Newport woman killed in head-on crash Saturday east of Reedsport

September 23, 2024

A 78-year-old Newport woman was killed Saturday on Oregon Highway 138 about 12 miles east of Reedsport when she tried to avoid a large truck passing other cars but instead collided head-on with the vehicle. Oregon State Police said Shelley Sue McLaughlin died at the scene of the crash about 12:15 p.m. Saturday. Police said their preliminary investigation indicated a

Despite $34,000 increase in cost, Yachats goes ahead with installing delineators on south edge of city

September 23, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – Installation of the long-awaited pedestrian-safety delineators along the west side of U.S. Highway 101 on the south edge of Yachats did not happen this summer as anticipated – but it should be soon. Expectations about when the delineators would be installed and how much it would cost have been as flexible as the delineators

Surging and surprising numbers of coho salmon in upper Willamette system opens streams to fishing

September 23, 2024

By ZACH URNESS/Salem Statesman Journal Coho salmon are returning in record numbers and spreading into parts of the upper Willamette Basin they’ve never historically been seen. After a record number of the ocean-going fish entered the river above Willamette Falls last year, this year’s run could be even larger and spread the fish into more places than in the past. That’s

LCSO news release on man with air rifle walking home in Siletz

September 22, 2024

On Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 at about 6:09 p.m. Siletz residents called 911 to report adult male in his 20’s walking toward the Siletz Valley Charter School while holding a rifle. At the time of the call, football and volleyball teams were in practice at the school, leading to the school being placed on lockdown. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies

US Forest Service puts seasonal hiring on hold, affecting hundreds of temporary Northwest jobs

September 22, 2024

By COURTNEY SHERWOOD/Oregon Public Broadcasting The U.S. Forest Service says it won’t be hiring temporary seasonal workers next summer, citing a tight budget for the coming year. The agency will still hire seasonal staff to fight fires, but temporary summer hires for all other roles — like building trails, conducting archaeological surveys and doing engineering work — are on hold.

Yachats church’s Oktoberfest celebration is a chance to have fun, support aid programs

September 22, 2024

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews YACHATS — Want to do good while having a barrel of a good time? Then roll out for the second annual Yachats Oktoberfest, which is brewing up music, food, dancing and beer Friday through Sunday. The benefit weekend is a major fundraiser for Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, helping support the Yachats Food Pantry, emergency shelter and

Blowup at Lincoln County commission meeting highlights stark divisions over deflection, administrative work

September 19, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews Three elected law enforcement officials and three treatment providers blasted Lincoln County commissioners Wednesday for trying to make last-minute changes to months of their collaborative work on a new state-funded drug “deflection” program. But Lincoln County presiding judge Sheryl Bachart, Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers and district attorney Jenna Wallace had to use 3-minute public comment

Yachats council OKs new water rate structure for businesses, vacation rentals to help fund long-term projects

September 19, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – The Yachats city council voted Wednesday to raise water and sewer rates for commercial users – including vacation rentals – to plug a funding gap and strive toward parity with residential rates. There is a notable difference in rates paid by large users and residents, according to city officials, prompting the question of how

District in line to get $1.2 million to install emergency generators at schools in Newport and Lincoln City

September 19, 2024

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews Two Lincoln County schools are on pace to get significant funds to fortify them as community safety and shelter hubs in case of severe wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and ice storms. A state decision, now under review, is expected soon regarding the Lincoln County School District’s application to buy and install permanent, full-building generators and advanced emergency

OHSU launches center to help Oregon hospitals track empty beds, surgeries and ambulances across the state

September 19, 2024

Dr. Matthias Merkel, OHSU senior associate chief medical officer for capacity management and patient flow, and Stephanie Gilliam, director of OHSU Mission Control, give a tour of the newly remodeled nerve center for a program that tracks and coordinates hospital resources. By JAKE THOMAS/The Lund Report PORTLAND — Computer screens lining the walls of an L-shaped room flash real-time data