Benton and Lincoln Counties Launch Wildfire Awareness Month Campaign
Benton and Lincoln Counties are joining forces to help spread the word about Wildfire Awareness Month in an effort to make sure residents are ready.
News
Find Benton County news directly from the source. This includes press releases, feature stories, event coverage and important community updates.
Regional partners unite at Corvallis Wildfire Readiness Fair to boost preparedness
Gabe Shepherd, right, Benton County commissioner, Sierra Anderson, City of Corvallis emergency manager, and Leo Williamson, a forester with the Oregon Department of Forestry, pause for a photo during the Wildfire Readiness Fair in Corvallis on May 2.
New Benton County Courthouse and Emergency Operations Center rises in Corvallis
Exterior construction progress is seen at the future Benton County Courthouse in Corvallis.
Benton County announces winning logo design for 2026 Fair and Rodeo
Benton County has announced the winning design for the official 2026 Benton County Fair and Rodeo logo after strong community participation in the countywide “Design Rodeo” contest.
The selected winner is “Cow Tag”, created by Cassandra “CJ” Judd of Corvallis. Judd’s design will be the official look of the 2026 fair and will appear on posters, social media, merchandise and other promotional materials.
The contest ran from November through February and invited artists of all ages to submit original designs based on the theme Stars, Stripes and Summer Nights. After reviewing entries, the Benton County Fair Board and fair organizers selected four finalists. Voting was then opened to the public online and through community outreach, with combined results choosing the winner.
Because of the strong response, the Design Rodeo will become an annual contest. Organizers hope it will continue to involve the community in shaping and celebrating the fair each year.
“I approached the contest with the goal of creating something that felt true to the roots of the Benton County Fair and Rodeo while still being adaptable across everything from merchandise to signage,” Judd said. “The Cow Tag concept was designed as a recognizable, story-driven badge that brings together the full scope of the event—from livestock and rodeo to the energy of summer nights—while holding up across a range of applications. As someone deeply connected to the rodeo and agriculture communities, it’s incredibly rewarding to see it selected, and I’m excited to see it leave its mark across the county.”
Judd is an independent creative director based in Corvallis.
As the winning artist, Judd will receive a share of proceeds from commemorative merchandise along with an “Ultimate Fair Experience” package.
The Benton County Fair and Rodeo is held each year in Corvallis and brings thousands of visitors for agricultural exhibits, entertainment, carnival attractions and rodeo events. Ticket sales for the 2026 fair open May 15.
Spring Stampede showcases all-girls rodeo and Benton County tradition
The 4th Annual Spring Stampede, an all-girls rodeo set for May 16, 2026, at the Benton County Fairgrounds, returns for a full day of competition, community and celebration of cowgirls in the arena.
The event brings together female competitors of all ages for a fun, supportive and competitive day of rodeo, featuring events like team roping, breakaway roping, pole bending, barrel racing and goat tying. Spectators can expect fast runs, big rides and a chance to cheer on talented athletes from across the region.
In Benton County, rodeo is more than a one-day event, it’s a tradition built by volunteers and families with a shared passion for the sport.
Behind the Spring Stampede is the Benton County Rodeo Committee, a volunteer-led group that works year-round to organize rodeo events, build partnerships and create opportunities for competitors.
For committee chair Nicole Schrock, that work is rooted in a lifelong connection to rodeo.
Schrock grew up in Benton County as a 4-H member, raising rabbits and spending time at the fair, but it was the rodeo that captured her attention.
“I would sneak away to watch,” she said. “I was just enthralled by the athletes, both human and livestock, and the culture around it.”
That early fascination turned into years of involvement. Schrock was named Benton County Fair and Rodeo Queen in 2007 and went on to serve as Miss Northwest Professional Rodeo Association in 2010 and Miss Rodeo Oregon in 2013. Over time, those experiences helped prepare her to take on leadership roles, including the integral part she played in launching Benton County’s all-girls rodeo events, the Spring Stampede and the Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo that happens at the Benton County Fair & Rodeo each year.
Now in its fourth year, the Spring Stampede builds on that vision and the success of the Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo at the Benton County Fair.
“It’s about creating a place where women and girls can compete and support each other,” Schrock said. “That camaraderie is something special.”
Support from sponsors and the community has helped the event grow, increasing participation and expanding prize opportunities for competitors.
Beyond competition, the Spring Stampede reflects a broader rodeo culture in Benton County that is grounded in family, tradition and a welcoming environment.
“It’s a unique community,” Schrock said. “There’s a lot of heart, a lot of support, and people really believe in what these events represent.”
Entries are now open for Spring Stampede competitors.
The event provides fun for the whole family, no matter your rodeo knowledge, so community members are encouraged to come support the riders.
“Join us for a day celebrating cowgirls in the arena,” said 2026 Benton County Fair and Rodeo Queen Jessica McClennan. “This all-girls rodeo brings together competitors of all ages for a fun, supportive and competitive day of rodeo. Come out to watch some great runs, big rides and cheer on these talented cowgirls.”
The Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo takes place at the Benton County Fair and Rodeo this year, continuing to expand opportunities for women and girls in the sport.
For updates and event details, follow the Benton County Fair and Rodeo Queen page, managed by this year’s Fair Queen Jessica McLennan, on Facebook or via email at corvallisrodeo@gmail.com.
Learn more about Jessica and the Benton County Fair and Rodeo Queen Program.
Contestants compete during the 2025 Spring Stampede at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The event brings together riders from across the region for a day of competition and community. (Photos by Ladd Halupa)
TOP IMAGE: Nicole Schrock addresses the crowd from horseback during the 2025 Spring Stampede at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The annual event highlights opportunities for women and girls in rodeo. (Photo by Ladd Halupa)
Growing habitat, one yard at a time: Nature Neighbors takes root in Benton County
In neighborhoods across Benton County, a quiet transformation is about to begin. It’s one that starts with as little as 50 square feet of soil and a willingness to try something new.
Nature Neighbors , a partnership of the Greenbelt Land Trust and the Benton Soil and Water Preservation District, is a new program in Benton County to help residents turn everyday spaces into thriving habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. Through hands-on guidance, small grants and community support, the program empowers people to make meaningful environmental change where they live.
For Sara Roberts, the program is both a professional project and a personal mission.
Roberts, a community engagement coordinator with Benton Soil and Water Preservation District, leads outreach efforts that include public-facing programs, K-12 field trips and one-on-one support for property owners. At the heart of that work is a simple idea: anyone can help wildlife, regardless of how much space they have.
“People don’t need a large property to make a difference,” Roberts said. “This program shows that even a small plot can create valuable habitat connections across neighborhoods and, ultimately, larger-scale wildlife corridors.”
The program also reflects a broader vision from Greenbelt Land Trust to connect people, land and wildlife across the region.
“Greenbelt Land Trust is co-launching Nature Neighbors with the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, a demonstration of the strong partnership between these two organizations that goes back decades. Greenbelt sees collaborations as the key to successful conservation,” said Jessica McDonald, Greenbelt Land Trust executive director. “By jointly stewarding this emerging community program, we are leveraging the strengths of both organizations and building a program that is lasting.”
McDonald said even small actions taken by individual households can have a meaningful impact at a larger scale.
“Even a small native habitat can make a big difference for wildlife,” she said. “By transforming urban spaces, even micro yards, into flourishing mini native habitats, we are creating habitat stepping stones that traverse our communities, enabling wildlife to move, adapt and thrive.”
The Nature Neighbors program focuses on replacing invasive plants with native species, improving soil health and building landscapes that are more resilient to drought and wildfire. Participants receive guidance through a step-by-step certification process that includes site visits, a habitat handbook and personalized recommendations. Those who complete the program earn a yard sign recognizing their contribution to local habitat.
And the effort goes beyond plants.
Roberts said residents can incorporate features like birdhouses, water sources and pollinator habitat while learning how to make their spaces more supportive for wildlife overall.
Equity is also a key part of the program’s design. Mini scholarships and small grants help offset the cost of plants and tools, ensuring more people can participate.
“For those who need assistance, a volunteer cohort including students from Oregon State University can help with installation and maintenance, making the program more accessible to older adults and others who may not be able to do the work themselves,” she said.
Roberts said the idea for a program like this has been years in the making.
“When I first got into native plant gardening, there just wasn’t much support,” she said. “I remember doing all the research on my own and wishing something like this existed. This community has a strong culture of people who want to be a part of a growing habitat movement. We just needed a way to provide the right resources.”
Michael Ahr, executive director for Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, said the program is an opportunity to get more community members involved in practical, hands-on conservation work.
“We’ve spent a lot of time working with private landowners on larger properties,” Ahr said. “Nature Neighbors gives us a chance to engage smaller property owners in that same work, especially when it comes to controlling non-native species and improving habitat.When more property owners take part, the benefits add up across the community.”
Nature Neighbors builds on successful models across Oregon, including the Backyard Habitat Certification Program in the Portland metro area, and similar efforts in Marion, Polk, Lane and Yamhill counties. Now, Benton County is bringing that approach to its own communities, with a focus on local needs and partnerships.
For Benton County Sustainability Coordination Jennifer Brown, the program aligns closely with broader County goals that prioritize sustainability.
“The Nature Neighbors program helps people preserve and create habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife,” Brown said. “This program gives community members a meaningful way to make a difference.”
That impact extends beyond individual yards. By encouraging native plantings and better land stewardship, the program supports stormwater management, biodiversity and climate resilience across the County.
“It’s going to take us all to preserve what we have,” Brown added.
Community members interested in getting involved can enroll in the program and learn more at the Nature Neighbors website. An upcoming public information session on April 29 will offer a chance to explore how to get started and connect with program partners.
As more residents take part, the vision is simple but powerful: a patchwork of small, intentional spaces can grow together into something much larger.The path to healthier ecosystems can start right outside the front door.
Benton County Road Crew takes pride in helping people travel safely
Road Crew members work in the field to improve infrastructure and support safe travel throughout Benton County.
Benton County welcomes new Benton Area Transit coordinator
Benton County is pleased to announce the hiring of Maya O’Neal as the County’s first in-house coordinator for Benton Area Transit. Her first day of work was April 1.
O’Neal brings extensive knowledge and skills in transportation at the local government level. Most recently she served as the public parking coordinator for the City of Corvallis, where she worked to optimize and revitalize the parking system.
Previously she worked in the Transportation Department of the City of Fresno, California, which has a population of over 540,000 and covers over 110,000 square miles. Her primary duties included logistics, scheduling and routing.
O’Neal also has experience reviewing and applying federal statutes, legal regulations and compliance guidelines — essential skills for the Benton Area Transit coordinator role.
O’Neal enjoyed her three years focused on parking with the City of Corvallis, but when she saw a chance to get back into transit she jumped at the opportunity. She is a problem solver who enjoys exploring traditional and new approaches to find the best solutions.
“Maya is exactly the person we were looking for to support Benton Area Transit,” says Public Works Director Gary Stockhoff. “Her skills check every box in the job description, and her infectious enthusiasm and can-do attitude are even more than we hoped for.”
Benton County to welcome Bob Richardson as Community Development director
Benton County is pleased to announce the hiring of Bob Richardson as Community Development director, beginning April 17.
Richardson is a skilled planner and leader whose experience includes executing and improving land use planning policies and strategies for different local jurisdictions. He was a key contributor to the development of OSU plans including the Corvallis Campus Vision and the Sustainable Transportation Strategy. He also successfully led multiple amendments to the Corvallis Land Development Code paving the way for future OSU development.
Richardson has more than two decades of experience in land use planning in Benton and Linn Counties. He spent the last seven and half years as the land use planning manager at Oregon State University. There he provided leadership, strategy and expertise for land use planning activities and issues at OSU locations across the state.
Prior to that, he worked for four years as planning manager for the City of Albany and nine years for the City of Corvallis as an associate planner.
“After an intensive screening process that included two comprehensive interview processes, individual interviews with each of the Commissioners and a post interview debrief with me, I have no doubt that Bob is the perfect person to be our next community development director,” said Interim County Administrator Rick Crager.
His references described him as a dedicated, hard-working, calm and collaborative leader. One called him “One of those individuals that you just want to work for… extremely thoughtful in his approach to local planning and makes everyone feel heard and part of the solution.”
“That’s exactly the kind of leader we need in Benton County to oversee important projects like the upcoming review and update of the Comprehensive Plan,” said Crager.
Richardson holds a bachelor’s degree in Government and Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University and a master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. He is a certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Benton County monitoring executive order on mail-in voting, but May 19 election remains unchanged
On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order intended to ban all mail-in voting except for individuals enrolled on state-specific mail-in and absentee participation lists. Eligible absentee voters include travelers, people who are seriously ill and deployed military personnel and families.
The order directs the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to eligible absentee or mail-in voters.
A previous executive order on elections, signed in March 2025, was blocked by federal judges who said the president lacked the constitutional authority to set voting policy. The U.S. Constitution gives the power to determine the “Times, Places and Manner” of elections to individual states.
Soon after the executive order was signed, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read released a statement pledging to defend Oregon elections in court: “The Constitution is clear: states run elections. Oregon’s gold standard vote-by-mail elections are secure, fair, and accurate. We don’t need decrees from Washington D.C. My message to the President: We’ll see you in court.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield will also fight the executive order, according to a statement posted on social media: “Vote by mail increases access to the ballot which is the cornerstone to our democracy, and we’ll use every legal tool available to us to fight this and protect Oregonians’ right to vote.”
In 1998, Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure directing that elections be conducted by mail, and in 2000, Oregon became the nation’s first all vote-by-mail state.
Benton County leaders are closely monitoring the developing situation and remain in contact with state officials.
On April 1, the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division confirmed that elections will move forward as planned, in accordance with current Oregon law, and the issue will be resolved through the court system.
Voters’ job is to get their ballots in for the May 19 primary election, either by returning them by mail or dropping them in one of the ballot boxes located throughout the County. Ballots will be mailed to Benton County voters on April 29.
Oregonians are encouraged to double-check their voter registration and mailing address at OregonVotes.gov before April 28 to ensure they receive their ballot.
Oregon counties already use barcodes to track every vote, verify signatures to confirm identities and conduct random audits to ensure accuracy. See Benton County’s process from start to finish.
Secretary of State Read will answer elections questions from the community at a town hall on Wed, May 6, 6 p.m. in Corvallis. He will be joined by Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin and Rep. Sarah Finger McDonald at the Benton Center, 757 NW Polk Ave. Benton County will continue to take direction from the Secretary of State and provide updates as more information becomes available.