$450,000 reconstruction of East Second Street in Yachats should be finished this week

August 29, 2023

YACHATS – The second stage of a three-part plan to upgrade East Second Street neared its finish Monday as construction crews laid asphalt on a $450,00 project that rebuilt 560 feet of the road. After years if complaints from neighbors, the project was originally intended to start in June 2022. But that was cancelled after bids came in 62

Oregon foresters, Seal Rock water district await word from timberland owner whether aerial spraying will proceed

August 24, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews Whether an aerial spraying of herbicides in the South Beaver Creek watershed by a timberland owner will occur is still uncertain despite a company consultant saying last week that it was highly unlikely. The planned helicopter spraying of herbicides is opposed by the Seal Rock Water District, Lincoln County commissioners, residents who use district water, and

Yachats resident will lead new OSU effort to help prepare coastal communities for emergencies

August 24, 2023

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews A sizable federal grant just awarded to Oregon State University will help the state’s coastal communities create emergency preparedness programs to face tsunamis and earthquakes. The two-year effort is being led by Yachats resident Tracy Crews, who works as a marine educator for OSU’s Oregon Sea Grant program in Newport. “The whole goal here is to

Yachats chamber creates new interactive guidebook aimed at young travelers

August 24, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews YACHATS – Young adventure lovers have new territory to explore in nature and between the pages of a nifty new guide issued by the Yachats Chamber of Commerce. The interactive Youth Outdoor Adventure Guide asks “tidepool detectives” to draw the critters they come across before moving on to describe the sights, sounds and smells found near

New shop in Old Town Waldport attracting locals with wine, beer and food tastings, music and games

August 24, 2023

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews WALDPORT — For months, the two red Adirondack chairs in front of a Waldport shop teased passers-by with the promise of a wine bar “opening soon.” With her July grand opening behind her, owner Shauna Flynn is finding that her Bayside Cellars business has uncorked some pent-up demand. “This is just what Waldport has needed,” Flynn

Lincoln County joins regional consortium to boost child-care businesses, adds $200,000 in grants

August 22, 2023

In an effort to attract new providers and make launching an in-home child care business easier, Lincoln County has joined a three-county initiative to address the area’s child care shortage. The joint effort brings more assistance than ever before to people wishing to open a licensed in-home care business, county officials said in announcing the partnership. Family Connections, the

NOAA researchers encouraged by larger number of gray whale calves that migrated north this spring

August 21, 2023

By NOAA FISHERIES Almost twice as many gray whale calves swam north with their mothers to their Arctic feeding grounds this spring compared to last year, according to a new count by NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The results suggest that the eastern North Pacific population of gray whales that migrate along the West Coast may be stabilizing

Yachats businesswoman’s attempt to provide workforce housing on land zoned for forest use may land her in court

August 17, 2023

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews Linda Hetzler is the well-known owner and operator of a popular restaurant, a small hardware store and a boutique hotel in Yachats and knows the struggles many of her 80 employees have finding places to live. “All of the businesses in Yachats are just screaming for help,” she says. “We have people in cars, in tents,

Yachats council agrees to seek grant to help buy $230,000 tourist trolley, but wants more information on operating costs

August 17, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews The light was green at the Yachats city council meeting Wednesday as councilors put the wheels in motion to pursue a local trolley service, a plan for emergency preparedness, secure a backup water supply, shift its interim city manager to a four-day work week, and codify height limits for fences, walls and hedges. Despite reservations about

After uproar, consultant says it’s “highly unlikely” Beaver Creek timberland owner will proceed with aerial spraying

August 17, 2023

By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews SEAL ROCK – A plan to spray herbicides from a helicopter on 473 acres of clearcuts in the South Beaver Creek watershed by a private timber owner is unlikely to happen anytime soon, a company representative said Tuesday. “It’s highly unlikely we will be doing the aerial spraying at this point,” Tyrol Forfar, a consultant who