West Coast fishery managers troubled by NOAA layoffs as another 1,000 employees expected to be let go

March 11, 2025

By KATIE FRANKOWICZ/KMUN Radio The long-term impacts of staff cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are still unknown, but fishery managers on the West Coast say the situation is troubling. On Feb. 27, NOAA laid off more than 800 workers as the Trump administration continues its push to reduce the federal workforce. On Saturday, the New York

Observation deck at Yachats State Park gets a much-needed facelift

March 11, 2025

YACHATS – Rangers with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department began rehabilitating the popular viewing platform at Yachats State Park this week. Work began Monday to replace the 20- by 20-foot platform’s dilapidated wood decking and railing, said ranger Hayden Sader, who finished removing the old material Tuesday. The old deck and railing, which was built in 2007, will

After 11 days of searches, diver finds missing Siletz boy Tuesday three miles downstream from family’s home

March 11, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/YachatsNews The search for a 2½-year-old boy who had been missing 11 days ended Tuesday when a diver found and recovered his body from the Siletz River three miles downstream from his family’s riverside home. The body of Dane Paulsen was found shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday by a volunteer diver from California who specializes in recovering

Oregon governor unveils legislation to allow state agency to intervene in struggling schools

March 11, 2025

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — The Oregon Department of Education would have historic power to intervene in struggling schools and districts across the state under two new bills backed by Gov. Tina Kotek. Both House Bill 2009 and Senate Bill 141 would bring statutory teeth to the state’s education agency, which has long been treated more like a bureaucratic granting institution and

5 Questions and a Secret: Brian Booth State Park ranger Jordan Fernandez’ love of the outdoors

March 11, 2025

By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, John Keats are some of Jordan Fernandez’ favorite poets. His favorite poem is “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth. The subject of the poem, one of Wordsworth’s most famous, is his delight in nature. Fernandez, the lead park ranger at Brian Booth State Park, is familiar with

Oregon state parks looking for more than 200 seasonal employees

March 10, 2025

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is looking to hire more than 200 seasonal employees to help run state parks – including jobs that are open now. Oregon State Parks needs seasonal rangers and ranger assistants to perform jobs from janitorial to visitor services. Seasonal positions last anywhere from four to nine months — typically April through September. But some

North Lincoln museum gets $700,000 gift to expand its exhibits

March 10, 2025

LINCOLN CITY — The North Lincoln County Historical Museum has received a donation of $700,000 from the Jones Living Trust to support its educational programs, preservation initiatives, and to help expand exhibits. In making the announcement, museum executive director Christopher Melton said Sheridan and Crichton Jones were among the first supporters of establishing a museum in Lincoln City in 1987.

Newport church is local host for interfaith Earth summit

March 9, 2025

NEWPORT — Atonement Lutheran Church is the Lincoln County host for the 12th annual Oregon Interfaith Earth summit in partnership with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light. The Newport church is joining 17 other community hubs for the statewide gathering, which will focus on the theme of climate safety and health. Participants will learn about what is

Northwest Forest Plan advisers told their committee will be disbanded soon

March 8, 2025

By APRIL ERHLICH/Oregon Public Broadcasting Federal officials are preparing to disband an advisory committee tasked with guiding policies for millions of acres of national forests in the Pacific Northwest, according to two committee members. Tribal leaders, environmental advocates, timber representatives and local government officials were among the 21 members of the Northwest Forest Plan federal advisory committee. They’ve been meeting

Bonneville Power Administration offers jobs back to 89 staff fired by Trump administration

March 7, 2025

By COURTNEY SHERWOOD/Oregon Public Broadcasting The Bonneville Power Administration is attempting to rehire the staff it fired last month, after weeks of public outcry against the Trump administration’s cuts to the self-funded federal agency. More than five people familiar with internal operations at BPA confirmed that 89 staff who’d been fired are receiving emails or letters asking them to return