January 16th, 2026

Participants stand quietly during the vigil in front of the Linn Courthouse. They heard brief remarks by organizer Melissa Evans and later sang "Peace Like a River."

Vigil honors life of Renee Nicole Good

Pastors Peter Epps of Albany Mennonite Church, center, and Jared Ruari of Albany First Christian Church read "A Prayer for the Kind of Peace That Doesn't Behave" by Mark Sandlin.

Twenty-five people turned out Jan. 8 in front the Linn County  Courthouse for a candlelight vigil honoring the life of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed Wednesday by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
 “This woman was an activist, she was a poet, she was a devout Christian, she was a mother and a wife. And she did not deserve what happened to her,” said Melissa Evans, the vigil organizer and co-founder of Mid-Willamette Valley For The People. “We’re here to come together as a community to celebrate that life and protect each other. Today, as well, we’re hearing that border patrol federal agents have shot two people in Portland."
  Evans said her group is also organizing a protest rally from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, on Pacific Boulevard 

---

Video: Vigil organizer Melissa Evans

across from Winco. “People need to get out on the streets and let them know that these kind of things can’t happen anymore.”