September 28, 2026

Good morning Douglas County! Here are today's updates live from the Roseburg Receiver Communications Center.

Fire Weather Forecast for southern Oregon and northern California National Weather Service Medford, OR | 600 AM PDT Mon Sep 28 2026

With a stable atmospheric pattern expected to develop today and remain in place through the week ahead, warm daytime temperatures and dry conditions are expected. Overnight recoveries look to remain good to start the week, but easterly flow may bring periods of moderate recoveries to northern California peaks and ridgelines by Thursday and through the weekend.

DFPA Protected Lands

US Forest Service - Umpqua National Forest

Today's Scheduled Prescribed Burns

• None listed today at this time

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Visitors to the Douglas County Museum can now step inside a rail car that once stopped at the Dillard Depot. The restored 1883 Oregon & California Railroad car was unveiled Saturday, Sept. 26, beside the depot it served more than a century ago.

The Roseburg Receiver and The Roseburg Plug attended the ribbon-cutting and toured the car as it opened to the public. Standing beside the Dillard Depot, the finished exhibit shows visitors how the two pieces of local railroad history fit together.

The car carried passengers on the route between San Francisco and Portland, with service through Douglas County. For people whose families have lived here for generations, there is a striking possibility: a relative may have sat in this very car while traveling through Dillard.

Restoring it took 16 years, according to people who worked on the project. Dave Van Slyke, one of the restoration leaders, spoke with The Roseburg Receiver at Saturday’s unveiling. The work also involved Dale Greenley, James Aune, Gary Peske, other volunteers, local businesses, donors, and the Douglas County Museum Foundation. The project represented an investment of approximately $100,000.

The rail car’s uses changed over time. It was converted in 1914 to carry both passengers and mail. After that service ended in 1925, it continued to serve railroad crews as a maintenance car. The car later spent decades in Glendale before it was donated to the museum and moved to the grounds in 2013.

The Dillard Depot has its own long journey. Built in the late 19th century, it was donated to the museum by Roseburg Forest Products in the 1980s and restored. Now, with the rail car beside it, visitors can see both together again and walk through a part of Douglas County history.

See more images here.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Voters will have a chance to hear directly from candidates seeking selected local offices at Candidates in Focus, a forum hosted by the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Oct. 12.

The event runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Frear St. in Roseburg. The Chamber says the forum will give members, local businesses, and the public an opportunity to hear where candidates stand on issues affecting the community and the region.

Admission is free, but registration is required to attend in person. The Chamber asks anyone with a question for the candidates to submit it in advance to roseburg@roseburgchamber.com.

For those who cannot attend, The Roseburg Receiver and The Roseburg Plug will provide a live feed in The Roseburg Receiver Facebook group. The feed will also be shared to the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page during the event.

More information is available on the Candidates in Focus Facebook event page.

Drivers traveling on Interstate 5 near Sutherlin and Oakland should prepare for delays as crews remove approximately 80 dead and dying trees near the roadway.

Work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Rolling slowdowns will affect northbound and southbound traffic between mileposts 135 and 140. Most slowdowns are expected earlier in the week.

During each slowdown, pilot vehicles will hold traffic at a reduced but steady speed while crews cut trees near the travel lanes. ODOT said this approach allows the work to be completed safely without lengthy road closures. Emergency vehicles will be permitted to pass through as needed.

Flaggers will also briefly stop vehicles entering southbound I-5 from Exit 138 at South Oakland. Traffic may be held on the northbound and southbound on-ramps at Exit 135, serving South Sutherlin and Wilbur, and Exit 136 in Sutherlin.

Most delays are expected to last less than 20 minutes. Message boards will be placed ahead of the work zone in both directions.

Drivers should slow down and watch for traffic control devices, workers, construction vehicles, and possible debris in the roadway.

Questions about the project may be directed to ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Campgrounds across the Umpqua National Forest are beginning to close for winter. The Forest Service has released a tentative schedule, with some sites already closed for the 2026 season and others expected to remain open year-round.

Closure dates depend on weather and could change. Campers should check conditions before heading out.

Campgrounds Open Year-Round

North Umpqua Ranger District

• Boulder Flat Campground
• Island Campground
• Steamboat Falls Campground
• White Creek Campground

Diamond Lake Ranger District

• Toketee Lake Campground

Tiller Ranger District

• Ash Flat Campground
• Boulder Creek Campground
• South Umpqua Falls Campground
• Threehorn Campground
• Three C Rock Campground

Year-round campgrounds will be first-come, first-served during the winter season. Payment must be made through the Recreation.gov app. The Forest Service recommends downloading the app, creating an account, and adding a valid payment method before leaving, since service may be limited at a campground.

Tentative Fall Closures

October 14

• Diamond Lake Campground, loops A through F
• Thielsen View Campground

Mid-to-late October

• Lake in the Woods Campground
• Hemlock Lake Campground

When snow arrives

• Clearwater Campground
• Kelsay Valley Campground
• Whitehorse Campground

Already Closed for the 2026 Season

• Broken Arrow Campground
• Poole Creek Campground
• Diamond Lake Campground, loops G, H, K, L, and M
• Apple Creek Campground
• Bunker Hill Campground
• Canton Creek Campground
• Coolwater Campground
• Cedar Creek Campground
• Deer Flat Group Site at Horseshoe Bend Campground
• Eagle Rock Campground
• East Lemolo Campground
• Horseshoe Bend Campground
• Hobo Campground
• Inlet Campground
• Lund Park Campground
• Rujada Campground
• Steamboat Ball Field Group Site
• Wolf Creek Campground
• Wolf Creek Group Site

The schedule is tentative, so a campground may close earlier or later as conditions change.

The Roseburg City Council will consider a contract Monday to update the Stewart Park Master Plan, a document intended to guide improvements to the regional park and adjoining areas for approximately 20 years.

City staff recommends hiring Cameron McCarthy for a price not to exceed $289,020. The proposed work includes Stewart Park, Gaddis Park, trail connections, and the Umpqua Greenway between Gaddis Park and downtown.

Stewart Park’s existing master plan is more than 25 years old. Under the proposed contract, the consultant would assess existing conditions, seek input from the public and stakeholders, develop alternative concepts, prepare planning-level cost estimates, and produce an updated plan. The planning work is expected to take about a year, with completion anticipated in fall 2027.

The city received four proposals. A four-member staff committee gave Cameron McCarthy the highest average score, 114 out of 125. The Parks Commission unanimously recommended awarding the contract at its Sept. 2 meeting, according to the agenda packet.

The proposed price consists of $224,480 for the base work, $54,890 for the Gaddis Park and related connections, and $9,650 for the Umpqua Greenway. At its Sept. 14 meeting, Council directed staff to include the Greenway in the scope.

The current city budget includes $150,000 for the master plan. Staff says The Ford Family Foundation has provided a letter committing $125,000, and another $14,020 could come from the Park Improvement Fund’s reserves. Council would need to approve a supplemental budget to make the full funding available.

Council is being asked to authorize both the consultant contract and a grant agreement with the foundation. The contract would pay for planning, rather than construction of the improvements the future plan may propose.

The Roseburg City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday (tonight), Sept. 28, at Roseburg City Hall.

Roseburg councilors will get their first work-study presentation Monday on a proposed plan for transportation improvements along Diamond Lake Boulevard and OR 138E.

The 6 p.m. session is intended to give Council an overview and allow questions. No vote on the plan is scheduled Monday. Staff expects the Planning Commission to review it at a public hearing in October and make a recommendation before Council considers whether to adopt it as part of the Roseburg Urban Area Comprehensive Plan.

Developed by the city and the Oregon Department of Transportation, the draft identifies 51 potential projects. They cover improvements to the highway, city street connections, and routes for people walking and bicycling. The plan also addresses crossings, intersections, freight movement, and safety.

The corridor runs through areas with different kinds of development, from established commercial and residential neighborhoods to land where future housing and other uses are anticipated. According to the agenda packet, existing sidewalks, bicycle routes, crossings, and street connections are inconsistent along parts of that route.

The potential improvements carry a combined planning estimate of approximately $90 million. That figure describes projects identified in the draft plan, not a construction contract or funding package before Council on Monday. Projects could be pursued over different time frames and through a mix of development activity and city or state capital work.

ODOT paid for the planning effort. Public outreach began in 2023, and a final draft was presented for public review this summer. Residents can read the draft OR 138E Corridor Refinement Plan ahead of the work study.

The Roseburg City Council will decide Monday whether staff should continue exploring the Phillips and Shalimar parking lots as possible sites for an urban campground.

The city has not selected either lot or approved a campground. Staff is asking Council to define what kind of site it wants evaluated before the city spends more time on land use review, operating plans, and detailed cost estimates.

Preliminary layouts show that the Phillips Lot could accommodate about 41 spaces measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, with five-foot aisles, portable restrooms, and a dumpster area. The Shalimar Lot could accommodate about 23 similarly sized spaces. Staff estimates fencing would cost approximately $12,000 at Phillips and $8,200 at Shalimar. It also obtained a preliminary quote of $78,180, including delivery, for an accessible three-stall shower trailer.

Those layouts do not settle how either site would operate. Staff wants direction on whether Council envisions tents or small structures, whether a provider would manage the site, what amenities and security would be required, who could stay there, how long the use would last, and how operations would be funded.

Both lots are within the city’s downtown exclusion zone. According to the agenda packet, using either property as a campground would require suspending that zone. Staff also says a campground on either commercially zoned lot would require a conditional use permit. The Planning Commission would initially decide that application after a public hearing, with opportunities for appeal.

Staff estimates that hiring an independent land use consultant to prepare and present a permit application would cost $30,000 to $35,000, excluding a possible appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. The city would be both the property owner and the reviewing jurisdiction, which is why staff recommends an outside consultant.

For context, the packet includes a 2024 estimate for a different site and operating model: roughly $56,450 per month to run a managed campground and about $251,000 in startup costs. Staff cautions that the figures are outdated and that current costs would likely be higher. No current operating budget for the two downtown lots has been established.

Council’s choices Monday are to discontinue the evaluation, request more information, or direct staff to develop a proposal and bring it back before implementation. Even the third option would not, by itself, open a campground.

The Roseburg City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday (tonight), Sept. 28, at Roseburg City Hall.

The Roseburg City Council will consider applying for a $1 million state grant to support Umpqua Community College’s proposed conversion of the former downtown post office into student housing.

UCC is pursuing the project at 704 SE Cass Avenue, with an emphasis on housing for students with families. The college is not eligible to apply directly to Business Oregon’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, according to the Council agenda packet, so it has asked the city to submit an application on the project’s behalf.

Resolution No. 2026-21 would authorize the application and allow Mayor Larry Rich to sign it. The city and UCC would enter into a memorandum of understanding setting out their responsibilities related to the application and project.

The agenda packet describes the proposal as a way to add student housing within an existing downtown building. It says the project is intended to help students complete their education, including those pursuing medical career pathways, while putting an underused property back to use.

Several details remain unresolved in the material before Council. The packet does not specify the number of housing units, a construction schedule, the full project cost, or whether grant funding will be awarded.

Approving the resolution Monday would allow the city to request $1 million. It would not independently appropriate city funds or authorize construction.

The Roseburg City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Roseburg City Hall.

Roseburg police will present information Monday on the city’s network of 15 Flock automatic license plate reader cameras following public comments at recent City Council meetings.

The presentation is informational. Council is not being asked to approve new cameras or vote on the current contract.

According to the agenda packet, the cameras photograph the rear of passing vehicles and capture license plate information. Police say the system helps identify vehicles associated with such matters as stolen-vehicle reports, warrants, and missing or endangered people. The department’s presentation also describes how officers search the system during investigations.

Council authorized the original camera contract in 2023. The city signed a new two-year agreement in February 2026 that runs through Feb. 20, 2028. It costs $37,500 per year, or $75,000 over the term, for all 15 cameras. Police say that expense is included in the department’s current budget.

The packet includes the department’s policy on access, searches, data retention, and sharing. Police say camera images and plate data are ordinarily deleted after 30 days, with exceptions for material connected to an ongoing investigation or court proceeding. The presentation says Roseburg shares access with Oregon Flock partners and can assist federal or out-of-state agencies on a case-by-case basis under specified conditions. It also says the police chief conducts monthly audits.

The presentation follows passage of a 2026 Oregon law regulating law enforcement use of license plate reader systems. Council members will have an opportunity to question police about the cameras, their use, and the department’s safeguards during Monday’s meeting.

The Roseburg City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Roseburg City Hall.

Limited Time Events

• Wellness Walk | Every Saturday Through September | 9am at the Thrive Umpqua office in Roseburg (556 SE Jackson)
• 2026 Umpqua Plein Air Exhibit: an exhibit celebrating the Umpqua Valley @​ Umpqua Valley Arts | August 22 - October 23 | 10 am - 6 pm | Link
• The Vineyard Tour 2026 | October 2 - October 4th | 8 am - 4 pm | Link
• Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch @ The Farmstand by Lehne Farms | September 26 - October 31 | Every Saturday of October | Link

Monday, September 28th

• DJ Trivia Night @ Workman's Bar & Smokehouse | 7 pm
• Open Mic Night @ Little Brothers Pub | 6 - 8 pm
• Celebrate Recovery | Westside Christian Church | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.
• Monday Night Auxiliary Bingo | Winston VFW | 4:30 pm | must have papers by 5:30, $17 for all games.

Tuesday, September 29th

• Bingo @ Roseburg Elks Lodge #326 | 6:30 pm
• DJ Bingo @ Workman's Bar and Smokehouse | 6 pm
• DJ Trivia @ Urban NY Pizza & Grill | 7 pm
• Free Line Dancing Lessons - Elements Lounge @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort | Every week on Tuesday | 7 - 9 pm | Link
• Open Mic Night @ Kodiak Bar & Grill | Every week on Tuesday @ 6 - 8 pm
• Tuesdays! Free Line Dancing Lessons at Elements Lounge in Seven Feathers Casino Resort | 7 - 9 pm | Link
• Celebrate Recovery | Winston Assembly of God | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.

Wednesday, September 30th

• DJ Trivia @ Backside Brewing Co. | 6 - 7:30 pm
• Karaoke/Open Mic Night @ Idle Hour Tavern | 9 pm - 12:30 am
• Open Mic at Brix | Every Wednesday | 6 - 8 pm
• Trivia Night @​ Lookingglass Brewery | 6 - 9 pm
• Trivia Night @​ Little Brothers Pub | 6 pm
• Bingo @ Roseburg Senior Center | (Every Wed and Fri) - Doors Open at 5 pm, starts at 6:30 pm. Food available. Ages 7+.
• Celebrate Recovery | Redeemers (Old movie theater) | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.
• Wednesday Night Karaoke with Mr. Michael | Winston VFW | 5 - 9 pm| 21+
• Group Meet - Knitting of Any Kind | Studio Arts Connection (1350 NE Stephens, Roseburg) | 1 - 3:30 pm | Knitting, crochet, hand quilting felting spinning, etc
• Canyonville Farmer's Market | Wednesdays from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm at Seven Feathers Casino Parking Lot | May - October
• Live Music: Bob Hall @ Two Shy Brewing | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Live Music: Ding Mao, The’Lectrics @ The Rosebud Theatre | 6 - 10 pm | Link

Thursday, October 1st

• DJ Trivia @ North Forty Beer Company | 7 - 8:30 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Workman's Bar and Smokehouse | 9 pm - 12 am
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday and Saturday | 8 pm
• DJ Bingo @ Brix Bar & Grill | 7 - 9 pm
• Thirsty Thursday Cornhole Night @ Lookingglass Brewery | Every week on Thursday | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Al-Anon Meeting in Oakland (Weekly) | Oakland Ice House - 212 Lucust St | 2 - 3 PM

Friday, October 2nd

• Friday Pizzas! @ Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards | 12 - 4 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Winchester Pub & Grill | 8 - 11 pm
• Kick Up the Dust - Line Dancing Lessons @ Workman's Bar & Smokehouse | 7 - 8 pm
• Bingo @ Roseburg Senior Center | (Every Wed and Fri) - Doors Open at 5 pm, starts at 6:30 pm. Food available. Ages 7+.
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 8 pm
• Friday Night Live Music | Winston VFW
• Group Meet - Open Painting Watercolor and Small Acrylic | Studio Arts Connection (1350 NE Stephens, Roseburg) | 1 - 3:30 PM
• The Vineyard Tour 2026 | October 2 - October 4th | 8 am - 4 pm | Link

Saturday, October 3rd

• Umpqua Valley Farmers Market | 9 am - 1 pm | SE Jackson St | Link
• Roseburg Saturday Farmers Market | 2525 W Harvard Ave | 9 am - 2:30 pm | Link
• Karaoke Night @​ Brix Bar & Grill | (Every Saturday) @ 7 - 10 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Lookingglass Brewery | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 8 pm
• Saturday Night Karaoke with DJ Dan | Winston VFW | 5 - 9 pm | 21+
• The Vineyard Tour 2026 | October 2 - October 4th | 8 am - 4 pm | Link
• Live Music: Sons of Legion @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort | 7 - 8:30 pm | Link
• Live Music: Steve Green @ The Chapel | 5 pm | Link
• 5th Annual Blocktober Fest - Downtown Roseburg | 11 am - 6 pm | Link
• Monsters & Mimosas 5K Run at Diamond Lake | Link

Sunday, October 4th

• The Vineyard Tour 2026 | October 2 - October 4th | 8 am - 4 pm | Link
• Live Music: Vine Katz @ Richwine Vineyards | 1 - 4 pm | Link

• We now have 24,190 Facebook group members!! Thank you all so much for being here!
• There is now an opportunity to advertise your local business with The Roseburg Receiver! If your company is interested, please email info@theroseburgreceiver.com. Your ad will be featured in The Roseburg Scoop emails, videos, website, and much more.
• We have a new sponsor! Please give a warm welcome to Cascade Community Credit union!

The Roseburg Receiver is powered by the community. If you have local news, helpful information, an incident update, or an upcoming event to share, please email us at info@theroseburgreceiver.com so others can stay informed.

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That is the scoop for this Monday morning. Have a great day!

- The Roseburg Receiver Team