Dear Bernard, As a father I am worried about my young adult son who seems lost and depressed. He struggles with sharing his problems and asking for help. How can I help him open up and accept help from others?  – Worried Father Dear Worried,…

CRESWELL – Blowback from the Fourth of July is now affecting the City’s proposed gas tax. A 3-cent gas tax eyed for the November ballot was rejected on Monday in a 5-2 vote, after councilors adduced “community unrest” and “mistrust” of City officials for the measure’s…

DANA MERRYDAY/CHRONICLE PHOTOThe refurbished Buster Keaton mural at the corner of Main Street and Highway 99 in Cottage Grove is one of the features of this week’s conference. It has been a strange summer in Cottage Grove. Some things have seemed normal enough and refreshingly…

ERIN TIERNEY/CHRONICLE PHOTOHanayuki Staples tests out the new pump track on Tuesday, Aug. 10, that Creswell’s Public Works department installed this summer. CRESWELL – Cliff Bellew and his team have been especially busy the past few months making sure everyone else can have a good…

Womenspace – a nonprofit that serves individuals and families who are victims of domestic abuse in southern Lane County – revealed a name change recently that better reflects its clients and mission, according to executive director Julie Weismann.  Now called the “Hope & Safety Alliance,”…

Then … … and now Cottage Grove lost two institutions this year: The first being the little store that could, Sunshine General Store, which in May finally ran out of steam after serving the community for 45 years. The second being Gordon Beaman, one of…

MARSTON SCHER/CHRONICLE PHOTOChildren meet K9 Billy during Tuesday night’s gathering supporting public safety, sponsored by the LCSO. CRESWELL – Public safety and community melded together on Tuesday, Aug. 3, as National Night Out events were organized for Creswell and Springfield cities by its police and…

BILLIE JO MILLER/PHOTO Ransom Briggs is back on stage with Higher Ground. Below from left: Ransom with his wife Kelly and son Jonas, 3; delivering lead guitar and vocals; and behind the desk at 2nd Chance PC. CRESWELL – Ransom Briggs didn’t even own a…