• Well, hello there, 2026. What fresh new hell or mad delights will you bring? The Weekly’s New Year’s resolution is to be a joy, a delight, a thorn in the side and your favorite local news!
• Embezzlement update: There is nothing new. Eugene Weekly’s former business manager, Elisha Young, has a pre-trial conference scheduled for 2:30 pm Jan. 28 and a 12-person jury trial slated for May 12.
• Lane County will not be conducting a Point in Time homeless count this year, the county says. The annual count documents sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The county’s website says that “Since 2021, Lane County’s Continuum of Care has applied for and received a waiver to utilize a revised Homeless by Name List for the Point in Time Count.” Counts are required to get CoC funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help those experiencing homelessness. County spokesperson Devon Ashbridge says “we will be using a different, more efficient methodology” and the county will release more information next week.
• East Coast jazz man Chuck Redd spends so much time in Eugene that you might think he lives here. The nationally known vibraphonist and drummer has been a regular performer at The Shedd Institute since 2007, and has been artistic director of the Oregon Festival of American Music there since 2019. Redd made national headlines when on Dec. 19 he canceled the annual Christmas Eve jazz performance he’s hosted for nearly 20 years at The Kennedy Center — and said it’s because the performance hall has been renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center. Way to go, Chuck Redd!
• In other Eugene music world news, superstar classical music radio announcer Peter Van de Graaf, whose sudden and unexplained 2024 departure from KWAX radio in Eugene drew letters to Eugene Weekly from angry fans, has found himself a new gig at WFMT radio in Chicago. There he’ll take over as host of “Exploring Music,” replacing Bill McLaughlin, who founded the program in 2003. No public explanation has been offered about McLaughlin’s departure, which the classical music blog Slipped Disc has referred to as a firing. McLaughlin, 82, was music director of Eugene Symphony from 1981 to 1985.
• Nights have finally gotten cold. Egan Warming Centers had their first activation of the year Dec. 28 — Egan opens on nights forecasted to be 30 degrees and below. Shout out to Mandy’s Family Restaurant for bringing 100 hot meals to the Lane Events Center location. There is a transportation hub to various sites at First Christian Church, 1166 Oak Street, and a youth site is at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street. Go to EganWarmingCenters.org to volunteer or donate. You can also drop by Eugene Weekly at 1251 Lincoln Street with clothing, food and other essentials for Burrito Brigade’s work to help those in need.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519