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Wednesday December 10, 2025 | Volume 150, Issue 50

Invasive Chinese mitten crab found in Willamette River

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State report shows gains for local schools

Santa Express

By OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH and WILDLIFE

A Chinese mitten crab, a prohibited species in Oregon, was found in the Willamette River near the Sellwood Bridge near Portland and was reported to ODFW on Nov. 17. The crab was spotted in shallow water and captured by hand. It was alive and not released back into the river. Mitten crab is a non-native crab species that lives its adult life in freshwater and migrates to brackish water to breed, unlike Oregon’s native crab species that live in the ocean, bays, and estuaries. This recent confirmation is concerning for ODFW as another Chinese mitten crab was found in Oregon waters in April 2025 in a different location – marking the second confirmation of this invasive species in Oregon. ODFW biologists are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland State’s Center for Lakes and Reservoirs and the Oregon Invasive Species Council to determine if other mitten crabs are in the Willamette River. Detection methods include setting up artificial habitats to attract mitten crabs and collecting water and substrate samples to look for environmental genetic markers specific to Chinese mitten crab. PSU initiated a monitoring program for mitten crab in the Columbia and Willamette rivers by conducting shoreline walks and looking for signs of mitten crab including molted carapaces (top shell). It is unlawful to possess mitten crabs in Oregon, so they are unlawful to sell in Oregon. There is a risk of mitten crabs being illegally imported and sold in the food trade and then released alive into Oregon waters. The agency asks the public to report any suspected unlawful sales. It is important to correctly identify this species and report it to 1-866-INVADER or report it online via the Oregon Invasive Species reporting hotline form. Photographs can be submitted through the hotline and people are encouraged to do so as crab identification can be difficult and native crabs have been misidentified as invasive. Chinese mitten crabs are known to burrow into dikes, levees or stream banks which can increase erosion and damage flood control and water supply systems. These medium-sized crabs, about 3-inches wide, prey on native species, consume fish eggs and compete for food, potentially impacting native fish and crayfish populations. Mitten crabs vary in color from brownish orange to greenish brown and are named for their hairy

By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Santa Claus pulls into the station in Independence for the community event Dec. 6 for photos, games and giveaways. For more pictures of weekend holiday happenings, see page A8.

Willamina adds electric busses to its fleet By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

A seismic shift has come to the Willamina School District that Superintendent Mike Gass said that “forever changes” things for his students - electric buses. Under his predecessor Carie Zimbrick, the Willamina School District was one of seven school districts to receive a grant from the

Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program to help transition school bus fleets away from diesel engines and toward new electric models. These electric buses also went to Beaverton, Gresham, Portland, Amity, Dayton and McMinnville school districts and are expected to be 90% more efficient at reducing pollutants than older engines.

The buses were finally delivered and put into the fleet of operations for First Student Transportation on Dec. 2. Gass and a select group of students celebrated with a ribbon cutting and inaugural ride aboard the newer, quieter vehicles.

See FLEET PAGE 2

COURTESY PHOTO

Superintendent Mike Gass cuts the ribbon as students cheer the arrival of the first electric bus to the Willamina School District on Dec. 2.

See ODFW, page A3

IN THIS ISSUE

The state’s At-A-Glance Report Card shows some wins as well as continued areas of growth across both the Central and Dallas school districts. Topmost for Central, officials point toward gains made by Talmadge Middle School in academic achievement and growth, as well as in regular attendance. The positive moves have allowed the middle school to be declassified from the state’s “targeted” status. The state considers a school “targeted” when more than half of a group of students’ rated indicators are in the bottom 10 percentile. Previously, Talmadge was considered “targeted” for Emergent Bilinguals (2022-23 and 2023-24) and students experiencing disabilities (2022-23). “We are so proud of our students and staff for this significant progress,” Principal Alisha Resseman said. “Exiting ‘targeted’ status for both Emergent Bilinguals and Students experiencing disabilities is a direct result of the focused, collective effort our team has put into ensuring every student has the support they need to succeed academically and maintain strong attendance.” The annual state showed some increases in language arts and attendance for focal groups across Central’s district. Meanwhile, Dallas officials said their report showed some major academic gains, particularly at LaCreole Middle School, along with strong high school graduation results and signs of progress in elementary reading and math. Overall, the At-A-Glance report shows a snapshot of districts and each school that measures attendance, language arts, math, science, ninth-grade on-track to graduate, 4-year graduation and 5-year completer rates. The report also gives a breakdown of staff numbers, as well as demographics of students and staff. Regular attendance is defined as students attending school 90 percent or more of the time. “It is one of the metrics we use to measure our progress as a district and community, and was flat from the previous year,” said Emily Mentzer, district communications coordinator. “This continues to be a focus for the district this school year. Attendance is important for student success, and missed days can add up quickly.” See REPORT PAGE A2

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