The Willamette National Forest’s McKenzie River and Middle Fork Ranger Districts will be welcoming in the summer season by opening campgrounds and expanding customer service hours for Memorial Day weekend.

Both District offices will begin offering weekend hours on Saturday, May 26 (see locations and specific hours below). Forest information, maps, books, brochures, recreation passes, and personal use permits for forest products such as firewood, plants, slate rock and mushrooms are available at our offices.
 
Currently, all lower elevation campgrounds are opening according to schedule; dates and locations of campgrounds are available on the Willamette National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/willamette under Recreation.

Opening dates of higher elevation campgrounds, such as the popular sites Big Lake and Timpanogas Lake, are dependent on when snow levels recede and allow access.

All campgrounds have campsites that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some campgrounds also offer reservable campsites through the National Recreation Reservation System.  Reservations can be made online at http://www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Taylor Starr scattered five hits and a run over seven innings to pace the Oregon State baseball team to a 7-1 win over No. 10 Oregon in a midweek contest Tuesday night at PK Park.

Oregon State utilized a four-run third inning to jump out to a 6-0 lead and controlling position over the Ducks, who ended the game by hitting three batters and throwing three wild pitches. Michael Conforto was hit by a pitch twice before extending his hit streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh.

Starr’s seven innings marked a career-long in just his third start in a now 31-game career. He threw a personal high 96 pitches and struck out a career-best seven, six of which were looking.

Starr’s lone run came in the third, when up 6-0, he issued a wild pitch, allowing Connor Hofmann to score from third.

Starr picked up the win to improve to 4-1 this season and he dropped his earned run average to 3.66 from 4.32.

Conforto and Joey Matthews led the Beavers with two hits apiece. Conforto singled twice for his 12th multi-hit game of the season while Matthews doubled twice for his third of the year.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- A scheduled cage fighting event at Thurston High School has been canceled.

Just after 5:00 p.m., the school district released a statement saying the event wasn't going to happen. "The mixed martial arts event scheduled for Thurston High School April 28 has been canceled," the statement said.

District officials say, "The proposed event does not align with the district's philosophy."

Local resident Katie Hairgrove had concerns with where the cage fighting would be. Her daughter was a senior during the shootings at Thurston back in 1998.

Hairgrove worried the violence of the fighting would bring back bad memories. 

KVAL News spoke to her by phone about the cancellation, and she said she is relieved the cage fighting won't happen on Thurston's grounds.