After more ballots counted from around the state Thursday, Kotek wins three-way race to become Oregon’s next governor

November 10, 2022

BY JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Democrat Tina Kotek, the former speaker of the Oregon House, has fended off Republican Christine Drazan and nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson and will be Oregon’s next governor. The Associated Press called the race in Kotek’s favor Thursday evening, after several counties reported of tens of thousands of outstanding ballots. Kotek’s lead over Drazan has

Shares in Portland-based vacation rental management company Vacasa drop 20% after poor business report

November 10, 2022

By MIKE ROGOWAY/The Oregonian Shares in vacation rental management company Vacasa fell sharply Wednesday after the Portland company warned of “weakening” sales and said its costs are too high. Vacasa maintains, manages and markets vacation rental homes for their owners, taking a percentage of rental proceeds in exchange. Its poor third-quarter results reflect, in part, a slowdown in bookings

Waldport city council will be getting two new members, two incumbents return; voters approve COCF&R levy

November 9, 2022

WALDPORT — Waldport city council meetings may look a bit like the teachers’ lounge at Crestview Heights or Waldport Middle/High School in January. Two teachers — Melaia Kilduff and Michelle Severson — were elected to the council when nearly all vote tabulations ended Thursday, joining two incumbents, Susan Woodruff and Rick Booth. They will join the council in January.

Backers of new, tighter Oregon gun regulation measure claim narrow victory Wednesday

November 9, 2022

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Measure 114 supporters have claimed victory, however narrow, in their campaign for firearms training requirements and limits on ammunition magazines. With 1.5 million votes tallied statewide as of noon Wednesday, 50.7% voted yes, to 49.3% who voted no. The Rev. Mark Knutson is a pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland and a chief sponsor

Race for Oregon governor and three congressional districts still too close to call Wednesday

November 9, 2022

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Several high-profile Oregon races remained too close to call on Wednesday, but it appeared clear Democrats will maintain their legislative majorities. As of midday Wednesday, the Associated Press had not called the race for governor or the state’s three competitive congressional districts. The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday morning called the governor’s race for Democrat Tina

Hunters asked to stop in Blodgett to get elk tested for wasting disease

November 9, 2022

BLODGETT — The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department will be staffing a check station to sample elk for chronic wasting disease on Saturday during the first Western Coast elk season. The station will be open from from 8 a.m. to dusk in Blodgett in the large gravel parking lot on the north side of Oregon Highway 20. New this year,

Democrat Val Hoyle will be representing Lincoln County and the 4th Congressional District in January

November 9, 2022

By GRANT STRINGER/The Oregonian Democrat Val Hoyle defeated Republican Alek Skarlatos in the race for the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday night. Partial results tallied as of Wednesday morning showed Hoyle with 51% of the vote and Skarlatos with 43%. Hoyle’s victory marks an important — but not unexpected — win for the Democrats in a district where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by

Yachats Celtic Festival returns after two-year absence to international performers, sold out shows — and some free events

November 7, 2022

BY CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com YACHATS — Tune up the bagpipes, rosin up the fiddle bows and stand back: the Yachats Celtic Music Festival hits town this weekend with a sold-out roster of famed musicians — plus a whirl of free music and other events. Muffled for the past two years by the coronavirus pandemic, the popular celebration of Celtic music,

Boater who drew two COCF&R responses Saturday will be getting big bill

November 7, 2022

WALDPORT – Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue will be sending an Albany boater a pretty big bill for causing such a ruckus on the river Saturday. COCF&R firefighters twice had to respond to calls from Michael C. Herring of Albany for help pulling him off a sandbar in the Alsea River 1¼ miles up river from McKinley’s RV Park

In another sign of the political times, Lincoln County clerk’s office counts thousands of general election ballots under unprecedented levels of outside scrutiny

November 3, 2022

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com NEWPORT – By the time the first voting results are released at 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, your ballot will have been handled seven times by Lincoln County clerk’s office employees and “observed” at least twice by volunteers from the local Republican and Democrat parties. For an expected 27,500 returned ballots. Although the clerk’s office handles everything from