NEWBERG, Ore. — The Newberg City Council voted 3-2 on Sept. 21 to approve an amendment to a resolution on how the city handles materials left at municipal flagpoles after gatherings. Councilors Elise Yarnell Hollamon and Jeri Turgesen were the dissenting votes. Councilors Derek Carmon and Mike McBride were absent from the meeting.
The amendment requires participants to remove all materials immediately when a gathering disperses. The amended resolution has not been adopted, and City Attorney James Walker will review it for legal compliance, City Manager Will Worthey said.
The city’s current 30-day removal policy for memorials at municipal flagpoles, created in September 2025 and clarified in a Jan. 29, 2026, city statement, was discussed at the Aug. 17 council meeting without a consensus. The policy was first applied to a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025. The flagpole has since been the site of additional memorials and protests related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, according to city documents…