Thousands watch as red, white, blue and tie dyed La de da Parade walks, dances and rolls through Yachats

July 4, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle YACHATS – Nowhere in America is the spirit of Independence Day more on display than Yachats’ La de da Parade where unity and inclusion explode in a kaleidoscope of colors – red, white, blue, rainbow – and tie dye too. And nowhere in the parade’s ranks is the metaphor of America as a melting pot

Oregon lawmakers failed to find billions for roads. So now what happens and when?

July 4, 2025

By DIRK VANDERHART and BRYCE DOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting It’s been nearly a week since Oregon Democrats’ road-funding hopes imploded, but the fallout from that failure is still hitting home. At the Oregon Department of Transportation, hundreds of workers were expected to begin learning this week that they might be laid off as soon as Monday. Cash-strapped cities and counties are scrambling to

Kids of all ages put Waldport’s big, new Southworth Park playground to the test on its (finally!) opening day

July 3, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – It is open! After shimmering for months like an unreachable mirage, the playground in Louis Southworth Park opened Thursday to droves of pint-sized purveyors of fun – who given the opportunity broke free from parents and grandparents to run from the packed parking lot to the promised land. “It’s fun,” said 5-year-old Kassidy

Waldport domestic disturbance call leads to attempted murder charge

July 3, 2025

WALDPORT – A Missouri man is being held on $1 million bond after his arrest early Wednesday on accusations of attempted second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing after stabbing a woman he had come to Oregon with. Steven B. Kelley, 64, of St. Louis is being held in the Lincoln County jail with a court appearance scheduled

Lincoln City police department news release on manslaughter arrest of Otis man

July 3, 2025

On July 2, 2025, 60-year-old Steven J. Brady of Otis, was arrested by Lincoln City Police Detectives for crimes related to an overdose death that occurred in Otis in early 2025. After investigation into this matter by Lincoln City Detectives, the case was brought before a Lincoln County Grand Jury where Brady was subsequently indicted for Manslaughter in the Second

Disagreements over comments from county’s attorney leads to woman’s exclusion from commission meetings

July 3, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle An Otter Rock woman is barred from attending Lincoln County commission meetings for 180 days after attempting to relay disparaging comments the county’s top attorney shared about staff and elected officials to her and another woman in a private meeting. In an exclusion notice this week, commission chair Claire Hall said Christine Hutchins’ comments at

Federal budget bill would boost logging — but cut funds to Oregon timber counties

July 2, 2025

By APRIL EHRLICH/Oregon Public Broadcasting The Republican-backed budget bill that passed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday authorizes dramatic increases to logging on federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. But Oregon counties won’t see most of those revenues if the bill clears the U.S. House unchanged. “Rural counties, all counties that receive timber

Toledo galleries open their doors to introduce visitors to artists who create coastal themes

July 2, 2025

By Oregon Coast TODAY TOLEDO – Galleries in Toledo will celebrate the arts community on Saturday and Sunday, July 6-7 with a look inside their businesses and a chance to connect with the artists behind the work. Now on display at the Yaquina River Museum of Art is the “Summer Selection” series, works chosen from the museum’s permanent collection

June rainfall was one of lowest on record for the Oregon coast

July 2, 2025

Yes, June was dry – as a drought declaration by Lincoln County commissioners made clear Wednesday. Yachats-area weather watchers for Lincoln Chronicle say the rainfall in June was one of the lowest in their records, as evidenced by stream levels that are currently at August levels. Near downtown Yachats, Adam Altson recorded 1.12 inches of rain in June, his second

Oregon governor issues executive order Wednesday banning cell phones in public schools by Jan. 1

July 2, 2025

By NATALIE PATE/Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed an executive order Wednesday prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day in all of Oregon’s K-12 public schools. The move comes just after a bill meant to do the same thing died in the 2025 legislative session. House Bill 2251 would have required all Oregon school districts to ban students from using