Polly McAllister Piraino

July 10, 2022

Polly McAllister Piraino July 13, 1952 – June 24, 2022 Polly McAllister Piraino of Yachats passed away June 24, 2022 at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. Polly was born on July 13, 1952, in San Diego and had a long career in the Los Angeles garment industry. She married Dan Piraino on July 13, 1985,

Fisherman locate dead orca Thursday west of Coquille and determine it was tangled in recreational crabbing gear

July 8, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com The mystery of what caused the death of a juvenile killer whale off Oregon’s central coast last month appears to have been solved. The carcass of the approximately 16-foot-long orca was first spotted and photographed by a Salem fisherman June 27 about 25 miles west of Newport dragging fishing or crab gear. It’s the first

Head of Oregon Supreme Court calls for immediate fix to ongoing lack of public defenders

July 8, 2022

By CONRAD WILSON/Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters seems increasingly impatient as the state continues to violate the constitutional rights of criminal defendants charged with crimes who cannot afford an attorney. “Hundreds who are constitutionally entitled to counsel are being denied that right, and no end is in sight,” Walters wrote in a letter sent July

Rural Oregon counties are lining up against state’s psilocybin launch

July 8, 2022

By ANTONIA SIERRA/Oregon Public Broadcasting The next drug debate is coming to an eastern Oregon ballot in November. The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously this week to put a ban on psilocybin manufacturing and service centers on the Nov. 8 ballot. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and research has indicated it may be a useful

Oregon has committed almost all of its $389 million for emergency rental aid

July 8, 2022

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon has now committed virtually all of the $389 million in federal and state money to provide emergency rental assistance to more than 60,000 households. The program had a target of June 30, but some applications are still being processed. Tenants who gave proof of applications to their landlords — either to the state program

Oregon National Guard bars unvaccinated soldiers from drilling with units

July 8, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau The Oregon National Guard is barring members who have not followed orders to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from taking part in military duties, officials have confirmed. The action could lead to termination or delays in pay and some benefits, according to a U.S. Department of Defense announcement. Continued refusal could lead to separation from

Waldport library’s “Big Truck Night” returns Thursday evening

July 7, 2022

WALDPORT — The Waldport Public Library’s “Big Truck Night” returns 5-7 p.m. Thursday with all of types of large vehicles on hand for youth of all ages to inspect. The event will be in the Waldport Community Center parking lot. Big Truck Night started in 2015 and was an annual event before the coronavirus pandemic shut it down the past two

Lincoln County, city officials and non-profits will use $1 million grant to create plan to address local homeless issues

July 7, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer has long harbored hopes of seeing a permanent shelter built somewhere in Lincoln County to help some of the hundreds of people who have nowhere to sleep but on sidewalks, doorways or parks. An effort now underway, financed by a $1 million grant from the state of Oregon, is the first step

Yachats has had 13 vacation rental licenses available for six months, but not able to get them into the hands of homeowners

July 7, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com YACHATS – Steven La-Sky bought his ocean-view cabin in Overleaf Village four years ago, intending to use it as a second home and vacation rental until he moved here full time. The wildland firefighter from Las Vegas argued against vacation rental license limits when the city council renewed the two-year-old restrictions in 2019. When the council

As coastal cities deal with homeless issues, Seaside tries new — but untested — ordinance to discourage campers

July 7, 2022

(See related, Lincoln County story under Community News) KRISTIAN FODEN VENCIL/Oregon Public Broadcasting SEASIDE — Traci Collings and her husband have lived in Seaside for 21 years. He fixes bikes and she makes about $13 an hour cleaning vacation rentals. But four years ago, they fell on hard times. “We had a really