A man abandoned a beached truck borrowed from his boss and fled the scene to elude police late Saturday night near the 15th Street access after he crashed into some rocks, got high-centered and swamped the vehicle.
“I was just out here doing cookies,” the driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said before fleeing once he learned police had been called. “The truck is toast, man. It’s not going anywhere. Water got in the engine.”
Ocean water is seen dripping out of a Chevrolet Silverado Saturday night at the 15th Street beach access
Before leaving the scene, the man, who said he was from Seattle and asked to be identified by the pseudonym Juan Martinez, said he was certain to lose his job over the incident and didn’t want to be arrested for a second DUII.
“I’m not going to have a job tomorrow as soon as my boss finds out,” he said.
Asked how he felt getting the borrowed truck hydrolocked, the man, approximately 25 to 30 years old, replied, “Stupid . . . I feel like an idiot.”
A group of beach-goers sitting around a bonfire said the man “came down at least four separate times and drove into the deepest parts of the surf.”
“He got stuck on the rocks, so we called the police,” they said.
The witnesses, calling themselves the “15th Street Jeepers,” said waves from the rising tide were hitting the truck, but they towed the vehicle to safety with a Ford Ranger before police joined the scene.
“We surfed him out,” one witness said. “I was waiting for the waves to hit and I’d tell our guy, ‘go, go, go'”
The man — animated but appreciative — thanked the group for pulling the truck out of the surf. Soaked from the ocean after sitting in the driver’s seat with water above his knees, the man said he had to get his hotel key out of the center console, “but it was full of water, so I had to fish it out.”
“I tried to start it a bunch of times, but it’s not happening,” said the man, who said he was in Lincoln City to spend time with his buddies at the casino. “If I could get it started, I’d be out of here.”
Police said they ran the license plates on the truck and searched for the driver, but were unable to locate him.
A Ford Escape driven by a woman who led police through Lincoln City is towed Saturday night (Photo by Justin Werner).
A woman was taken into custody by Lincoln City Police on eluding and reckless driving charges Saturday evening following a pursuit through downtown Lincoln City.
According to Sgt. Randy Weaver, fellow officer Jeffery Winn was on his way home and thought he had come across a medical emergency when he saw a white Ford Escape pull up behind him near 14th Street with its hazard lights flashing.
Weaver said Sgt. Winn pulled over to let the car pass and recognized the driver as a woman the police department had dealt with before who suffered from mental illness. A chase ensued after Winn flipped on his lights and the woman, who had waved at him, failed to yield.
The pursuit ended at the north Shell Station at 4031 NW Highway 101 following a chase that never exceeded 45 mph.
“It was a pursuit, but speed was not a part of it.” a police dispatcher said.
The woman’s car was towed and she was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail.
A small fire in a Beachfront Manor hotel room Saturday night prompted a big response from North Lincoln Fire & Rescue.
Three engines, an aerial truck and multiple support vehicles arrived at the hotel at 2855 NW Inlet Ave. within minutes to put out the fire at approximately 6:30 p.m.
“You can’t mess around when there’s a hotel fire,” Lincoln City Police Department Sgt. Randy Weaver said. “We have a great fire department and they showed up quick.”
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Interim NLFR Chief Rob Dahlman said nearby rooms were evacuated as the fire was located in the wall and entered the attic. No one was injured and damage was estimated at $25,000.
“We responded to smoke in a room,” Dahlman said. “The fire is contained.”
(Photo courtesy NLFR)
Cause of the fire was deemed accidental Monday following a joint investigation.
Hotel management said fire units arrived “really fast.”
“The [hotel staff] acted quickly in calling 9-1-1, giving our crews adequate time to expose the fire and stop it while it was still relatively small,” Fire Marshal Ed Ulrich said.
Guests were allowed back into their rooms after a brief waiting period.
The fire was hidden from view in the void around the chimney from a gas fireplace on a sixth-floor unit, NLFR said. Firefighters swiftly opened the void space breaching ceiling while other crews deployed to the roof contained the fire to two units. Flames damaged a small portion of the roof.
An engine from Depoe Bay Fire assisted on scene, and an engine from Nestucca Rural Fire and Rescue was en route for additional assistance.
Few people understand the importance of getting from here to there the fastest than 2018 Taft High graduate Gabe Arce-Torres.
Among the state’s speediest sprinters on last spring’s Tigers track and field team, Arce-Torres was virtually unstoppable in bursting from starting block to finishing tape in Oregon’s small-school ranks.
Then, somebody threw a roadblock in his path to get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of time, abruptly derailing the senior sprint specialist’s quest to become the state’s fastest Class 3A runner.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride since high school, to say the least,” the multisport prep star said.
A pulled hamstring suffered late in his final District qualifying run last May cost Arce-Torres a chance at three league titles, a trip to State and his team a shot at the boys title. While still eager to race at historic Hayward Field in Eugene after posting preliminary qualifying times in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, he was determined ineligible to compete for State track and field supremacy under OSAA rules.
“I truly thought things would progress at a slow pace and climax like a great novel upon his graduation,” Gabe’s father and coach, Joey Arce-Torres, said. “His entire senior year of high school seemed to vanish before my eyes before I even realized what happened.”
Now a college freshman, the 18-year-old Arce-Torres will clear the hurdle of missing State when he becomes the youngest athlete in Western Oregon University history to compete in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The dominating sprinter with the indomitable spirit will run the 400-meter second leg when the Wolves seek their third straight distance medley relay title March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kansas.
“Coming off of a really disappointing injury, I took a lot of time off during the summer in hopes of allowing my body to relax and get back to a state mentally where I was ready to put in the tremendous amount of work needed to be competitive at the college level,” he said.
Arce-Torres never lost in the 400 his senior year and qualified for the District finals in the event by more than four seconds — virtual light years by track and field standards. He shut down all comers all season, placing second just once — in the 200 to a Class 5A runner in the prestigious Prefontaine Rotary Invitational in Coos Bay.
“Gabe has used his life experiences to put himself in a position to rise up on the podium. Gabe has learned to run for himself. He now knows he — and he alone — controls his destiny.”
— Joey Arce-Torres
There was a time when pain and suffering would have been a rude awakening for the little fellow who just years earlier would score four or five goals in the first half of a youth league soccer match, then fuss over how to get the ball to his older teammates for a shot on goal in the second half.
“Coming home for winter break, I had a laundry list of about four pages of handwritten workouts for the month,” he said. “Prior to leaving, I had a few really positive meetings with my coach kind of outlining the next coming weeks and eventual outdoor season.”
Arce-Torres entered his first week of preseason training last fall still fighting the nagging pain in his hamstring, but persevered behind a robust physical therapy program at Western that kept him “somewhat functional even after the worst workouts.”
“Following my first cross country season, I felt extremely confident about the amount of training I had and was incredibly excited for the upcoming indoor season as I had never competed indoors or at the college level,” he said.
By now accustomed to setbacks, his most recent one surfaced during the first week of winter break in December when he felt a twinge in his knee roughly 25 minutes into a run.
“I just thought maybe I had stepped wrong and proceeded to run,” he said. “Within the next two minutes, I was taking off my shoes and hobbling home to grab some ice.”
The mysterious flex injury held him back from putting on his running shoes throughout the Christmas break before he burst back with two personal-best times in preparation for the distance medley relay (DMR), which features legs of 1,200, then 400, 800 and 1,600 meters.
“I couldn’t run for more than five minutes without kneeling over in excruciating pain,” he said. “After communicating with my coach, we completely scrapped the previous workout plan and put it on hold until I got back to campus.
“I knew we had a scheduled opening meet a week after we returned from break, so once I returned to campus, I spent so many hours of the day either in the training room or with my coach attempting to get me ready for the meet and back in shape from everything I had lost.”
Gabe said his injury did little to diminish his teammates’ hopes and desires, nor deter their intent, to return to the NCAA championships.
“We all knew and believed that our DMR could qualify for Nationals. The only thing we had to do was run our race and not get caught up in anything else,” he said.
Western track and field coach Mike Johnson recognized his new runner’s desire and focus and found Arce-Torres to be a capable learner.
“Of course, he did well in the conference indoor meet for a freshman in the Open 400, but he’s proven to be an even better relay runner,” he said. “He’s kind of cagey the way he moves on the track, because in relays it’s not just staying in your lane, it’s moving among people. He has a great talent for that.”
It took a day for Gabe and his teammates to learn they had qualified for Nationals as they awaited times from around the country to be validated.
“I couldn’t stop smiling for what seemed like hours, and I’m pretty sure my neighbors were confused to hear all the jumping from excitement,” he said. “I immediately called my mom and dad as I could barely comprehend what we’d done.”
“Gabe realizes he is a part of something much bigger than himself. He knows his life is a beautiful gift, one that he takes great care of and respect for. I believe Gabe is impossible to stop and impossible not to love. He is the best part of me, and I am so humbled to be his father.”
Lori and GabeJoey and Gabe
Arce-Torres has two sisters – Kandis, the oldest, and Kamile, the starting second baseman on Taft’s last state championship sports team in 2005. Gabe’s mother, Lori, is executive director of the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce and serves as a board member for numerous charitable organizations. Joey is campus monitor and interim assistant athletic director at Taft.
“I totally forgot that life always has its moments, then challenges us to see what we are truly made of,” Joey said. “For Gabe and I — especially Gabe — his ability to overcome adversity has truly been tested.”
As a high school freshman, a knee injury suffered during the first 10 minutes of Gabe’s first basketball game sent chills through the crowd, unnerving his dad.
“As he was being carried off the court, I could only hold back my own fears and tears and try to convince him he would back on the court by halftime,” Joey said. “Gabe never returned to the court that day or ever again.”
Following consultation with an orthopedist, the family was told young Gabe would never play sports — let alone basketball — again.
“Both our hearts exploded, and we could not understand how fate had brought us to this moment,” Joey said.
Saying it was his job to see to it Gabe would play again, a surgeon at Oregon State reassured the family Gabe would return to whatever sport he desired.
On the drive to Corvallis that February morning, Gabe asked his dad if they could stop by a local bookstore. Early for his son’s surgery, Joey obliged. Gabe entered and returned with a Bible.
“Both of us worried on a daily basis whether his knee could take the punishment, but both of us trusted our faith and instinct,” Joey said. “Gabe found new strength in his will, more confidence in his conviction, and realized then this would be his secret power.”
Warned against jumping and participating in more rigorous events, Gabe concentrated on distance running and strengthening and conditioning techniques.
“His rehab was extensive. He told me he had never worked that hard in his entire life,” said Joey, who watched as Gabe exercised morning and evening of each and every day. “He trained as if he was the weakest member on his team. He listened to his coaches and led by example. He would run, play and swim as if it would be his last season ever.”
By his junior year, Gabe was a State champion in track, qualified for State in swimming and led the Tigers deep into the State playoffs in soccer as team captain. He earned Taft’s coveted “Champion of Character” award for athletics.
On his first day of school that year, a letter from the University of San Francisco was waiting in the mailbox. Nearly 50 colleges and universities inquired about his soccer and track interest. With his senior season still ahead, father and son toured schools throughout California looking for the perfect fit.
“He looked as if he was ready to conquer the world,” Joey said.
Back at his specialty, Gabe’s sprint times dropped steadily and he broke the school record in the 200-meter dash. His set his sights on the 400-meter mark and entered Districts never having lost at that distance.
“He seemed to be peaking at the right time. Everything felt right, felt like things couldn’t go wrong and then . . .” Joey said. “We embraced that day, knowing he would never compete again as a high school athlete. I believe we both felt empty for a few months. We didn’t talk much about track after that.”
With a summer job and time spent with friends before starting college, Gabe didn’t run for nearly three months following his injury and an earlier commitment to attend Western, where he found a welcoming committee of open arms.
“Our team isn’t just a team to me, it’s family,” he said. “Being a freshman surrounded more often than not by seniors and upperclassmen, I feel like part of a family here. Everyone cares for each other, and one person’s success is something we all share.
“It’s extremely positive to know there are so many people on this team who genuinely want every person to succeed. You can see that in the way we practice, the way we compete and the way we carry ourselves on and off the track.”
While Western has won the last two national DMR titles, four fresh faces — a senior, junior, sophomore and freshman – comprise this year’s team.
“Gabe’s been a great teammate and diligent in all the work he needs to do to get faster,” Johnson said. “We cut back on the volume of work a little bit, but added some flexibility and strength work to make him more stable, so he’s yet to see a full training load and is going only 80 to 85 percent.
“But in racing that doesn’t always hurt you. He still has a large room for improvement, but he’s pretty fresh and eager to race, so good things lie ahead.”
“Gabe knows how to win and not take it for granted.” Joey said. “He understands hard work doesn’t always guarantee success, but it always puts you within striking distance.”
2019 NCAA Division II Distance Medley Relay Field
1. Western Colorado
9:45.61
2. Colorado Mines
9:46.17
3. Adams State
9:47.11
4. Stonehill
9:47.24
5. Grand Valley State
9:47.55
6. CSU-Pueblo
9:47.94
7. Sioux Falls
9:48.17
8. Simon Fraser
9:49.47
9. Black Hills State
9:49.99
10. Alaska Anchorage
9:50.19
11. Western Oregon
9:50.69
12. Minnesota State
9:51.69
5 p.m. (CST), March 8, Pittsburg State’s Robert W. Plaster Center
Dave Price’s position as Lincoln City representative for Zone 1 on the Lincoln County School District Board of Directors will be up for election May 21.
The filing period for interested candidates closes March 21. Candidates must be a registered voter, live in the zone they represent and not be a LCSD employee.
The other seat to be filled on the five-person board is for Liz Martin’s post in Zone 2 (Schooner Creek to Agate Beach).
Board members who will remain on the Board are Ron Beck in Zone 3, Jenny Demaris in Zone 4 and Amanda Remund in Zone 5.
The Lincoln City Police Dispatch Daily Desk Log is a public record of police calls. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Friday, Feb. 22
Extra Patrol – 5:59 a.m. – Community Center – Extra patrol requested for illegal camping.
Stolen Vehicle – 7:34 a.m. – Report of vehicle stolen from residence. Front bumper and tail light taped on with duct tape. Vehicle entered into LEDS/NCIC, BOLO (be on the lookout) sent. Suspect: Trevor Petricevic.
Trespass – 11:41 a.m. – 2313 SW Bard Loop – Caller reports a person is on her porch used the power outlet and then the hot tub. Extra patrol request ordered for this property.
Harassment – 3:50 p.m. – Taft Elementary – Report taken for incident that happened at school.
Saturday, Feb. 23
Criminal Mischief – 2:09 a.m. – 3913 SW Highway 101 – Attempted burglary at location. Damage to exterior door of main office area. No entry made.
Peace Officer Hold – 9:15 a.m. – 1249 NW 15th St. #5 – Report of a naked man yelling outside of hotel. Kevin Duggan (9/4/60) taken into custody on POH and transported to SNLH.
Fraud – 3:43 p.m. – Chinook Winds Casino – Report of fraudulent use of a credit card at the casino.
Found Property – 4:47 p.m. – SW 52nd Court – Found wallet on the beach in Taft turned in to LCPD. Wallet taken for safekeeping. Wallet had ID and seven $100 bills. Wallet was returned to owner.
Extrication – Wecoma Park Bathroom, NW Jetty & NW 31st St. – Sgt. Winn had to free a trapped female in the bathroom. The lock mechanism was broken and door is not able to be secured. Public Works notified.
Extra Patrol – 6423 NE Neptune – Spoke to juveniles throwing rocks at deer. Extra patrol requested.
Theft – 9:21 p.m. – 2945 NW Jetty, Room 323 – Hotel guest says vehicle was broken into. Report taken.
Assisting Outside Agency – 9:47 p.m. – 1313 SE 1st St. – Report of intoxicated male breaking items in vacation rental. Taylor Burner (9/4/92) cited and released for probation violation warrant.
Theft – 9:55 p.m. – 2845 NW Highway 101 – Theft of cell phone at restaurant.
Sunday, Feb. 24
Assault – 2:27 a.m. – 2751 SW Anemone Ave. – Report of intoxicated female striking a relative. Kayte Coffelt (5/24/88) taken into custody for domestic assault and transported to Lincoln County Jail.
Burglary – 4:01 p.m. – 5021 SW Highway 101 – James Schweitzer (1/6/63) arrested for burglary. Business had damage to front door and window. Items inside indicated someone had been sleeping inside.
Reckless Driving – 5:38 p.m. – D River Wayside – Alicia Magana (8/10/86) cited for reckless driving and reckless endangering.
DUII – 9:46 p.m. – 1300 N Highway 101 – Curtis Bosworth (12/15/82) taken into custody for DUII. Cited and released from LCPD. Vehicle impounded by Lincoln City Towing.
Monday, Feb. 25
Extra Patrol Request – 3456 NE West Devils Lake Road – Residents requesting extra patrol due to transients going through trash in area.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
Warrant Arrest – 7:03 a.m. – LCPD – Page Riddle (1/9/95) turned herself in at station. Riddle was transported to Lincoln County Jail.
Wednesday, Feb. 27
Extra Patrol – 814 SW 9th St. – Caller reports several vehicles are driving around the neighborhood. She believes they are trying to break into vehicles. Caller is emailing surveillance video and photos.
Theft – 10:18 a.m. – 660 SE Highway 101 – Plumbing stolen from bathroom. Report taken.
Thursday, Feb. 28
Suspicious Activity – 12:21 p.m. – Chinook Winds Casino – CWC Security found suspicious pictures left at the arcade. Report taken.
Probation Violation – 3:30 p.m. – South Shell – James Ayres (12/24/80) taken into custody and transported to Lincoln County Jail for probation violation and possession of meth. Juvenile released into grandparent’s care.
Theft – 7:03 p.m. – Safeway – Theft of three beers. Perpetrator left on foot. Report taken.
Longtime Lincoln City Fire Chief Doug Kerr, left, receives remembrances of his career from Board member Alan Lee
Fellow firefighters, friends and family helped snuff out retiring Fire Chief Doug Kerr’s employment with North Lincoln Fire & Rescue following 35 years of volunteer and career service Thursday with a farewell ceremony at the St. Clair Station in Taft.
Longtime friend and North Lincoln Fire Board member Alan Lee presented Kerr with a shadow box with badges and insignia’s he has worn over three decades of devotion to keeping his community safe.
Lincoln City Police Chief Jerry Palmer, left, presents an award to Kerr.
Lincoln City Police Chief Jerry Palmer presented Kerr with a LCPD Chief award and emphasized how the departments have worked together with cooperation and respect for their respective roles in emergency situations.
“You know one thing about Doug, after every call he’d go around and thank all the crew for coming out and helping,” Firefighter Bob Duby said.
Kerr expressed his gratitude to all the volunteers and staff, and concluded with his trademark, “Thanks for all you do.”
Left to right, front row, Brianna Schlecht, Matthew Fatuch, Daisy Brenner, Joshua Peck, Peter Pimentel, Bruce Kaiser and Dallas Farley. Left to right, back row, Victor Mendoza, Caden McCall, Connor Brooks, Jackson Stout, Makayla Thompson, Joshua Guerra and Jonathon Garrison.
Six months of training concluded Thursday with a ceremony for the graduates of the Central Oregon Coast Training Officer’s Association’s (COCTOA) Fire Academy.
More than a hundred friends and relatives attended the event at North Lincoln Fire & Rescue’s St. Clair Station to honor the graduates’ efforts. Each recruit received certificates and badges from a relative, spouse or friend.
Division Chief Jamie Mason presented Peter Pimentel of the Toledo Fire Department the Top Recruit Award, voted on by his peers.
Peter Pimentel (Toledo) receives the Top Recruit Award from Division Training Chief Jamie Mason.
The recruits received Oregon State certifications for Firefighter I, Hazardous Materials Operations and Wildland Firefighting. In addition, students had the opportunity to gain experience responding with instructors on a student engine based out of the St. Clair Station.
Matthew Fatuch (North Lincoln) has his badge pinned on by his girlfriend, Charlette Deremo.
The training brought the departments and districts under one format, promoting consistent response to emergencies in Lincoln county.
The time these recruit’s spent together built friendships and relationships between agencies countywide, NLFR Safety Officer Jim Kusz said.
The 14 recruits represented Depoe Bay Fire, Central Coast Fire, Newport Fire, North Lincoln Fire and Toledo Fire and joined their respective districts and departments today.
Another countywide COCTOA Academy is planned for early fall. To become a volunteer firefighter, contact Mason at 541-996-2233.
Eight Lincoln City restaurants invite you to try their interpretations of the classic dish macaroni & cheese March 16-23 when Explore Lincoln City presents Macaroni & Seas Week.
“Our mac and cheese dish is made with a traditional béchamel sauce, combined with Monterey Jack and Cheddar to create a Mornay sauce,” Chef Etienne Saucier of Klementine’s Kitchen said. “We add elbow macaroni, top it with our potato chip parmesan crust, and then bake it until it’s crisp and bubbly. For many, mac and cheese is the embodiment of comfort food. It is a simple, classic dish that invites fond, nostalgic memories.”
“We are capping off Macaroni & Seas Week with a delicious demonstration class,” Culinary Center Manager Donna Riani said. “Chef Roy Baker from Autobahn 101 will join me on the demo stage and show our guests how to make his version of mac and cheese. It is a traditional German spätzle made with cheese, bacon and mushrooms. We’ll also have live music, wine, treats and other surprises to celebrate the week.”
A map of the eight participating locations and a demonstration video featuring Riani is available at MacaroniAndSeas.com.
To learn more about Macaroni & Seas Week or to purchase tickets for the demo ($40), visit MacaroniAndSeas.com or call 541-996-1274. A portion of the ticket sales will go to the Lincoln City Food Pantry.
PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
Mist at Surftides – Lobster macaroni & cheese Autobahn 101 – German macaroni & cheese Vivian’s Restaurant & BBQ – Pulled pork macaroni & cheese Fathom’s at Inn at Spanish Head – Baked macaroni & cheese with boursin cheese Snug Harbor Bar & Grill – Cajun macaroni & cheese Klementine’s Kitchen – Baked macaroni & cheese with potato chip crust Tequila Blue Agave – Chipotle macaroni & cheese Blackfish Cafe – Smoked salmon macaroni & cheese
It’s print media vs. radio waves as Family Promise of Lincoln County announces its next Celebrity Server event featuring Roger Robertson of KBCH-AM (1400) and Patrick Alexander of Oregon Coast Today.
Robertson and Alexander will square off Tuesday, March 19, at the Chinook Winds Seafood Grill to raise money for Family Promise, a local program to help homeless families.
The contenders are mates in their new office space at 4741 SW Highway 101 in Lincoln City, so they are out to prove who is the “best in the office” — either print or radio in getting the word out, especially about this joint event.
The fun event will feature the two celebrities serving meals ordered from a special menu with “extra” tips for “extra” service going to Family Promise. The gentleman raising the most donations gets bragging rights.
“We ask those attending to dip in a little bit and tip the celebrity servers extra if they entertain you during the dinner service.” Family Promise Board President Sue Anderson said. “It should be pretty interesting as these two are really up for the challenge.”
The Celebrity Server event consists of local “celebrities” who volunteer to invite 20 or so of their friends to a local restaurant on a date that is determined by all parties involved. The event is open to the public.
The restaurant offers to let the celebrities “serve” their friends and guests. In return, those in attendance tip the celebrity server, with all of the “celebrity tips” going to Family Promise. Guests will order from the special menu for the evening and pay for their meals as usual including the tip for the regular servers. The Celebrity must earn the EXTRA tips from the guests by providing excellent service and fun entertainment.
Family Promise serves families in Lincoln County and they encourage families from Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport and other areas of the county to join in the fun.
For more information call Family Promise at 541-614-0964.
Family Promise of Lincoln County is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide shelter, meals and comprehensive assistance to homeless and low-income families with children in Lincoln County while they seek to achieve sustainable, independent living. This is achieved through a collaborative community effort and based off a proven successful national model that partners with local congregations and social service agencies to provide practical and effective services.
It’s print media vs. radio waves as Family Promise of Lincoln County announces its next Celebrity Server event featuring Roger Robertson of KBCH-AM (1400) and Patrick Alexander of 
