From left, seniors Tanner Landry, Sam Anderson, Lydia Prins, Micah McLeish and Joram Hoff stand between assistant coach Maria Cortes and head coach Lissa Parker before their farewell meet Thursday at the LIncoln City Community Center pool.
Led by five departing seniors, 19 of Taft High’s 22 participants took Thursday’s “Last Chance” home swim meet to heart by posting their season-best times in preparation for next weekend’s District championships.
While Class 4A Marshfield of the Coos Bay/North Bend area won the boys and girls titles, the Class 3A Taft boys placed second and the girls third as the regular season winds down toward the competition that truly counts.
“Marshfield is a tough team to compete against. They have some fast kids,” Taft coach Lissa Parker said.
Making his last swims in his final home meet before the Special District 1 Championships Friday and Saturday in Newport, senior Joram Hoff won the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley for the boys.
Taft’s other four seniors also bowed out in style, all posting season-best times in their farewell swims at the Lincoln City Community Center pool.
Senior Tanner Landry was second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 free; Lydia Prins was second in the 100 back; Micah McLeish helped the Tigers win the 200-yard medley relay; and Sam Anderson notched his lifetime-best times in the 50 free and 100 back.
Junior sprinter Sammy Halferty won the 50 free and freshman Aubrey Sciarrotta the 100 back for the girls.
“The boys came close and had some very competitive races. It was a bit harder for the girls, as we were down two yesterday, so we had to scratch a couple of personal events and make some changes to the relay,” Parker said.
Junior Hunter Lundstedt was second in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke for the Taft boys, while freshman Sam Cortes placed second in the 100 back and 100 butterfly.
Freshman Dylan Barrera placed third in the 200 IM and 400 free.
Halferty placed third in the 100 breast and junior Napy Meyer third in the 100 fly.
The Taft boys (Hoff, Lundstedt, Landry and McLeish) won the 200 medley relay, while the Tigers placed second in the girls 200 medley relay (Sciarrotta, Prins, Meyer and Halferty), boys 200 free relay (Lunstedt, Barrera, Landry and Cortes) and 400 free relay (Cortes, McLeish, Jose Segura and Hoff).
Juniors Bryanna Paget, Ethan Price, Degan Sawyer and Ayden Woodard; sophomores Isabell Mackie and Isabelle Serrato; and freshman Angel Moreno joined Anderson, Barrera, Cortes, Halferty, Hoff, Landry, Lundstedt, McLeish, Meyer, Prins, Sciarrotta and Segura with personal-best times for Taft.
“The most encouraging thing about yesterday’s meet is that if you look at their personal bests, most all of the swimmers were dropping time, which is a good sign going into Districts,” Parker said.
A man pinned under a tractor blade at a logging operation site near Siletz was transported by helicopter to a Salem hospital in critical condition Thursday morning.
“He was pretty severely injured, but he had a pulse and was breathing on his own,” Siletz Valley Fire District Chief RC Mock said. “It’s hard to see a tragedy like this happen.”
The Siletz Valley Fire District said it received a report around 9 a.m. of a logger who was struck, then stuck, under the blade and arm of a 50,000-pound bulldozer near Logsden, seven miles east of Siletz.
Mock said the logger was working on the battery when a co-worker accidentally hit a lever that disengaged the blade, pinning the man to the ground.
Siletz Fire, Pacific West Ambulance, Toledo Fire and Life Flight responded to the incident. The patient received initial care in the field, then transported by air to Salem Hospital as a multi-system trauma patient.
Siletz Valley Fire made a landing zone with traffic safety cones to allow the helicopter to hot load (remain running) to avoid start-up time once the victim was prepared for departure.
“I’m really proud of the interagency cooperation that made this smooth,” Mock said.
Oregon Health Authority officials agree with state audit findings that the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) needs improvement to ensure grow sites comply with reporting requirements.
Health officials also accept changes Secretary of State auditors recommended at the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program to ensure cannabis testing labs meet national quality assurance standards.
Auditor findings for the OMMP were consistent with findings of an internal review OHA conducted last year and submitted to the Oregon Cannabis Commission in May 2018.
In a Jan. 25 response, OHA Director Patrick Allen said the agency agrees with the audit’s recommendations. Allen noted that some recommendations fall outside the scope of OHA’s statutory authority. Director Allen said, “OMMP needs changes in state law that give the program needed authority and reporting ability to comply with many of these recommendations.”
The May 2018 report, an internal review of the OMMP, identified administrative shortcomings that enabled growers, dispensaries and laboratories to operate without effective oversight. It also found that statutory restrictions limited the OMMP’s ability to answer information requests from local law enforcement officials, even as the program protects patient confidentiality.
The issues heightened the risk for medical marijuana to be diverted from patients, who rely on cannabis to treat medical conditions, into the black market. The report can be viewed at http://healthoregon.org/ommp.
A routine traffic stop and subsequent high-speed chase through Lincoln City early today resulted in a rollover crash, the discovery of a stolen vehicle and two people’s arrest.
According to a Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD) report, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Toyota traveling south on Highway 101 near N. 32nd Street at 12:35 a.m.
The driver yielded momentarily to the officer, then sped away in an attempt to elude police. Two LCPD units pursued the vehicle southbound on Highway 101, eventually leaving the city.
The driver, traveling at high speeds, lost control, causing the car to leave the road and roll over just south of Immonen Road.
Assisted by a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit, LCPD officers detained the male driver and a female passenger. Neither occupants suffered significant injury as a result of the rollover.
During the investigation, officers determined the vehicle stolen out of Salem.
The driver, Keith Allen Schmidtke, 42. of Albany, was taken into custody and charged with Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. He was taken into custody on outstanding arrest warrants issued by Marion County.
The passenger, Nicole Summer Connelly, 29, of Keizer, was taken into custody and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.
Schmidtke and Connelly were lodged at the Lincoln County Jail.
Taft High wrestling coach Robb Ellis took his team to school Tuesday night.
Saying his team “went toe-to-toe with a wrestling machine,” the Class 3A Tigers fell 63-15 to Tillamook, the state’s top-ranked Class 4A team, but experienced a “super fun night.”
Taft coaches Robb Ellis. left, and Josh Liner
“They are a 4A powerhouse with a possible State placer at every weight that is favored to win the State title,” Ellis said following his team’s lopsided, but educational, road defeat. “We went up there to get tough matches for our kids as we head into Districts.”
Six of Taft’s 15 points came via forfeit and the Cheesemakers wrestled a junior varsity competitor at heavyweight “to be nice,” said Ellis, who was an assistant coach for two years at Tillamook before taking over as Taft head coach last season.
Four of Taft’s wrestlers sat out the meet for various reasons, he said, “but their presence would not have changed the outcome.”
“While the final score was pretty lopsided, the Tillamook faithful, a true wrestling community, were impressed with the fight in our wrestlers,” he said.
Taft freshman Riley Ellis served as a prime example of the progress the Tigers have made this season as they prepare to host dual matches Thursday, Feb. 7, against Amity, Dayton and Rainier prior to the Special District 1 tournament Friday, Feb. 15, at Warrenton.
Ellis, the coach’s son, went 0-3 in the JV room at Taft’s first tournament this season at Tillamook, but earned a solid victory against a senior at the 132-pound spot.
Sophomore Jose Flores and senior David Jin were defeated, but fought hard against State-level wrestlers, Ellis said.
Alec Bosworth claimed a win after stepping up to the 285-pound classification, and fellow junior Jace Phippen, “wrestled his best match of the season at 220, losing 8-3 to a State-level wrestler,” Ellis said.
“Everyone else fought hard,” he said, “and both our girls, Kadence James and Autumn Barela, got wins in their final girls matches of the regular season as they head into the girls District tournament this Friday in Eugene.”
James, a freshman, finished the regular season 6-6 against girls, while Barela, a senior, finished 6-4.
“Super amazing for them as they are new to wrestling,” Ellis said. “Keep your fingers crossed for them as they go for broke against top girls competition this weekend.”
A cell phone found Monday in a Newport coffee shop’s public restroom led to the arrest of a 48-year-old transient man on child abuse charges.
The complainant who located the phone in a Starbucks bathroom described seeing images on it that were consistent with being child pornography. An additional witness described the man who left the phone.
With a Newport officer was on scene, Martin Lafever of Newport, who matched the witness’ description, entered the building and asked Starbucks staff about a cell phone he had left in the bathroom. Employees pointed Lafever out to the officer.
The officer contacted Lafever, who verified it was his phone. Lafever claimed the phone was exclusively in his possession for the past several weeks. When first asked, he denied knowledge of images of children on the phone.
During a search, images depicting child pornography and Internet search terms relating to child pornography were located. Lafever admitted to using the Internet, but denied knowledge of the images.
Further search revealed more images and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct of a child. Lafever then admitted having the images on his phone, but said some had loaded and saved themselves. Officers were able to show the images had been downloaded and moved between locations on the phone and the “cloud.”
Lafever was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on nine counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse. His bail was set at $450,000.
If you have any information regarding this case, contact Officer Bales or Detective France at the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348.
The Newport Police Tip Line is 541-574-5455 or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856.
Junior Jordan Hall looks for an open man at Tuesday victory over Warrenton
Jordan Hall scored a team-high 13 points to help the Taft High boys basketball team snap a three-game losing skid Tuesday night with a 47-33 Coastal Range League home victory over Warrenton.
The Tigers found Hall open on the perimeter on numerous occasions and the junior guard hit four 3-pointers behind 10 team assists and just nine turnovers.
“Jordan was feeling it and kept sending it to the net from deep,” Taft coach Andy Morgan said. “He could have been firing a cannon tonight. Jordan was hitting the target.”
Senior power forward Tyee Fisher added nine points, seven rebounds and six steals; his younger cousin, Trenton Fisher, had eight points; and senior center Ray Darrington grabbed 12 rebounds in the win.
“This matchup was one of Tyee’s premier performances of the season,” Morgan said. “His game was complete, and his leadership and composure were very important.”
Morgan also credited the floor play of freshman Kaden Hindman, who made his first varsity start, and the all-around contributions of seniors Clay Nelson and William Brooks.
Sophomore Fco Ramos
Sophomore Fco Ramos had a team-high three assists.
The Class 3A Tigers improved to 7-12 overall and 2-7 in league play, while the third-place Warriors fell to 12-5, 4-5.
The Taft girls (2-17, 0-9) fell to second-place Warrenton (16-6, 7-2), 72-17 in the second game.
Details from the girls game were not reported.
The Taft boys return to play at 6 p.m. Friday at first-place Rainier (11-7, 8-1), while the girls play the fourth-place Columbians (7-9, 2-7) at 7:30 p.m.
Photos by Lon French
Taft 47, Warrenton 33
Warrenton 4 8 12 9 — 33
Taft 10 8 16 13 — 47
Taft Boys Coach Andy Morgan’s Comments
“Ten team assists, with only nine total turnovers. was the key to the game tonight. The Tigers have been averaging less than six assists in their league losses this season, while averaging over 20 turnovers during that same stretch. To correct these numbers was critical on the offensive end, which has really been the Achilles’ heel on this Taft squad.
“Another exciting number was the four 3-balls by junior Jordan Hall. The often selfish Tiger team noticed Hall was in the zone and they selflessly continued to feed him the ball. Jordan was feeling it, and kept sending it to the net from deep. He could have been firing a cannon tonight. Jordan was hitting the target. Six of nine active Tigers found their way to the scorebook, including eight from junior Trenton Fisher.
Freshman Kaden Hindman
“The home Tigers started the game with freshman Kaden Hindman getting his first start at the varsity level. This younger Hindman brother has earned a spot on this roster by his commitment and curiosity. Kaden is the sole member of this squad to have perfect attendance at practice, and is never too shy to ask the smart questions that others fail to ask.
“A future leader, Hindman was eager to set the mood on the court for the return of his older brother, junior Lucas Hindman, who returned from nearly two months absence due to an injury to his potent shooting hand. The older Hindman brother was noticeably winded after chasing Warrenton shooting guard Dalton Knight.
“Knight scored 30 in Taft’s overtime loss to Warrenton in their first meeting of the year. Taft’s injured Graden Kehr held Knight to 17 in their second meeting — a Tiger win, 46-25. This time, with Kehr sidelined, sophomore Fco Ramos shared the responsibility with the returning Lucas Hindman. This time around, Warrenton’s Knight was held to four points, often frustrating the sharp shooter, eventually sending him to the bench.
The 12-point third quarter was the biggest disappointment on the defensive end for the Tigers. It was the team’s goal to hold the visiting Warriors to no more than nine points per quarter.
“While the Tigers were effective at holding Warrenton to under 36, the third period felt like a bit of a disappointment — allowing 12 in the frame. Senior scoring leader Ray Darrington was basically neutralized by a barrage of double- and triple-teaming by the much smaller Warrior defenders.
“However, senior power forward Tyee Fisher picked up much of the slack, managing nine points, seven rebounds, and the stat of the night — six steals. This matchup was one of Tyee’s premier performances of the season. His game was complete, and his leadership and composure were very important, as he committed only three turnovers while handling the ball much of the night.
Senior William Brooks
“Seniors Clay Nelson and William Brooks did not produce significant stats, but their presence and composure on the court were the perfect complement to some of the younger Tigers’ significant statistics. Brooks and Nelson added three rebounds, three points, an assist and much intensity on defense as Taft shifted gears often to keep visiting Warrenton on its toes.
“The Tigers look forward to the return of Kehr and junior Eli DeMello — who has been missing since the holiday break. The Tigers have managed a record of 2-7 since losing DeMello to a bone bruise during the team’s three-game trip to Central Oregon in late December.
“Looking forward to a road game Friday, the Tigers will welcome all the help they can get as they have been manhandled by the team from Rainier in their first two meetings of the year.
“Tonight’s victory was a good win for the home Tigers, who need some wins for a chance to make a league playoff. Taft may need some help from the other teams, but the Tigers will be focused on continuing to grow.”
A red pickup truck crashed into the trees off Schooner Creek Road early Tuesday morning, leaving a 52-year-old woman trapped behind the steering wheel for five hours before rescuers got the call to extricate her.
“It’s pretty precarious the way it’s sitting,” a responder said of the wreck that occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. near Milepost 3.5. “We need to pry the door open, but we need to secure the vehicle, probably with a chain.”
North Lincoln Fire and Rescue Ladder 57 and Engine 1407 responded to free the driver at approximately 7:45 a.m. by stabilizing the truck and prying the door open.
“Crews reported that she was dressed adequately for the weather and that might have helped her a bit,” North Lincoln Fire & Rescue Captain Jim Kusz said. “You should always travel with survival gear in your car.”
The woman was transported by ambulance to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital and the car towed from the scene.
Sam “Aquaman” Cortes (Photo illustration by Justin Werner; Aquaman/Warner Bros. Pictures)
On the surface, Taft High’s Sam Cortes has been a fixture in local swimming circles for nearly a decade now. Dive deeper and you’ll learn much more about the personable teenager who has earned the distinction of being among the school’s most dominating freshman athletes ever.
“He’s been a natural in the water for many years now,” longtime Taft High and Lincoln City Swim Club (LCSC) coach Lissa Parker said. “Sam was a fast athlete at the age of 10 and under, and he transitioned into being a good swimmer and even better athlete in high school over the years.”
To know the 14-year-old sprint specialist is to know a lifelong Lincoln City resident who has transformed his fixation on chlorinated water and admiration for his older swimming sister into a head-churning career that has earned him statewide acclaim.
“Sam started swimming for LCSC when he was 5 years old, on the coattails of his older sister, Liz [now a Western Oregon freshman],” said Parker, who has coached Taft and LCSC for 21 years after first getting involved in youth swimming more than 30 years ago. “When he was in an 8-and-under swimmer, Sam was going to the State meet pretty regularly.”
While his friends were hitting plastic balls off batting tees, Sam was practicing racing dives and flip turns and studying the nuances of the flutter, frog, dolphin and whip kicks. Competing against older kids in various state-level events, he has made a splash on newspaper pages almost since he first stuck his big toe in the water.
“Lizeth was about 10 when Sam was 4 and was on the team and she loved it,” Sam’s mother, Maria, said. “We would go to all her meets and Sam would always cheer for her and want to be in the water swimming by her side.”
As a 7-year-old second-grader, Sam was among the swimmers to beat in statewide 8-and-under competitions, earning several ribbons and medals in Oregon’s most prestigious events.
The Cortes family, from left, Lizeth, Maria, Sam and Jorge, at the ‘Top 5’ awards ceremony in 2012
“He enjoyed eight top-five times at the Oregon Swimming Top 5 ceremony when he was in the 8-and-under age group, and several in the 9-10 age group, as well,” Parker, dean of Taft High coaches, said. “These are the fastest swims calculated from swimmers from around all of Oregon each year.”
After establishing himself as swimming’s leading man at just 8, Cortes placed in the top 10 in all six of his events as a 9-year-old fourth-grader at the Oregon State 10-and-under championships.
Needless to say, swimming moms and dads across the state breathed freely as if surfacing from a deep dive when Sam finally reached his teens. Cortes grew out of a triumvirate of promising local young powerhouse swimmers that included Mason Garding and Hunter Lunstedt, now a junior at Taft.
“This group is the fastest and has the most potential talent that we have seen in the club since before [future seven-time state high school champion] Aly [Viles] was little — probably back to the late ‘80s, early ‘90s,” Parker said at the time. “I hope they stay interested, have fun and keep at it.”
Mason Garding. left, Hunter Lundstedt, middle, and Sam Cortes
Cortes’ arrival on the Taft High squad as a champion freestyle, backstroke and medley specialist has helped make the Tigers a formidable presence whenever and wherever they compete. They’ll do so again at 1:30 p.m. Thursday when they host the Taft Last Chance meet at the Lincoln City Community Center.
“The highlight of my swimming career has been my high school team because it has been a different experience than swimming in age group,” Sam said. “It has shown me different skills to make me better.”
“Sam is a super-motivated kid,” his mom, who took on the role as LCSC and Taft assistant swim coach not long after Sam hit the water in an all-out sprint. “He finds motivation in others — swimmers and his friends — really anything he can. He always wants to improve.”
Most recently, Cortes has turned much of his attention to soccer as one of his main areas of interest, but has maintained his swimming off and on year round. He also participates in several music activities such as pep and jazz band.
“His mom has done a great job helping Sam and his peers stay motivated in the sport,” said Parker, noting that Sam’s dad, Jorge Lopez, assists with the timing system for meets and serves as president for the LCSC Board of Directors.
Sam’s dad is general manager at Pig ‘N Pancake at Newport, while mom divides her time as parent/coach with her duties as hostess at the popular restaurant’s Lincoln City store.
Mom Maria is Sam’s biggest supporter
“Throughout the years Lizeth and Sam have been swimming, I have been 100 percent committed,” Maria said. “That was the reason I also started being assistant coach, not only because I liked it, but because I could always be there to be part of my kids’ swimming journeys.”
Cortes has practiced about two hours a day, five days a week, with the community team and high school squad in addition to dryland conditioning and weightlifting workouts ever since he can remember.
“He also plays other sports, which is something that really helps him,” Maria said.
Besides scoring a goal as a freshman for the varsity soccer team, Cortes has been a “Student of the Month,” plays drums and enjoys electronic gaming.
“He also loves to play soccer, and has gained a lot of conditioning from doing that,” Parker said. “He has kept his interest in swimming, but also excels at soccer, so he does not do high-level swim meets year-round. His parents have supported him in being a multi-sport athlete, and he is also a good musician.”
“I just want to get better every year with both my technique and speed,” Sam said. “I owe it to my family, friends and others for supporting me in everything I do.”
Police are seeking help in identifying the driver of a car similar to this one that led them on a high-spreed chase.
Lincoln City Police are looking for a silver Mitsubishi Outlander with New York license plates following a harrowing chase exceeding 85 mph through Lincoln City today.
Sgt. Jeffrey Winn said he observed the SUV failing to stop while exiting the Sea Gypsy Motel at 145 NW Inlet Ave. and attempted a traffic stop. The Outlander sped away onto Highway 101 northbound, reaching speeds of 80 to 85 mph while weaving into oncoming traffic.
Winn said he lost sight of the vehicle, but people in cars pointed towards NW 22nd Street, where the officer saw the back of the suspect’s vehicle cresting the hill by Oceanlake Elementary School.
The chase continued on West Devils Lake Road, where concerned citizens pointed to where they had seen the SUV drive down Lake Drive. Winn said he saw the back of the vehicle and continued the pursuit.
Winn said he last saw the suspect vehicle at West Devils Lake Road and NE 14th Street and decided to call off the pursuit.
“It was a safety issue,” Winn said. “Given the time of day with that many vehicles on the road, our concern for the safety of our citizens far outweighed catching the driver.”
The Lincoln City Police issued a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for the vehicle to all agencies and the driver faces reckless driving and felony eluding charges.
If you have information on the whereabouts of the Outlander, call the police at (541) 994-3636 or dial 911.
“This matchup was one of Tyee’s premier performances of the season,” Morgan said. “His game was complete, and his leadership and composure were very important.”
