Lincoln County

Oregon sues construction company for stifling negative reviews

Zac Ziegler

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has sued SFW Construction for allegedly blocking negative online reviews and violating consumer rights.

A group of local pilots and organizers stand by a hangar they have painted with “NO ICE”. “We are one human family,” a sign in Spanish held by one demonstrator reads.

Politics & Government

Feds agree to settle Newport’s lawsuit over its plans to put immigration detention center at city’s airport

Shayla Escudero

Newport and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday settled the city’s lawsuit that sought to keep a planned federal immigration detention center out of the municipal airport after 10 months of legal fights and more than $368,000 in attorney fees.

The Skamokawa Swamp Opera performs at Fort George Brewery in Astoria during the FisherPoet Gathering’s weeklong performances in February. The organization is taking some of its acts up and down the Oregon coast beginning this week

Arts & Culture

Astoria-based FisherPoets bringing its unique brand of seafaring entertainment to Lincoln County

Mike Francis

The FisherPoets Gathering, a rollicking, three-day celebration of poetry, song and commercial fishing that draws around 2,300 people to Astoria each winter, is coming to Newport, Lincoln City and four other Oregon coast towns this month.

Joe Steere of Lincoln City and Cristen Don of South Beach were the top two finishers in the May primary to complete Claire Hall’s term on the Lincoln County commission and are now facing off in the Nov. 3 general election.

Politics & Government

Don and Steere compete in general election race for last two years of Lincoln County commission term

Quinton Smith

Cristen Don and Joe Steere face off for an open Lincoln County commission seat, offering contrasting views on county oversight, trust, and meeting rules.

Casey Miller was Lincoln County’s public information officer before being elected as commissioner in 2022. Cathy Rigby is the city of Newport’s grants manager, twice applied for appointment to the commission, filed for election in the May primary and came in first but short of an outright majority.

Politics & Government

Incumbent Miller and challenger Rigby both believe change on Lincoln County commission will ease issues

Quinton Smith

Cathie Rigby and incumbent Casey Miller face off for a Lincoln County commission seat as voters weigh financial leads, past governance dysfunction, and plans to rebuild public trust.

News Briefs

Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputy arrested for alleged DUI, off duty crash

A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy has been arrested for an alleged DUI after he was involved in a crash in Seal Rock.

News Briefs

Great Oregon Shakeout returns, Lincoln County residents encouraged to participate

The Great Oregon Shakeout, an annual statewide earthquake drill, will return on Thursday, Oct.15.

Vandals destroyed most of the interior of the women’s restroom at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewport just north of Depoe Bay. Now it will remain closed until at least Oct. 1.

Crime, Law & Justice

Repairing 7 damaged state park restrooms in Lincoln County will cost $100,000, agency says

Repairing the vandalism to seven Oregon State Park restrooms along the coast in Lincoln County is expected to cost $100,000, the state agency announced Wednesday.

Crime, Law & Justice

Otis man who founded Cascade Relief Team indicted for theft from American Red Cross

Lincoln Chronicle staff

An Otis man already accused by the state of stealing hundreds of thousands in donations for victims of Labor Day 2020 fires was indicted Tuesday by a Lincoln County grand jury on two counts of aggravated theft from the American Red Cross.

Fingers hold a butterfly in place. The back wing is marked "25."

Environment

Coastal Oregon landowners aid conservation efforts for endangered butterfly

Karen Richards

Efforts to expand habitat for the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly on the central Oregon Coast are finding support from a seldom-used resource: local property owners.

Oregon State Parks closed the men’s restroom at Agate Beach State Recreation Site in Newport after it was damaged extensively over the weekend. It had already been closed nightly because of vandalism issues.

Environment

Extensive vandalism forces closure of restrooms at six state parks in Lincoln County

Lincoln Chronicle Staff

Oregon State Parks has closed restrooms at six of its sites in Lincoln County after vandals extensively damaged them over the weekend.

The number of vacation rentals between Beaver Creek to the Alsea Bay bridge — including the Bayshore community north of Waldport — are expected to drop from 139 to 26 under Lincoln County’s cap on licenses.

Politics & Government

Lincoln County’s vacation rental ordinance is legal, Oregon Court of Appeals rules; sends issues back to judge

Quinton Smith

Lincoln County’s tortured and tumultuous 10-year path to regulate and limit hundreds of vacation rentals in unincorporated areas may be over.