25-year plan for Yachats Commons/city center area takes shape, now heads to commission and council

May 26, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle YACHATS – Designing a vision of what a Yachats civic campus might look like 25 years into the future is not easy but after months of synthesizing community comments and ideas there’s a draft of a final plan. “It was challenging, I’ll be honest,” said principal designer Shelby Scharen before the start of a May

Rite Aid sets closure dates for stores in Newport and Lincoln City

May 26, 2025

Closure dates for the Rite Aid stores and pharmacies in Newport and Lincoln City are now set. The Rite Aid store and pharmacy in Lincoln City is closing Thursday, May 29 and sending its prescriptions to Safeway unless customers tell them otherwise. The Rite Aid pharmacy in Newport is closing June 9 and sending its prescriptions to Fred Meyer. The

Lincoln City man to be sentenced June 1 for rape, sex abuse convictions

May 26, 2025

Sentencing is scheduled for June 3 for a Lincoln City man found guilty this month for raping and sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl working as a volunteer at two of his businesses. The Lincoln County jury convicted Daniel Stuebgen, 54, of three counts of second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sodomy, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts

Jury awards $50 million to 2020 wildfire survivors, including elderly Otis couple

May 25, 2025

A Multnomah County jury has awarded about $50 million to 10 survivors of Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day wildfires, the latest in a growing series of verdicts against electric company PacifiCorp. The Portland-based utility has now been ordered to pay more than $385 million to individual plaintiffs following a 2023 class-action ruling that found it liable for negligently causing four major wildfires by

Coquille Tribe renames its Mill Casino in North Bend to reflect traditional name, values

May 25, 2025

By SAMANTHA SWINDLER/The Oregonian/OregonLive The Mill Casino in North Bend is in the middle of an expansion that will add a distillery, tasting room and waterfront restaurant. Now it’s also changing its name. The Coquille Tribe and the Coquille Economic Development Corporation announced this week that the casino will rebrand as Ko-Kwel Casino Resort. The name is a more traditional spelling of the same

New report says Oregon Department of Transportation plagued by delays, staff turnover, cost overruns

May 24, 2025

By BRYCE DOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting The Oregon Department of Transportation is beset by high staff turnover, decades-old financial software, cost overruns and delays that have eroded trust with elected leaders. That’s according to a review of the department’s projects and organizational structure hitting the desks of lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment. The committee is weighing how best

Big crowd anticipating fireworks at Waldport city council instead get calm meeting focused mostly on business

May 24, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – Some who attended Waldport’s city council meeting Thursday said they “had come to watch the fireworks” and others “to see the show” after the regularly scheduled meeting was cancelled two weeks ago out of concern clashes between opposing groups might lead to mayhem. But there were no fireworks and there was no show.

Historic Newport cemetery and Depoe Bay hold community Memorial Day observances at 11 a.m. Monday

May 24, 2025

NEWPORT – Residents of the central Oregon coast are invited to join two Memorial Day observances Monday morning — both starting at 11 o’clock. The historic Eureka Cemetery & Mausoleum is inviting the community to join in its observance at 11 a.m. at the cemetery, 1101 NE Yaquina Heights Road, Newport. As is tradition, the cemetery will be decorated

Samaritan Health’s new CEO asks for public’s understanding and support

May 23, 2025

To the editor: As I wrap up my first week as chief executive officer of Samaritan Health Services, I want to take a moment to speak directly and plainly. There’s been a lot of talk this week — some of it based on incomplete information. So let me be clear about what’s happening, why it matters and how we’re moving

Oregon’s only GOP representative defends House’s passage of changes to Medicaid programs

May 23, 2025

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon’s lone Republican representative in Congress defended the party’s decision to attach new work and citizenship requirements to Medicaid eligibility at a virtual town hall Wednesday night and said there is a “travesty” of able-bodied, non-working Americans. U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, who represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District covering much of eastern Oregon, answered fewer