Samantha Swindler

Milwaukie

Features Writer and Videographer at Oregon Live (The Oregonian)

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Articles

How a UFO sighting in 1950 created McMinnville’s biggest annual event

5 days ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

The aliens will be back in McMinnville for the 25th time. Well, 26th if you count the original sighting 75 years ago that started it all. The McMenamins UFO Festival takes place May 16-17, with a lineup that offers presentations by ufologists for the true believers and costumed silliness to entertain even the skeptics.
Log Lady’s famous prop emerges from closet for Portland forestry exhibit

1 week ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Stacked doughnuts and “damn fine coffee” welcomed a small but eager group of visitors Thursday morning to the World Forestry Center. These die-hard fans had traveled — at least one from out of state — to see the log. But not just any log.
She kept a stranger’s lost Tiffany bracelet for years because ‘it seemed so personal.’ Now it’s finally home

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Years ago — no one is quite sure when — a silver Tiffany bracelet was found at the end of the night on the floor of The Pit Stop Sports Bar & BBQ Grill in Beaverton. At the busy neighborhood hangout, lost items were nothing new. Dani Rosendahl, then owner of The Pit Stop, told her staff about the bracelet in case anyone came back to claim it. No one ever did. “We found a lot of things on the floor over the years, even a magazine of bullets,” she said.
These are 2025’s best new board games, as chosen by hundreds of Mensa members gathered in Portland

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Hundreds of Mensa members from across the country gathered in Portland this weekend for the 2025 Mind Games, a four-day board-game-judging marathon. In this event, the players are also the judges. Across two ballrooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton, about 380 Mensans played (and judged) 47 newly released tabletop games, rating each game on aesthetics, clarity of instruction, originality, play appeal and play value.
What is Loyalty Day and why does only one Oregon city still celebrate it?

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

In many countries, the first of May is International Workers Day, a holiday commemorating the working class and the gains of the labor movement. But in the United States, this day is officially a federal holiday known as Loyalty Day — and Newport, Oregon is one of the few cities that celebrates it. Newport’s long-standing annual event features a parade, a royal court and the blessing of the coastal city’s fishing fleet.
This heroic therapy dog donated blood 16 times and recently saved a poisoned puppy’s life

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

A Labrador retriever named Olivia recently saved the life of a 5-month-old puppy who was rushed to Portland’s DoveLewis veterinary hospital with life-threatening symptoms caused by rodenticide poisoning. Jaxon, an American pit bull terrier mix, arrived at DoveLewis on March 31 with signs of lethargy, pale gums and abnormal bleeding. The veterinary team quickly diagnosed him with coagulopathy, a potentially deadly condition that prevents blood clotting and causes anemia.
Habitat for Humanity is opening a new thrift store in the Portland suburbs

4 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Habitat for Humanity’s Portland chapter will hold a grand opening Friday for its new 18,500-square-foot home improvement thrift store. The new ReStore is at 16160 S.W. Upper Boones Ferry Road in Tigard, in a business park off of I-5. It will be the fourth ReStore for the Portland chapter, which has retail locations in Beaverton, Gresham and East Portland, as well as an online store. Friday’s grand opening begins at 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Tigard Chamber of Commerce.
12 Portland area thrift stores that are actually cheap

1 month ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Whether it’s to save money or the environment – or just for the thrill of the hunt – Portlanders love a good thrift shop. It’s part of how the city got its distinctively quirky style. As a longtime thrifter and frequent participant in the Portland’s annual Goodwill Hunting Thrift Crawl, I’ve been to many of the second-hand stores around Portland. But which thrift stores offer the best bargains? That’s the treasure I set out to find on a recent thrifting crawl.
Injured bald eagle recovering after surgery at Think Wild in Bend

1 month ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

A seriously injured bald eagle is recovering in Bend after receiving orthopedic surgery from Think Wild, a nonprofit wildlife hospital. The female bald eagle, estimated to be between 2 and 3 years old, was found in a field east of Redmond on March 16. The bird had multiple traumatic injuries, including wing bruising and fractures to its left femur, shoulder and beak tip. A resident found the injured eagle, which was lethargic and unable to fly.
Portland Bangers’ single game tickets go on sale soon

1 month ago | oregonlive.com | Samantha Swindler

Season tickets are already sold out for Portland’s newest soccer team, the Portland Bangers, but Tuesday is your chance to get single game tickets. A limited number of single game tickets will be available starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 8, at portlandbangers.com. Prices will range from $23 to $40, said Courtney Schmidt, team general manager.