Tuesday, August 25, 2026 / Oakridge / Lowell / Pleasant Hill / Highway 58
Highway 58 is losing its volunteer newsroom
The Highway 58 Herald says it will cease operations Sept. 15 after five years covering Oakridge, Lowell, Pleasant Hill and neighboring communities.
The Highway 58 Herald says it will cease operations Sept. 15 for financial reasons, ending a citizen-built local news project that began publishing with volunteer reporters in January 2021. Its coverage reached Oakridge, Lowell, Pleasant Hill and other communities along the corridor.
KLCC reported that the site has not published a story since July 28. Editor George Custer described the recurring cost of the website, webmaster and software, and said the loss would hurt the community. Founding editor Doug Bates is an Oakridge native and Pulitzer Prize winner.
This is Lane County's second local-news closure announcement in August, after The Chronicle ended its 117-year run. The Herald's Sept. 15 date is the outlet's stated end point; it should not be turned into a claim that every Highway 58 community now has no news source at all.
Field notes
What changed: The Highway 58 Herald announced that it will end operations Sept. 15 for financial reasons.
Why it matters: Small rural outlets often provide the meeting, accountability and community reporting that larger newsrooms cannot consistently replace.
Who may be affected: Readers, public agencies and community groups in Oakridge, Lowell, Pleasant Hill and other Highway 58 communities.