$1 million homes gone in days? Welcome to the latest, crazy world of real estate on the central Oregon coast

April 21, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Small, older houses selling for one million dollars after only days on the market. Bidding wars. Multiple offers. Local residents completely priced out of the picture. And behind it all is the simple fact that Economics 101 is driving a real estate frenzy the likes of which even longtime industry professionals have never seen in Lincoln

Three forums scheduled for Lincoln County commission candidates

April 21, 2022

There are at least three opportunities in the next two weeks to hear from candidates in the two contested races for Lincoln County commission on the May 17 primary ballot. The Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce is holding an in-person forum for county commission candidates beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the Beach Club, 2020 N.E. 22nd St.,

Longtime Waldport breakfast program expands during pandemic to feed growing hunger pangs in community

April 21, 2022

By BREEANA LAUGHLIN/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT — Sweet smells of maple syrup linger in the air at the Community Presbyterian Church in Waldport many Saturdays. “We need six breakfasts,” a volunteer shouts from behind a makeshift takeout window. Kitchen volunteers spring into action to plate up the free community breakfasts, while other volunteers busily pack a box of produce and other

Oregonians willing to spend tax dollars on family services, new statewide survey finds

April 21, 2022

By ZACK DEMARS/Oregon Capital Bureau Child and family wellness programs are widely supported in Oregon, according to a new survey from the Oregon Values & Beliefs Center. Surveyors asked 1,500 Oregon residents their opinions on a dozen different social programs benefiting children, from affordable housing to food access, and whether they would support their tax money going to those programs.

Oregon governor, legislature and courts launch new effort to address chronic public defender shortage

April 21, 2022

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Lawmakers, Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Judicial Department are launching a new effort to address a shortage of attorneys that has left some Oregonians jailed without the legal representation they’re guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. A workgroup announced this week will analyze management, financial and structural challenges facing the state office that oversees roughly

Lincoln County commissioners, district attorney agree on contested job description allowing detective hire to proceed

April 21, 2022

NEWPORT – After a dispute stretching over three months, it looks like Lincoln County Sheriff’s detective Abby Dorsey is headed to a new job in the district attorney’s office. County commission chair Claire Hall announced Wednesday that she and commissioner Kaety Jacobson had signed off on a revised job description that had snarled Dorsey’s hiring by the DA’s office since

Oregon Republicans gather at long-running Dorchester Conference in preparation for upcoming elections

April 20, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon Republicans are gathering in the foothills of Mount Hood this weekend for three days of debate and détente in preparation for the 2022 elections. The annual Dorchester Conference, held again this year at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort in Welches, is the traditional gathering of loyal activists, party leaders and conservative national stars

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log for April 14-19

April 20, 2022

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP22088726 04/14/2022 14:09 Officer #55167 WERTZ, DAVID Crash – Non-injury Location 20, Mile post 18 18 WB, LINCOLN OR USA Narrative Summary (ecrash) On 4/14/22 at approximately 2:09 pm I investigated a single vehicle crash which occurred on US 10 near mile post 18. A green Ford Mustang (9S7094) was westbound on US 20 and there was a

Medical providers in rural Oregon are being forced to rely on diminishing number of out-of-state nurses, study finds

April 20, 2022

By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Thousands of patients in rural areas of the state might not get high quality medical care in the future if the number of out-of-state nurses practicing in Oregon continues to fall, according to a new study. The research found that rural health care settings are the most reliant on out-of-state nurses, putting them at higher

Local jobless rate continues to decline slowly, but remains higher than state, national averages

April 19, 2022

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate continues to slowly inch down, hitting 5 percent in March but still stubbornly above the state and national jobless rates. The Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday that Lincoln County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5 percent in March, slightly lower than the 5.2 percent rate in February. It was 8.1 in March 2021. Oregon’s statewide unemployment