Using some of Oregon’s “kicker tax” to offset expected wildfire costs gaining traction in Salem

May 20, 2025

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Oregon lawmakers looking for a new source of money to fight wildfires this year have come up with few slam-dunk answers. Now one option that is often considered politically impossible appears to be gaining traction. Gov. Tina Kotek on Monday became the latest official to signal support for withholding part of next year’s

Kotek reluctant to mirror California proposal to reduce health care for undocumented immigrants

May 19, 2025

By NIGEL JAQUISS/Oregon Journalism Project Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told reporters Monday she is very reluctant to follow the lead of her fellow Democrat, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last week proposed reducing his state’s spending on health care for undocumented immigrants. In a May 14 budget message, The New York Times reported, Newsom proposed halting new sign-ups of undocumented

Lincoln City police news release on Monday morning shooting

May 19, 2025

In the early morning of Monday, May 19, 2025, Lincoln City Police Officers were dispatched to the area of SW 51st St and SW Ebb Ave on a report of a shooting that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers located a male adult victim who had who had multiple apparent gunshot wounds. Personnel from North Lincoln Fire & Rescue and

Lincoln County officials still not allowing commissioner into courthouse office, so now renting him work space instead

May 19, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle Eight months after Lincoln County commissioner Casey Miller was accused of bullying and creating a toxic work environment and told not to work in the courthouse, he now has an office – four blocks to the north. Since September, Miller has been told not to use his courthouse office after allegations he bullied employees and

Toledo man killed Thursday in Highway 20 head-on crash

May 19, 2025

A 37-year-old Toledo man was killed Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 20 three miles east of Eddyville when his car crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a pickup truck, Oregon State Police said Monday. Anthony J. Estrada died at the scene, police said. Police said their preliminary investigation indicated that Estrada’s westbound Toyota Camry crossed the centerline and struck

New report says Oregon overdose deaths dropped 22 percent in 2024, but they’re still high

May 19, 2025

By MIA MALDANADO/Oregon Capital Chronicle Overdose deaths in Oregon went down 22% in 2024, the Oregon Health Authority announced Friday. The decrease in overdose deaths follows a nationwide trend of declining overdose deaths. In 2024, there were about 80,400 drug overdose deaths in the country — 26.9% fewer than the 110,000 overdose deaths in 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Concern grows over Columbia Basin dams, hydroelectric system as agencies lose hundreds of employees

May 19, 2025

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Grand Coulee Dam is among the most powerful energy-generating dams on earth. It’s the bedrock of the federal Columbia River power system — a network of 31 dams supplying more than half of the hydropower in the Northwest. Grand Coulee alone, overseen by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, generates one-quarter of that. But critical operations

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING North Lincoln Health District

May 19, 2025

Former volunteer Lincoln County cold case investigator criticizes her dismissal

May 18, 2025

To the editor: Lincoln County commissioners, legal counsel and human resources have created an issue with the Lincoln County district attorney’s cold case unit, limiting our abilities to investigate and clear cold cases. In an attack on the district attorney and her staff, the DA’s investigator position has been vacant for several months. The DA investigator supervises the volunteer cold case investigators

Oregon Coast CC nursing graduates have 96 percent exam pass rate

May 18, 2025

Oregon Coast Community College is touting the growth and success of its nursing program as it prepares to graduate 28 students who completed the program this spring and had the college’s highest-yet percentage of students passing the national license test. In a news release, the college said 96.4 percent of OCCC nursing graduates passed the national license examination this spring,