More than 2 years after closing, popular Cape Perpetua Visitor Center reopens with new supervisor and remodeled exhibits

June 9, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com YACHATS – In elementary school, Reba Ortiz went on field trips to Cape Perpetua. During her senior year at Waldport High School, Ortiz volunteered at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center and did her graduation project on the job of a park ranger. On Wednesday, as the visitor center’s new supervisor, she helped reopen the popular attraction

Oregon State Police/Newport activity log June 2-7

June 8, 2022

OREGON STATE POLICE DAILY MEDIA/DESK LOG SP22133505 06/02/2022 11:53 Officer #53141 SEVERSON, SCOTT Identity Theft Location 18, Mile post 6 6 EB, LINCOLN OR USA Narrative Summary On 6/2/22 at 12PM an eastbound white Acura collided with the rear end of a parked Ford Focus at milepost 6 of Highway 18 in Otis, Oregon. Driver of white Acura provided a fraudulent driver’s license. Subject

Yachats city manager, two council members meet with Parks & Commons Commission to explain “pause” in its oversight duties

June 8, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YahatsNew.com YACHATS – Communication missteps, an overworked city manager, the need for staff, and more urgent issues are part of the reasons the Yachats city council last week paused the Parks & Commons Commission’s oversight of two key city buildings. The Yachats city manager and two city council members met with the commission Tuesday to explain the

Central Oregon Coast fire district voters recall two embattled board members by wide margins, but what happens next?

June 7, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT – Two new members of the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District were resoundingly recalled by voters Tuesday after the first major count of ballots in a special election. With 97 percent of all ballots counted Tuesday night and more Wednesday, the Lincoln County elections department said Todd Holt of Waldport was being recalled

New OSU president is known for national work in engineering education, research and advancing inclusion

June 7, 2022

By OSU News Service and Oregon Public Broadcasting CORVALLIS – Jayathi Y. Murthy, a national leader in higher education engineering teaching, research and service, and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, was announced Tuesday as Oregon State University’s next president. Murthy, 64, who has served as the dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science since 2016

Sightings of Orca families hunting along the Oregon coast excite throngs of people — and help marine mammal researchers

June 7, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Edith and Kent Hitchings were in Florence last Friday when the longtime whale-watchers checked a Facebook page that monitors orca sightings on the Oregon coast. A family of orcas were spotted near Newport, someone reported, so they raced north. “We made the guess that they might turn up into Yaquina Bay,” Edith Hitching told YachatsNews this

Oregon utility builds nation’s first large-scale wind, solar and battery facility

June 7, 2022

By MONICA SAMAYOA/Oregon Public Broadcasting Nestled in the hills of Morrow County, hundreds of solar panels and wind turbines are generating a product that will soon be in high demand around the state — clean electric energy. But storing large amounts of renewable energy has proven challenging. Wind and solar only generate power when the sun is shining or the

Oregon’s rental assistance program expects to run out of money by end of June

June 7, 2022

By The Oregon Capital Chronicle More than 55,000 Oregon households have avoided eviction thanks to the state’s rent assistance program, but money is quickly running out. The $406 million program, funded by the federal and state governments, will be mostly out of money by June 30, representatives from Oregon Housing and Community Services told legislative committees last week. “While we

Oregon Coast CC looking for summer, fall term students and community ed instructors

June 6, 2022

NEWPORT – Oregon Coast Community College is looking for summer and fall students – and people to teach community education non-credit courses. Registration is opened for summer and fall terms at the Newport-based college, which has smaller campuses in Waldport and Lincoln City. Summer term begins July 5 and ends Aug. 20. Fall term will include a wider selection of

School district resumes summer meal programs June 15, but with some changes

June 6, 2022

WALDPORT – The Lincoln County School District will offer breakfast and lunches again this summer at Crestview Heights and Waldport High schools, but will require children to eat the meals at the school. Meals are available at no charge to all children ages 18 and under. During the pandemic the last two summers, the federal government waived some meal restrictions