Siletz tribal members re-elect two board members, add a third in yearly voting

February 6, 2022

SILETZ — Alfred “Bud” Lane III, Delores Pigsley and Bonnie Petersen were elected to the Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in elections held Saturday. They were sworn in Sunday. Lane, from Siletz, was re-elected with 417 votes; Pigsley, from Keizer, was re-elected with 395 votes; and Petersen, also from Siletz, was elected with 297 votes. Ten

It’s just February and already Oregon crab fishermen have the highest-grossing season on record

February 5, 2022

By ABBEY McDONALD/The Astorian ASTORIA — Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishermen have already hauled in the highest-grossing season on record, with a dockside, or ex-vessel, value of $78.1 million. The previous record was $74.2 million in ex-vessel value, set in the 2017-18 season. The value is calculated by the average cost fishermen get per pound, multiplied by pounds brought in.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight raises stakes with $250,000 contribution to independent gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson

February 4, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Nike co-founder Phil Knight threw his wallet into the 2022 political ring this week, giving $250,000 to Betsy Johnson’s campaign for governor. Knight’s contribution made the biggest splash into a growing pool of campaign cash for 2022 campaigns for governor. Fundraising for other campaigns falls under Oregon’s open-ended financing laws that allow contributions of

Strong earnings growth in 2021 boosts status of Oregon public pensions

February 4, 2022

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon’s projected unfunded liability for public pensions apparently shrunk significantly last year, mostly attributable to healthy investment earnings that pushed the fund past the $100 billion mark for the first time in its 75-year history. A final accounting will come later this year, but preliminary numbers for 2021 peg the unfunded liability at either $19.7

Oregon legislator floats idea of luxury sales tax to help low-income parents, former foster youth

February 4, 2022

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — A luxury sales tax being proposed by Rep. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, could fund a new program offering monthly stipends for low-income pregnant women and youth leaving the foster care system. House Bill 4079 would create a 3% sales tax on snowmobiles, handbags, jewelry and firearms, among other items, over a certain price point. Oregon

Bystanders at Sept. 9 Devils Churn drowning start petition calling for after-action review

February 3, 2022

To the editor: I am one of the “bystanders” who attempted to save Steve Allen when he fell into the water at Devils Churn on Sept. 9, 2021. The group of us who were there at the time believe we have a right to have our voice heard about what happened that day. There seems to be some miscommunication as

Life in the fast lane (and the pits): Pam Luderitz of Yachats zoomed from the classroom to world class motor sports around the globe

February 3, 2022

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com YACHATS — She just doesn’t look the part. White hair tops a tall frame, and she walks with a cane pending surgery this winter. She’s a deacon and an elder at Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, where she coordinates the food pantry. But for years, this Yachats resident travelled the globe in the high-speed, high-risk world of

U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon coast is in sorry shape, but repairing it runs contrary to the state’s lauded land-use rules.

February 3, 2022

By KRISTIAN FODEN-VENCIL/Oregon Public Broadcasting Onno Husing, the planning director for Lincoln County, can stand on U.S. Highway 101 and watch bits of tarmac crumble into the ocean, 80 feet below. “It’d be pretty hard to stand here and look at what we’re looking at, and not be concerned,” he said. A couple of miles north of Newport, Highway

While still high, the number of omicron-fueled Covid-19 cases in Lincoln County shows signs of declining, health official says

February 3, 2022

Despite averaging 100 new, reported Covid-19 cases a day the past week, Lincoln County may have seen the peak of the omicron surge, county health director Florence Pourtal said this week. Lincoln County had 2,053 reported cases in January, Pourtal told county commissioners in her weekly briefing Wednesday. While that may only represent half of the actual cases, she

In final State of the State address, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown touts victories, pushes spending plan

February 3, 2022

Brown urged the Legislature to approve about $700 million for job training, housing and child care during a speech from her office Gov. Kate Brown delivers her State of the State address from her office on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown’s final State of the State address on Thursday served largely