Morning Lookout: 100 years of music at a 100-year-old arena

Good morning, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

A previous version of this newsletter incorrectly stated who is Lookout’s Snowden intern this summer. It is Leo Heffron.

Citing pending Medicaid cuts, the owners of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield said it wants the hospital to be owned by a nonprofit health care organization. Lucas Hellberg has the story and reaction to the announcement.

Two Eugene institutions are celebrating their centennial anniversaries, and they came together this weekend as the Eugene Gleemen held a celebration concert at the University of Oregon’s McArthur Court. Lillian Schrock-Clevenger was there for the event.

There is a lot of toxic soil beneath Trainsong Park. As Ashli Blow reports, the contaminated soil could fill 800 dump trucks. The city is now weighing cleanup options that mix excavation and containment, removing soil in some places and capping it in others to keep it buried.

Sunday marks the first farmers market of the season in Springfield as the Lane County Farmers Market expands east. Lillian takes a look at what to expect.

It was a busy sports weekend as the Oregon Ducks hosted a baseball regional, punching a ticket to the super regional in Austin, Texas, after wins at PK Park over Yale, Washington State and Oregon State. Tyson Alger was there all weekend and will be headed to the Lone Star State this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, at Hayward Field, the best high school track and field athletes took home state titles. Owen Murray was at Hayward and has the biggest stories from the three-day event, and a story on Sheldon senior Malachi Schoenherr, who finished his career with another state title.

And finally, today is the first day of June, and if you are looking for something to do that involves eating, Taylor Goebel has a list of events this month. Her list does. not include the state’s free fishing days this coming weekend, but fish can be a food, so here’s what to know.

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McKenzie-Willamette poised for nonprofit ownership as Medicaid cuts loom

By Lucas Hellberg

McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield will soon be owned by a nonprofit health care organization if regulators approve a merger, a change that its private equity-backed owner hopes will help the hospital system weather looming Medicaid funding cuts.