New Lookout feature highlights uniqueness of neighborhoods

Where do you live? Where do you tell others you live? North Eugene. Jefferson Westside. Bethel. Springfield.

Almost all of you live in Lane County and most in Eugene-Springfield, but it is in our neighborhoods that we start and finish our days. At Lookout, we’ve understood that from day 1 of publishing (as we celebrate the small milestone of seven months this week).

Our eight free community newsletters help with that, five days a week. Thousands of you have been receiving those since we launched Lookout Eugene-Springfield in April. Now we’ve made it even easier to find out what’s going in your neighborhood, and any other ones close by. 

Today, we launch our new community pages. The geographic boundaries match up with the community newsletters and give you another way to check in — anytime, 24 hours a day — on news and information about your neighborhood.

Like the newsletters, they contain a lot of intensely local news, plus information on restaurant inspections, building permits, events and crime reports, giving you the ability to see what’s current, as well as see recent and historical information about your backyard. 

Quick access to information about where you live in our community. And these pages will continue to evolve. We plan to include a feature that will allow you to access information on your elected officials as well as information from local organizations and governments. Have an idea on something you’d like to see? Write me at dann@lookoutlocal.com. 

Additionally, Lookout is glad to highlight links to the official neighborhood associations — a source of much strength across the metro area.  

You can access our community pages here:  North Eugene  |  Northwest Eugene  |  West Eugene  |  South Eugene  |  Central Eugene  |  University of Oregon Campus Area  |  East Springfield  |  West Springfield

And, if you haven’t, please sign up for any of our eight free community newsletters today.  Click here to sign up. These free emails give you hyper-local information: restaurant inspections, building permits, weather forecasts, crime reports and stories from your immediate surroundings.

These newsletters, too, will evolve and your suggestions are welcome. In fact, after several recent conversations with neighborhood association leaders, we changed the name of the newsletters — to Community Newsletters — to avoid confusion and better reflect the boundaries of several neighborhoods.

Please give the pages a look and let us know what you would like to see added to our community information and news pages. You can email me at dann@lookoutlocal.com.

And if you are running a small business and are interested in neighborhood-centric advertising, contact Jim Danzer, our director of revenue and partnerships, for more information. You can reach him at jim@lookoutlocal.com or 916-600-2360.

Looking back. Looking ahead.

Any time we have the chance to reflect on the work done by the Lookout Eugene-Springfield newsroom, we take it. This team of reporters continues to show up every day to events, homes, businesses and meetings to tell the stories that are important to Lane County.

Here are a few from the past few weeks that, if you haven’t already read, are worth your time.

Coverage of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Cottage Grove: Jaime Adame reported on the detainments that happened, but went back with photographer Isaac Wasserman to talk with Juanita Avila who was pulled from her car despite being a legal permanent resident. Jaime went back this week as the community gathered for a vigil to show support for those affected by ICE activity.

Eugene and UO correspondent Grace Chinowsky delivered strong reporting with stories on the shutting down of Eugene’s Flock cameras, the resignation of Rich Hoey, the city’s public works director, and an inside look at what it took to organize last month’s “No Kings 2” event. She also sat down with Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson to discuss her second battle with breast cancer that came just as she assumed office.

Lilly St. Angelo has spent a lot of time looking into Springfield Public Schools with a report on why the Oregon Department of Education is investigating the district and then when the Board of Education ousted its chair and vice chair from their roles.

Ben Botkin sat down with Sierra Hass and Sean Oldham, the sister and father of Kenneth Hass who died at the Oregon State Hospital, to learn how the family is coping after his tragic death. The Lookout Eugene-Springfield Editorial Board also called on state legislators to hold hearings on the Oregon State Hospital during their upcoming legislative days to ensure that a death like Kenneth Hass doesn’t happen again.

And later this month, as local and national news focus on food insecurity, we will launch a three-part series that examines food insecurity in Lane County. Through the eyes of people battling hunger, esteemed local writer Lauren Kessler tells the stories of who is hungry, who is trying to help and what are the factors that result in so many people in Lane County going to bed each night not having had enough to eat.

Lookout’s newest team member

If you didn’t see the announcement a couple of weeks ago, Olivia Desgrange joined Lookout Eugene-Springfield this week as our community and student engagement manager.

Olivia is a native of Flint, Michigan, and has lived in Oregon since 2021, most recently working for Obie Companies.

At Lookout, Olivia will be instrumental in several community programs including our Civic Partnerships, Lookout in the Classroom, Lookout Listens sessions and our new Lookout for Teachers program, aimed at providing full access to Lookout for every middle and high school teacher in Lane County.

You can reach Olivia at olivia@lookoutlocal.com.

Join a Lookout Listens session

With Olivia on board, we are also restarting regular Lookout Listens sessions where we invite you to come talk with us about what would like to see us cover overall and any feedback about our Lookout Eugene-Springfield coverage.

We have scheduled two Lookout Listens sessions: Noon to 1 p.m., Dec. 4, where we want to hear about any topic of interest or importance to you. On Dec. 11, also from noon to 1 p.m., we will talk about the upcoming elections and what coverage you would like to see from Lookout.

Interested in joining us? Click here to reserve your spot for Dec. 4 or Dec. 11. 

Independent local journalism is key to holding people to account, celebrating successes and challenging a community to be a better place to live, work and play. Our journalism is made possible by our members and our marketing partners.

If you are already a member, thank you. We appreciate your support. If you are not a member, please become one today and support your local, independent press.