New data breach affects 1.7 million Oregonians, mostly current or past members of the Oregon Health Plan

August 2, 2023

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Hackers have gained access to the personal information of 1.7 million current and former Medicaid members in Oregon. The breach dates to May 30. Hackers exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer program, MOVEit, to obtain the personal and medical information of members of the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid system. The

Oregon governor signs measures to increase funding for schools, including $140 million to improve literacy

August 2, 2023

Gov. Tina Kotek was joined by members of the Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition when she signed House Bill 3144 on Wednesday. The bill directs $2 million to creating a student success plan for the state’s more than 12,000 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students. By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon’s 197 school districts will have record funding this

With months of little rain and none on horizon, Lincoln County asks governor to declare drought emergency

August 2, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH and GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews After three months of almost no rain and the likelihood of little more until October, Lincoln County commissioners Wednesday asked Gov. Tina Kotek to declare a drought emergency for all of the county. The last time such a declaration was made was in 2021. The central coast has had record-low rainfall in May,

ODFW commissioners will consider extending rules Friday to limit crab gear to lessen impact on whales and turtles

August 2, 2023

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews Oregon Fish and Wildlife commissioners are expected Friday to indefinitely extend regulations aimed at reducing whale entanglements with commercial crabbing gear. Commissioners, meeting in Salem, are on track to adopt staff recommendations that have been in effect for the past three years. Their vote to adopt the proposed rules indefinitely is needed because expiration dates

Carl Miller, Yachats

August 1, 2023

Carl F. Miller, Yachats Dec. 4, 1939 – July 24, 2023 Carl F. Miller, a longtime Yachats resident who led a local theater group, was chair of a museum nonprofit and grad marshal of the 2022 La de da Parade, died July 24, 2023 after a short illness. He was 83. Carl Foster Miller was born Dec. 4, 1939 in

Signups for commercial matsutake mushroom permits on Siuslaw Forest now open

August 1, 2023

WALDPORT — Applications for matsutake mushroom collection permits for the Central Coast ranger district of the Siuslaw National Forest are now open. Every year, 100 commercial-use permits are available on a first come, first served basis. Any person wishing to obtain a commercial matsutake collection permit should complete a request form by Aug. 21. A commercial use permit costs $250

Oregonians can start applying for paid family and medical leave from work beginning Aug. 14

August 1, 2023

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon workers can apply for benefits through the state’s new paid leave program starting Aug. 14. The program, Paid Leave Oregon, covers family leave, medical leave and safe leave for Oregonians with jobs. Oregon is the 12th state in the nation with paid family and medical leave for workers, due to a bill the

Former OLCC director files lawsuit notice, claims governor fired him because of pot company owner

July 31, 2023

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting The former head of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission says Gov. Tina Kotek fired him earlier this year at the behest of a controversial cannabis entrepreneur. Now Steve Marks has served notice he might sue Kotek and the state for wrongful termination, defamation and other claims. The former longtime state official filed a tort

Siuslaw National Forest bans fires everywhere except designated campgrounds

July 31, 2023

Three months of hot, dry conditions has led the Siuslaw National Forest to ban all campfires — charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other open fires — outside of designated campgrounds. There are exemptions for sand camping campfires in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Sand Lake Recreation Area. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or

Yachats wins $100,000 state grant to help make it more energy resilient when emergencies occur

July 31, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – Preparing for emergencies big and small is just common sense – whether at the household level with Band-Aids in the medicine cabinet and a spare tire and jack in the car – or at the municipal level with somewhere for community members to shelter during a catastrophe. With that in mind, the city of