Grand jury indicts Waldport teenager of rape in January incident

February 8, 2023

NEWPORT — A Lincoln County grand jury has indicted an 18-year-old Waldport resident on charges of raping a minor in early January. Devan L. LeGrand is in Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 bond after his arrest last week on charges of first-degree rape, second-degree sexual abuse and third-degree rape. The indictment returned Tuesday additionally charges him with furnishing alcohol to

Oregon Legislature takes first step to giving tax breaks to homeowners who rent out rooms

February 8, 2023

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon moved a small step closer Tuesday to giving homeowners tax breaks for renting out rooms in their houses. House Bill 3032 would allow homeowners to subtract up to $12,000 per rented room from their state taxable income each year. The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness endorsed the measure on a 9-1 vote;

Sheriff’s office sued for $450,000 after 2021 “U-turn” wreck

February 8, 2023

A Keizer man is suing the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and a deputy for $450,000, alleging the deputy made a reckless U-turn that resulted in a collision and injured him two years ago. In a four-page complaint filed Friday in Lincoln County Circuit Court, Lonny Ramos of Keizer claims the sheriff’s office and a deputy negligently caused injuries to his

California man found guilty of second-degree murder in death of former Yachats resident Martin Baker

February 8, 2023

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews The man accused of killing former Yachats resident Martin “Marty” Baker has been found guilty of second-degree murder. Less than three hours after closing arguments were made Feb. 1 in San Diego County Superior Court, a jury returned the guilty verdict against Eugene “Gene” Focarelli, 39. The charge stemmed from a February 2021 beating of Baker, a

Siletz Tribal Charitable Fund distributes $131,634 to 28 organizations

February 7, 2023

The Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund distributed $131,634 to 28 organizations last week as part of its quarterly donations to nonprofit groups. Twelve of the groups – including YachatsNews – are from Lincoln County. The largest grant — $20,000 – went to Oregon Coast Council for the Arts for acoustic upgrades and redesign of backstage areas of the Newport Performing

Kotek proposes $13.5 billion for K-12, university education but critics say more is needed to avoid cuts, improve schools

February 7, 2023

Freshmen head to classes at McKay High School in April 2021. By NATALIE PATE/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Over the next two years, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wants to invest more money in education for the state’s youngest learners, ensure ninth graders are on-track to graduate and address racial inequities for students and educators. She also wants to improve literacy

ODOT “delineator” project for Highway 101 on south side of Yachats hits a bump in the road

February 7, 2023

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews YACHATS — A pioneering, multi-year project to increase pedestrian safety just south of downtown Yachats by better separating cars and walkers has hit a few bumps. But both city and state workers trying to see the project through to fruition insist the effort is by no means kaput. “It’s certainly not dead,” said Rick McClung, who

New OSU study indicates synthetic fibers and cotton can be just as damaging to marine life as microplastics

February 6, 2023

By SEAN NEALON/OSU News Service While microplastics have received significant attention in recent years for their negative environmental impacts, a new study from Oregon State University scientists found microfibers from synthetic materials as well as cotton impacted the behavior and growth of water organisms. “We’re trying to shift the narrative a little bit because so much of the focus

Oregon’s graduation rate went up last year — more for some student groups than others. Here’s some of what’s working.

February 6, 2023

By ELIZABETH MILLER/Oregon Public Broadcasting As the graduation rate for all Oregon students increased for the Class of 2022, it grew even more in some places among specific student groups. In some districts, the improvement outpaced the state. OPB spoke with officials in Salem-Keizer, Lincoln County and Portland Public Schools about efforts to improve graduation for students who are

Arts groups, performance venues — including two in Lincoln County — seek $50 million in state aid

February 6, 2023

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon’s arts and cultural organizations and performance venues seek another round of $50 million to help them recover financially while they rebuild attendance and audiences lost during the coronavirus pandemic. They got help in July 2020, when lawmakers approved $50 million from federal funds to help them. House Bill 2459, heard Tuesday by the