Wrong-way driver kills herself, truck driver south of Florence early Wednesday

July 28, 2021

FLORENCE – A California woman driving in the wrong lane Wednesday morning seven miles south of Florence collided with a truck, killing her and the driver of the truck, according to Oregon State Police. The crash occurred about 7:20 a.m. three miles south of Woahink Lake. State police said their preliminary investigation indicated a Ford Contour driven by Rhonda Wild,

Police cite Nevada man after he crashes into travel trailer Tuesday near Yachats

July 28, 2021

YACHATS — Oregon State Police cited a Nevada man for failure to yield right of way after he pulled out of a street onto U.S. Highway 101 just north of Yachats Tuesday and hit a 36-foot-long travel trailer. No one was hurt in the collision, but heavy summer traffic was stopped or snarled for hours. Lt. Brian Rucker said Joshua

Commercial permits for Matsutake mushroom harvest in Siuslaw forest go on sale Aug. 23

July 28, 2021

WALDPORT – The official Matsutake mushroom harvest season in the Siuslaw National Forest will start Aug. 25 with the same mail-in permit procedure as last year. Every year, 100 commercial-use permits costing $250 are available on a first come, first served basis from the forest’s Central Coast Ranger District. Any person wishing to obtain a commercial 2021 matsutake permit should

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log for July 27

July 28, 2021

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP21211474 07/27/2021 10:48 Officer #50607 TUCKER, BRIAN Crash – Non-injury Location 101 HWY and NW KANSAS ST, OR Narrative Summary ***E-CRASH*** On 07/27/21 at approximately 10:45 AM, a three-vehicle (pickup vs pickup w/ travel trailer) crash occurred on US-101 around milepost 161. Eastbound Vehicle #1 (grey Sierra) was pulling out of NW Kansas Street onto US-101 when it

Oregon governor, utilities and lawmakers celebrate new clean energy legislation

July 28, 2021

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Gov. Kate Brown says Oregon is the first state in the nation to require its largest utilities to generate all their power carbon-free by 2040, while it helps low-income customers share in benefits and cushions them from negative economic effects. “It is the most aggressive clean-energy bill in the country,” the Democratic chief executive said

Oregon may be facing a fifth wave of coronavirus infections as feds, state issues contradictory recommendations

July 28, 2021

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau A possible fifth wave of the COVID-19 is swelling in a pandemic-exhausted Oregon that less than a month ago seemed to be on the verge of recovery. “The highly contagious delta variant has increased tenfold in the past two weeks in Oregon, and it is now estimated to be associated with 80% of the

Oregon coronavirus report for Wednesday, July 28: 804 new cases, 5 in Lincoln County

July 28, 2021

Oregon reports 804 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 6 new deaths PORTLAND — There are six new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,849, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Oregon Health Authority reported 804 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state total

Oregon Health Authority is now recommending mask use in all indoor, public settings

July 27, 2021

OHA recommends universal mask use for all public indoor settings In responses to a large jump in cases and hospitalizations and new national guidance calling for masking measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday recommended universal mask use in public indoor settings throughout the state to protect Oregonians from COVID-19.

Oregon rental aid payments are approved, but big backlog persists

July 27, 2021

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Community action agencies have made their first payments to landlords under the Oregon emergency rental assistance program. But according to a dashboard maintained by the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services, payments still lag far behind the number of completed applications by tenants and the amount of aid they have requested from the program.

New COVID-19 wave straining hospitals in many parts of unvaccinated Eastern Oregon

July 27, 2021

By BRYCE DOLE/EO Media Group PENDLETON — More than half of all patients currently hospitalized at CHI St. Anthony hospital in Pendleton have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The hospitalizations come as Umatilla County reports one of the largest surges in COVID-19 cases in Oregon, reporting about 8% of the state’s total cases over the past