Disagreements over comments from county’s attorney leads to woman’s exclusion from commission meetings

July 3, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle An Otter Rock woman is barred from attending Lincoln County commission meetings for 180 days after attempting to relay disparaging comments the county’s top attorney shared about staff and elected officials to her and another woman in a private meeting. In an exclusion notice this week, commission chair Claire Hall said Christine Hutchins’ comments at

Lincoln Chronicle enters last days of annual fundraising campaign in effort to use full “matching” donation

July 1, 2025

The Lincoln Chronicle is in the last stretch of its annual local, reader fundraising campaign that has been extended a few more days until Monday, July 7. Because of dozens and dozens of generous supporters, the Chronicle, which is published by the 6½-year-old 501c3 nonprofit YachatsNews, reached $31,000 in its campaign as of Tuesday. With a promised

Lincoln County paying $325 a month for small office that banned commissioner does not plan to use

July 1, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle Lincoln County is paying $325 a month for a small, away-from-the-courthouse office for a county commissioner who has no intention of using it. Commissioner Casey Miller has been instructed not to use his courthouse office after allegations last September that he bullied employees and created a toxic work environment. An investigation later cleared Miller of

Oregon begins massive curbside recycling changes — but Lincoln County residents will have to wait a bit longer

July 1, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle The good news for residents of Lincoln County who have curbside recycling pickup is that they will soon be able to add yogurt and margarine tubs, milk cartons made of paper – even the ones with plastic pour spouts — soup boxes, buckets for cat food and litter and twist off caps. But hold on.

Despite the bans, July 4th fireworks at the coast overrun police agencies, who say they’ll focus on critical calls

July 1, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle Just to be clear — all fireworks but smoke bombs and sparklers are banned across all of Lincoln County with the exception of Siletz and Toledo — where fireworks legally sold in Oregon will be allowed. Again, except for those exceptions — whether on beaches, in campgrounds, state parks, forests, public lands, backyard barbeques, private

The long Independence Day weekend for local residents and thousands of visitors begins Thursday in Waldport and ends Sunday in Yachats

July 1, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO and CHERYL ROMANO/Lincoln Chronicle The motels and vacation rentals are booked. The campgrounds are full. Hamburgers and hotdogs are ready for the grill. The weather forecast is good. Everything is as ready as possible for the thousands of visitors expected to swarm the central Oregon coast for the long July 4th holiday. Many of those visitors

Central Lincoln PUD will break ground this fall on new $26.5 million Newport headquarters building

June 30, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle NEWPORT – Central Lincoln People’s Utility District has signed contracts to design and construct a new $26.5 million headquarters building adjacent to its current office along U.S. Highway 101. Recent decisions by the utility’s board to award architect, engineering and construction manager/general contractor contracts ends a nearly nine-year process to replace its 44-year-old headquarters. The

See all those brown spruce needles on the ground? You can blame the work of aphids months ago

June 26, 2025

By DANA TIMS/Lincoln Chronicle YACHATS — Joanne Kittel could only stand and watch recently as Sitka spruce needles rained down onto the driveway of her forested property on the edge of Cape Perpetua just south of Yachats. “I knew that aphids were causing the problem because I’ve had them before,” Kittel told Lincoln Chronicle. “But nothing like this. It’s

Yachats-based affordable housing developer begins work on apartments, childcare center in Florence

June 26, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle A Yachats-based nonprofit developer of affordable housing has broken ground on its second project in Florence that will include a $4.1 million childcare center for the community. The apartment project is fourth in Yachats and Florence for Our Coastal Village, started by Layne Morrill in 2009, and its largest so far. Elm Park Apartments, which

Former Taft High School employee sentenced to 18 months in prison for raping 15-year-old student she groomed

June 25, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle NEWPORT – A former Taft High School employee will spend 18 months in prison for raping a 15-year-old male student. A handful of Angela R. Schafer’s supporters watched Tuesday as she pled guilty in Lincoln County circuit court to third-degree rape and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Schafer’s plea came after mounting evidence from forensic

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Community - Page 12

Disagreements over comments from county’s attorney leads to woman’s exclusion from commission meetings

Lincoln Chronicle enters last days of annual fundraising campaign in effort to use full “matching” donation

Lincoln County paying $325 a month for small office that banned commissioner does not plan to use

Oregon begins massive curbside recycling changes — but Lincoln County residents will have to wait a bit longer

Despite the bans, July 4th fireworks at the coast overrun police agencies, who say they’ll focus on critical calls

The long Independence Day weekend for local residents and thousands of visitors begins Thursday in Waldport and ends Sunday in Yachats

Central Lincoln PUD will break ground this fall on new $26.5 million Newport headquarters building

See all those brown spruce needles on the ground? You can blame the work of aphids months ago

Yachats-based affordable housing developer begins work on apartments, childcare center in Florence

Former Taft High School employee sentenced to 18 months in prison for raping 15-year-old student she groomed

Letters from readers

$25,000 grant will help View the Future’s community conversations

Look at Medicare Advantage plans carefully before making a decision

Lincoln County has benefitted from Hall’s service for 20 years

Obituaries

Marie Jones of Newport

Rebecca L. Bloch of Yachats

Sandra Lee Dunn of Yachats

Civic Calendar

Newport Planning Commission work session and regular meeting

City of Yachats Parks & Commons Commission

Yachats Big Band monthly concert

Yachats Rural Fire Protection District board

Yachats Planning Commission monthly workshop meeting

Yachats Public Works & Streets Commission

Lincoln County School District board of directors

Waldport City Council

Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District monthly board meeting

Yachats “open mic” night

Public & Legal Notices

NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS

A regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Central Lincoln PUD

Otter Rock Water District NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET HEARING