Lincoln County jobless rate in September stays at 4.1 percent

October 25, 2023

Lincoln County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in September, unchanged from the August rate, the Oregon Employment Department reported this week. Although flat for the two months, the county’s jobless rate is down significantly from a year ago when it was 5.9 percent. The statewide unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in September, and the national rate was 3.8

OSU student from Newport arrested in robot bomb threat

October 25, 2023

CORVALLIS – Police arrested an Oregon State University freshman from Newport on Tuesday after a threat allegedly was made that a food-delivery robot on campus had a bomb in it. All of the food-delivery robots operating on the Corvallis campus were inspected by about 2 p.m. Tuesday, with no bombs found, according to a university public-safety alert. Starship Technologies, which

Acreage burned in Oregon wildfires declined this year, but homes lost and firefighting costs rose substantially

October 24, 2023

By ZACH URNESS/Salem Statesman Journal By the numbers, the 2023 wildfire season in Oregon was a quiet one — with the smallest number of acres burned since 2019 and well below average for the past decade. A total of 190,500 acres were blackened in Oregon this season, according to data from the Northwest Coordination Center, compared to 1.1 million acres

Oregon and Washington now directing millions into derelict vessel removal on region’s waterways

October 24, 2023

The Tiffany, a fishing vessel, was pulled onto shore in Astoria for demolition in mid-October. The fishing boat started its life in 1939 as a Coast Guard buoy tender. By TOM BANSE/Oregon Capital Chronicle Powerful mechanical shears that resemble a giant lobster claw are tearing into a doomed commercial fishing ship this week as the state of Oregon launches a

Badly needed infant and toddler care investments aren’t reaching Oregon’s central and north coasts

October 24, 2023

By KAYLEE TORNAY/ InvestigateWest Jess Sollaccio never expected it would be so difficult to find child care. A tech worker living near Astoria, Jess was making a good wage alongside her husband, Dan. Both work remotely, and during COVID, their employers understood their need to juggle caring for their 1-year-old son, Liam. But as society began coming out of

40,000 voters in Lincoln County being asked to raise lodging taxes on visitors to 530 properties to support parks

October 22, 2023

By Yachats News staff More than 40,000 voters in Lincoln County have an interesting choice in front of them – do they raise taxes on folks other than themselves? That’s the question they face on the ballot they received in the mail – do they vote to increase lodging taxes in unincorporated parts of the county by 20 percent

Advocacy groups warn that clear-cutting near coastal watersheds threatens summertime supply to cities

October 22, 2023

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle By August, residents of Newport were put on mandatory water curtailment due to low stream flows. That same month, the city of Yamhill, 30 miles southwest of Portland, enforced water use restrictions on pools and lawns when Turner Creek, its primary water source, dropped to significantly low levels. The blow of late summer drought

Lincoln County residents, commissioners should oppose timber spraying

October 21, 2023

To the editor: Judging by the positive response from motorists to our protests along U.S. Highway 101 in Seal Rock in opposition to the spraying of Beaver Creek watershed, I would jump to the conclusion that the people of Lincoln County do not wish to live in a chemical stew. We are united in our opposition to toxic chemicals, especially

Forest Service seeks concessionaire for Devils Churn

October 21, 2023

YACHATS – Siuslaw National Forest officials are seeking someone interested in operating a concession stand at Devils Churn south of Yachats. The vacant space near the information window will be available for the sale of food and beverages under a special use permit. “This is an excellent opportunity for a business interested in supporting recreation and serving the public on

A last minute stop. A walk on the beach. A sneaker wave. A dramatic rescue all unfold on Yachats beach

October 20, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – A woman’s stop at the beach to run her dog before hitting the road to the Bay Area turned harrowing Thursday, Oct. 19 when a sneaker wave knocked people down and snatched a small child from her grandmother’s grip and tumbled her below the surface of the Yachats River. Angela Wynia, a 50-year-old physician’s