Two GOP senators barred from re-election try for statewide office as Oregon’s filing day comes and goes

March 12, 2024

Candidates, elected officials and legislative staff watch as election filings appear on big screens in the Oregon House chambers Tuesday. By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Two Republican state senators who are disqualified from running for reelection will try to jump to statewide office, amid other last-minute surprises on the deadline to file for Oregon office. Sens. Brian Boquist,

Lincoln County’s two legislators pleased with speed, compromises — and results — of just-completed short session

March 12, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews The two legislators who represent Lincoln County in Salem are pleased with the results of the recently completed short, off-year session that concluded last week. They credit a smaller and more focused agenda, court rulings that punished Republican senators who in 2023 were able to derail much of the work by walking out, and a May

Gov. Kotek signing expansive drug addiction bill while reviewing legislation from just-completed session

March 12, 2024

By The Oregon Capital Chronicle staff SALEM — Gov. Tina Kotek said she plans to sign the centerpiece bill that lawmakers passed in response to the state’s soaring drug addiction and fentanyl overdoses. House Bill 4002, a compromise proposal that won bipartisan support, will recriminalize possession of small amounts of hard drugs, reversing part of Measure 110, which voters approved

40 years after 17-year-old Kelly Disney’s disappearance, sister and investigators still seek answers and justice

March 12, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews NEWPORT — It’s been 40 years since Angela Dodd’s sister mysteriously disappeared off the streets of Newport. And that’s why she felt it was important to come to the coast from Prineville last weekend. “I just needed to be here,” said Dodds, 53. “Your sister is supposed to be your best friend when you get older.

Newport man wanted for attempted murder arrested in California

March 11, 2024

Police arrested a 28-year-old Newport man Sunday in California on accusations he attempted to kill another Newport man last week while their fishing vessel was undergoing repairs in Astoria. Astoria police said Monday that Dylan X. Campana, 28, of Newport was captured Sunday at a home in Morro Bay, Calif. by local police and the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT

Newport police arrest two March 3 on charges of selling fentanyl

March 11, 2024

On March 3, the Newport Police Department, assisted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, served a narcotics-related search warrant at a residence located at 140 NE 60th Street in Newport. Officers had received information that ANDRES GARCIA GARCIA, 39, AND AMANDA HOUCHENS, 40, both of Newport, were selling narcotics from this residence to others in the Newport and Lincoln County area.

Chief deputy and Newport defense attorney jump into Lincoln County DA’s race after Danforth withdraws

March 11, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews It looks like there will be a primary election contest between two lawyers seeking a now-open Lincoln County district attorney’s position and a crowded field hoping to win one county commission seat. In a surprise move Friday, Lanee Danforth, who was elected as Lincoln County’s district attorney in 2020 and spent much of the past three

37-year-old museum in Lincoln City surprises with exhibits on glass floats, Native Americans — and of course, Pixieland

March 11, 2024

By LORI TOBIAS/Oregon ArtsWatch Staff at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum hear it all the time: “We didn’t even know this was here,” or “I drive by it all the time, but I never stopped in.” But once they pass through the front door, first-time visitors generally have the same reaction – surprise. Which is no surprise. Because there is

Police arrest two men for organized theft at Lincoln City Outlet stores

March 8, 2024

On the afternoon of Saturday, March 2, 2024, the Lincoln City Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen regarding suspicious activity at the Lincoln City Outlets. The caller noticed several occupants of a minivan making multiple trips into the Lincoln City Outlets with empty retail bags and returning with full bags over a short period of time, as

A “Report to Readers”: YachatsNews did well in 2023 but wants to do more and better in 2024

March 7, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews By most every type of measure, YachatsNews did well in 2023. Our goal for 2024 is to try to do more and better. It’s been five years since I launched YachatsNews as a personal community service project to provide local news to south Lincoln County. YachatsNews transitioned to a 501c3 nonprofit in October 2022 to order