The man charged in the beating death of former Yachats resident Martin Baker is still in a San Diego County jail, still awaiting a preliminary hearing on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Eugene Focarelli, 37, is being held on $200,200 bail in the February assault against Baker, a formerly homeless man who […]
Archives for June 2021
20 of 22 recent COVID-19 victims in Lincoln County had not been vaccinated, health official reports
Lincoln County has seen a slight rise in COVID-19 cases the past week and in all but two of them, the ill person had not been vaccinated against the virus. Of the 22 new cases in the previous seven days, acting health department director Florence Pourtal said 20 people were not vaccinated and the remaining […]
Oregon Legislature sends bill creating new class of dental therapists to governor for signature
By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau A new class of dental therapists, working under the supervision of dentists, would provide basic services to patients under a bill that is headed to Gov. Kate Brown. Oregon lawmakers passed House Bill 2528 — the House by a 45-11 vote Wednesday and the Senate by a 20-9 vote the […]
Oregon Legislature passes bill to lessen increases in business unemployment payroll taxes
By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Many Oregon businesses will see smaller increases in their unemployment payroll taxes, and even forgiveness of some amounts, as a result of a bill now headed to Gov. Kate Brown. House Bill 3389 was repassed by the House on a 56-0 vote Wednesday after it cleared the Senate on a […]
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown says she’s confident state will reach 70% benchmark for vaccinations next week
By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday announced what she said would be the last adjustments in the state’s county COVID-19 infection risk levels. Brown said she was confident the state would soon reach her benchmark of 70% of eligible adults statewide who have been given at least one shot of […]
Popular Yachats Celtic Festival now back to “full tilt planning mode” for November
Now that the Yachats City Council has voted to open the Commons, the popular Yachats Celtic Festival looks to be a “go” for November. Cancelled last year and on hold for months due to the pandemic, the festival couldn’t move ahead with any certainty until organizers knew they could fill the multipurpose room in the […]
Weyerhaeuser geologists fear massive Fall Creek landslide will “unravel” as ODFW research center downstream waits and adjusts
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com If it was any other landslide in a remote section Oregon’s Coast Range, there would not be much concern. Some private or Forest Service logging roads would be closed. The landowner would monitor it. And there it would sit – or move — without much attention. But in a mountain range […]
Legislature fast-tracks special bill to address affordable housing issue in Bend area
By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau In a move with possible statewide implications, the House on Monday voted to fast-track a Bend affordable housing plan by allowing the city to skip much of the time-consuming land use approval process in state law. House Bill 3318 was approved 42-16. By the afternoon, the bill had been […]
Oregon coronavirus report for Monday, June 21: Oregon needs less than 50,000 vaccinations to reach goal
June 21, 2021 Closer to reopening, Oregon’s vaccinations pass a milestone Today we celebrate a milestone of fewer than 50,000 people in Oregon who need to be vaccinated in order to meet the goal of 70% of adults 18 and over. Keep you and your loved ones healthy by preparing for wildfire season It’s wildfire […]
“If you’re hungry, please come.” As pandemic wanes and summer begins, Yachats church’s free food pantry still open to all
By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com Hungry? Need food? Just show up. Anyone who’s hungry can get nutritious, free food at the Yachats Community Presbyterian Church Food Pantry just by showing up. That’s been the case since pre-pandemic times, and it remains true as the pandemic winds down and summer begins. “We want to remind folks that […]