Oregon lawmakers form special committee to review gambling in Oregon, including tribal casinos

April 19, 2022

By NIGEL JAQUISS/Willamette Week Legislative leaders have announced they have formed an eight-member joint committee to review gambling in Oregon, granting a request that tribal leaders made last year and repeated again in the short session earlier this year. “The scope of legal gambling has expanded and changed in major ways in recent years,” House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, said in a

Two Samaritan hospitals seeking more volunteers

April 19, 2022

Now that the coronavirus pandemic has subsided, the two Samaritan Health Services hospitals in Lincoln County need to replenish their ranks of volunteers. Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City are seeking people of all ages for a variety of tasks. Volunteers greet patients and visitors at the guest assistance desk or information

Oregon’s wildfire risk map is due soon. But first, the public has a chance to weigh in

April 19, 2022

By CASSANDRA PROFITA/Oregon Public Broadcasting How should Oregon determine which parts of the state face the highest wildfire risk? A new set of rules will guide a statewide process of identifying high fire risk areas and mapping the level of risk on every single tax lot. The Oregon Department of Forestry is holding three virtual public meetings this week to take comments on

Oregon journalists are experimenting with new way to report on May 17 primary race for governor

April 19, 2022

BY LES ZAITZ/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon voters are about to benefit from a novel effort to report on the governor’s race. Between the Republicans and the Democrats, more than two dozen candidates are on the primary ballot for governor. Most news organizations don’t have the reporters, the space or the time to report on them all. Yet voters deserve

Dozens of companies that defied Covid mandates are fighting nearly $1 million in fines from Oregon OSHA

April 19, 2022

A Bend coffee shop and a Springfield restaurant had among the largest fines from OSHA for willfully defying pandemic restrictions. (Getty Images) By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Although most pandemic restrictions in Oregon are gone, several dozen businesses cited by state safety officials for violating Covid mandates still owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to the state. More

Waldport will get appraisal for land, buildings along Lint Slough Road to help gauge interest in selling them

April 19, 2022

BY QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT – The city of Waldport will get appraisals for the property and two buildings it owns along Lint Slough Road to help determine if it makes sense to sell, lease or use them itself in some way. The two buildings – one is 4,650 square feet and the other is a 2,600 square foot shop

Samaritan taking steps to improve equity and inclusion issues

April 18, 2022

To the editor: From time to time, we receive feedback from patients who have reported uncomfortable or unsatisfying experiences at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, some due to issues of equity and inclusion. While we would never refuse service or knowingly discriminate, even innocent lapses may result in patients hesitating to seek care here because of an unpleasant experience. We want

Flamenco dancer Fuentes returns to Yachats April 23

April 18, 2022

YACHATS – Seattle-based Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes is returning to Yachats for a performance Saturday, April 23. The show called “Eterno” featuring Fuentes and singer/instrumentalist Diego Amador Jr. begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $26 for general admission, $40 for premium seating, $16 for students and $12 for children. They are available through the Eventbrite ticketing website. The performance is

Big demand, tight supply results in reservation rush for many Oregon coast campgrounds during popular months

April 18, 2022

ZACH URNESS/Salem Statesman Journal In the morning darkness of early spring, Carol Gilbert wakes up with her two young children, makes tea and prepares for battle. While getting her 7-year-old ready for school and feeding her 2-year-old, Gilbert makes sure her computer is on, her profile logged in and her screen on the right page so the instant the

Oregon Parks Commission delays rules on drones, will seek increased penalties for assaulting rangers

April 17, 2022

By ZACH URNESS/Salem Statesman-Journal The number of rangers being assaulted and harassed by visitors at Oregon’s state parks has increased over the past three to four years, spurring the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to seek legal changes in the way it handles incidents that can turn violent. At a two-day meeting last week of the Oregon Parks and Recreation