Office. City officials and downtown business groups say they will be watching entitlements and parking conditions closely as the project moves into the design and permitting phases.