By JONATHAN LEVINSON/Oregon Public Broadcasting A Harney County Circuit Court judge ruled Tuesday that Oregon’s new gun laws, approved by voters last year under ballot Measure 114, violate the state constitution. The provisions, passed in November 2022, had been blocked from taking effect by Judge Robert Raschio since last December, pending a full trial. With […]
Archives for November 2023
Oregon Coast Aquarium staff caring for sea turtle found north of Yachats
An adult male Olive Ridley sea turtle is being cared for at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport after being found “cold stunned” and stranded Sunday at Beachside State Park north of Yachats. The aquarium said Monday that the turtle had a body temperature of below 60 degrees – 15 degrees below a normal […]
Sunday event at Waldport visitor center and museum will honor Nickerson
WALDPORT — The public is invited to a remembrance for Colleen Nickerson from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26 at the Alsea Bay Bridge Visitor Center and Waldport Heritage Museum. Calling her “the driving force, heart and soul” of the museum, the Waldport Chamber of Commerce issued the invitation to honor Nickerson. The longtime Waldport resident […]
OSU study: Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration
By STEVE LUNDEBERG/OSU News Service CORVALLIS – Forest modeling by Oregon State University scientists shows that a site’s productivity – an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate – is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration. The findings, […]
Judge signals that he’s finally ready to issue ruling on Lincoln County’s vacation rental ordinance
Three months after he said he would quickly rule on a long-running legal battle over vacation rental regulations, a Lincoln County circuit judge is apparently ready to release his opinion. Pro-tem judge Joseph Allison on Thursday scheduled a “status check” hearing for Dec. 4 – and informed lawyers for the county and vacation rental […]
Oregon governor Tina Kotek selects Umatilla member as her first tribal affairs director
SALEM — Shana McConville Radford of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will join Gov. Tina Kotek’s administration as Oregon’s first tribal affairs director. McConville Radford, 39, had since May 2022 served as deputy director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. “The tribal affairs director role is an unprecedented role […]
Oregon Secretary of State says audit of OLCC and cannabis industry meets its standards
By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregonians still can access the audit of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission after former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan’s moonlighting scandal with cannabis company La Mota put the audit under intense scrutiny. Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who released her review of the audit on Monday, said […]
It’s free to fish in Oregon on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving
The two days after Thanksgiving – Friday and Saturday – are officially “free fishing” days in Oregon when anyone can fish, clam and crab without licenses or tags. The free fishing days authorized by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife apply to both Oregon residents and nonresidents. However, all other fishing regulations apply — […]
Waldport woman cited for harassment after grocery store incident
WALDPORT – A dust-up between audience members at a local fire district board meeting has spilled into the grocery aisles of Ray’s Market. A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy cited Tamara M. Rodriguez, 44, of Waldport for harassment after a Nov. 12 incident at the grocery store. Rodriguez, who also goes by Tamara Derby, is well […]
Air Force veteran Monique DeSpain will challenge Val Hoyle in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District
By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle A Republican Air Force veteran and attorney plans to challenge Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., counting on voters’ frustrations with crime and homelessness and suspicion of Hoyle’s ties to a troubled marijuana business to overcome a Democratic registration edge in a southern Oregon and coastal congressional district. The 4th congressional district […]