Oregon Legislature approves bill allowing ballots to be accepted if mailed on election day

June 25, 2021

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon, the first state to conduct all elections by mail, would join the ranks of states accepting ballots postmarked by election day under a bill that is headed to Gov. Kate Brown. House Bill 3291 was approved by the Oregon Senate without amendment on a 16-13 vote Thursday. The key vote was cast by Sen.

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log for June 23-24

June 25, 2021

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP21171631 06/23/2021 11:50 Officer #50607 TUCKER, BRIAN Crash – Non-injury Location 18 HWY, Mile post 4 4, LINCOLN OR USA Narrative Summary ***E-CRASH*** On 06/23/21 at approximately 11:50 AM, a two-vehicle crash occurred on SR-18 around milepost 4. Eastbound Vehicle #1 (blue Silverado) crossed the centerline and collided at an angle with westbound Vehicle #2 (black Elantra). All

Oregon coronavirus report for Friday, June 25: Governor to lift all restrictions by Wednesday, June 30

June 25, 2021

Oregon reports 232 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 1 new death PORTLAND — There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,761, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Oregon Health Authority reported 232 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, bringing the state total

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announces that all coronavirus pandemic restrictions will end by next Wednesday

June 25, 2021

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon will lift pandemic limits in place for over a year no later than next week, Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday “When Oregon reaches 70% or by Wednesday, June 30, we will lift the safety programs we have relied on and open our economy,” Brown said in a media call Friday. When the deadline

Two Lincoln County surplus building lots in Yachats sell Thursday for $185,000, with proceeds going for 804 Trail projects

June 24, 2021

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Two surplus and vacant Lincoln County building lots along the 804 Trail in Yachats were auctioned Thursday for a total of $185,000. Scott Gordon, owner of the Yahtel Motel, outbid Patty and Scott Sledgister for a 70- by 100-foot lot on Aqua Vista Loop. The bidding started at $85,000 and six times bounced back and forth

Community survey of ideas for Yachats’ big grass field gives some direction to city’s Parks & Commons Commission

June 24, 2021

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The most under-utilized open space in Yachats is the big grass field behind the Commons and City Hall. Now the city’s Parks & Commons Commission may have some new direction on what possibly to do with it. Although there was a master plan created for it in 2011, the city has done virtually nothing to follow

Key committee in Oregon Legislature approves $446 million in building projects for state colleges

June 24, 2021

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon’s universities were given approval by a key committee Thursday to use nearly $446 million in state bonds to finance major building and renovation projects. A football stadium grandstand, two student success centers, classrooms, a manufacturing laboratory and theater were on the final list for $445,905,100 in bonds to be sold to public markets.

Lincoln County unemployment remains higher than statewide rate

June 24, 2021

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in May, the Oregon Employment Department announced Tuesday, slightly below the April rate but two percentage points higher than the state’s overall rate. Lincoln County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.7 percent in May was essentially unchanged from 7.9 percent in April, according to regional economist Eric Knoder. It was 20.4 percent in

Oregon Court of Appeals upholds judge’s decision that invalidated 2017 Lincoln County aerial spraying ban

June 24, 2021

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com The Oregon Court of Appeals has upheld a lower-court ruling that invalidated an initiative banning aerial spraying of pesticides in Lincoln County. The ruling this week came less than one month after a three-judge panel of the appeals court heard arguments from both sides in a case that tested whether local and county jurisdictions have the authority

Waldport’s do everything “Gary The Bearded Woodworker” reaches prime time Thursday night on NBC’s “Making It”

June 24, 2021

By CHERI BRUBAKER/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT — Gary Herd paints murals. He acts in local theater. He can weld, do home repairs and make things out of wood. And for the last three years he’s been trying to find an audience on YouTube. But Thursday night, Herd, 48, made the big time. Or prime time, anyway. Herd — known as