Soon-to-be-open seat on Lincoln County commission draws 26 applicants for $94,000-a-year job

January 29, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews There are retired executives, current and former government employees, real estate salespeople, a restauranteur, travel executive, four city council members and a dozen others all seeking appointment to the Lincoln County board of commissioners. Some 26 people filed applications by 5 p.m. Tuesday to seek appointment to the seat being vacated Feb. 14 by Kaety Jacobson,

Oregon joins lawsuit as state officials scramble Tuesday to respond to Trump order freezing federal funds

January 28, 2025

By the Oregon Capital Chronicle staff SALEM — Oregon is suing the Trump administration after it ordered an abrupt freeze of many federal payments, leaving state agencies unable to access reimbursements for Medicaid and child care programs and sending state officials scrambling to determine the total effect. Gov. Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield, both Democrats, announced the suit

Oregon needs to build 29,500 more homes each year to get out of shortage, chief economist says

January 28, 2025

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon needs to build about 29,500 more homes each year, mostly in the Portland region and Willamette Valley, to emerge from a housing shortage years in the making, the state’s chief economist told lawmakers Monday. The state’s Office of Economic Analysis recently released its first annual housing needs analysis report, with homebuilding targets for the state and

City leaders across Oregon asking Legislature for infrastructure help, lodging tax changes

January 28, 2025

By REBECCA HANSEN-WHITE/KLCC News SALEM — The League of Oregon Cities, mayors and city councilor members gathered in Salem on Tuesday to ask lawmakers to boost funding for local water and transportation infrastructure. City leaders also pushed for updated laws around homelessness, and for more flexibility to spend hospitality tax revenues During a press conference Tuesday, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler

Need help with state and federal tax returns? Eager volunteers available three days a week in Waldport

January 28, 2025

By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews WALDPORT – Federal and state tax help from a real person. Yes, once again you can sit down with a trained tax preparer for help with filing your state and federal tax returns beginning Saturday, Feb. 1 and ending April 12. The program offered by the American Association of Retired Persons is available to everyone, not

Siletz Tribe purchases 2,000 acres of land in southern Oregon with significant Native history

January 28, 2025

By NIKA BARTOO-SMITH/Underscore News A stretch of land in Southern Oregon with historical significance, including the likely location of a treaty signing and near the site of a massacre, is returning to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. The Siletz announced the historic land return in November with the purchase of approximately 2,000 acres of privately owned land adjacent

5 Questions and A Secret: Central Lincoln’s Ticker Ekelund has long family history with the utility

January 28, 2025

By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews Sixty-nine years of institutional history — that’s what Ticker Ekelund brings to his position as a serviceman for the Central Lincoln People’s Utility District. Ticker joined the Newport-based utility in 1998, following his stepfather who started in 1956 and at least 10 other extended family members. The family’s connections continued two years ago when his daughter

Merkley, Hoyle hold joint town hall Saturday in Newport

January 28, 2025

NEWPORT – Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. and Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore. have scheduled a joint town hall beginning at noon Saturday, Feb. 1 at Oregon Coast Community College. The Newport visit is one of five town halls Merkley has scheduled the first weekend in February, including stops in Benton and Linn counties on Saturday and then two more in Lane

News release: Newport school locked down Friday during menacing incident

January 27, 2025

About 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, the Newport Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Sam Case Elementary School on the report of a man who had a firearm and was acting threatening. The man, identified as Timothy A. Bottorff, 48, was located walking east bound on Northeast Eads Street near Northeast Seventh Street. Bottorff

News release: Newport police arrest man after drug bust Thursday

January 27, 2025

On Thursday, Jan. 23, at about 8:50 p.m. members of the Newport Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by Norman F. Casas, 51, as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Officers had received information that Casas was transporting a large quantity of narcotics inside of the vehicle. Officers had also received information that Casas was selling