Lincoln County’s drug deflection coordinator will be in DA’s office, but program not starting until at least November

October 3, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews An 11th-hour roadblock to getting a new Lincoln County drug possession deflection program up and running has been cleared and is now only a speed bump away from the on-ramp to implementation. Hiring a coordinator to oversee and manage the program is all that stands between arresting and sending people to jail for possession of small

Lincoln County commission chair working from home following harassment allegations in Sept. 18 meeting

October 3, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews NEWPORT – Lincoln County commission chair Casey Miller has been restricted to working from home after an allegation he harassed and bullied county employees. Miller was notified of the allegations the day after speaking out at the board’s Sept. 18 meeting when he expressed frustration about being left out of discussions with commissioners and county legal

Two Yachats groups bring social justice advocate to town for talk Oct. 17 and workshop Oct. 18

October 1, 2024

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews YACHATS — Two local activist groups are hosting a talk and day-long workshop this month featuring a noted author/psychologist. Roxy Manning, a California clinical psychologist and social justice advocate, will be the featured speaker in two separate events: “Strengthening Democracy through Nonviolent Dialogue” is the topic at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Yachats Commons.

Oregon Coast CC hires Chemeketa administrator to become its fifth president in 37-year history

October 1, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews Marshall Roache has been a college wrestler and coach, retail store manager, police officer and community college administrator. Now he’s becoming a community college president. Roache, 49, was named the fifth president in the 37-year history of Oregon Coast Community College during a special board meeting Monday night. He will start work at the college Nov.

Seven years of drone pictures now giving OSU researchers new insights into coastal whale group

September 30, 2024

By MICHELLE KLAMPE/OSU News Service NEWPORT – Drone footage captured by researchers in Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute is offering new insight into the acrobatics undertaken by gray whales foraging in the waters off the coast of Oregon. The whales’ movements, including forward and side-swimming, headstands and the use of “bubble blasts” change as the whales grow, said

Feds postpone auction of wind energy sites off southern Oregon coast as Kotek pulls out of task force

September 27, 2024

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle Amid mounting opposition to offshore wind development off the coast of Oregon, the federal government announced Friday it is delaying a planned auction for the development of two wind energy sites as Gov. Tina Kotek urged the federal agency to halt all leasing plans and stop the auction. The developments call into question the

Central coast salmon, steelhead hatchery on closure list as ODFW examines facilities, proposes cuts

September 26, 2024

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews OTIS – Clayton Morgan has spent the last eight years caring for hundreds of thousands of salmon, steelhead and trout at the state’s hatchery along the Salmon River northeast of Lincoln City. He and his family along with two other Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife employees live at the hatchery, pulling shifts over seven days

To help plan for the future of its property, Yachats council OKs $120,000 for a civic master plan

September 26, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – To get a handle on what’s required to maintain a city’s buildings and public spaces while also looking to future needs and wants, a community should have a plan. Yachats does not have a plan. That does not mean city officials are not taking care of those things. Yachats now has plenty of projects

Citing political rancor, Waldport mayor resigns three months before end of second term

September 26, 2024

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews WALDPORT – Waldport Mayor Greg Holland announced his immediate resignation from office on social media early Wednesday. In a letter posted on Facebook’s Waldport Community page, the two-term mayor and former three-term city council member, cited political rancor as his reason for stepping aside before the end of his term in December. “I am proud to

Newport-based researchers halfway through four-year study how offshore wind turbines might affect sea life

September 26, 2024

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews For Lisa Ballance and her Oregon State University colleagues, it’s two years down and two to go in their ambitious effort to help federal regulators figure out where to most safely and effectively place huge offshore wind turbines off the wind-rich Oregon and California coasts. Ballance’s team has wrapped up the sixth and final visual survey