🌱 Planning to watch 800 dancers take over the Linn County Fairgrounds?

Morning Albany! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Planning to watch 800 dancers take over the Linn County Fairgrounds?
• How an Albany home cook turned a simple resolution into 88 recipes

Today's riddle: The world champion tongue twister just got arrested! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Sun and areas of high clouds, with a high of 44 and low of 28 degrees.
• Wednesday: Cloudy most of the time, temps: high: 44, low: 31.
• Thursday: Occasional rain, with a high of 43 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Grab your partner: Promenade to three-day event in Albany (ourtownsantiam.com) — Albany will host more than 800 dancers at the Oregon Mid-Winter Square Dance Festival Jan. 23–25, 2026, at the Linn County Fairgrounds, free for spectators. Dancers can enjoy over 20 hours of square, round, clogging, English country, and line dancing, with both nationally known and local callers. Participants must purchase ribbons online or at the door.
   

• What did you accomplish in 2025? Readers tell us their wins. (washingtonpost.com) — An Albany resident, 25-year-old Lydia Sundberg, set out to cook 52 new recipes in 2025 and has already tried 88, aiming for 100 by year’s end. Her culinary goal appears in a feel-good national roundup of personal wins, highlighting everyday achievements from people across the country.
   

📸 Around Albany

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📣 Albany Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 30

• Trivia At Tallman Brewing
  Tallman Brewing & Food Trucks , 2055 Primrose St , Lebanon
  6:30 pm
• Varsity Girls Basketball @ Springfield
  Springfield High School , 875 7th St , Springfield
  6:45 pm

Wednesday December 31

• Discovery Hub! Winter Waterfowl
  Ankeny Hill Nature Center , 130 Ankeny Hill Rd SE , Jefferson
  10:00 am
• The Apartment (1960)
  Whiteside Theatre , 361 SW Madison Ave , Corvallis
  7:00 pm
• CORAZÓN NEW YEARS PARTY 2026
  Corazón , 208 SW 2nd St , Corvallis
  8:00 pm

Friday January 2

• Varsity Girls Basketball @ West Albany
  West Albany High School , 2100 SW Elm St , Albany
  5:30 pm
• Varsity Boys Basketball @ West Albany
  West Albany High School , 2100 SW Elm St , Albany
  7:00 pm

Tuesday January 6

• Varstiy Girls Basketball vs. South Albany
  South Albany High School , 3705 Columbus St SE , Albany
  5:30 pm
• Varsity Boys Basketvall vs South Albany
  Crescent Valley High , 4444 NW Highland Dr , Corvallis
  7:00 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Wrestling @ Corvallis
  Corvallis High School , 1400 NW Buchanan Ave , Corvallis
  5:00 pm

Thursday January 8

• Swimming @ McKay
  The Kroc Center - Salem , 1865 Bill Frey Dr , Salem
  5:30 pm

Friday January 9

• Varsity Boys Basketball @ McKay
  McKay High School , 2440 Lancaster Dr NE , Salem
  7:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Albany PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• My boy escaped from my apartment (Latitude 44 on Geary St) on Saturday 12/20.
  He was last seen at Brookshore apartments nearby, and I used to live at Riverbend so there may be a chance he’ll wind up around there. Please let me… (Nextdoor Kinder-Heritage)
• What are your top three priorities for Albany’s future growth and development?
  As Albany grows, we want it to grow with intention. For this week's question, we’re asking you to share your top three priorities that can help guide… (Nextdoor )

• Allegheny Technologies Incorporated posted a job opening for Production Supervisor, Consolidation (4x4 Rotation) in Albany. Apply here.
• Bath and Body Works posted a job opening for Seasonal Retail Sales Associate-HERITAGE MALL in Albany. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Albany here.

🗞 Nearby News

Corvallis

• Oregon baseball unveils 2026 schedule with 30 Big Ten games, opener vs. George Mason (kval.com)
• Podcast #145: Why Edge AI Matters with Oregon State University (storagereview.com)
• Dolores 'Lorie' Lavonne Watts, 95 (effinghamradio.com)

Philomath

• Philomath boys battle back but fall short at Scappoose (philomathnews.com)
• Fire and Rescue Calls: Crashes, smoke investigations among recent responses (philomathnews.com)

Salem

Ok Albany! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I hear they’re giving him a really tough sentence.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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