Bill to offer unemployment pay to striking Oregon workers sets up clash in 2025 Legislature

February 9, 2025

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Striking workers in Oregon could receive state unemployment payments under a bill that is shaping up as the latest showdown between labor interests and employers in Salem. The two sides don’t agree on much. Unions say that Senate Bill 916 would extend a crucial lifeline to employees fighting for better working conditions. They argue that

Rep. Val Hoyle drops out of House DOGE caucus in protest of Musk’s actions

February 7, 2025

By REBECCA-HANSEN WHITE/KLCC News Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., has left the House DOGE caucus less than two months after joining. The caucus is a separate entity from billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE task force, which has been attempting to make widespread, legally questionable cuts across the federal workforce. In a statement Thursday, Hoyle said she joined the caucus in good faith to provide

Latino residents in Lincoln County get advice on how to deal with potential federal immigration enforcement

February 6, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews Leaders in Lincoln County’s Latino and Hispanic community have held three meetings to inform people of their rights following growing tension about mass deportations promised by President Donald Trump and carried out by federal immigration authorities. Fear of racial profiling and aggression was already a concern after an anonymous letter was sent to several local officials

Attempt by Lincoln County commission chair and counsel to consolidate authority runs into opposition

February 6, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews NEWPORT – An attempt by Lincoln County commission chair Claire Hall and county counsel Kristin Yuille to put Hall in charge of the commission’s work and departmental oversight ran into opposition and some skepticism from two other commissioners Wednesday. The attempt came during the last meeting of commissioner Kaety Jacobson, who is quitting Feb. 14 with

Agencies and volunteers canvass shelters, food banks and camps for annual, week-long count of the homeless

February 6, 2025

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews Dozen of volunteers from a variety of Lincoln County agencies are fanning out across the area in an effort to determine how many people currently are homeless. The formally named Point in Time Count’s success, officials say, is critical because it directly determines how much money Lincoln County receives from state and federal sources to bolster

Judge rules in county’s favor on land-use dispute, says yurts used as housing in timber area must be removed

February 6, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews For the second time in a year, a Lincoln County circuit judge has ruled against a business owner’s housing project in a forest north of Yachats and ordered four yurts on the property be removed. Judge Marcia Buckley on Monday denied another appeal attempt by Linda Hetzler and her husband, Thomas Smith, to keep the yurts

Toledo parts ways with its city manager, brings back fire chief

February 6, 2025

By REBECCA HANSEN-WHITE/KLCC News After months of turmoil, the Toledo city council has parted ways with its city manager. Toledo’s city manager, Doug Wiggins, and its fire chief, Larry Robeson, have been on administrative leave since September. In the last few weeks, Toledo’s finance director, who had temporarily been promoted to interim city manager, and its two paid firefighters resigned.

In news conference Thursday, Oregon House Republicans slam status quo but share few specific fixes

February 6, 2025

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon House Republicans painted a dire picture of Oregon’s high cost of living, homelessness and faltering schools on Thursday, while offering few specific proposals to fix those problems. During a 25-minute press conference, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby said she hears every day from Oregonians who are dissatisfied or frustrated

After registration errors came to light last year, Republicans in legislature take on Oregon Motor Voter law

February 6, 2025

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Last summer, state officials revealed that more than 1,500 potential noncitizens had been mistakenly registered to vote in Oregon. Now a group of Republican lawmakers wants to either change the law that allowed those errors, or scrap it entirely. One bill introduced by House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, this week would require the Oregon

Coos County commissioners reject proposal to allow immigration officials to use its jail

February 6, 2025

By ZANE SPARLING/The Oregonian/OregonLive Coos County commissioners have rejected a proposal to welcome federal immigration officials into their jails after hearing that the idea could place the county in legal jeopardy. The proclamation, although technically non-binding, would have offered full throated support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency known as ICE. “The Coos County Board of Commissioners