Yachats Fire board sets March deadline for decision on ambulance service

July 15, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle YACHATS — The Yachats Rural Fire Protection District board Monday set a deadline of March 31, 2026 to reach a decision on whether it wants to continue its current staffing agreement with South Lincoln Ambulance. The deadline will need to be agreed upon by the three-member board of the nonprofit ambulance service before taking effect.

Now in its second summer, Newport’s Bayfront parking plan still irks some business owners and visitors

July 14, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle NEWPORT – The Bayfront is bustling during summer. As seafood processors operate heavy machinery, tourists weave through the sidewalk in droves and cars circle Bay Boulevard hunting for parking spaces. Bob Herich, a visitor from Ohio, squinted in the sun for over 10 minutes after scanning the parking QR code on his phone. He sat

Waldport park project gone awry leaves council to sort out dispute between contractor and city manager

July 13, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – The biggest news out of the Waldport city council meeting Thursday might have been the offhand mention during the public comment period that a petition to recall five councilors had been submitted just hours before. But it was eclipsed by an allegation that city manager Dann Cutter suggested a contractor working at Louis

After months of little rain, Oregon governor officially declares Friday that Lincoln County is in a drought

July 12, 2025

By the Lincoln Chronicle Lincoln and Baker counties couldn’t be more different. Lincoln County is located on Oregon’s coast and Baker County is hundreds of miles away in the mountains of far northeast Oregon. But on Friday they shared the same distinction – the first two counties in Oregon this summer to officially be declared by Gov. Tina Kotek

One man’s journey shines light on 100-year-old “Toledo Incident” that has similarities to what is happening today

July 10, 2025

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle Before a white mob dragged Ichiro Kawamoto out of his home in Toledo, a battering ram pounded the door and rocks hurled down like rain. Spectators clapped as Asian laborers and their families were forced into waiting trucks and driven to Corvallis where they were put on a train to Portland. A century has passed

Wave energy proponents at OSU waiting for word from federal government if money for testing is coming

July 10, 2025

By DANA TIMS/Lincoln Chronicle Dan Hellin is no stranger to delays when it comes to building the nation’s first wave-energy testing facility just off the central Oregon coast. Last summer, for instance, a major hurricane inflicted extensive damage and disruption to shipping traffic in parts of Mexico and the Caribbean, temporarily delaying the delivery of steel cables critical to the

Florence children’s theater group now thriving by involving the whole family and community

July 10, 2025

By LORI TOBIAS/Oregon ArtsWatch FLORENCE — Nothing turns a head like a bearded man in a pink tutu. Throw in a bushel of the sparkly stuff, and you’ve got the makings of celebrity. In this case, the would-be stars are The Tutu Dads, part of the Florence-based children’s theater group C.R.O.W. Until recently, there were no men in frilly pastels

Waldport city manager and Secretary of State’s office disagree on whether it offered advice on incomplete audits

July 10, 2025

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m. Thursday to include information from the city’s new auditor. By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – The city of Waldport has not submitted a state required annual audit since 2020, leaving a vocal few in the community as well as recently-elected mayor Heide Lambert to question why – and not finding

Need a ride around town? “The Rig” now available from the Yachats chamber for folks who need a lift

July 8, 2025

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle YACHATS – People with mobility issues or perhaps just a temporary hitch in their giddy-up have a new – and thrilling – way of getting out and about to see the sights of Yachats. “The Rig” as it called is a four-wheel all-terrain electric transport with fat knobby tires that can accelerate from zero to

Central Coast Fire volunteer wins statewide “Golden Sparky” award for prevention and education efforts

July 8, 2025

By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle WALDPORT – Charlie Lesiecki checks and installs smoke detectors in homes, helps with commercial fire inspections, and advises landowners how to protect their property from wildland fires. The 68-year-old retiree heads Central Coast Fire & Rescue’s safety committee, conducting regular inspections of the district’s facilities. He’s also a volunteer firefighter, who shows up when the