Auditor tells Yachats council that city has greatly improved its finances

December 5, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The city of Yachats significantly improved its financial position during the 2018-19 fiscal year ending June 30, an outside auditor told the City Council on Thursday. Auditor Teresa Hanford of West Richland, Wash. walked through her state-required examination of one year of the city’s finances and for two years of the Yachats urban renewal district. “Overall

Yachats gets ready for big holiday weekend with tree lighting, bazaar, concerts and Santa

December 4, 2019

Yachats is ready for the holidays. Volunteers and a crew from Pioneer Connect spent Wednesday placing and decorating a 21-foot Noble fir near the C&K Market in preparation for the community’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday. The evening kicks off a busy holiday weekend in Yachats filled with gatherings, a visit by Santa Claus, music

A very dry November and big water leak creates some worries for city of Yachats

December 3, 2019

November rain in Yachats was the lowest recorded in the last 10 years, resulting in an 11-month total rainfall amount for the area just 71 percent of normal. There were just 2.38 inches of rain recorded at the city of Yachats’ wastewater treatment plant in November. The previous low November rainfall amount was more than double that – 4.92

Yachats Fire Board member under scrutiny by two state agencies resigns from board

November 28, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com A Yachats Rural Fire Protection District board member under investigation by two state agencies for lying in the Lincoln County voter’s pamphlet has resigned from the board. A’lyce Ruberg of Yachats resigned Nov. 19 in a letter to the fire district. Ruberg, 50, was elected in a three-way race in May to a four-year term on the

OSU hauls blue whale bones out of Yaquina Bay after three years of “cleaning”

November 24, 2019

By MICHELLE KLAMPE/OSU NEWPORT – After more than three years at the bottom of Yaquina Bay, the skeleton of a 78-foot blue whale has been put on dry land so it can be preserved and prepared for a public display. With the help of a team of technical divers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the water and a crane

Yachats newcomer offering free Thanksgiving dinner to anyone in town

November 23, 2019

Markaye Simpson’s children are grown and gone and her husband works out of town. So rather than have Thanksgiving dinner alone, she’s cooking turkey and ham with all the fixings and inviting anyone in Yachats to join her. Dinner is served from 2-5 p.m. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, in the kitchen and multipurpose room of the Yachats Commons –

Yachats-to-Florence bus experiment gets extended for two years, starts Saturday service

November 8, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com A bus system connecting Yachats to Florence has a new, two-year lease on life and is expanding service to Saturdays starting this month. The Oregon Transportation Commission this summer awarded a $500,000 grant to the Lane Council of Governments to assume oversight of the pilot project linking Yachats and Florence with a rudimentary bus system. The project

Yachats council backs off big increase in vacation rental fees, opens discussion on unlimited licenses in commercial, motel zones

November 7, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council changed directions on two significant vacation rental regulation issues Thursday, backing off a major increase in fees and then launching a discussion to allow an unlimited number of short-term rentals in areas zoned for businesses and motels. Decisions on re-licensing fees and several other regulations brings to a near close six months

Oregon nursing board says letter being distributed by Yachats Fire Board member is fake

November 6, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com A Yachats Fire Board member who the Oregon State Board of Nursing wants to fine $5,000 for illegally claiming she is a nurse is distributing a letter purported to be from the agency saying its findings are unfounded. The agency says the letter being distributed by A’lyce Ruberg is a fake. Ruberg, 50, was elected to

Central Lincoln PUD sells out shares of its first community solar system in just two days

October 31, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com On the cloudy Oregon coast, the Central Lincoln People’s Utility District just discovered that well-priced solar power can still be popular. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the utility offered customers a chance to purchase panels in its first community solar system. It expected the 215 solar panels atop its office and shop in Florence to take weeks