Years-long legal fight over Lincoln County’s vacation rental regulations finally gets court hearing next week

August 9, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews After more than a year of legal wrangling, some decisions may be coming this summer on the legality of Lincoln County’s short-term rental regulations in unincorporated areas. A Lincoln County circuit judge has scheduled two days of hearings next week to hear oral arguments by attorneys for 20 vacation rental owners who filed suit against

GOP senators who walked out of 2023 Legislature are barred from re-election, secretary of state rules

August 8, 2023

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Republican senators who walked away from this year’s legislative session will be barred from running for re-election next year, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced Tuesday. The conclusion, announced after months of speculation, might not be a surprise to voters who overwhelmingly voted last year to create consequences for legislative walkouts via Measure

County removes 5 diseased Cypress trees from courthouse lawn

August 8, 2023

NEWPORT — Lincoln County crews cut down five Cypress trees from the north lawn of the courthouse over the weekend that were growing into the building and had rotting, diseased limbs potentially threatening people and property. The five trees, all Leyland cypresses, were planted as part of a beautification effort during the 1980s, the county said. The trees’ limbs

Fish and Wildlife commission OKs new rules for commercial crab gear

August 8, 2023

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, as expected, has indefinitely adopted regulations intended to reduce whale entanglements from deep vertical ropes that connect surface buoys with commercial crabbing gear. The regulations, which are scheduled to be reviewed in two years, were unanimously endorsed by commissioners at a meeting in Salem on Friday. Without the action, the rules would have automatically

Central Coast fire board hires investigator to examine allegations surrounding chief’s response to accident involving wife

August 8, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews WALDPORT – The Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue board voted during a special meeting last week to hire an outside investigator to sort out chief Jamie Mason’s response to a July 2 auto accident involving his wife. The investigation is expected to take 3-4 weeks. Ericka Mason was pulling onto U.S. Highway 101 at North Bayview

SW Lincoln Water district embarks on more than $6 million in pipe, valve upgrades with grants, loans, and rate increase

August 8, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews The growing special service district that provides water to 1,400 customers from Yachats to south Waldport is embarking on more than $6 million in infrastructure projects to repair valves and replace miles of deteriorating pipes. While much of the work is being done via grants and low-interest loans, the Southwest Lincoln County Water Public Utility District’s

Some scholarships available for OCCC’s year-long business program

August 8, 2023

A limited number of $900 tuition scholarships are available this fall for anyone enrolling in the small business management program at Oregon Coast Community College, thanks to donations from the city of Lincoln City and Northwest Oregon Works. “We’re encouraging anyone who’s considering applying for the small business management courses to reach out soon,” said David Price, OCCC’s vice president

Big ship moves just offshore north of Waldport to begin new phase of OSU’s PacWave project

August 8, 2023

By MICHELLE KLAMPE/OSU News Service WALDPORT — The next step in Oregon State University’s construction of a wave energy testing facility off the Oregon coast is now visible to residents and visitors to the area. Crews are working on shore and from a vessel anchored about a mile offshore from Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site north of Waldport. The

Yachats chess club open to players of all skill levels Sunday

August 7, 2023

YACHATS – A fledging chess club in Yachats is inviting players of any skill level to its next session Sunday, Aug. 13. The Yachats Chess Club meets every other Sunday at 1 p.m. in the loft area above the lounge at the Adobe Resort. Chess players of all skill levels are invited, said organizer Don Phipps. Chess club members play

25-year-old Central Coast Chorale changes name, keeps vision

August 6, 2023

The board and members of Central Coast Chorale, a community chorus since 1998, have changed the group’s name to Coastal Voices, as part of a newly developed post-pandemic vision. The Central Coast Chorale group — now Coastal Voices — has performed seasonal vocal music up and down the central Oregon coast for 25 years at venues located primarily in Yachats,