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Lincoln County Leader -- The News Guard
Pacific coast gray whales have gotten shorter, OSU study finds
Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found. The smaller size could have major consequences for the health and reproductive success of the affected whales, and also raises alarm bells about the state of the food web in which they coexist, researchers say. ...
Kites fly, ‘hearts soar’ at Lincoln City
The 2024 Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival is set for this weekend, June 22 and 23, at the D River State Recreation Site. The annual Summer Kite Festival is a longstanding family vacation tradition. “Experience two days of kite-flying activities and let your heart soar,” Explore Lincoln City states on the city’s website. Lincoln City...
Beverly Beach State Park reopening will be delayed
Those who have been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Beverly Beach State Park north of Newport are going to have to wait just a bit longer. Both the campground and day-use area were closed last September, just after Labor Day weekend, for some upgrades and renovation work, with the hope that it would reopen by the end of this month. However, a press release issued by Oregon State Parks last week said the reopening date has been pushed back and is now set for Aug....
Emergency training exercise delivers food by air
The Oregon Disaster Airlift Response Team (ODART) recently conducted an exercise it called “Whale Run 2024,” during which volunteer pilots airlifted food supplies to several coastal locations in a simulated response to a catastrophic Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami. Although the disaster was a simulation, the food was real, and when it was delivered on Saturday, June 15, volunteers from local food pantries were on hand to accept the delivery and put that food to use serving those in need. ...
The state of local journalism
Two big slices of news about Oregon newspapers fell shortly after Memorial Day, sending shock waves across the state. One was the sale of one of the largest Oregon newspaper groups, Portland-based Pamplin Media, and the other was the announcement of major cutbacks in another, EO Media Group, which owns the Bend Bulletin and other newspapers. Both show the immediate urgency for finding a way to rescue community news in Oregon — sooner, not later. Among other things, the Oregon Legislature urgently needs to take...
Letter: Vacation rental vs. low to middle-class housing
I love Waldport. It is a small community, but we have, as other cities, a problem with available low to middle-income housing. We have so many vacation rental houses in our town, when will it stop? The city has decided to build vacation rentals by Livesay Development on Northwest John Street and Northwest Spring instead putting up low and middle-income housing. The city claims the land is worth too much money to put houses in. It is all about the money. Why can't small homes...
Letter: Master gardeners say ‘thank you’
The Lincoln County Master Gardener Association says thank you to all of our county residents and visitors who came to this year's LCMGA Annual Plant Sale on May 18. We had another successful sale this year. All monies raised through the plant sale help fund many of the master gardener programs, such as: a $1,000 college scholarship (up to four years) awarded to a graduating senior from a Lincoln County School District high school or home-school program; free community roundtable workshops and classes on gardening...
Coho season opens/Blackened Coho Caesar Salad with Sourdough Croutons
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines — boat engines that is, because coho salmon season opened this past Saturday, June 15! Per ODFW — “Hatchery mark-selective coho salmon, Cape Falcon to the OR/CA Border: • Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt: open June 15 through the earlier of Aug. 18 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA border combined quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho. ...
Crabbing Report
How to crab Oregon crabbing is a year-round activity that can almost always yield a successful trip. Crabbing trips require minimal gear, often available for rent in coastal towns, and while boat crabbing increases your likelihood for success, dockside crabbing is easy and very accessible. Before crabbing, be aware of crab regulations. Knowledge of where, when, and how to crab will increase your chances for success. Learn where to crab ...
Food drop exercise conducted at Devils Lake
Devils Lake in Lincoln City could be a key focal point during a disaster or emergency. The popular waterway was the site of an emergency exercise conducted by the Oregon Disaster Airlift Response Team (ODART) on Saturday, June 15. A similar exercise took place that day at the Newport Municipal Airport (see related story). A seaplane, loaded with donated food for the Lincoln City Food Pantry and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Food Pantry, landed at the dock at Regatta Park on Devils Lake....
LCSD to conduct Thursday town hall meeting concerning school culture, bullying
Students, families, staff and the community are invited to the upcoming Tiger Town Hall Meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 20. The meeting will be held in the media center at Taft 7-12 and will also be accessible via Zoom. The focus of the meeting will be about school culture and climate, with an emphasis on bully prevention. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful...
Debris Burn Ban established
The Lincoln County Fire Defense Board and the Oregon Department of Forestry have made the decision to establish a consistent start and end date for the annual Debris Burn Ban in Lincoln County. Taking into consideration the increasingly dry fuel models year after year, Debris Burn Ban was set to begin annually, June 15, 2024, and end October 15, 2024. Individual fire districts may choose to adjust the burn ban dates based on current weather conditions. ...
Supporting rescue efforts
Georgia-Pacific Toledo recently presented a check for $3,400 to the Lincoln County Technical Rescue Team. The funds will be used to purchase new turnout gear for the team, which is a volunteer organization specializing in high-angle rope rescue. The team aids in the rescue of individuals trapped in locations or at heights that normal rescue services cannot reach. The turnout suits will help protect the team against fire, cuts and abrasions, and other hazards associated with their rescues.
Aquarium receives $500,000 challenge grant
The Marcia H. Randall Foundation has gifted $500,000 to the Oregon Coast Aquarium to support the construction of its Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The foundation has also issued a $500,000 matching challenge grant, bringing the total donation to $1 million once the match is met. The aquarium’s Sees-Ha Xwee-Nish Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will expand its capacity for providing critical care to injured or endangered marine species. The facility will have the space and equipment necessary for both immediate and long-term medical attention, giving vulnerable...
Rocky shores of Pacific Northwest show low resilience to changes in climate, research shows
A 15-year period ending in 2020 that included a marine heat wave and a sea star wasting disease epidemic saw major changes in the groups of organisms that live along the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest. The study by Oregon State University scientists, involving four capes in Oregon and California, suggests these communities of species may have low resilience to climate change. Findings were published recently in Nature Ecology & Evolution. ...
Work begins on transportation package
Seven years ago, lawmakers poured more than $5 billion into improving roads, bridges and public transit in Oregon, touting plans to add lanes to congested urban highways, redesign intersections that served as hot spots for crashes and make safer walking routes to school for students across the state. Now, lawmakers are in the earliest stages of crafting the next likely multi-billion transportation package — but this time around, the focus is more on maintaining existing roads than expanding or building new ones. During a recent...
West Coast universities launch new Pacific offshore wind collaborative
Three West Coast universities located near future offshore wind energy sites are joining forces to undertake research and to help inform the public about the benefits and potential impacts of the new industry. An auction expected to take place later this year for two wind energy sites off the Oregon Coast has stirred both excitement about the potential for clean energy development and concern from nearby residents, tribes and the seafood industry amid a push by the Biden administration for the development of offshore wind...
One person arrested following head-on crash
One person is facing charges following a head-on crash at Lincoln City. At approximately 10:32 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) officers responded to the traffic collision on N Highway 101 near NE West Devils Lake Road. "One of the involved drivers fled the scene of the collision prior to officers arrival," LCPD Lt. Jeffrey Winn said. "The victim driver did not report any injuries. Officers began...
Siletz man facing criminal charges following standoff
A Siletz man was taken into custody by law enforcement agents following a standoff in Siletz June 16. Te Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) learned through community contacts that 36-year-old James Kelly was inside a private residence owned by his twin-brother, Keith Kelly, in Siletz, accord to LCSO Sgt. Nick Vaille. “Local Law enforcement agents been attempting to apprehend James on multiple warrants issued for his arrest, many calls of...
Oregon beach monitoring season is now underway
This year’s Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) is now underway, with two-dozen coastal recreation areas being tested for bacteria during summer and early fall. The 24 beaches on the list of places being tested include some of the most frequently visited beaches in Oregon. It also includes beaches where the program has found bacteria present, or beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns. ...
Lincoln County Leader -- The News Guard
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