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Lincoln County Leader -- The News Guard
Consolidation of Newport, Depoe Bay fire departments to be considered
The idea of consolidating portions of the Newport Fire Department and the Depoe Bay Fire District was discussed this month during a work session of the Newport City Council. In attendance at that June 3 session were Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy and Depoe Bay Fire Chief Tom Jackson. Murphy said Oregon law gives broad authority to local government agencies to make agreements with each other, whether it be to...
Federal funding needed for prescribed burns to prevent wildfires
Oregon and Washington leaders are using the start of the region’s wildfire season to once again ask Congress for more money for prescribed burns. The practice of strategically starting low-intensity fires across forests to improve soil and ecosystem health and prevent catastrophic wildfires has been common among tribes in the West for millenia. In recent years, it has gained more traction among the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land...
Lincoln City Police Department receives award
The Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) was recognized recently with the LEXIPOL Gold Plaque award. LEXIPOL is a policy management and training program designed to enhance officer knowledge and to standardize department procedures. An administrator with LEXIPOL said the LCPD has shown dedication to updating the program’s policies and procedures, as well as training officers. It is important for law enforcement agencies to keep up to date with the most...
This Week in History
25 years ago (1999) Bones on beach not human, says medical examiner Bones discovered on the beach in the Roads End area on Sunday, June 6, were not human, as they were originally thought to be. According to the police report, the remains had been described as a fused, lower leg bone, possibly belonging to...
Lincoln City moving forward with Villages at Cascade Head development
It began as a key economic development driver for Lincoln City, but the city’s $2.5 million purchase in 2012 of 375 acres of the Villages at Cascade Head have been sitting idle following the COVID pandemic and the procedural process. “The properties at the Villages is a very substantial part of our buildable lands, and it is also close to, and partially includes city and public utilities,” said former Lincoln City Planning and Community Development Director Richard Townsend, now acting as the city’s interim director....
Oregon’s psilocybin industry, a year old, seeks customers
A year in, Oregon’s experiment with the first regulated psilocybin mushroom market in the world is short on customers. To attract them, advocates say the industry needs to get the word out about its benefits. “We think everybody knows that psychedelics can help them because we’re in this little bubble. But 99 percent of people have no idea what they could get out of a journey,” said Heidi Venture, founder of a Hood River mushroom center, Vital Reset, where customers undergo supervised “trips” on psilocybin,...
Public confidence varies in climate change impact
Oregon State University researchers found that U.S. adults are fairly confident in linking wildfires and heat to climate change, but less confident when it comes to other extreme weather events like hurricanes, flooding or tornadoes. The study found that politics and personal experience played significant roles in people’s responses: Self-identified Republicans were less likely than Democrats to attribute extreme weather events to climate change, though Republicans who had personally experienced negative impacts from extreme weather events were more likely to link them to climate change...
Congratulations Classes of 2024
Graduation ceremonies were held around Lincoln County last week as communities honored their Class of 2024 at the various schools. Toledo High School graduates walk onto Hargett Memorial Field for their commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday. According to the Lincoln County School District, Toledo had 31 graduates this year. Numbers of graduates at other high schools around the district were: Newport, 150; Taft 103; Waldport, 43; Compass Online, 22; Eddyville, 18, and Siletz, 12. (Photo by Steve Card)
Street closure planned in Toledo
Beginning on Monday, June 17, construction will begin on a water line replacement project on Southeast Fir Street in Toledo. The stretch of road between Southeast Seventh Street and Southeast 10th Street will be closed to through traffic. Motorists will need to take alternate routes for the duration of this project, with is expected to run through the month of July.
North and Central Coast re-opens for razor clam harvesting
The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce a new shellfish opening. Razor clam harvesting has re-opened on the north and central coast. Levels of the marine biotoxin paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) have continued to test below the closure limit. Razor clam harvesting is open from the Washington border to the Yachats River. Commercial oyster harvesting has also reopened in Netarts and Tillamook bays. ...
Passing the Peace Torch in States Across the US
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, an international torch relay, will be coming to your area soon. An estimated 50,000 children in over 1,000 cities and towns along the route are expected to participate when the Peace Run (peacerun.org ) visits schools, youth organizations and local events. Runners will offer educational presentations that promote self-esteem and the oneness of humanity. For over 35 years the Peace Run has traversed over 160 nations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia as a symbol of humanity’s...
Statewide outdoor recreation comp plan draft available online for public review
The public is invited to comment on the draft 2025-29 Oregon Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) titled Balance and Engagement: Sustaining the Benefits for All Oregonians. A copy of the draft SCORP document and support documents are posted online for public review at www.oregon.gov/oprd/PRP/Pages/PLA-scorp.aspx. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will accept comments until June 28. The five-year plan is a comprehensive look at Oregon’s outdoor recreation needs and priorities based on a representative population survey of more than 3,000 residents and recreation...
Groundbreaking set for June 20 at Schooner Creek Discovery Park
Lincoln City Parks & Recreation (LCP&R) has announced the official groundbreaking for construction of Schooner Creek Discovery Park at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 20. This public celebration of the Phase 1 construction will highlight the first inclusive and accessible playground on the Oregon coast, including a public parking lot and ADA-access, according to LCP&R Director Jeanne Sprague. The public is invited to view the groundbreaking, enjoy “new park” cookies, view...
Newport set to begin city manager transition
The city of Newport is preparing to transition to its new city manager with the retirement of the current manager, Spencer Nebel, quickly approaching. Nebel, who has served as city manager for the past decade, will officially retire on July 8, and the following day, July 9, Nina Vetter will take over that position. After a lengthy interview process in April involving four candidates, the Newport City Council voted unanimously...
Oregon lawmakers seek community feedback as they plan a transportation package
Oregon lawmakers are mapping out a transportation package for the 2025 legislative session to address the state’s long-term needs, from sustainable funding to new projects so Oregonians can safely travel throughout the state. As an initial step, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation is planning a dozen meetings from June to September in communities throughout Oregon to get input about improving the state’s transportation system with stable funding to complete major projects and maintain what’s already in place. ...
Local man arrested in alleged rape case
A Lincoln City man faces rape charges following his arrest by Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) investigators. According to LCPD, officers arrested 53-year-old Daniel Ryan Stuebgen, of Lincoln City, on June 12 at his place of business, Happy Trails Feed and Tack & U-Haul Neighborhood dealer, located at 2150 SE Highway 101, Lincoln City. “Mr. Stuebgen was arrested on charges of Rape II, Sex Abuse I and Sodomy II,” LCPD...
Nighttime paving on Highway 20
The Oregon Department of Transportation advises motorists to expect delays during a nighttime repaving project now underway on Highway 20, from milepoints 24.4 to 29.4. Single-lane closures will be in place from Sunday night to Friday morning, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used to direct traffic. According to ODOT, this section of the highway is in poor condition, and the existing driving surface needs to be removed and replaced. The project will include repaving the road, adding new striping, sealing the surface of the bridges and installing rumble strips. The estimated cost of construction for the entire project is $6.25 million. This work is weather dependent. Go online at Tripcheck.com to find the most current information on traffic impacts.
Former Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt has died
Former Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt, one of the state’s most powerful figures before revelations that he had sexually abused a teenager, died Wednesday, two days before he would have turned 84. As the young mayor of Portland in the 1970s, Goldschmidt was an electrifying figure. While many American cities were falling apart, he presided over a flurry of innovation in the City of Roses. He helped kill a freeway and launch a light rail. Under his watch, inner-city neighborhoods were lavished with money and attention....
Guest Column: Moving from primaries into the summer
The primary season is over. I will continue to do my job as your Senator as I move toward campaign mode. To keep my Senate duties and campaign separate, make sure you look for a new and different email from me through the summer and fall as we move to campaign season. We have been really busy working on 2025 session priorities and bills. My staff and I have been meeting endlessly with stakeholders, community members and many other people about my priorities. These areas...
No fireworks ban anticipated in Newport
Although the city of Newport has the authority to ban the use of fireworks during the Fourth of July if dangerous wildfire conditions exist, it doesn’t appear there will need to be any restrictions enacted this year. Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy spoke to the Newport City Council at its June 3 meeting to share the latest predictions for the upcoming fire season. “For the fireworks ordinance … based on...
Lincoln County Leader -- The News Guard
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