Benton County Sheriff's Office

09/06/2026

📱 Is Your Child Being Bullied Online?

Cyberbullying can happen anywhere kids connect online—through text messages, social media, gaming platforms, apps, forums, and other digital spaces. It may involve sending or sharing harmful, threatening, embarrassing, or false content, as well as posting private information intended to humiliate or target someone.

Parents and caregivers should watch for warning signs that a child may be experiencing cyberbullying, including:

▪️ Avoiding phones, computers, or other devices, or appearing upset after receiving messages or notifications.
▪️ Withdrawing from family, friends, or social activities.
▪️ Reluctance to discuss online activity or computer use.
▪️ Changes in mood, including increased anxiety, fear, sadness, or low self-esteem.
▪️ Declining school performance.
▪️ Changes in eating or sleeping habits.

Open communication is one of the best tools for preventing and addressing cyberbullying. Encourage children to talk about their online experiences and remind them to report concerning behavior to a trusted adult.

🚨 If there is a possibility a crime has been committed—including stalking, blackmail, threats, harassment, or the s*xual exploitation of a minor—contact law enforcement immediately.

Together, we can help create safer online spaces for our youth.

09/05/2026

Is it Love or a Lie? ❤️

Romance scams are on the rise, with $1.16 billion in reported losses in the first 9 months of last year.

Red flags include someone who 🚩:
• Quickly wants to move off social media
• Declares love almost immediately
• Claims to be overseas for work or military service
• Promises to visit but always has an excuse
• Asks for money, investments, or help with an “emergency”

Remember: You’ve never met them, but they’re asking for money?

If you suspect a scam, stop communicating immediately, report the account to the platform, and report it to Oregon Scam Alert: oregonconsumer.gov, or the Federal Trade Commission: reportfraud.ftc.gov

09/04/2026

✅ September is

Are you prepared for an emergency? Visit with members of our Emergency Management team this Sunday at Philomath Frolic & Rodeo grounds at the FREE Preparedness Fair. Enjoy some chili next door at the Public Safety Chili Cook-Off 🌶️

📅 Sunday
⏰ 1:00–5:00 PM
📍 Philomath Frolic & Rodeo Grounds

Learn how to better prepare yourself and your family, connect with local public safety partners, and enjoy some great chili!

We hope to see you there! 👋

09/03/2026

Benton County Sheriff's Office Weekly DUII Report

• On August 31, 2026, deputies arrested Lorena Cornejo Saldana, 24, of Newport, for DUII.
• On August 30, 2026, deputies arrested Sebastian Romero Mejia, 38, of Vancouver, WA, for DUII, resisting arrest, false info, and escape 3.

A DUII charge includes alcohol, drugs, or both.

We remind everyone to plan ahead. Use a designated driver, rideshare, or public transportation. Do not drive impaired.

View additional incident information on our Daily Activity Log:
https://sheriff.bentoncountyor.gov/daily-activity-log/

All charges are accusations. Each person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

09/02/2026

Drive around barricades and you will be cited.

09/02/2026

Goodell was sentenced to 70 months and 3 years supervision for our 2023 online child s*x abuse case.

24 Year Old Grant Lee Goodell was sentenced following his guilty plea to three counts of Attempting to Use a Child in Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct, Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the Second Degree, and Luring a Minor. Defendant was sentenced to a total of 70 months in prison, and is required to served three years of post prison supervision. He will also have to register as a s*x offender.

Defendant’s conviction is a result of sending s*xually explicit images of himself to two teenage girls, and requesting and receiving the same from one of them. He also solicited a meetup for purposes of engaging in s*xual acts with the young victims.

“For those who prey on the young and vulnerable, there will be harsh consequences,” says Chief DDA Amie Matusko who prosecuted the case. “The victims showed strength and courage in coming forward. They helped put a stop to this man’s criminal activity before he could go on to create more victims. Sadly, minors are frequent targets of online s*xual solicitations. I encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks posed by people like this, and to have a plan for how they will respond when issues like this arise.”

09/01/2026

Well, it’s official… Summer has left the building! 🎉☀️

Last week, we celebrated Summer, our Parole & Probation Administrative Specialist, as she retired after an incredible 32 years of public service, including 9 years with the Benton County Sheriff's Office. We are so grateful for the joy, kindness, and positivity Summer has brought to our office, as well as her continued commitment to serving our clients and community with compassion and selflessness.

Thank you, Summer, for your many years of dedicated service!
We wish you all the best in this exciting new chapter—you’ve certainly earned it! 💙👏

08/31/2026

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥! 🚍

You may have noticed a few different styles of school zone speed signs around our county. Each has their own rules regarding when the school zone needs to be observed, but they all indicate that the school zone speed is 20 𝓶𝓹𝓱.🚸

The school zone sign itself is the start of the 20 𝓶𝓹𝓱. zone🚸. This speed limit is in effect until you reach an "𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞" sign or another posted speed sign. That doesn't mean as soon as you SEE the end school zone sign you are out of it. Don't start speeding up yet. The school zone ends at the exact location of that sign.

🚦 A flashing light on a school zone sign indicates children are actively arriving or leaving the school. This means to expect pedestrian traffic. Slow down and observe the school speed limit.

🚸 A sign that indicates "𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 7𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 5𝐩𝐦" lets you know that the speed limit is to be observed anytime during those hours on a school day. If you are unsure whether or not it's a school day, the best choice would be to slow down anyways.

🏃‍♂️ The school zone sign that says "𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭" means you should be observant of your surroundings and know that children frequent that area of the road. You must slow down to 20 mph in these zones if you see a child waiting at a crosswalk, children are walking within a crosswalk (starting the moment they step off the curb), or if you see a crossing guard waiting to help children across- even if they are not actively moving children at that time.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞!

08/30/2026

Hwy 99W is closed at Smith Loop, 6 miles south of Corvallis due to a vegetation fire. Follow tripcheck.com for updates.

08/30/2026

Are you interested in serving your community?

We're recruiting Jail Deputies and Volunteer Reserve Deputies. 🚔

Jail Deputies maintain the safety, security, and orderly operation of the Benton County Jail while assisting with the intake and release of individuals in custody.

Volunteer Reserve Deputies wear the same uniform, receive the same high-quality training, and use the same equipment as our full-time deputies. It's a rewarding opportunity to gain valuable law enforcement experience while giving back to your community.

Ready to make a difference?

🔹 Apply to become a Jail Deputy: https://f.mtr.cool/zgtauhvwas
🔹 Apply to become a Volunteer Reserve Deputy: https://f.mtr.cool/pczdwshfhz