New NOAA report paints alarming picture of declining numbers of Pacific gray whales and their health

June 18, 2025

By DANA TIMS/Lincoln Chronicle An alarming new federal report released Wednesday indicates that the number of gray whales in the Pacific Ocean has dropped to the lowest number in decades and that the decline may be only getting worse. The eastern North Pacific population of gray whales, going back to the 1970s, has experienced period dips. But warming ocean

Waldport groups celebrate Pollinator Day Saturday at Seashore Garden

June 18, 2025

WALDPORT — Bees, butterflies, birds and bugs all help sustain the global food supply, and their roles will be explored from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21 when the Waldport Library stages its Third Annual Pollinator Day at the Seashore Joy Garden. The free, all-ages event features exhibits, vendors and gardens, all celebrating the pollinators’ role in

Newport recreation center offers “Kittypalooza” Thursday for cat lovers

June 18, 2025

NEWPORT – Calling all cat enthusiasts — don’t miss this purrfect event. Newport Parks and Recreation is celebrating Adopt-a-Cat Month by holding a cat-themed exposition called Kittypalooza. The free, family friendly event will take place at the Newport Recreation Center from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 26. Event highlights include: Local vendors featuring cat-themed gifts, gear, and art; A special talk

Cowen retiring as head of Hatfield Marine Science Center; Ballance to become interim director

June 17, 2025

NEWPORT — Robert Cowen, the longtime director of Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, is retiring at the end of the month. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Lisa Ballance, director of the center’s Marine Mammal Institute. A national search for Cowan’s permanent replacement will be launched this summer. “Since joining OSU in

Oregon legislators approve record $11.4 billion for state’s public schools — an 11 percent increase

June 16, 2025

By TIFFANY CAMHI/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Oregon’s $11.36 billion K-12 budget bill is now headed to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk. But as a number of school districts throughout the state face grueling financial constraints, some lawmakers and education advocates say the budget is far from enough. Senate Bill 5516, which passed easily on the House floor Monday afternoon,

Trump administration seeks Medicaid data from Oregon by July 30 amid immigration crackdown

June 16, 2025

By NICK BUDNICK/The Lund Report Federal officials are seeking personal enrollee data from the Medicaid-funded Oregon Health Plan as part of a crackdown on coverage of people who lack immigration documentation, The Lund Report has learned. The request comes even as the Trump administration’s decision to share equivalent data from other states with immigration enforcers and deportation officials has sparked

Oregon legislators pass a bill blocking personal addresses of themselves and other elected officials

June 16, 2025

By LAUREN DAKE/Oregon Public Broadcasting The day before a gunman’s attacks on two Minnesota legislators and their families. Oregon state lawmakers approved a measure to make it harder for members of the public to obtain the home addresses of elected officials. The bipartisan vote in favor of Senate Bill 224 seems almost prescient after what unfolded over the weekend: a gunman

Gov. Kotek proposes using $160 million from state’s “rainy day fund” for one-time wildfire funding

June 16, 2025

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Desperate for money to get through the next two wildfire seasons and with few proposals on the table that could meet costs and get passed by the Oregon Legislature, Gov. Tina Kotek is proposing to skim some money off of the state’s “rainy day fund.” At a news conference Monday, Kotek proposed taking

Lincoln County’s only community radio station needs board members and volunteers

June 16, 2025

To the editor: KYAQ, Lincoln County’s only community radio station, is in peril and desperately needs board members and volunteers. The station has reached a transition stage where it will either move forward to a new phase, or cease to exist. KYAQ was a grand experiment from the start. It was founded as a response to the right-wing talk radio

Waldport opens dog area at new Southworth Park and playground unveiling could be just weeks away

June 16, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – There is tail-wagging relief for the four-legged community and their two-legged owners with the opening of the new dog park at Louis Southworth Park. Two-year-old Phoenix, just days into being adopted, bounded with unleashed enthusiasm last week that inevitably led to a lot of sniffing before the arrival of Sadie. While 4-year-old Sadie