By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews Three veterans are nearing completion of a self-assigned rescue mission. The trio of former Marines will arrive in Newport on foot Saturday, 10 days after the anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and six months after leaving Boston Harbor on the anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy. Their trek […]
Archives for December 2022
County commissioners and residents along Forest Service road east of Waldport advocate changing racist name
By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews Almost 20 years after Lincoln County commissioners declined to change a racist road name east of Waldport, the county now appears poised to rename it for a former slave who lived there 140 years ago. As far as the U.S. Forest Service is concerned, the half-mile stretch of fern- and tree-lined […]
The Mystery of the Entangled Oregon Orca: Search for killer whale carcass leads to an answer hidden in its DNA
By MICHAEL MILSTEIN/NOAA Fisheries The black-and-white pattern of a killer whale stood out to an Oregon fisherman 30 miles southwest of Newport. He spotted it at 1:47 p.m. June 26. The whale was belly up — and dead. A lone gull stood atop the carcass, which had a turquoise and yellow rope wound tightly […]
Lincoln County commissioners resume work on controversial vacation rental rules — and schedule first discussion of limits
By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews Vacation rental owners in unincorporated Lincoln County have a new set of rules to follow next year, as county commissioners prepare for the most controversial aspect of a 2021 ordinance — determining limits on the number of short-term rental licenses allowed in seven areas. Lincoln County commissioners held a brief workshop […]
Harney County judge issues temporary injunction Thursday blocking implementation of BM 114 on Oregon gun rules
By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle A Harney County Circuit Court judge on Thursday blocked a new voter-approved Oregon law banning the sale of large-capacity firearms magazines with more than 10 rounds from taking effect while court arguments proceed. Judge Robert Raschio’s preliminary injunction also stops the state from enforcing other parts of Measure 114, including […]
Monsanto and Oregon agree to $698 million settlement to end lawsuit over chemical pollution
By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — The Monsanto Co. will pay Oregon a $698 million settlement to end litigation tied to its alleged role in polluting the state with toxic chemicals that still remain in landfills and riverbeds decades later. The settlement is the largest environmental damage recovery in Oregon history, Attorney General Ellen […]
Elliott State Forest, Oregon’s oldest state forest, will no longer be logged to provide funding for schools
A view from the Elliott State Research Forest near Coos Bay. By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle A state forest with some of the last and largest swathes of old-growth trees in the Oregon Coast Range will no longer be logged to help pay for the public schools. A vote from the State Land Board made […]
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commutes 17 death sentences — including Waldport killer — and ends death row
By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — For more than 10 years, Oregon governors have enforced a moratorium on executions. In one of her last acts as governor, Kate Brown went a step further, announcing Tuesday that she will commute the sentences of the 17 people on Oregon’s death row. The list includes a Waldport […]
YachatsNews transitions to 501c3 nonprofit, hires full-time reporter, seeks donations and posts operating policies
Editorial Independence Policy, February 2023 We subscribe to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News. Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial […]
Lincoln County schools superintendent announces retirement June 30 after five years of change, crises and recovery
By KENNETH LIPP/YachatsNews Lincoln County schools’ superintendent will retire June 30 after five years leading the district, including facing two major crises for much of her tenure. Superintendent Karen Gray announced her impending retirement Tuesday night during the regular meeting of the Lincoln County School District board meeting in Newport. She segued into the […]