Choose your location
The Curry Coastal Pilot
Merkley holds town halls on the South Coast
Senator Jeff Merkley made his annual stop for Town Halls along the South Coast this month. On Friday, June 7th, the Senator help events in North Bend and Gold Beach to hear questions from the media and public, and address local concerns. Mayor Jessica Engelke took up emcee duties in North Bend, with State Rep. Court Boice doing the honors in Gold Beach. Along with his counterpart, Senator Wyden, the Oregon senatorial team are the only in the nation to hold a Town Hall in...
Four social media money scams and how to spot them
Did you know that social media scams have been picking more pockets than any other scam today — including phone calls and text fraud? Fraudsters exploit the trust people have in their online communities and use various tactics to trick their victims. Here are the four common social media money scams and how to identify them. 1. The Giveaway Gimmick You’ve been selected to win a free gift card for...
Shore Climate Change
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 Monday in Nature Ecology & Evolution. ...
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...
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,...
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...
Azalea Quilters Guild honors veterans at Festival
During Brookings’ Azalea Festival this year, Quilts of Valor were presented at the 39th annual Azalea Quilt Show, held by the Azalea Quilters Guild. The Quilt of Valor Foundation is a national nonprofit organization, whose mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war. The quilts are meant to convey thanks to veterans for their sacrifice. The foundation was started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, through word of...
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...
Guest Column: Hope is a Four-Letter Word
“At the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength. Hope that it will get better, and strength to hold on until it does.” ~ Anonymous As I lay here writing this article, I am battling yet another acute infection. I’ve been sick most of the winter and early spring catching every viral and bacterial infection that comes through town. My immune system seems to function enough...
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...
Storage unit business expansion calls Urban Renewal Plan into question
In a recent Brookings City Council meeting the main topic of discussion was the City of Brookings Urban Renewal Plan. The master plan was intended to identify areas of blight and present a unified idea of what downtown should look like. Bruce Nishioka, a local attorney, presented a PowerPoint to the council to ask one major question: “What good is a plan if we don’t follow it?” asked Nishioka. ...
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....
Oregon overdose rate highest per capita in the nation
Representative Court Boice (R-Gold Beach) released the following statement regarding the recent news from the U.S. Center for Disease Control showing Oregon has seen the highest rate of increase of overdose deaths, 41.5%, of all states in the last 12-month period. Visuals of overdosed victims literally dying on the streets of Portland no longer shock. Boice stands firm in his strong support for Oregon’s Law Enforcement and Public Safety Professionals stating, “Those heroes are still recovering from the last three years. We must always be...
Police Blotter
The police blotter is an excerpt of a public record of incidents as reported by law-enforcement agencies. All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are innocent until proven guilty. The information printed is preliminary and subject to change. For a list of missing items found in the Brookings area, you can visit the police services page of the city of Brookings website at www.brookings.or.us/134/police-services and follow the link near the bottom of the page. ...
Congressional delegation presses for fishing industry support
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) have sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Administrator Bruce Summers, who oversees the agency’s Agricultural Marketing Service, calling on the USDA to deliver critical federal support to West Coast fishermen and seafood harvesters, processors, and distributors. “Commercial fishing and seafood processing on the West Coast are significant contributors to the nation’s seafood production and agricultural economy,” the lawmakers wrote. “The industry...
Brookings begins local council elections
The City of Brookings released its list of openings and requirements for its City Council elections being held on November 5, 2024. There are three volunteer positions opening as terms expire. The open Council positions are for seats 1 and 2, currently occupied by Clayton Malmberg and Phoebe Pereda respectively. Both Pereda and Malmberg were appointed to these positions rather than elected, following a recall election in late 2023. A...
Brookings begins local council elections
The City of Brookings released its list of openings and requirements for its City Council elections being held on November 5, 2024. There are three volunteer positions opening as terms expire. The open Council positions are for seats 1 and 2, currently occupied by Clayton Malmberg and Phoebe Pereda respectively. Both Pereda and Malmberg were appointed to these positions rather than elected, following a recall election in late 2023. A...
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce recreation options
Clammers check for closures Several parts of the Oregon coast have been closed to mussel and clam harvest (including bay clams) due to an outbreak of biotoxins. Be sure to call the ODA shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures website before harvesting for the most current information about shellfish safety closures. Proposed fall coastal salmon seasons ...
Sharp rise in pertussis cases prompts public health warning
Oregon health officials are concerned about a sharp increase in cases of pertussis — known as whooping cough — across nine counties and are encouraging people to get vaccinated against the disease. As of May 29, 178 pertussis cases had been reported to Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division. That’s a 770 percent increase from the 20 cases reported by that date in 2023. However, the 2024 numbers are roughly in line with those seen during similar time frames in the immediate pre-pandemic years, including...
FBI issues scam alert
The FBI Portland Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers falsely representing themselves as FBI agents, or a representative of another government agency, and sending couriers to pick up cash or gold payments. The FBI states in a release to be advised, federal agencies do not call or email individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even...
The Curry Coastal Pilot
3K+
Posts
4M+
Views
The Curry Coastal Pilot is a general interest newspaper serving the Brookings-Harbor and Curry County areas at the southwestern corner of Oregon. We focus on local breaking news, general news, community news, sports, and opinions.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.