Oregon graduation requirements are changing to give students more practical preparation for college, careers and adult life. Students earning diplomas beginning in 2026 must complete a half-credit of civics. Students receiving an Oregon Diploma or Modified Diploma on or after Jan. 1, 2027, must also complete a half-credit each in Personal Financial Education and Higher Education and Career Path Skills. The new requirements are included within Oregon’s existing credit totals a

WALDPORT — Waldport officials discussed outstanding audit work and the city’s fiscal-year financial review at the October City Council meeting. During the audit discussion, City manager Dann Cutter said staff would prioritize sending auditors a more legible fiscal year 2022 trial balance, a financial report produced using the city’s former accounting software. Cutter said the older system made the records difficult to read. The city had also provided auditors with capital ass

The City of Toledo recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and proclaimed Oct. 12, 2026, Indigenous Peoples’ Day in declarations issued by Mayor Tracy Mix. Toledo held its Domestic Violence Awareness Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, Oct. 3. The city’s proclamation says the annual vigil brings the community together to honor victims and survivors, remember those who have died, share information about services, and show support and hope. The proclamation recognize

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Oct. 4–10, 2026, National 4-H Week, recognizing the program’s work with local youth and honoring Sue Giles, a longtime 4-H volunteer, who was recently inducted into the Oregon 4-H Hall of Fame. Sue said she has been involved in 4-H for 55 years. She joined as a 9-year-old and later became a club leader, for the past 43 years. Shelly Spangler, an education program assistant with the local 4-H program, nominated her for the H

left, Bela Sebastian Hohn, Karla Clem and Leslie Melo Lira. Two Lincoln County nursing students are this year’s recipients of the Gribler Loving Trust Nursing Education Scholarship from the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation. Leslie Melo Lira and Bela Sebastian-Hohn each received $5,000 for tuition and books for their studies in the nursing program at Oregon Coast Community College. They were recognized during a reception at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital

Newport officials are using Fire Prevention Week to remind residents to handle lithium-ion batteries carefully, citing the fire risks associated with the widely used power source. At a City Council meeting, Fire Chief Rob Murphy said the Newport Fire Department has seen an increase in fire hazards involving lithium-ion batteries. He urged residents not to use batteries that appear damaged, to check them while they charge and to unplug them once charging is complete. The discu

Lincoln Cities $58 million bond measure may not lock the city into building a new City Hall and library at an alternate site, City Manager Daniel Hunter said, though the ballot’s explanatory statement currently refers to that. Hunter said the City Council approved the bond amount without specifying which site or construction option it was considering. But city staff associated the $58 million figure with an off-site development, and that understanding was reflected in the exp

With election season underway, drivers are seeing more and more political signs throughout Lincoln County. The City of Waldport has adopted a revised Election Campaign Sign Policy, which replaces the City’s February 2022 Political Signage Policy. The updated policy treats election campaign signs the same as any other temporary sign, such as a yard-sale, event, or “for sale” sign. The City does not regulate signs based on what they say; instead, the same content-neutral standa

The Newport City Council has appointed Simon Holding, a 17-year-old Newport High School senior as a citizen advisor to the city’s Planning Commission, bringing a student perspective to discussions about the community’s future. Holding told councilors he hopes to become an urban planner and wants to learn more about Newport’s zoning rules. He also described a research paper he wrote on mobility justice in Newport, based on interviews with two local government officials. During

Lincoln County’s economy is being reshaped by an aging population, lower-wage jobs, and mounting infrastructure needs, but it also sits on the edge of major opportunities in innovation, broadband, and blue-economy growth, according to Paul Schuytema, Executive Director of the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County. Speaking at a Newport Chamber lunch, Schuytema walked business and community leaders through the updated Lincoln County Economic Status Report, completed

Newport Mayor Jan Kaplan (L) and Coast Busters Vice Chair Jamie Michele The Newport City Council has proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the work of local nonprofit CoastBusters and honoring the legacy of its late co-founder and longtime community volunteer Sonia Graham. Reading the proclamation at a recent council meeting, Mayor Jan Kaplan noted that breast cancer remains “one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women” and emphasized th

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners announced the 2026-27 Community and Economic Development Grant Program. The application is available on the county’s website. Applications are accepted from local governments and organizations recognized by the IRS as nonprofit organizations. Applications are also accepted from public-private partnerships with the fiscal agent being a nonprofit or municipal organization. An example of a public-private partnership project that could qu

Oregon’s unemployment rate was little changed at 5.1% in August and 5.2% in July. It has been within a tight range between 5.0% and 5.3% for the past 18 months, since March 2025 when it was 5.0%. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1% in both July and August. In August, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined by 800 jobs, following a revised loss of 1,800 jobs in July. August’s losses were largest in professional and business services (-1,100 jobs). Ga

Lincoln City is moving ahead with a long-awaited roadmap to cut emissions and prepare for climate impacts, after the City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new Climate Action Plan (CAP) — with utility concerns formally attached and several data errors flagged for correction. The council approved Resolution 2026-08 adopting the Lincoln City Climate Action Plan on Monday night, 9/13/26, directing staff to include a letter from Northwest Natural as an addendum to the plan. Su

Oregon Coast Community College staff, board members, and supporters turned out on Friday September 11th for a ribbon cutting opening their new Arcadia East County Center to serve Toledo, Siletz, and rural students. College officials noted this was a long-overdue investment in rural students and working families on the east side of Lincoln County. Speaking at the event, OCCC President Dr. Marshall Roache said the college views access to education as a fundamental right, not a

Communities across Lincoln County and the nation are observing Patriot Day today, Sept. 11, marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001. Patriot Day is observed annually in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Virginia and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Congress designated Sept. 11 as Patriot Day thr

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners are preparing to resume in-person public meetings after several months of holding sessions virtually after county officials said employees raised safety concerns. . During the Sept. 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, Chair Walter Chuck said county staff and the county’s insurer had previously recommended moving to online-only meetings after multiple complaints from employees who reported feeling unsafe during contentious public comment

Charlie Plybon providing public comment to the Newport City Council Newport residents and Surf Rider volunteers pressed the Newport City council during public comment, to act on persistent bacterial contamination at the Nye Beach stormwater outfall, warning that high levels of fecal indicator bacteria are an ongoing public health risk at one of the community’s most popular beaches. Speaking during public comment at the Newport City Council meeting, several members of the loca

Starting September 8, crews are returning to the area to wrap up minor work. You can expect daytime single lane closures Monday through Friday, as needed. Starting September 14, crews will start building the retaining wall near NE 1st Street and NW 2nd Drive. You can expect: Crews working during the day. Construction noise – expect loud machinery and large cranes driving in and out of the area. Southbound U.S. 101 traffic, south of NW 6th Street to D River, will shift to the

Explore dozens of local resources designed to help you live your healthiest life at the Healthier You Expo on Saturday, Sept. 12. More than three dozen community organizations, businesses and Samaritan Health Services departments will gather to offer wellness information, interactive activities and valuable resources during this free, family-friendly event. The expo will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Samaritan Center for Health Education, 740 SW Ninth St. in Newport