Widow of man killed at Lincoln City inn files $20 million lawsuit against attacker, father, motel and its managers

June 12, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle The widow of a tourist beaten to death outside a Lincoln City motel in May 2024 has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the man charged with killing her husband, the man’s father and the motel where they were all staying. Roland Evans-Freke, 31, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, assault and robbery in the

Siletz Valley School in upheaval again over leadership, budget cuts, board issues and communication with community

June 12, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle SILETZ – Twenty-three graduates at Siletz Valley Schools received their diplomas in the hot Saturday sun, some adorned with eagle feathers, beads and cedar-woven graduation caps. While the joyous day was filled with school pride and honor songs, the celebration did not ignore the turmoil in leadership its students endured the last four years and even

Trump upends historic Columbia River deal between U.S. government, tribes, Northwest states

June 12, 2025

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle An historic deal made two years ago between the U.S. government, four tribes, Northwest states and environmentalists to put legal battles aside and invest in restoring endangered Columbia River fish runs is now off. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum withdrawing the U.S. government from a Dec. 14, 2023 agreement to help restore salmon, steelhead and

Samaritan Health Services calls off merger with Stayton-based Santiam Hospital and Clinics

June 12, 2025

By MIKE FRANCIS/The Lund Report One year ago the leaders of two small Oregon hospital systems said they needed to join forces to withstand the pressures that are building on hospitals nationwide, especially in rural America. Then, last month, with virtually no explanation, they called it off. Corvallis-based Samaritan Health Services, which dominates health care in its core territory of Lincoln, Benton and

Oregon legislators pass scaled back bill granting striking workers unemployment checks

June 12, 2025

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — A bill that would grant striking workers weekly unemployment checks is moving forward once again in the Oregon Legislature, two days after a surprising defeat in the state Senate. All it took was striking the number of unemployment checks striking workers could claim. Initially, Senate Bill 916 allowed up to 26 weeks worth of payments

Yachats Lions Club awards $45,200 to 17 organizations, programs and graduates

June 12, 2025

YACHATS – The Yachats Lions Club awarded $45,200 to 14 local organizations, three Lions Club programs and resumed giving scholarships during its annual community ceremony and dinner Tuesday night. The giving total is a record for the organization, besting its 2024 contribution total by $1,200. Yachats Lions raise money through its busy thrift shop on West Fourth Street, pancake breakfasts,

Lincoln County school board approves $180 million budget for new fiscal year

June 11, 2025

The Lincoln County School District’s board has approved a $180 million budget for 2025-26. In the coming fiscal year, the school expects a $2.8 million deficit from declining enrollment. The shortfall will be balanced by cash reserves, a one-time wildfire grant and not filling several vacant staff positions. However, the school district expects more tough decisions in the years to

Southwest Lincoln County Water District NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING

June 11, 2025

Oregon lawmakers weigh increased oversight of state’s embattled transportation department

June 11, 2025

By SHAANTH NANGUNERI/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — A powerful committee tasked with creating the Legislature’s newest attempt at a transportation investment package faced growing calls Tuesday to hold Oregon’s imperiled Department of Transportation accountable for funding future projects and regulations aimed at restoring the state’s infrastructure. Testimony from Oregonians on House Bill 2025, a 102-page piece of legislation that would institute dozens

Poet-author, artist and publisher combine to create book to be celebrated Saturday at gallery opening

June 11, 2025

By Oregon Coast TODAY It’s no secret that writers and visual artists are mostly solitary creatures when they work, but when they work together, it can create magic, as was the case with the collaboration between Taylor Yount and Veta Bakhtina. “My Sutured Mind: Poems of Healing Beyond Trauma,” written by Yount and illustrated by Bakhtina, will be presented