Help is on the way for several Washington County nonprofits who help the hungry.

The assistance comes days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that there would be no Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits released in November due to the continuing government shutdown.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday and approved $250,000 in one-time funding for 10 area food shelves serving Washington County communities.

About 10,400 Washington County residents or roughly 5,000 households receive SNAP benefits, according to information relayed by the county during the meeting. The average benefit in Washington is about $5 a day or $310 a month per household.

“While this is a challenging moment,” said Director of Community Services Jennifer Castillo during a presentation to the Board during the special meeting, “we also see this as an opportunity to demonstrate our county’s ability to be nimble, respond quickly to crisis and compassionately.”

Besides SNAP recipients, the government shutdown is also affecting federal workers who are either furloughed or working without pay during this time, bringing some first-time users to seek help with food.

Jessica Francis, the executive director of Open Cupboard, was one of the nonprofit leaders to speak at the special meeting. The nonprofit organization operates a drive-up option for groceries in addition to a free market in Oakdale and Maplewood.

“I told them we had increasing numbers yesterday that were higher than the day before, which were higher than the day before,” Francis said later.

The county will offer these food shelves the following amounts in funding:

Open Cupboard: $75,000
Basic Needs: $37,500
Valley Outreach: $37,500
Family Pathways: $37,500
Friends in Need: $18,750
Hugo Good Neighbors: $18,750
St. Andrew’s Community Resource Center: $6,250
Community Helping Hands: $6,250
Mahtomedi Area Food Shelf: $6,250
Scandia Marine Food Shelf (Elim Lutheran Church): $6,250

The allocations were determined based on organization size, volume of traffic, communities nearby and proximity to households of SNAP recipients, according to Washington County.

This help would be in addition to the state aid of $4 million for food shelves, announced on Monday by Gov. Tim Walz.

Other counties

Meanwhile, Dakota County is asking the public to step up to fill the gap for its approximately 10,000 residents who could go without their food benefits in November.

“Knowing how this will affect communities, Dakota County is aggressively encouraging our residents to support our local food shelves by making a donation or volunteering,” said Mary Beth Schubert, a county spokesperson, in an emailed reply to a Pioneer Press inquiry on Thursday.

One example is a post that Dakota County recently shared on its Facebook page.

“Many Dakota County families are affected by the ongoing federal shutdown,” the post reads. “About 10,000 residents will not receive SNAP benefits in November. Local food shelves are already seeing increased requests for help. Make a difference by donating food, volunteering your time or contributing funds to a local food shelf to support your neighbors in need. Every action, no matter how big or small, helps make sure everyone in our community has access to healthy food.”

The post directs people to get more info at co.dakota.mn.us/HealthFamily/PersonalFinance/FinancialCrisis.

In addition to multiple social media posts raising awareness, Schubert said on Friday in a follow-up email, the county “will continue to think of new ways to get the word out.”

In Ramsey County, any plans remain to be announced.

“We don’t have anything to share on this right now,” said Casper Hill, a Ramsey County spokesperson, when the Pioneer Press reached out on Thursday.

However, Catholic Charities is offering free community meals and other services available at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place campus, a spokesperson told the Pioneer Press. Info at cctwincities.org.

‘You are not going to make everyone drop dead’

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At the same time, a federal judge out of Boston was considering the request by 25 Democratic-led states, including Minnesota, to keep the funding flowing.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani seemed to be leaning toward requiring the government to put billions of dollars in emergency funds toward SNAP, the Associated Press reported.

“If you don’t have money, you tighten your belt,” she said in court. “You are not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace.”

Talwani acknowledged that even ordering emergency funds to pay for SNAP might still be painful for some SNAP recipients because it could mean they get less money and that the money they do get could be delayed. “We are dealing with a reality that absent a 100% win for you, the benefits aren’t going to be there on Nov. 1,” she told the plaintiffs.

Imani Cruzen, Mars King and Frederick Melo contributed to this report.

Less than an hour’s drive south of Portland, Oregon, the Willamette Valley feels very much like Northern California’s Napa and Sonoma wine regions of years past: quiet, rural, friendly, laid back and bursting with jaw-dropping beauty.

Stretching over 150 miles long and 60 miles wide, this agricultural powerhouse covers 5,372 square miles and is the heart of Oregon’s wine country. It produces outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and other revered varietals which draw wine lovers from around the Pacific Northwest and the world.

The Willamette Valley stretches over 150 miles long and 60 miles wide, covering 5,372 square miles in the heart of Oregon’s wine country. (Photo by Ben Davidson

And it’s not just vineyards that abound here: there are u-pick lavender and fruit farms, hazelnut orchards and honey producers tucked here and there in these rolling hills which rise above the mighty Wiliamette River, which flows 200 miles from mountain tributaries south of Eugene north to its confluence with the Columbia River near Portland.

Exploring the Willamette’s Terroir

Like most most growing regions, the Willamette Valley’s unique climate and soil are what make its wines special. Located between the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range, the valley benefits from cool marine breezes that extend the growing season. The fertile, volcanic red clay “Jory” soil is responsible for some of the region’s most celebrated Pinot Noirs. With more than 700 wineries, the valley is divided into multiple sub-regions, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), each with its own distinct flavor profile. The best of these include the Dundee, Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs.

Eminent Domain winery in Newberg, Oregon, is a stop on Wine de Roads bike tour. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

On a recent visit to the Willamette Valley, I based myself in Newberg, the region’s northern gateway city. There are more than 100 wineries within a 10-mile radius of town and Newberg itself has seven downtown tasting rooms, all within walking distance of one another. It’s a veritable nirvana for oenophiles.

During my three-day exploration of the Willamette valley, I visited a handful of charming wineries just outside Newberg, including local luminaries Chehalem, Ambar, Bacus and Norris, reserving many of the region’s boutique and medium-sized wineries for my next visit.

Ambar Estate in Newburg, Oregon, has a biodynamic vineyard. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

The wineries’ beautifully designed tasting rooms, each striking in their own way, offer enticing tasting flights of reds, whites and roses and, at a few, carefully matched food menus that draw on the bounty of fresh produce and other food products from the region.

Here are a few of my top choices for wineries to visit in the Willamette Valley:

The tasting room at Chehalem Winery explores the wines and distinct terroir of the winery’s four estate vineyards. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

Chehalem Winery is set in a beautiful hilltop setting in Sherwood. The tasting room experience explores the wines and distinct terroir of Chehalem’s four estate vineyards through a guided five-wine tasting of current releases. The flight menu changes monthly. Afterward, be sure to grab a glass or bottle head to the wineries’ lawn area, settle into an Adirondack chair and take in the wide vineyard views while enjoying seasonally inspired bites from their kitchen (a hat and sunglasses are recommended.) Details: chehalemwines.com

The Japanese-inspired tasting room at Ambar Estate serves a wonderful wine-pairing lunch. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

Ambar Estate is the Willamette Valley’s first regenerative organic certified vineyard. Its beautiful, Japanese-inspired tasting room overlooking the Dundee Hills offers a wonderful wine pairing lunch you don’t want to miss. Details: ambarestate.com

Bacus Vineyards: This small winery produces superb Pinots, Chardonnays, sparkling Brut and Rieslings and has a lengthy tasting menu. Details: bacusvineyards.com

Norris Wines: Located in the coveted Ribbon Ridge AVA, this family-owned winery focuses on Pinot Noirs and Rieslings, all made from grapes grown on their estate. Details: norriswines.com

Domaine Drouhin Oregon: Founded by the renowned Drouhin family from Burgundy, this Dundee Hills winery perfectly embodies its motto, “French Soul, Oregon Soil.” The estate is known for its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the tasting room offers a beautiful panoramic view of the vineyards. Details: domainedrouhin.com

Stoller Family Estate, the largest contiguous vineyard in Dundee Hills, Oregon, is a great introduction to Willamette Valley wine country. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

Stoller Family Estate: The largest contiguous vineyard in the Dundee Hills, this winery is a great introduction to the valley, with a beautiful tasting room and stunning vineyard views. A five-course gastronomic tasting menu with seasonal ingredients sourced from the farm and local growers is also available. Details: stollerfamilyestate.com

Argyle Winery: If you’re a fan of bubbles, Argyle Winery in Dundee is the place to go. They’re a top producer of Oregon sparkling wine, but also make fantastic Pinot Noirs, Rieslings and Chardonnays. Details: argylewinery.com

Wine Country lodging and dining

The Allison Inn in Newburg, Oregon, is a great base of operations for exploring the Willamette Valley. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

My base camp for my Willamette Valley exploration was Newberg’s luxurious Allison Inn, featuring a 15,000-square-foot spa and vineyard-view rooms. The Allison’s acclaimed restaurant, the Jory, offers delicious Pacific Northwest cuisine perfectly paired with locally-produced wines. The Jory’s farm-to-table cuisine is crafted by Oregon-born Jack Strong, also a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. The inn’s spa is considered one of the top spas in the Pacific Northwest and offers treatments and therapies incorporating the bounty the valley, including fruit, herbs, and flowers, mineral water for hydrotherapy, and, of course, Pinot Noir grapes. Details: theallison.com

Wild Oregon Chinook salmon is among the items on the menu at the Jory, Allison Inn’s acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

Other unique lodging options in the region include the quirky Vintages Trailer Resort (the-vintages.com) in Dayton and the historic Atticus Hotel (atticushotel.com) in McMinnville.

Beyond the vineyards

The Wayward Winds Lavender Farm offers visitors the chance to pick their own lavender while it is in season from late June through early August. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

While wine is the star of the show, the Willamette Valley offers plenty of other activities to fill your time.

The charming towns of Dundee, Newberg, and McMinnville serve as the main hubs for a wine country trip. McMinnville’s bustling Third Street is a particular highlight, with its hip eateries, boutique shops, and tasting rooms. Newberg’s charming, walkable downtown features owner-operated restaurants, cafes, locally owned galleries, and shops. The city is also home to George Fox University, the arts-devoted Chehalem Cultural Center, and the Hoover-Minthorn House, the only presidential site in Oregon.

Foodie finds

The valley’s culinary scene is a delight. Stop by Red Hills Market in Dundee for gourmet sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas, perfect for a picnic. In Newberg, the Forage Cafe is set in a Craftsman bungalow and specializes in wood-fired oven and Italian dishes. Details: foragecafe.com.Tina’s Restaurant is a longtime favorite for wine country cuisine in the region. Details: tinasdundee.com

The Stoller Wine Bar offers a curated selection of wines, beer, wine-based cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages, with paired plates from a food truck parked in front. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

The Stoller Wine Bar features award-winning wines from Stoller Family Estate, Chehalem Winery, History, Chemistry, and Stoller Swing wineries. Centrally located in the heart of downtown Newberg, the bar offers a curated selection of wines, beer, wine-based cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages, with paired plates from a food truck parked in front.  Details: stollerwinegroup.com

Beer lovers shouldn’t miss the Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery located in an old wooden barn outside Newberg. Using pure well water, wild yeasts (some propagated from its own fruit trees and beehives), local and heirloom grains, hops, and fruits, and house sour cultures, the brewery creates, ages, blends and bottles unique, small-batch beers exhibiting the wildness of Oregon terroir. Visiting here is a unique Oregon beer-tasting experience. Details: wolvesandpeople.com

Outdoor adventures

Visitors explore Wayward Winds Lavender Farm in Newburg, Oregon. Lavender blooms in the midsummer months. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

The region’s natural beauty makes it ideal for outdoor activities. In addition to vineyard tours, there are river paddles, hikes, walking trails, golf, cycling, hot air balloon rides, scenic drives, or a simple picnic in one of Newberg’s many parks.

A guided bike tour and an on-your-own hike

Wine de Roads in Newburg, Oregon, offers a wine tour by bike through the Willamette Valley, with stops for tastings at three wineries. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

I joined a very fun “wine tour by bike” with Wine de Roads. The tour has access to four of the region’s premier wine AVAs as you ride riding at a leisurely pace with stops for tastings at three wineries. Details: winederoads.com

You can also go for a hike in a nearby state park, such as Silver Falls State Park, which features a breathtaking 7.2-mile loop trail that takes you past 10 waterfalls.

Jetboating

Captain Scott Heesacker, a retired Portland firefighters, operates NW Jetboat Charter from Rogers Landing in Newberg, Oregon. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

We spent a fascinating morning cruising the Willamette River with amiable Captain Scott Heesacker, a retired Portland firefighter, on his fire-red private jet boat. On our four-hour cruise, we covered 45 miles of the river, taking in views of osprey in their nests, bald eagles, and other birds, and hunted for agates on a gravel bar in the middle of the river. The tour departs from Rogers Landing park in Newberg. Details: nwjetboatcharter.com

Planning your trip

Eminent Domain winery is a stop on the Wine de Roads bike tour. (Photo by Ben Davidson)

There’s an abundance of information on the Willamette Valley online. Two useful websites for planning your visit are tastenewberg.com and willamettewines.com. For general Oregon travel information, visit traveloregon.com.

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By STAN CHOE, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The mighty heft of Amazon is hoisting the U.S. stock market higher on Friday.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, erasing some of its slump from the day before and pulling closer to its all-time high set on Tuesday. The index is on track to close a third straight winning week and a sixth straight winning month, which would be its longest monthly winning streak since 2021.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 61 points, or 0.1%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher.

Amazon led the way after jumping 11.4%. The retail giant was by far the strongest force lifting the market after reporting profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. CEO Andy Jassy said growth for its booming cloud-computing business has reaccelerated back to a pace it hasn’t seen since 2022.

Because Amazon is so massive, worth roughly $2.4 trillion, its stock movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 than almost any other company’s. And without Amazon, the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts would have been close to flat on Friday.

Another highly influential stock, Apple, was having less of an effect even though it’s bigger than Amazon. Apple, which is worth more than $4 trillion, was swinging between modest gains and losses.

It likewise delivered a better profit report than analysts expected, though by not as big a margin as Amazon did. CEO Tim Cook said it benefited from strong revenue for both its iPhone lineup and its services offerings, which include its app store.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, online message board Reddit jumped 15.2% to erase losses from earlier in the week after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Coinbase Global rose 6% after the crypto exchange’s profit likewise topped expectations.

Outside of earnings reports, Netflix added 3.2% after the video streamer announced a move that could make its stock price more affordable but still leave all its investors holding the same amount. Netflix will undergo a 10-for-1 stock split, where it will give nine additional shares to every investor with one.

They helped offset a 3.8% drop for AbbVie, even though the medicine maker reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. Analysts pointed to how it’s beating forecasts by less than before, and expectations may have been high after AbbVie came into the day with a strong 28.4% gain for the year so far.

The pressure is on companies to deliver strong growth in profits to help justify the huge gains their stock prices have made since April. Criticism has been growing that the stock market has become too expensive.

Friday’s gains helped Wall Street recover from Thursday’s slump, when the S&P 500 fell 1%. Investors appeared unnerved by big increases in spending that Meta Platforms and Microsoft are planning as the investment spree related to artificial-intelligence technology keeps gushing. Financial markets also appeared skeptical that President Donald Trump’s trade truce with China would put an end to tensions between the two countries.

Additional drops of 1.3% for Microsoft and 0.9% for Meta on Friday were two of the heaviest weights on the U.S. market.

In stock markets abroad, indexes dipped in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia Friday.

Stocks fell 1.4% in Hong Kong and 0.8% in Shanghai after data showed factory activity in China contracted in October for a seventh straight month and at the fastest pace in six months.

Japan’s Nikkei 225, meanwhile, jumped 2.1% to another record index after a report showed industrial production rose more in September than expected.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after their spurt higher in the middle of the week, when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned markets that another cut to interest rates in December “is not a foregone conclusion — far from it.”

The yield on the 10-year Treasury dipped to 4.07% from 4.11% late Thursday, but it’s still above the 3.99% level it was at before Powell’s warning.

Other central banks have halted cuts to rates or hinted at pauses recently, and “it seems this is it for the 2025 easing season in developed economies,” economists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.

AP Business Writers Teresa Cerojano and Matt Ott contributed.

It’s been driving Sheila Capell crazy: Her phone keeps saying her iCloud is full and she needs to click on a link and pay up. Now.

“What is the iCloud?” Capell, 83, asked during a recent get-together at her retirement community in West Boca. “They keep sending me messages that they’re going to eliminate my videos. I hate that phone.”

Anne Goldberg, 73, a teacher and author, wants older adults like Capell to stop the hate. It’s time for the aging to embrace technology, especially smartphones, Goldberg says, for brain health, socialization skills and a sense of self-worth.

Goldberg addressed a crowd of cellphone-weary seniors on Oct. 23 at Sinai Residences, on the campus of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. She is the author of the newly published “Take This Phone And Shove It! A Frustrated Senior’s Guide to Smartphones” (Savvy Senior Tech LLC; $39.95). As the book cover states, it’s “Written by a Senior for Seniors.”

The Boca Raton resident has been teaching older adults to use smartphones for 12 years. Looking for a new career after working as an executive recruiter, she started the business Savvy Senior Tech to offer lessons, classes and lectures after several acquaintances called her for help using the latest technology.

There’s no question that smartphone use has skyrocketed among seniors: Only 10% had the devices in 2011, but 61% were using them by 2021, according to the Pew Research Center.

A compilation of studies published in 2022 found smartphones and computers can improve executive function and processing speed among seniors with no cognitive impairments. There’s some evidence that these machines can also help with memory in seniors with brain injuries and dementia.

But the studies also found many seniors’ lack of digital literacy, and the few accommodations smartphones make to their age, can impede them as they try to text with their families, send photos and keep up with emails.

Pages from Anne Goldberg’s new book, “Take This Phone and Shove It! A Frustrated Senior’s Guide to Smartphones,” are shown at her Boca Raton home office on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Goldberg, a mother of two and grandmother of three, owns two phones: an iPhone 16 Pro and a Samsung S25.

She said she needs two types of phones so she can better work with her students and she details how to use both brands in her book. She usually wears one at a time on a leather strap around her neck, “to lose it less often.”

After years of observing how seniors adapt to technology, she said a key to getting them focused is gentle language. She prods them with talk such as “I know you hate this, but I want you to consider this,” and “I want you to be curious.”

TIPS FOR THE PHONE-PHOBIC

Here are some tips Goldberg has culled from her experiences with phone-phobic seniors.

Get a good night’s sleep before trying to learn. Goldberg also recommends practicing deep breaths, as she said both help with memory and skill reinforcement.

Don’t be afraid of breaking the phone. She tells them it won’t blow out when they are typing a text or tapping on an app. But she also urges them not to throw it against a wall, leave it in a hot car or let it get wet.

Author Anne Goldberg assists Rhona Zemel during her presentation at Sinai Residences in West Boca on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Lois Solomon/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Don’t panic if the screen changes unexpectedly. When this situation arises, Goldberg said many seniors get discouraged because they believe they did something wrong. She tells them to simply use the back arrow to return to the previous page.

Use a password manager. Passwords “are the bane of nearly every computer-using senior I’ve worked with,” Goldberg said.  The computerized manager sets up an account with a single password that stores all other passwords, and will “relieve you of the need to keep paper records,” she said.

If you feel overwhelmed, walk away for a minute or two. “Then come back with a clear head and the determination to figure this out,” she said.

To avoid being scammed, learn the clues. Don’t give personal information to strangers, be on the lookout for ungrammatical English and don’t use cryptocurrency, wire transfers or gift cards to make payments. “Any legitimate business will give you several ways to send money, and those three are never choices,” she said.

In her book, “Take This Phone and Shove It! A Frustrated Senior’s Guide to Smartphones,” Anne Goldberg offers tips such as “Don’t panic if the screen changes unexpectedly,” and “Use a password manager.” (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Go home and do it again and again. Goldberg cites a 2024 study published in Neuroscience News that showed that repetition of tasks improves recollection and the ability to perform skills automatically. “AKA you remember things!” Goldberg said.

“The sad reality is that today’s technology leaves most seniors feeling stupid,” Goldberg said. “I want to empower every senior to learn how to look for information on the internet about health, wellness and longevity, investments, travel, movies, restaurants and so much more. I want them to make a commitment to brain health.”