County commission candidate criticizes Miller investigation process, motivation

January 21, 2025

To the editor: The recently released report by Lincoln County of its findings of the purported conduct of Commissioner Casey Miller during the Sept. 18, 2024 board meeting raises serious questions about the scope and impartiality of the investigation as well as the motivations of those behind it. What began as an investigation into inflammatory allegations of misconduct by Commissioner

Oregon Legislature gets to work Tuesday on budget, transportation and other issues

January 21, 2025

By Oregon Capital Chronicle staff SALEM — Oregon’s 90 lawmakers are beginning their work in earnest on Tuesday, with about five months to pass a spending plan for the next two years, figure out how to plug a transportation funding hole and make progress on the state’s housing crisis. Lawmakers have introduced nearly 2,300 bills so far, with more to

Yachats begins negotiating with Washington construction firm to replace Seventh Street library

January 21, 2025

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews YACHATS — After a slight paperwork snag, the city of Yachats is starting negotiations with the low bidder on the long-awaited library rebuilding project. At the bids unveiling last week, seven firms submitted bids to construct a new library where the original 51-year-old building now stands on West Seventh Street. Initially, city infrastructure clerk Neal Morphis

Nonprofit gives $24,000 to music programs in Lincoln County middle/high schools

January 21, 2025

A Lincoln County nonprofit dedicated to supporting music education has given $24,000 to Lincoln County School District music programs at middle and high schools in Waldport, Toledo, Newport and Lincoln City. Music is Instrumental awarded $6,000 for music instruments, repairs and supplies to Taft 7-12, Waldport Middle/High and Toledo Junior/Senior schools and $3,000 each to Newport high and middle schools.

After four-month probe, investigators say Lincoln County commissioner Miller violated one personnel rule but did not harass staff

January 20, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews Lincoln County Commissioner Casey Miller violated personnel rules by publicly disclosing confidential issues concerning the county’s top administrator but did not bully or harass staff with a statement or questions during September and October public meetings, outside investigators have found. After a four-month investigation by a Portland law firm, the attorneys could not conclude – but

Immigrants in Oregon could be significantly impacted by Trump’s second term. Here’s how

January 20, 2025

Immigration navigator Lydia Hernandez, right, assists a participant in a workshop this month offered by the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab. The workshop provides support and legal guidance for participants representing themselves in the asylum process. By CONRAD WILSON, TIFFANY CAMHI, KYRA BUCKLEY and NATALIE PATE/Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon is preparing for what could be sweeping changes to its

Agency sets Feb. 11 meeting to discuss how Northwest plan will affect Siuslaw National Forest

January 20, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews The U.S. Forest Service has scheduled a series of public meetings across Oregon, Washington and northern California – including one in Corvallis — to discuss proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan. Amendments to 30-year-old plan could bring changes to the 630,000-acre Siuslaw National Forest that stretches along the central Oregon coast. For years the coastal

Oregon roads and bridges are old and damaged. Fixing them is an expensive task for legislators

January 19, 2025

By BRYCE DOYLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting In Corvallis, a train carrying agricultural fertilizers derailed and crashed into the Marys River after a trestle bridge collapsed this month. On Oregon’s coast near Coos Bay, a landslide undercut Cape Arago Highway, forcing two state parks to close weeks earlier. In the Columbia River Gorge, a stone wall supporting the Stark Street Bridge over the Sandy

Why federal wildlife officials are killing some Northwest owls to save others

January 19, 2025

ALMA CHOW/Cascade PBS Stripes, round bodies, dark penetrating eyes. At a glance, the barred owl and the northern spotted owl are easily mistaken for the same bird. So what warrants protections for one and killing the other? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized its Barred Owl Management Strategy in August. The plan could result in killing up to half a million

Yachats changes rules on pre-paying system development charges

January 19, 2025

YACHATS — The city of Yachats has updated its policy on system development charges, which are incurred when someone builds a new home or business and connects to city services. The city is changing its policy to match all other municipalities in Lincoln County, which is to accept payments only when the city planner approves building plans and before