Project SEARCH Seeks Applicants
NEWBERG, Ore. — MV Advancements is now accepting applications for the 2026 session of Project SEARCH, a nine-month internship program hosted at Friendsview Senior Living Community in Newberg.
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The program, which runs January through September, provides adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities hands-on job training through three different internships at Friendsview, paired with daily classroom instruction. Interns participate Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with five hours in workplace training, a lunch break and an hour of classroom learning.
“Project SEARCH teaches adults with disabilities essential work skills while getting real-life hands-on experience,” program coordinator Samantha Peterson said.
The program is nationally recognized and focuses on helping participants build employability skills with the goal of competitive employment.
Applications are due soon for the 2026 cohort. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, meet Oregon Developmental Disabilities and Vocational Rehabilitation requirements, have legal documentation to work in the United States, and be able to commit to the full-time schedule.
MV Advancements will celebrate the 2025 cohort’s graduation at 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at Friendsview.
For more information or to apply, contact Kelli Kobs at kkobs@mvadvancements.org
Dundee Seeks Artists for Wine Barrel Wayfinding Project
DUNDEE, Ore. — Dundee is calling on local artists to help transform wine barrels into public art as part of a new wayfinding project funded in part by a Travel Oregon grant.
The Dundee Wayfinding Project will use more than 20 donated barrels from wineries including Lange Estate Winery, Argyle Winery and Cramoisi Vineyard. The barrels will mark trails and parks while sharing stories about the Willamette Valley’s winemaking history through art and QR codes linking to videos produced by Greenhouse Collaboratives.
A call to artists opens Sept. 8 at DestinationDundeeOR.com/wayfinding. Community members can also nominate leaders in the winemaking industry through the same site.
“By weaving together wine country history, public art, and storytelling, this project strengthens Dundee’s identity,” Mayor David Ford said.
The project was shaped by the Destination Dundee community plan and builds on recent downtown revitalization efforts.
For more information, visit DestinationDundeeOR.com.
Brush Fire Briefly Closes Highway 240
YAMHILL COUNTY, Ore. — Emergency crews quickly extinguished a roadside brush fire that broke out along Highway 240 near Stone Road on Tuesday, Saturday 2 in the afternoon.
The fire was reported at 2:41 p.m., with callers noting flames spreading through roadside vegetation, according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Firefighters from multiple agencies arrived within minutes, established command, and deployed hose lines to contain the blaze.
Crews stopped the fire’s spread within minutes, and mop-up operations followed with support from water tenders and brush rigs. Highway 240 was temporarily closed during firefighting operations for safety and traffic control.
No homes or structures were threatened, officials said. Oregon State Police, Dundee Fire, and Carlton Fire assisted in the response.
Federal Funding Cuts Threaten Juliette’s House Services for Child Abuse Victims
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Juliette’s House, Yamhill County’s only child abuse intervention center, is warning that federal funding cuts could force it to scale back critical services for children and families.
According to a press release from Juliette’s House, the center has long relied on money from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant, but new conditions from the U.S. Department of Justice tie funding to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Oregon has refused those terms and joined 21 other states in a lawsuit challenging the policy.
Until the lawsuit is resolved, VOCA dollars remain frozen, leaving Juliette’s House, Henderson House, and other local service providers facing potential shortfalls.
“Our children come here to feel safe and to find healing,” said Russell Mark, CEO of Juliette’s House. “Imagine a child who has just endured the trauma of physical or sexual assault being confronted by armed, masked officers in this facility, here to potentially detain them or their loved ones. That kind of encounter would retraumatize them further. It is simply inhumane.”
VOCA funds have historically covered medical exams, forensic interviews, therapy, and advocacy for children experiencing abuse or neglect in Yamhill County. Without those dollars, families may have to turn to emergency rooms for urgent care, Mark said, driving up costs and delaying access to specialized services.
“Families in crisis deserve stability, not uncertainty,” he said. “We need immediate action from all our leaders in DC and in Salem to provide lasting and reliable funding to ensure long-term protections for victims of crime.”
State leaders are discussing ways to replace the federal funding if it is no longer available, but no plan has yet been finalized.
In the meantime, Juliette’s House is urging community members to call their federal representatives, donate to the nonprofit’s Promise Fund, and spread awareness of the issue.
More information is available at julietteshouse.org.
Trisaetum Ushers in Second Generation of Family Leadership
NEWBERG, Ore. — Trisaetum Winery has welcomed a new generation of family leadership as founder James Frey’s children and son-in-law step into key roles across the family’s wine and spirits brands.
Founded in 2003 by James and Andrea Frey, Trisaetum has grown into a nationally recognized producer of Pinot Noir and Riesling, earning more than 40 Wine Enthusiast editor’s choice awards and having three wines served at the White House. The family has since expanded its portfolio to include Pashey sparkling wines, 18401 Cellars and Brixeur Spirits, while remaining fully family-owned.
This summer, Frey was joined in the cellar by his son-in-law, Jackson Harloff-Frey, who will serve as assistant winemaker after years of experience with Trisaetum and as lead distiller for Brixeur. Frey’s daughter, Tatum, continues to lead production at Brixeur and serves as enologist for Trisaetum. Their son, Tristen, has returned from a business career in New York to take on the role of general manager, overseeing operations across all four brands.
“When Andrea and I started Trisaetum, we hoped it might someday support our family—and now to see our children not only working alongside us, but thriving in this business, brings us incredible joy,” James Frey said.
