Small quake recorded Sunday 270 miles west of Yachats

April 10, 2023

By The Oregonian/OregonLive A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded off Oregon’s coast Sunday morning, the United States Geological Survey reported, about 270 miles west of Yachats. Only three people so far have filled out the USGS’s “Felt Report” survey. The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Real-Time Earthquake Map, which is updated every 15 minutes, shows how commonplace such small quakes are in the region. Another

Lincoln County makes $100,000 available for child care businesses

April 10, 2023

Lincoln County has announced $100,000 in assistance for people wanting to expand current child care operations or open a new child care business. County commissioners dedicated the federal pandemic relief funds with a goal of increasing the overall availability of child care in the county. Eligible child care providers can soon apply for up to $15,000 for eligible expenses. Applications

After ocean’s closure, the commercial fishing season for Chinook salmon off Oregon coast could be a disaster

April 9, 2023

Offshore salmon seasons will be closed or look much different this summer along most of the Oregon coast as managers struggle to ensure the safety of declining fall Chinook returning to Northern California. A federal regulatory group has voted to officially close the ocean commercial and recreational Chinook salmon fishing season along much of the West Coast after near-record

Central Coast Fire getting $460,000 water tender under state wildfire program

April 8, 2023

WALDPORT – The Oregon State Fire Marshal has awarded the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue district a grant for a water tender valued at $460,000. The district was one of three in Lincoln County to get major equipment under a $25 million state program to distribute fire engines and water tenders to 76 districts across Oregon. North Lincoln Fire

It’s not just on the central Oregon coast: Why retired journalists are jumping back into the profession

April 7, 2023

By JON MARCUS/Neiman Reports The Asheville Watchdog is a tiny nonprofit in far western North Carolina, but its editorial meetings could double as a get-together of the Pulitzer alumni club. The project came together on the back deck of the house shared by retired Tribune Publishing Co. executive Bob Gremillion and his wife, investigative reporter Sally Kestin. It was there

Former vendor questions oversight of Yachats Farmers Market operations

April 7, 2023

To the editor: I was a vendor at the Yachats Farmers Market for over two years. I never had any issues with the market. I took a year off during Covid and reapplied last year only to have my application rejected. When I spoke to the market manager about the reason for the rejection he told me there was nothing

Yachats council follows up decision from last year with 3-2 vote to take away commission’s oversight of Commons and museum

April 6, 2023

By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews YACHATS — In what the mayor described as a “power grab,” a split city council voted Thursday to take away the Parks and Commons Commission’s oversight of the Yachats Commons and Little Log Church Museum. The issue was teed up last June when council voted unanimously to “pause” the commission’s oversight of those two key city

Coastal arts group in final stage of fundraising, renovating and modernizing 35-year-old Newport Performing Arts Center

April 6, 2023

By Oregon ArtsWatch NEWPORT — In the coming year, when the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts finishes the long-awaited renovation project at Newport’s Performing Arts Center, performers will enjoy 3,000 square feet of “new” space – and it will come without adding one square foot to the building. “We’re shifting from storage to functionality,” said Jason Holland, executive director of the

Led by Shelly Shrock, hardworking volunteers grow a prettier downtown Yachats, one plant at a time

April 6, 2023

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews YACHATS — As the downtown core blooms with visitors and flowers, not many people realize that the bountiful daffodils and decorative shrubs along U.S. Highway 101 have an unlikely origin — construction mess. The mess stemmed from the installation of sidewalks and bike lanes in 2017, a project of the Oregon Department Of Transportation. Intended to

Lincoln County adds $5.6 million to budget for mental health services, including housing and crisis center

April 6, 2023

By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews NEWPORT — Lincoln County commissioners gave the nod Wednesday to a budget adjustment for the Health and Human Services Department representing millions in programs for mental health, including dozens of units of new housing. Health and human services director Jayne Romero and finance director Christine Shearer brought the adjustment to commissioners during their bi-monthly meeting. Shearer