Oregon decides to roll out the National Guard to speed vaccine rollout, and faces flood of vaccine supply to get to communities

January 8, 2021

By BEN BOTKIN/The Lund Report Oregon will deploy the National Guard in an effort to accelerate the state’s slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, with stepped up efforts to get doses into the hands of pharmacies, health care providers and others. Gov. Kate Brown said at a news conference on Friday that National Guard troops will assist Salem Health with

Oregon’s vaccine advisory committee gets off to a slow start, then hears conflicting guidance on its role

January 8, 2021

By LYNNE TERRY/The Lund Report After an hour of introductions, sharing of pronouns, expressing words of the day and a Native American prayer, the first meeting of the Oregon Vaccine Advisory Committee opened for business only to reveal a split in the Oregon Health Authority over the group’s mission. The health authority’s deputy public health director, Cara Biddlemen, said the

Oregon Health Authority’s coronavirus report for Friday, Jan. 7: state has 1,755 new cases, Lincoln County 5

January 8, 2021

Oregon reports 1,755 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 7 new deaths PORTLAND — COVID-19 has claimed seven more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,575, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Oregon Health Authority reported 1,755 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, bringing the state total to

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log for Jan. 7

January 8, 2021

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP21005172 01/07/2021 06:35 Officer #53141 SEVERSON, SCOTT Crash – Non-injury Location 101, Mile post 131 131 NB, LINCOLN OR USA Narrative Summary eCrash – On 1/7/21 at approximately 6AM a northbound SUV drove off the roadway and crashed into the hillside near milepost 131 of US Highway 101. Subject was driving suspended in Oregon and had an outstanding

Waldport elementary teacher has seen it all in her 40 years in the classroom — and continues to adjust during coronavirus pandemic

January 7, 2021

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com In the first year of her 40-year teaching career, Amanda Middlebrooks remembers showing a little boy pictures of vegetables during a reading class. “What’s that?” the 6-year-old said, pointing to onions. Middlebrooks told him, and he replied, “Oh yes, onions, the enemy of my eyes.” Moments like that are diffused through decades of teaching little ones

Yachats City Council begins new year with marathon meeting, new members and a return to long-running issues on staffing

January 7, 2021

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council kicked off the new year Thursday with a nearly four-hour meeting, swearing in three new members, deciding on a timetable for appointing a fifth member, and promptly wading in to the contentious and long-running issue of city staffing. Leslie Vaaler took the oath of office as mayor, then swore in Ann Stott

Danforth sworn in as Lincoln County district attorney this week; third DA in last 16 months

January 7, 2021

Lanee Danforth was sworn in as Lincoln County’s top law enforcement officer this week, taking over the district attorney’s office from her former boss, Jonathan Cable. Danforth is the third district attorney in the past 16 months, following the September 2019 resignation of Michelle Branam and the January 2020 appointment of Cable by Gov. Kate Brown. Danforth won election to

Depending on where you live and how you measure, Yachats’ yearly rainfall in 2020 was a lot or a little below average

January 7, 2021

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com It’s a good thing that Adam Altson is a morning person. Every day at 7 a.m. the Yachats resident goes out to measure rainfall for the last 24 hours, checking a long plastic tube inside a gauge at his house on Ocean View Drive. He enters the number in his own spreadsheet and then logs onto

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log for Jan. 4-6

January 7, 2021

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP21003400 01/04/2021 20:16 Officer #55167 WERTZ, DAVID DUII – Controlled Substance Location 101, Mile post 124 124 NB, LINCOLN OR USA Narrative Summary On 1/4/21 at approximately 8:16, on US 101 near mile post 124, I stopped a white Ford SUV for a routine traffic violation. Upon contact with the driver I observed several signs of impairment. The

Leaders of Oregon’s Timber Unity are associating with fringe groups, attacks on capitols

January 7, 2021

To the editor: On Dec. 21, I watched several lengthy live stream videos shot by Angelita Sanchez, a founder of Timber Unity in Oregon and administrator of that group’s Facebook page. The video showed rioters masquerading as patriots attacking the Oregon Capitol, illegally breaking and entering the building and assaulting the police. Sanchez clearly supported the activities of these domestic