The goal of Oregon Sea Grant’s “Quests” booklet is to get people out to explore the coast

April 18, 2024

By GRETCHEN AMMERMAN/Oregon Coast TODAY Like many kids of her generation, my niece spends a lot of time staring at screens, streaming videos and even looking ridiculous as she fights virtual gorillas while wearing her VR headset. So, when I plopped down a mere $12 for a set of activities that require no Wi-Fi connection or streaming service, I

Gov. Tina Kotek won’t veto millions for Oregon cities — including Siletz — as she initially threatened

April 17, 2024

By LAUREN DRAKE/Oregon Public Broadasting Earlier this month, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she was considering vetoing seven projects approved by the state Legislature this year. Kotek said she wanted proof that $16 million in projects would eventually result in new housing, before agreeing to allow that portion of the legislation to be enacted. On Wednesday, the governor announced

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality is significantly understaffed and underfunded, state auditors find

April 17, 2024

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon’s environmental regulatory agency needs more staff and funding to keep up with growing demand for its services as climate change escalates, according to a new state analysis. Auditors from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, who published their findings Wednesday, said Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality is understaffed and lacks resources to take on

Animal experts euthanize badly wounded Newport sea lion

April 17, 2024

A badly wounded California sea lion that had spent more than two weeks on the special public docks on the Newport bayfront after a suspected shark attack was euthanized Friday. A decision was made to euthanize the male sea lion after Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network coordinator Jim Rice monitored the animal and noted changes in its appearance and behavior,

Yachats council should raise concerns about Starker forest spraying

April 17, 2024

To the editor: I am a retired teacher and elementary school principal and I think that if every economic and political decision were made with kids in mind, we’d be living in a better world. I encourage Yachats citizens to be individually and collectively assertive when it comes to preventing further destruction of watersheds in Lincoln County and to do

The Condor — a “little underdog of a boat” — finally met its Yaquina Bay demise in 1912

April 17, 2024

Mariners and historians estimate there have been more than 3,000 shipwrecks along the Oregon coast and in its bays and harbors. The most infamous might be the New Carissa, which ran aground near Coos Bay in 1999 or, of course, the Peter Iredale near Warrenton in 1906. Newport residents witnessed the wreck of the Condor on Nov. 17, 1912,

Oregon’s annual wolf report says population steadied at 178 animals due in part to killings

April 16, 2024

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon’s gray wolf population did not increase last year due in part to a large number of wolves killed by people, causing concern among conservationists and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials. The latest Annual Wolf Report found the population remained steady at 178 wolves, marking the first time in eight years that their numbers didn’t

Retired wildlife trooper indicted for shooting Toledo neighbor’s two dogs

April 16, 2024

A retired Oregon State Police wildlife trooper has been indicted by a Lincoln County grand jury on six charges of animal abuse four months after he allegedly shot two of his neighbor’s German shepherds that had wandered onto his property on Bay Road near Toledo. Greg A. Torland, 65, of Toledo was secretly indicted by a grand jury April 9,

Waldport and Yachats city councils considering sharing costs of expanded Lincoln County sheriff’s patrols

April 16, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews Waldport and Yachats are considering a proposal to expand Lincoln County Sheriff’s coverage in the two cities by sharing costs and adding a third deputy to patrols. The idea comes as Waldport faces a 9 percent increase in its contract with the sheriff’s office and Yachats looks for ways to increase the presence of deputies in

Yachats Sip ‘n Stroll adds more wineries, businesses to second annual downtown event Saturday

April 16, 2024

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews YACHATS — Sipping and shopping, wining and dining will be formally uncorked in downtown Yachats when the second annual “Sip ‘n Stroll” saunters into town Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. local shops and restaurants will host visiting wineries, a brewery and a distillery for customers to sample and buy beverages, food and merchandise. For