Bulls & Bronc (indoor rodeo event) was a sold out show on March 8, bringing out a crowd of 1,000 to the Tillamook County Fairgrounds. Check out the video The Newsie captured of “Hank the Cowdog” that has 3.7 million views on social media! 

Food Roots will dedicate the majority of its efforts to school gardens and supporting food producers in 2025. The non-profit was the recent recipient of a nearly $25,000 grant from the BottleDrop Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation . The grant will be utilized to fund the Learning Gardens at three Tillamook County schools: Liberty Elementary, East Elementary, and Garibaldi Grade School. “We have amazing school partnerships to nurture this education and food growth. We're excited to be working with teachers and have these gardens be a part of their classrooms,” Food Roots Executive Director Lindsay Ward said. “Then, all the produce that's harvested from these gardens will be donated to the school food pantries. We're able to provide materials, staff time, and volunteer recruitment efforts towards these gardens as a result of coordination between this and other wonderful grants we’ve received.”

Beginning 116 years ago, the Morning Star took sail to deliver a boatload of dairy to the people of the Pacific Northwest. Aboard: products from Tillamook County. Tillamook farmers had more butter and milk than you could imagine. The problem? Tillamook is isolated. There were no real roads connecting the Tillamook Bay to the growing Port of Portland. And the rugged coastal mountain range was dangerous. So, they took to the sea. After months of work and many failures, they found success in the Morning Star. It became Oregon’s first official ship. Building on the “Extraordinary Dairy” brand platform that was introduced by Tillamook County Creamery Association and Leo Chicago, initially launched last May, the 2025 brand campaign tells the tales of the Tillamook origin story which starts with the brand’s dairy boat.

The Jones-Knudson Apartments in downtown Tillamook celebrated their ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8. The project has been in the works since 2019 to bring more housing options to the workforce of Tillamook County. Owner Lisa Greiner purchased the building in 2018. The first level of the building was renovated to house her dance studio: Oregon Coast Dance Center . The second story was not set up as housing. “People always ask me what was up there before: it was just one, big, gigantic open room we were using for storage,” Greiner said. “So, it’s super surreal to not have it be storage up there and actually see this come to fruition.”

Local couple takes over Bunker Grille at The Mook

Pigeon Handler Specialist Sylvia Tartas received only one message during her tour in Tillamook County, and it had nothing to do with the war. The Pigeon Loft exhibit recently opened at the Tillamook Air Museum . The exhibit highlights the history of the United States Navy WAVES: Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. These women trained homing pigeons that were carried on airships and utilized during radio silence in World War II. The WAVES oversaw a pigeon loft at Naval Air Station Tillamook. Homing pigeons were not often used on the West Coast, so WAVES Pigeon Handler Specialist 2nd Class Tartas received only one message during her service. On a plaque in the exhibit recounts the message: “What are you doing tonight, Red?” (asking her out on a date.) It’s said that Sylvia later remarked: “Yes, I sure did go out with him!”

“Heart for the Art” awards given First, second, third, People’s Choice, and Youth awards were given out at the “Heart for the Art” artist reception on Feb. 2. The art exhibition is sponsored by for Adventist Health Tillamook and is on display at North County Recreation District through the month of February. A portion of artist sales are dedicated to fitness scholarships that promote heart health in north Tillamook County. First place: Bosch: U.S. Fancy by Connie Vincent Second place: Piers End by Hannah Hood Third place: Evard, The Sunset Bull by Lisa Miska People’s Choice: Shimmer by Jack Ryser Youth Award: Fish by Kayla Bakker

This past week "Pallet Shelters" were installed on the property directly next to CARE on First Street in Tillamook as the latest improvement to the CARE Shelter Village. "Pallet Shelters" are temporary shelters that are made of easy-to-assemble panels, packed flat for shipping. This village of temporary housing will be operated by CARE. There will be a large group shelter where those needing a safe place can stay night-by-night. The smaller units are for those, who opt to, can receive intensive case management to be assisted to be housed. “We have some major work still needing to get done,” CARE Executive Director Jeff Blackford said. “The electric vault needs to be installed, the storage unit has to be placed, [and] furnishings need to be ordered.” Blackford estimates the housing village will open within the next couple months.