• The small Oregon town of St. Helens is home to several Hollywood film sets.
• Tourists can see the Bella Swan house from "Twilight" and the giant pumpkin from "Halloweentown."
• The town is famous for its annual Halloween celebrations and shops that sell movie memorabilia.

It's a town of less than 20,000 people, but Hollywood loves it.

Located about 45 minutes away from Portland by car, the riverfront town of St. Helens, Oregon, is the backdrop for the 1998 Disney classic "Halloweentown," and doubled as the Washington port city of Port Angeles in the 2008 "Twilight" movie.

Tourists visit throughout the year, but each fall St. Helens puts on its Spirit of "Halloweentown" Festival, which runs on select days from late September through November 1 to bring the iconic film back to life. Special guests have included actors Judith Hoag and J. Paul Zimmerman, the mom and son in the movie.

St. Helens has a host of "Twilight" themed shops around town, too, including Sweet Starling Co. and Experience Twilight, where fans can collect memorabilia and re-live the hit saga.

There are also several film locations for guests to visit, including the famous restaurant scene in "Twilight" and Bella Swan's house.

Here are some sights you can see in and around St. Helens from both movies.

The courthouse is the backdrop of several "Halloweentown" town square scenes.

In "Halloweentown," St. Helens' courthouse serves as the movie's town square and is featured in scenes including Marnie's discovery of the town, establishing shots, crowd scenes, and the film's finale with the famous jack-o'-lantern.

The courthouse is still in operation today.

By night, it shines its "Halloweentown" spirit.

The festival begins with a lighting ceremony of a replica of the movie's town square jack-o'-lantern at the center of the celebration.

Throughout the festival, as day transitions into night, the town square becomes the center of the party for "Spirit of Halloweentown" festivalgoers.

The famous alleyway rescue scene in "Twilight" was also filmed here.

The movie's alleyway rescue scene was filmed right in the heart of St. Helens' downtown.

Kristi Etzel, a travel content creator, visited St. Helens this month to view the various filming locations: "I'm so glad they have embraced the Twilight films for those of us that were obsessed with the movies in high school to be able to visit as adults," she told Business Insider.

Bella and Edward famously dined at a restaurant in town.

The building used as "The Bloated Toad," the name of the fictional restaurant where Bella and Edward dine after the alleyway rescue, is located at 330 S. 1st Street in St. Helens.

The Victorian-looking building was never a real restaurant. It's a mixed-use residential building with commercial space on the first floor and living space above.

Bella Swan's house is a stone's throw away from downtown.

Bella Swan's house, located at 184 South 6th Street, is now a functioning vacation rental that fans can book for a minimum stay of 2 nights.

Etzel said there are "road closed" signs near the house, as well as other warnings to fans to keep noise to a minimum for those currently staying there.

Multnomah Falls, outside St. Helens, appears in the famous "Twilight" baseball scene.

While the baseball game itself was filmed across the Columbia River in Washington, Multnomah Falls, about 60 miles from St. Helens, appears in the background of several shots.

"Twilight" superfans — and nature lovers, too — can visit the waterfall.

Three people were killed when two helicopters collided midair near an Oregon airport Thursday afternoon, crashing in a field and prompting authorities to close a nearby highway.

A Robinson R22 helicopter and an Airbus H125 helicopter collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport around 2:15 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Fox News Digital that the collision occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time. 

The agency identified the Airbus helicopter as an AS350B2 operating on a maintenance flight and the Robinson R22 Beta as conducting an instructional flight. 

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday that all three people aboard both helicopters died in the crash.

TWO NAVY JETS CRASH MIDAIR AS CREW SUCCESSFULLY EJECTS DURING IDAHO MILITARY BASE AIR SHOW

The two victims aboard the Robinson R22 helicopter were identified as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, of Texas, and 31-year-old student pilot Christopher James Joughin, of the United Kingdom, according to the sheriff's office. 

Joughin's identity was confirmed Friday after authorities initially withheld his name pending notification of next of kin.

The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

The collision occurred in a field off Oregon Route 233, about one mile west of Dayton, according to Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Mindy McCartt.

McCartt told Fox News Digital that the highway and some nearby county roads were closed at the request of emergency responders. She said there was no estimated reopening time.

DASHCAM VIDEO CAPTURES SMALL PLANE CRASHING ON SAN JOSE HIGHWAY, INJURING THREE ON BOARD, INCLUDING CHILD

McMinnville Airport Manager John Paskell told Fox News Digital that the collision occurred off airport property and did not disrupt airport operations. The airport remained open without closures or restrictions.

Paskell said he understood that both helicopters were based at the airport but could not confirm what activities they were conducting or how the collision occurred.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the ongoing investigation into the collision, according to the sheriff's office.

The NTSB said Friday that two investigators were traveling to the crash site. Once the wreckage is documented, it will be recovered and moved to a secure facility for further examination.

Investigators will examine the pilots, aircraft and operating conditions, including flight tracking data, air traffic control communications, maintenance records, weather conditions and the pilots' flight experience.

They will also review witness statements, electronic devices and any available surveillance video, including doorbell camera footage.

The agency is asking anyone with information relevant to the collision to contact investigators at witness@ntsb.gov.

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The cause of the collision has not been determined.

The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days containing factual information gathered during the initial investigation. 

A final report identifying the probable cause and any contributing factors is expected within 12 to 24 months.

An Oregon elementary school teacher who fought a teenage gunman during a deadly school shooting earlier this month has broken her silence, describing the tragedy as a loss she will carry with her forever.

Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, released her first public statement Friday through Bend-La Pine Schools, just over two weeks after the Oct. 15 attack left three children and a teacher dead.

"There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th. This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives," Schutz said in the statement.

HERO DAD WHO TOOK DOWN OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTER IDENTIFIED ALONG WITH TEACHER, STUDENT BOTH KILLED IN ATTACK

"My thoughts are with those who were lost, their families, those who were hurt, and those who were there that day. My heart is with you. It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time. The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever."

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz previously credited Schutz with throwing her cellphone at the shooter and wrestling him for control of his shotgun during the attack.

Schutz also asked for privacy as she continues to heal.

INJURED BEND, OREGON, TEACHER TRIED TO SHUT CLASSROOM DOOR DURING SCHOOL SHOOTING BEFORE PLAYING DEAD

"There are no words for this unimaginable reality we are facing. My focus is on these families, our team, our school, and my own healing," she said. "As I continue to navigate this, I ask that you please give me the time, space, and privacy I need to heal. I will not be making any additional public statements at this time."

The shooting unfolded when a 16-year-old former student entered the school and opened fire inside a classroom serving students with special needs, according to police.

Teacher Megan Lambert, 25, and three students, including 5-year-old Rhoam Summer and two other children, ages 8 and 11, were killed.

DEMOCRATS' LATEST GUN-CONTROL PUSH RUNS INTO INCONVENIENT FACT ABOUT HOW SCHOOL KILLER WAS STOPPED

Another teacher, Becky Drury, and a 7-year-old girl were wounded but survived.

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Drury previously told Fox News Digital she tried to close her classroom door after spotting the gunman but was shot before she could stop him from entering.

She suffered severe injuries to both arms and pretended to be dead to avoid being shot again before hero dad Kaylub Giamanco, 36, shot the attacker dead.

Flight instructor, 22, and pilot, 38, among other fatalities after mid-air collision occurs near small airport

Three people have been killed after two helicopters collided in mid-air near a small airport in Oregon on Thursday, authorities have confirmed.

The Yamhill county sheriff’s office said on Thursday that it received reports at about 2.10pm local time about an aircraft incident involving two helicopters that had crashed south-east of McMinnville, near McMinnville municipal airport.

Three people were killed when two helicopters collided midair near an Oregon airport Thursday afternoon, crashing in a field and prompting authorities to close a nearby highway.

A Robinson R22 helicopter and an Airbus H125 helicopter collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport around 2:15 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday that all three people aboard both helicopters died in the crash.

The two victims aboard the Robinson R22 helicopter were identified as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, of Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, according to the sheriff's office. The student's identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

TWO NAVY JETS CRASH MIDAIR AS CREW SUCCESSFULLY EJECTS DURING IDAHO MILITARY BASE AIR SHOW

The collision occurred in a field off Oregon Route 233, about one mile west of Dayton, according to Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Mindy McCartt.

McCartt told Fox News Digital that the highway and some nearby county roads were closed at the request of emergency responders. She said there was no estimated reopening time.

DASHCAM VIDEO CAPTURES SMALL PLANE CRASHING ON SAN JOSE HIGHWAY, INJURING THREE ON BOARD, INCLUDING CHILD

McMinnville Airport Manager John Paskell told Fox News Digital that the collision occurred off airport property and did not disrupt airport operations. The airport remained open without closures or restrictions.

Paskell said he understood that both helicopters were based at the airport but could not confirm what activities they were conducting or how the collision occurred.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the ongoing investigation into the collision, according to the sheriff's office.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The cause of the collision has not been determined.

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office and NTSB did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents slashed the tires of a couple who were recording the agents in an incident near Portland, Oregon, earlier this month. The agents then drove away without arresting or talking to the couple, video footage shows.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which released the footage today, says it is yet another example of ICE agents retaliating against people for protected First Amendment activity. In an administrative complaint on behalf of the anonymous couple, the ACLU and the ACLU of Oregon are demanding an investigation and answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about why agents tailed, boxed in, and "vandalized" the vehicle of a U.S. citizen.

The stunning video does not resemble any sort of normal law enforcement:

"What happened to us is not unique, and that is what is so terrifying," A.P. and M.P., the unnamed husband and wife, said in a statement provided by the ACLU. "We observe and record public ICE activity in order to shine a light on their abusive behavior and to create a record of what our government is up to. Because of that, they are terrorizing us and anyone else who dares to exercise their First Amendment right to hold our government accountable. We hope that sharing our story will bring attention to their reckless and unconstitutional attacks on our communities."

According to the ACLU complaint, the unnamed married couple was driving in Hillsboro, Oregon, on the morning of October 7 when they spotted an ICE SUV. The couple followed the SUV to a supermarket parking lot, where there were also two other ICE vehicles. The couple lowered their windows and began yelling "This is ICE! This is ICE!" as well as blowing whistles and honking the car's horn.

One ICE agent grabbed a shopping cart and began approaching the couple's car. The complaint states that the couple heard the agent say something to the effect of, "Let's block them in with the cart." As the couple began driving away, several ICE agents began chasing after them on foot. 

The three ICE vehicles chased the couple after they left the parking lot, "driving aggressively and nearly colliding into" their car, according to the complaint. Additional video shows the ICE vehicles swerving aggressively in front of the couple's car and later unsuccessfully attempting to box in their car. "None of the ICE vehicles had their flashing lights or sirens on during this entire sequence of events," the complaint states.

The couple cut through an empty parking lot, and the chase continued down several more streets before the ICE vehicles turned on their emergency lights and sirens. According to the complaint, the couple continued driving for roughly a minute, fearing to pull over on an empty road with no bystanders. 

Video shows that when they stopped at a traffic light, a masked ICE agent exited his vehicle, walked up to the couple's car, stabbed one of its rear tires with a knife, and then walked back to his car. The couple's car moved slowly forward and into a turn lane before stopping again. Then the same agent got back out of his vehicle and stabbed the tire a second time before returning to his vehicle without attempting to speak to the couple.

"All three ICE vehicles turned off their flashing lights and sirens and drove off," the ACLU complaint states.

The complaint notes that the couple "experienced retaliatory action similar to that experienced by many other individuals across the country engaged in these same First Amendment protected activities."

"In particular, individuals around the country have reported being similarly tailed, boxed in, and threatened with or subjected to violence after observing, gathering information about, and recording ICE agents performing their duties in public," the complaint states.

Last October, ICE agents in the Portland area busted out the car windows of a U.S. citizen who had been filming them, dragged her out of her vehicle, and detained her for roughly seven hours before releasing her without charges.

The ACLU of Tennessee filed a class-action lawsuit in May against a federal law enforcement task force in Memphis for harassing legal observers. Memphis residents allege in declarations that they have been violently arrested, surveilled at their houses, pulled over under false pretenses, and jailed for trying to film the task force. In September, the ACLU of Tennessee published videos showing federal agents arresting the lead plaintiff in its lawsuit while he was attempting to film task force operations.

DHS and immigration officers have repeatedly accused videographers and legal observers of obstruction of justice and "doxxing," but civil liberties advocates say the DHS is flat wrong about the law: Every federal appeals court that has considered the issue—nine so far—has firmly upheld the right to record law enforcement in public.

The Supreme Court has also unequivocally upheld the First Amendment right to criticize or oppose police activity, whether verbally or through other expressive activity.

"The right to record publicly visible law enforcement activity is fundamental to our democracy," Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a press release. "Like many people across the country, our clients have been observing and recording ICE activity in their community. These videos have proven critical to exposing ICE's abuses. If we cannot see and document what our own government is doing on our streets, we cannot hold it accountable for running roughshod over our rights."

The ACLU complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General and two other DHS oversight offices demands that the agents involved in the incident be identified, investigated, and disciplined. The ACLU is also requesting a "comprehensive investigation of a disturbing pattern of ICE agents retaliating against individuals who observe, gather information about, and record ICE activity."

In response to request for comment, the DHS Office of Public Affairs said in a statement attributed to an unnamed spokesperson that the "incident is currently under investigation."

"ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers," the statement continued. "The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. We have no further comment at this time."

The post Video Shows ICE Agents Slashing Portland Couple's Car Tire Then Driving Off appeared first on Reason Magazine.

Last week, not only did Oregon's restrictive gun laws fail to stop a shooter intent on killing innocent people, but a passing good Samaritan had to violate those laws to end the murder spree. Fortunately, authorities don't appear intent on prosecuting Kaylub Giamanco, father to two girls who attend the school, for ignoring the ban on guns on school grounds to save lives. But the law is clearly more of a threat to people with good intent than it is to those bent on doing harm. Such laws should and must be defied, but lawmakers need to remove these legal minefields before they do more damage.

A Hero Dad With a Gun Stops a Murder Spree

"I want to start by thanking and praising the quick thinking and courage of the Silver Rail Elementary School staff and parents—and the first responders who rushed to the scene," Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek commented in a press release after the attack by a 16-year-old shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. "And to the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life, your actions carry a heavy emotional burden—and my thoughts are with you."

That community member was Kaylub Giamanco, who had two daughters at the school. He was reportedly driving past when he saw the shooter approaching Silver Rail with a shotgun in hand. Giamanco parked his vehicle, grabbed his firearm, and followed the shooter, who had blasted his way through the facility's locked doors.

The shooter murdered four people, but Giamanco was able to kill him before he did any more damage. In the incident, the murderer obviously violated the law. But so did Giamanco.

Restrictive Laws That Had To Be Ignored

"Oregon gun laws are rated as the 12th strictest in the nation according to data collected by gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety, but they didn't stop the shooting of four elementary school children and two teachers at a Bend elementary school on Thursday," wrote Lillian Mongeau Hughes of The Oregonian. (Reports say three children and a teacher were murdered, with two others injured.)

The gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety boasts that "Oregon has passed a broad range of gun safety laws in recent years, including a requirement that guns be securely stored whenever they are not in their owner's immediate control, a prohibition on guns at the state capitol, and a law that gives universities the authority to prohibit guns on their grounds."

The similarly restriction-oriented Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence gives Oregon an A- for its laws, ranking the state 11th out of 50. The group notes that the state "allowed local governments to limit firearms in government buildings."

Of specific interest in this case, the state adopted a law in 2021 that, among other things, says "the governing board of a community college or a district school board" may adopt policies banning guns on school grounds, even for those "licensed to carry a concealed handgun."

Importantly, the Bend–La Pine Schools, which include Silver Rail, mandate that "no person on grounds of the schools controlled by the Board of Directors for Bend–La Pine Schools (including in school buildings) shall bring to, possess, conceal or use a weapon or firearm at any property under the jurisdiction of Bend-La Pine Schools, any activities under the jurisdiction of the district, or any interscholastic activities administered by a voluntary organization (i.e., Oregon School Activities Association). This prohibition includes those who may otherwise be permitted by law to carry such weapons or firearms."

The prohibition applies to the Silver Rail murderer, though it was unlikely to be a concern to a person already intent on slaughter. It also applies to Giamanco, who stopped the attack and who must now—probably successfully, given the case's high profile—rely on the authorities to not enforce their own laws.

A Long History of Defensive Use of Firearms

Giamanco is by no means alone in taking the initiative to stop an attack. I've written in the past about Jordan Salinas and others in the Twin Falls incident, as well as Elisjsha Dicken at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana. The actions of bystanders are crucial given the evidence that would-be mass murderers must be countered with defensive force within the first 30 seconds to avoid a double-digit body count.

There were 634 active attacks in the United States between 2000 and 2025, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University. ALERRT defines an "active attack" as an incident in which "an individual or individuals is actively killing or attempting to kill multiple unrelated people in a public space." Of those, 374 were resolved before police arrived, with 29 concluded by civilians shooting the perpetrator and another 60 attackers otherwise subdued by civilians.

That's certainly not a full count of actions by armed citizens to defend themselves and others. The 2026 National Firearms Survey finds that "guns are used defensively by firearms owners in approximately 2.2 million incidents per year. In most defensive incidents no shot was fired (76.3%), about half (50.8%) involved more than one assailant, and in 70.6% of incidents respondents report that the defensive use was successful, such that no crime remained to be reported to the police."

Undoubtedly, many of those incidents aren't reported to the police because people who have just averted a threat to themselves or others don't want to get entangled with a legal system that is all too often hostile to self defense. If all has ended well, why risk arrest for violating a law that would have prevented you from defending yourself or that you may not even have known about?

As The Oregonian points out, Oregon's "strong laws" didn't stop the shooting. Those laws ban murder, of course. They also specify that "guns be locked, stored in gun safes or in specialized gun rooms as a way to keep children from accessing firearms," according to the report. "Police have not said if those laws were violated." They also ban guns on the grounds of schools with restrictive policies.

Authoritarian Laws Don't Deter Evil and Should Be Defied

The thing about criminals, though, is that they don't obey laws. That's especially true of those who plan murder sprees they don't intend to survive. The consequences the perpetrators anticipate involve death, and if that's not a deterrent, the potential prosecution of their moldering corpses holds little weight.

Unfortunately, legal peril can be a deterrent to good people who intend no harm. The threat of authoritarian laws and malicious prosecutors who enjoy state protection could convince some people to leave the means of self defense at home. Fortunately, Kaylub Giamanco wasn't one of them.

Giamanco's example at Silver Rail Elementary School is one to be emulated. If we're to protect ourselves, our children, and our neighbors, we have a right and a duty to defy laws that seek to disarm us and put us at the mercy of human predators. But we shouldn't have to suffer the threat of such laws to exercise our natural self-defense rights. Given the inability of weapons restrictions to deter crime and the harm they pose for good people, government officials need to eliminate these embarrassing restrictions and get out of our way.

The post Hero Oregon Dad Showed the Importance of Defying Restrictive Gun Laws appeared first on Reason Magazine.

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Stand By Me, Alec Joyner takes up Rob Reiner’s classic film and considers it from a few dozen angles. It’s a canny piece of critical writing on time, memory, masculinity, and tenderness, forces that often work against each other. (Joyner doesn’t raise the subject of Reiner’s violent death last year, though he pauses briefly on Chris, a character “freakishly knifed to death . . . trying to break up a fight.”) Stand By Me‘s two days of summer are a “vital pause” in the life of its characters, a “portal . . . into the expanse of time.” Here, Joyner illuminates that pause, and captures some of its elusive grace.

Stand by Me was slapped with an R rating, for the boys’ profanity, as well as the prominence of child abuse and death. This may have hampered ticket sales, but it also made it the first R-rated movie that many ’80s and ’90s kids saw. It made it a fitting rite of passage.

Still, there’s something lamentable in the verdict, the MPAA telling a faulty story much like the fictional adults of Castle Rock. How many blockbusters have promoted horrendous violence, only to make the PG-13 grade because they feel safely unreal? Stand by Me was received as dangerous because its horrors and its dirt live at home.