Heading to the valley this week? Highway 34 closed at Maltby Creek starting Friday

June 20, 2023

WALDPORT – The repair of a bridge 35 miles east of Waldport on Oregon Highway 34 will disrupt traffic between Philomath and the central Oregon coast much of this week. The Oregon Department of Transportation has hired a contractor to replace the wooden deck of the bridge over Maltby Creek. The work had been delayed for two years because

For victims still recovering from Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day wildfires, millions in legal damages offer some hope

June 20, 2023

Bill Edge lost his home in Gates during the Santiam Canyon Fire in 2020. Now living in the home he rebuilt, he says it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Edge is one of 17 named plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against PacifiCorp for causing some of the 2020 fires. Story by CASSANDRA PROFITA photos by KRISTYNA WENTZ-GRAFF Oregon Public

After years of frustration, the simple idea of “pocket parks” along Ocean View Drive in Yachats finally taking shape

June 19, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews YACHATS – What seemed like a simple idea almost three years ago took root – literally – this weekend when dozens of volunteers painstakenly planted hundreds of native plants in two small “pocket parks” along Ocean View Drive. Members of the city’s Parks & Commons Commission, the Yachats Trails Team and other volunteers spent much of

Waldport council OKs “Good of the City” ordinance changes to allow city manager leeway on some fines, rules

June 19, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews WALDPORT – The Waldport city council has amended an ordinance giving the city manager more leeway – with some reporting and accounting oversight – to waive some fees or fines and pause a time limit on some zoning or permit applications. City manager Dann Cutter said a week does not go by during which someone forgets to

Waldport man already on probation for theft arrested again — for theft

June 18, 2023

WALDPORT – A 38-year-old Waldport man already on probation for thefts in 2022 and 2023 has been arrested again on accusations he stole five gas tanks for boats from Alsea Bay Power Products on June 10. Christopher S. Schwender is charged with four counts of second-degree burglary and theft and one of criminal mischief, according to Lincoln County circuit court

Latest interim Yachats city manager gives his assessment of issues — they’re both troublesome and promising

June 18, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS — After 10 days on the job, Yachats’ new interim city manager Rick Sant dove headlong into the deep end of the municipal pool with a no holds barred assessment of the city’s state of affairs during last week’s city council meeting. There was no sugar coating or varnishing of opinion as Sant delivered his

OSU wave researchers find that new vegetation on coastal sand dunes can actually speed up erosion

June 18, 2023

By STEVE LUNDEBERG/OSU News Service CORVALLIS — Newly planted vegetation on coastal sand dunes can accelerate erosion from extreme waves, a study involving researchers from the Oregon State University College of Engineering suggests. The authors note the findings run counter to the widely accepted paradigm that vegetation always acts to reduce erosion on dunes, the first line of storm

Scenes from Waldport’s Beachcomber Days as thousands come out to watch a parade, hear music, play games and watch timber competition

June 18, 2023

WALDPORT — It started with the blare of fire engine sirens and ended Saturday night with a performance from Sol Fire Dancers. In between, thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Waldport for the 2023 Beachcomber Days parade, feasted on everything from tacos to elephant ears to strawberry shortcake, listened to rock n’ roll and patriotic music, and

ODFW commission OKs fishing, wildlife agreements with two coastal tribes

June 17, 2023

NEWPORT – The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday approved agreements with the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians during its meeting in Newport. Consideration of a similar agreement with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was delayed until the Aug. 4 meeting to allow more time for

VIA Oregon Coalition opposes steep increase in county vacation rental licenses

June 16, 2023

To the editor: VIA Oregon Coalition, the leading advocacy group representing short-term rental homeowners on the Central Oregon coast, strongly opposes the proposed 300 percent fee increase for short-term rental license annual renewals in Lincoln County. This exorbitant jump in fees, coupled with recent overreaching laws, threatens the future viability of short-term rentals in the county. The proposed fee increase