New court filings indicate that as Labor Day 2020 fires exploded near Otis, Pacific Power employees worried power lines were at fault

March 1, 2023

By RYAN HASS/Oregon Public Broadcasting As devastating wildfires began to spread in Oregon the day after Labor Day 2020, PacifiCorp senior transmission engineer Tyler Jones texted his co-worker. “This weather is crazy man,” wrote Jones, using the company’s Skype messenger service. “90 mph gusts haha,” replied Pavel Grechanuk, a PacifiCorp fire data scientist. “That will blow your socks off.”

Lincoln City’s Bijou Theatre gets into Oscar spirit with two weeks of short film screenings

March 1, 2023

LINCOLN CITY — The Bijou Theatre is once again getting into the Oscars spirit by screening this year’s Academy Award-nominated short films from Friday through Sunday, March 12. The Bijou will also give out ballots, allowing viewers to pick the films they think deserve to take home the coveted gold statuette. Watch the March 12 award ceremony to see

With thousands of partiers in Newport for return of seafood and wine festival, beefed up police patrols make more than 400 traffic stops

March 1, 2023

By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews Crab. Commemorative glasses. Crowds. Fermented grapes. And flashing red and blue lights. That was the scene in Newport last weekend with the return of the Seafood & Wine Festival for the first time since 2020, adding thousands to the city’s population and bringing a beefed up law enforcement presence that made more than 400 traffic stops

Lincoln County schools announce administrator changes for 2023-24

March 1, 2023

The elevation of Majalise Tolan from director of secondary education to superintendent of the Lincoln County School District in July is resulting in a series of other administrative changes for the 2023-24 school year. The district board agreed in February to hire Tolan to serve as superintendent when Karen Gray retires effective June 30. The district announced this week that

Toledo’s “First Weekend” celebrates arts community with downtown gallery shows Saturday and Sunday

March 1, 2023

TOLEDO — At the start of every month, Toledo celebrates its vibrant arts community in a citywide First Weekend event at local galleries and studios. This month’s event will invite art lovers to connect with local artists on Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5. On display throughout March is the Yaquina River Museum of Art Board Members Collecting exhibit, which gives

Hillsboro, hub of Oregon semiconductor industry, seeks more manufacturing land as Legislature debates land-use laws

February 28, 2023

Construction is ongoing near Hillsboro’s urban growth boundary on Feb. 27, 2023. The city of Hillsboro is seeking state approval to allow the semiconductor industry to build outside the urban growth boundary. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle) JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle HILLSBORO — Hillsboro city leaders can picture a new semiconductor facility on the hundreds of acres of land now planted

“He came out to help his friends, and he ended up saving a community.” How Tidewater neighborhood weathered the storm

February 27, 2023

By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews TIDEWATER — Everyone agrees on one point about the Wednesday night snow and wind storm — the falling trees sounded like constant gunfire. Although power has been restored to most, Oregon Highway 34 and connecting roads still bear the evidence. Twenty-three miles of the highway and dozens of Alsea Valley secondary roads were closed by trees

1st Security Bank officially takes over Columbia branches in Waldport, Newport

February 27, 2023

WALDPORT – A regional bank based in the Puget Sound area of Washington officially took over operations Monday of Columbia Bank branches in Waldport and Newport. In addition to the two Lincoln County branches, 1st Security Bank of Mountlake Terrace, Wash. bought Columbia’s former branches in Manzanita, Tillamook and Ontario in Oregon and in White Salmon and Goldendale, Wash.

Body of missing Bandon man recovered from Cape Perpetua area

February 27, 2023

YACHATS – Oregon State Police recovered the body of a missing 72-year-old Bandon man Friday, Feb. 24 on the shoreline rocks below Cape Perpetua. The family of Dennis D. Strader of Bandon had been looking for him since Tuesday. Oregon State Police said a hiker had reported Thursday seeing a body on the rocks between Devils Churn and Thor’s Well

UO, OSU researchers say endangered sunflower sea stars can help protect West Coast kelp forests from voracious urchins

February 27, 2023

By UO Communications/OSU News Service Your average sunflower sea star can munch through almost five purple sea urchins in a week, and they don’t seem to be picky about the quality of their food. That’s good news — and valuable data — for efforts to reintroduce these now-endangered predators to coastal ecosystems along the west coast of North America.