Up to 5,000 seniors in Lincoln County begin hunt for new Medicare plans after Samaritan drops out of market

Nearly 5,000 senior citizens in Lincoln County are now scrambling to find alternatives to their Medicare Advantage health insurance plan after Samaritan Health Plans announced it was dropping that coverage.

Record crowds line Highway 101 Saturday in “No Kings 2.0” rallies in Newport, Lincoln City and Yachats

October 18, 2025

Yachats council’s review of city’s vacation rental ordinance brings out owners who want ability to transfer to family

October 16, 2025

Routine Lincoln County commission session takes a chaotic turn during end-of-meeting public comment period

October 16, 2025

Community News

Coho salmon numbers on the coast are rebounding, so ODFW extends fishing seasons on three local rivers

October 16, 2025

A rebound in the numbers of federally endangered Oregon coast coho salmon and a slower than expected start to the fall fishing season has led the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife to extend the coho season on three Lincoln County river systems.

Lincoln County school board appoints Yakona Nature Preserve leader to replace Liz Martin in Zone 2 vacancy

October 15, 2025

The Lincoln County School District board is back to five members after appointing Yakona Nature Preserve executive director Natalie Schaeffer on Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by the board’s longest serving member.

Yachats Fire board begins hearing the details — and the tax implications — of merger with Central Coast Fire

October 15, 2025

The devil will be in the details but talks are underway whether fire districts in Yachats and Waldport should unite or continue as interdependent but separate entities.

26th Yachats Mushroom Festival is Friday through Sunday with dinner, displays, talks and walks

October 14, 2025

Don’t know a Bolete from Witches’ Butter, but would like to learn? You can expand your mushroom knowledge, feast on fungi-centered dishes and buy mushroom goods during the 2025 Yachats Mushroom Festival this weekend.

Petitions with 250 signatures to recall six Waldport council members go to Lincoln County clerk for verification

October 13, 2025

Petitions to recall all six Waldport city councilors received 250 signatures and were submitted Monday to the Lincoln County clerk for verification -- which could be completed by the end of this week.

Toledo man involved in road rage gun battle Friday has charges upgraded Monday to attempted murder

October 13, 2025

Charges against a 27-year-old Toledo man accused of shooting another driver in the leg during a road rage incident on a rural road Saturday afternoon were upgraded to second-degree attempted murder during his arraignment Monday in Lincoln County circuit court.

Proposal to greatly tighten complaint procedures in Waldport gets quick revisions before council can discuss them

October 13, 2025

A proposal to revise how Waldport handles citizen complaints about staff or councilors didn't make it to the city council last week after it was met with heavy criticism and immediate revisions by the city manager to tone it down. But that didn't stop complaints or compliments. But language in the proposal that included potential perjury charges for making false

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News Briefs

Lincoln County Indivisible groups hold “No Kings” protests Saturday

October 15, 2025

Hundreds of demonstrators are expected to line U.S. Highway 101 in Yachats, Newport and Lincoln City on Saturday as part of growing monthly protests by local chapters of the national Indivisible group.

Recreational group holding “Crabbing Mania” Oct. 25 in Newport

October 12, 2025

A land-based recreational crabbing group founded by a Portland-area man is staging a "Crabbing Mania" Oct. 25 in Yaquina Bay for some of the 76,000 members of his Oregon Coastal Crabbing and Shellfish page on Facebook.

Oregon Coast Aquarium reaches 3,000 mark in license plate orders

October 12, 2025

A new Oregon license plate featuring a colorful tufted puffin is closer to being on cars around the state. The Oregon Coast Aquarium says the plates are now in production thanks to 3,000 Oregonians who purchased the $40 vouchers.

State looking for suggestions on which beaches to monitor for pollution

October 12, 2025

The Oregon Health Authority is seeking the public’s ideas about which beaches it should monitor the next two years. Already there are seven beaches it monitors in Lincoln County.

Oregon Coast CC hosts community resource fair Tuesday, Oct. 14

October 7, 2025

Lincoln County residents can connect with over 25 local agencies and organizations from housing services to cultural nonprofits at the annual community resource fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Oregon Coast Community College's campus in Newport.

Oregon Cultural Trust awards grants to two local organizations

October 6, 2025

Two Lincoln County arts organizations and one local government have received grants as part of the Oregon Cultural Trusts annual awarding of money to cultural nonprofits and organizations.

It rained at the right time in September — but still much below normal

October 5, 2025

Although cities and water districts in Lincoln County escaped the summer without having to implement water-use restrictions, rain in September was still below normal – as are totals for the 2025 calendar year.

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Quick Links

Oregon Coast Today

Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night” begins a three-week run Friday at Newport PAC

The Newport Performing Arts Center will be filled with tales of mistaken identity, unrequited love and merry mischief when the Red Octopus Theatre Company presents a production of William Shakespeare’s timeless comedy “Twelfth Night,” opening Friday, Oct. 17 and running through Sunday, Nov. 2.

Dinner and a piano concert Saturday help support Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County’s housing work

A performance from international concert pianist Jim-Isaac Chua will be the key event in a suite of fund-raising efforts for Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County, taking place at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center and Local Ocean Seafoods in Newport on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Coastal Events and Entertainment

Looking for something to do, some place to go, something to learn, something to enjoy? Inside this section are public events for the next seven days on the central Oregon coast as part of a partnership between the Lincoln Chronicle and Oregon Coast TODAY.

Go here for events

5 Questions and a Secret

5 Questions and a Secret: Seal Rock gallery owner Rose Estes famous for her Dungeons and Dragons series

Rose Estes of Seal Rock published her Dungeon of Dread book in 1982 and it became an instant best seller. In 2022, she was inducted into the gaming hall of fame, and her fans – mostly men that were kids in the 1980s – still come to visit her Hauser Gallery to have their books signed and to tell her how much her stories impacted them.

A Picture Tells the Story

Lincoln County residents participate Thursday in Great Shakeout

Millions of people worldwide took part in the ShakeOut earthquake drill at work, school and home on Thursday. This year's ShakeOut took place at 10:16 a.m. The drill encourages participants to practice the proper response to an earthquake and "Drop, Cover and Roll." Click on the photo or headline for more photographs and details.

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Oregon/NW News

Oregon’s travel promotion agency gives $200,000 no-bid contract to its own commission member

October 17, 2025

An Oregon Tourism Commission member has given a two-year no-bid contract worth up to $200,000 from Travel Oregon to help with promotional groups the agency brings to the state.

Federal judge in Oregon extends temporary block on National Guard deployment to Portland

October 15, 2025

U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut has extended temporary rulings blocking the Trump administration from federalizing and deploying members of the National Guard to Portland.

Oregon GOP’s annual Reagan dinner next month includes speakers who might be looking at governorship

October 13, 2025

The Republican Party of Oregon’s 11th annual Reagan dinner Nov 1 includes a big-name keynote speaker but the party faithful may have just as much or more interest in two other speakers -- former Portland Trail Blazer Chris Dudley and onetime University of Oregon wrestler and MMA fighter Chael Sonnen, a West Linn native.

Premiums for Oregonians who buy their own health insurance policies going up by 10 percent in 2026

October 12, 2025

The state’s final health insurance rates for thousands of Oregonians who buy their own coverage but are not on Medicare are going up next year by as much as nearly 13 percent.

Mannix gets ballot title for initiative to end Oregon’s estate tax just as big federal cuts loom

October 11, 2025

A ballot initiative to eliminate Oregon’s estate tax, Initiative Petition 51, is moving forward even as Gov. Tina Kotek and state lawmakers digest the coming budget hole created by President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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