Good morning, Eugene.

Valley River Center runs its Back-to-School Giving Tree clothing drive through Sept.

8, where shoppers take an apple-shaped donation tag and purchase the listed item to help local children get new clothes. The center’s School Cents Community Rewards program also links purchases with donations for local elementary schools.

Highway 58 Herald, an online news outlet that covered communities along a scenic 87-mile highway, will cease operations on Sept.

15 due to financial reasons (it had not published new stories since July 28 and its closure marks the second Lane County news outlet shutdown this month).

After concerning comments from a former YMCA staff member led to a closure on Friday, Aug.

14, Eugene Police held free safety trainings that covered de-escalation techniques and active violent incident procedures to help update the YMCA’s emergency action plan.

The Oregon Health Authority clarified on Aug.

13 that families should follow the state vaccine recommendations despite a federal executive order limiting the schedule, emphasizing that current immunizations remain safe and effective. The statement comes as rising measles cases highlight an increased risk for children entering school.

South Eugene cancelled its 2026 varsity football season after one week of practice due to a lack of experienced players (27 committed players will instead explore junior varsity or independent match options) and plans to reassess varsity status next year.