Regional bank from northwest Washington buys Columbia branches in Waldport, Newport and five other communities

December 12, 2022

A small, regional bank in northwest Washington has agreed to buy Columbia Bank’s branches in Waldport and Newport along with others in five rural Oregon and Washington communities. 1st Security Bank of Mountlake Terrace, Wash. said it plans to retain staff and keep all locations open after the transaction is completed in February. It is a major expansion south

Lincoln County Cultural Coalition awards $30,500 in grants to 17 groups for new, ongoing programs

December 11, 2022

The Lincoln County Cultural Coalition has awarded $30,500 to 17 nonprofits and other groups using money from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which is created by annual donations through the state’s cultural tax credit. The grants are designed to fund programs delivering arts, culture, heritage and humanities to Lincoln County residents. In response to the significant challenges created by the

Oregon’s Legislative Emergency Board approves $10 million for public defender crisis, six other requests

December 9, 2022

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon’s public defense agency will get $10 million to help deal with a statewide shortage of public defenders, but the Oregon Public Defense Services Commission doesn’t yet have a plan for using the money. Friday’s infusion of cash by the Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board comes amid growing concerns about the lack of public defenders

Oregon’s top election official seeks more money to combat election misinformation, investigate complaints

December 9, 2022

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan shows her “Vote” tattoo before ending candidate filing for Oregon’s primary election last March. By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Citing an increase in misinformation, complaints and time-consuming public records requests from election deniers, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is seeking roughly $2 million over the next two years to hire more staff

After initially denying permit for Waldport’s July 3 fireworks, Oregon State Parks promises to work with city to find a solution

December 8, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews WALDPORT – The city of Waldport and Oregon State Parks will see if they can work out an issue involving a rare shore bird that threatens to cancel the city’s annual July 3 fireworks show over Alsea Bay. Now, instead of outright denying a necessary permit, Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department officials say they will

Three retired Marines walking across U.S. are nearing the end of their 3,365 mile journey, reaching Newport next week

December 8, 2022

Compiled from news reports Three retired U.S. Marines walking across the country are making their way across the last two mountain ranges and nearing the end of their 3,365-mile journey next week in Newport. The trio — Justin LeHew, Coleman “Rocky” Kinzer and Ray Shinohara — is called the “Long Road Team.” They got a big sendoff this week from

Central Coast Chorale performs in three concerts starting Thursday

December 8, 2022

Central Coast Chorale is putting the final touches on its music for the upcoming holiday concert, “Winter Wonder, Celebrating the Season of Light.” The first half of the concert celebrates Kwanzaa, Chanukah, and Winter Solstice, and the second half features Christmas music. Three performances are: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Yachats Commons; 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at

ODOT says delineator project on south edge of Yachats is a testing ground for bike route all along the Oregon Coast

December 8, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com A 1,000-foot-long traffic project just south of downtown Yachats will make the town a testing ground for new safety measures not just locally, but all along the 370-mile Oregon Coast bike route. If the installation of next-generation “delineators” slows cars and boosts safety for cyclists and pedestrians traveling along U.S. Highway 101, the traffic separators could

Covid-19 is now a pandemic of the aged — so please update your vaccinations

December 8, 2022

To the editor As an octogenarian living in Yachats – I will be 86 on Christmas Day — I’m concerned about the changing pattern of deaths from Covid-19. In April, 79 percent of American deaths (nearly 300 per day) due to Covid-19 were among those 65 and older. In November, it was 90 percent — or nearly 100,000 elderly a

Health officials warn three viruses are hammering Oregon hospitals with sick patients, especially the very young and old

December 8, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Three waves of respiratory disease are overlapping this winter, driving patient numbers in hospitals to maximum levels, state officials said Thursday. Respiratory syncytial virus — known as RSV — has sickened children and, increasingly, older adults. Oregon has simultaneously been slammed with a wave of influenza, as well as the latest omicron subvariants of