Last week was tumultuous: Tensions reached a new peak in Eugene during clashes  between federal officers and protesters opposed to immigration enforcement operations.

Events started Tuesday, when federal officers pepper-sprayed and detained some of the protesters gathered outside the Eugene Federal Building. That continued Friday and Saturday nights with tear gas and stepped-up clashes between federal officers and protesters at the federal building. The unrest comes amid high national tensions over federal agents’ killings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota and immigration enforcement activity that federal courts repeatedly have ruled illegal.

Lookout Eugene-Springfield journalists have been on the scene throughout the week to document the protests and federal activity. It’s not just protests, either. Tuesday night, hundreds also gathered for a vigil to honor Alex Pretti, the Veterans Affairs nurse who was shot and killed by federal officers in Minneapolis. 

President Donald Trump weighed in Saturday, saying the Friday protest in Eugene had done “great damage” in a Truth Social post. 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said one man at the Eugene protest on Tuesday bit a federal officer and was arrested. Federal officials said four people were arrested Friday and three people were arrested Saturday. 

Local officials called for de-escalation and encouraged protesters to make their voices heard — without breaking the law. Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson on Wednesday urged people to protest across the street and distance themselves from the federal building. 

During a Sunday press conference in Eugene, Gov. Tina Kotek, Knudson and other local leaders urged peaceful protests and pressed people to not “take the bait” and give federal officials an excuse to send in more law enforcement.

If you’re looking for ways to tell federal officers apart, we’ve got you covered: Here’s a look at the uniforms for officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and from the Federal Protective Service. Both responded during the protests last week.

We’ll continue to cover this local story and keep you up to speed on how the federal administration is affecting the lives of Lane County residents.

Elections officials prepare for security; Eugene police citations inch up; Trillium goes live and more 

Election preparations underway: Tobias Read, Oregon’s elections chief and the secretary of state, visited with a Eugene audience about mail-in voting and election security. His visit coincided with a judge’s dismissal of the federal government’s failed effort to get unredacted individual voter data about Oregonians.

Medicaid change ahead: Trillium warned elected officials that thousands of patients have providers who are not included in its network, days before the Medicaid insurer was scheduled to cover all Lane County residents enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, correspondent Ashli Blow reports.

Watch your speed: Eugene police traffic stops and citations are slowly increasing. Data correspondent Michael Zhang breaks down the figures.

Oregon State Hospital in the clear: This time, Oregon State Hospital didn’t try to conceal the record, as the state-run facility did when inspectors uncovered patient care and safety violations after a patient died. More recently, the feds found the hospital in “substantial compliance,” and the hospital shared the letter and announced the latest to Oregonians.

— Ben Botkin

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Inside Eugene City hall with Grace chinowsky

Ward 6 campaign shake-up: Tai Pruce-Zimmerman, who chairs Eugene’s budget committee and previously suspended his candidacy for the Ward 6 City Council seat, is reactivating his campaign to represent the Bethel and Trainsong neighborhoods.

He’s running against Councilor Greg Evans, who has filed to seek his fourth term — setting up the second contested race in the May election, where four seats are up for grabs. 

After much “soul searching,” Pruce-Zimmerman said he decided that “options are a good thing, and a cordial campaign can be a great opportunity for community conversations about the future.”

Library levy: Speaking of the election, the Eugene City Council is poised to refer its renewed library levy to the May ballot. The option would provide funding for current services, as well as the installation of two 24-hour library pickup stations and expanded early childhood literacy programming.

With an average tax rate of $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed value — a 4-cent increase from 2020 — the levy would cost an average home about $53 per year and gross about $4.3 million.

CAHOOTS 2.0: The city issued a request for proposals for a peer navigation alternative response service on Friday, the first step to contracting with a provider to revive a CAHOOTS-like service in Eugene. 

Proposals are due March 3, and the city plans to announce the successful bidder by March 31. Eugene is looking for a provider that will conduct outreach 10 to 12 hours per day, seven days a week along Highway 99, River Road, the Whiteaker, and Sixth, Seventh, and West 11th avenues in west Eugene.

The announcement, long-awaited by locals, was met with excitement on Wednesday by Jacob Trewe, the treasurer of new nonprofit Willamette Valley Crisis Care, which plans to submit a proposal. He hopes the city will find funding for a 24/7 service; before CAHOOTS shuttered in Eugene, it offered around-the-clock responses.

Checking in on Springfield With lillian Schrock-Clevenger

State of the City: Mayor Sean VanGordon gave his annual address to a full auditorium at Wildish Community Theater last week. See who he honored as 2025’s top business, employee and community leader.

Affordable housing: The city of Springfield is transferring a property at 16th and Main streets to an affordable housing developer, with plans for apartments that will be reserved for households making up to 60% of the area median income.

Willamalane board opening: A board member for the park and recreation district, Greg James, gave his notice recently after 23 years of service. Willamalane is seeking a successor; applications are due Feb. 4. 

Protest: Organizers estimated up to 1,000 people gathered outside of Springfield City Hall on Friday for a rally against ICE that was followed by a caravan to Eugene. They said the event provided a safer way for undocumented and immigrant people who could be detained by federal immigration officers to participate in the national Day of Action. 

SUB storm response: Springfield Utility Board General Manager Jeff Nelson told Lookout Eugene-Springfield the January 2024 ice storm was “a defining moment for the entire community.” SUB collected feedback after the storm and created a to-do list that it has been working on to better position the utility to respond to a similar storm.

Payroll tax: Tonight, city councilors will review a proposed payroll tax ordinance intended to help balance the city’s overburdened general fund. The proposal has a tax rate of 0.1% for employees and employers. The City Council will hold a second public hearing on the possible tax on March 2.

beyond lane county

Legislative session starts: The Oregon Legislature is starting today for a short session that will last up to 35 days. They’ll weigh a range of issues, including the budget, tax breaks, criminal justice and health care. Here’s our preview of the session and some of the key proposals. 

Masks on officers? The Oregon Capital Chronicle has an overview of how lawmakers are weighing a proposed mask ban for law enforcement — and how that would impact federal officers. Amid the mask-wearing immigration officers, it’s a key issue.

Timber revenues: Lane County and 17 others in Oregon will get another way to gain potentially more timber receipts, following congressional action. Locally, officials are still working through the details.

Public Meetings this week

Monday

Tuesday

  • Lane County commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. and discuss $500,000 to pay for stabilizing covered bridges, a presentation on mental health and whether to ask voters to support a five-year local option levy for 4-H and Oregon State University Extension Service programs.
  • The Springfield Library Advisory Board will have a regular meeting at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

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Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.

Grace Chinowsky graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in journalism. She served as editor-in-chief of the university’s independent student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, and interned at CNN and MSNBC. Grace covers Eugene’s city government and the University of Oregon.