The Oregon Senate on Wednesday passed a $210 million bill to increase the state’s semiconductor industry. (Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle) By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — The state Senate on Wednesday passed the Oregon CHIPS Act, a move intended to bolster the state’s ability to compete for semiconductor projects and federal money to expand […]
Archives for March 2023
Oregon’s hospital association, health care unions reach compromise on proposed staffing legislation
By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon’s hospital industry and key employee unions say they have reached an agreement over legislation on health care staffing. The Oregon Nurses Association, which represents about 15,000 registered nurses and nurse practitioners, has been pushing House Bill 2697 which would impose nurse-to-patient ratios, something the Oregon Association of Hospitals and […]
Yachats commission OKs permit for employee apartment in downtown
YACHATS – The Yachats Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a conditional use permit allowing the owner of a downtown building to convert a storage area above Luna Sea Fish House into a one-bedroom apartment. In doing so, the commission stipulated that the apartment be rented only to someone who worked in the complex […]
Low-income Oregon families with children getting $170 million in extra food aid through May
By the Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon is sending $170 million in extra food aid to children in low-income families statewide. The Department of Human Services will start issuing payments of $391 from late March to the end of May. A news release said 434,000 children will receive payments. The money comes from a federal program […]
Dozens testify against firearms bill in Oregon Legislature that critics say tries to circumvent the courts
Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would put a permit system in place to purchase firearms. (Connor Radnovich/Oregon Capital Chronicle) By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — The gun debate played out on Monday in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with Oregonians at odds over whether the state should have a permit system to purchase […]
Feds award $50 million in housing grants to Oregon organizations, most going to metro areas
By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle The federal government is sending nearly $50 million to Oregon nonprofits, counties and other entities to address homelessness. The money – from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – adds to a $200 million investment approved by the Oregon Legislature this month to help hundreds of Oregonians find […]
Lincoln City police arrest Clackamas County man for burglaries of 5 stores
Between March 20, 2023 and March 23, 2023 multiple businesses in Lincoln City were broken into. The involved victim businesses, 88 Grains Asian Fusion Bar, Burger King Restaurant, Mazatlan Restaurant, and AT&T Store, reported the burglaries resulted in the theft of cash and merchandise valued in the thousands of dollars. Lincoln City Police Officers and […]
First major sighting this spring of killer whales in Yaquina Bay thrills photographers, tourists and orca researcher
By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews Jaklyn Larsen wasn’t planning to go for a run Monday, but that’s just what happened when the Florence-based professional photographer got word that a family of five killer whales was heading up the Yaquina River. Larsen, a self-described killer whale enthusiast, dropped everything and made the drive to Newport, hoping she […]
Lincoln County jobless rate stays flat — but at 5.8 percent — in February
Is this good news or bad news? Or just news? The Oregon Employment Department said Tuesday that the unemployment rate for Lincoln County remained flat at 5.8 percent in February – the same as it was in January. The county’s unemployment rate had been steadily rising each month since hitting a low of 4.7 percent […]
Oregon Coast CC announces business workshops for spring
The Small Business Development Center at Oregon Coast Community College has announced a series of workshops for business owners this spring. There will be two training workshops on how to use Excel. A basic workshop is Wednesday, April 5 and a “tips and tricks” workshop is Wednesday, April 19. Both are offered online via Zoom. […]