The National Weather Service in Portland has updated its high surf advisory and issued high wind and flooding warnings for Lincoln City.
High Surf
Breakers 25-30 feet are expected at all beaches Friday and Sunday through Tuesday.
Hazardous surf will cause waves to run up much higher on the beaches than normal. These powerful waves can sweep people off jetties, exposed rocks and they can easily move large logs and other beach debris.
Bar crossings and the surf zone will be dangerous due to strong currents and breaking waves.
Video from Thursday at Nelscott Beach
High Winds
A high wind warning is in effect from 4 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday near headlands and beaches with winds expected to reach 30-40 mph and gusts up to 65 mph. Late Friday morning through early Friday afternoon will have the strongest winds.
Damaging winds may blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
Areas affected: North Oregon Coast-Central Oregon Coast-South Washington Coast-Including the cities of Cannon Beach, Netarts, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Newport, Cape Foulweather, Yachats, Florence, Long Beach, Ocean Park, and Cape Disappointment
Flooding
Flooding is possible Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington
A weather system early next week is expected to bring heavy rain to the Pacific Northwest. While the details are uncertain, there is potential for 2 to 5 inches of rain in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington Monday night and Tuesday, with heaviest amounts in the Willapa Hills, the North Oregon Coast Range, and the west slopes of the Cascades. Sharp rises are likely on rivers draining these areas, and minor flooding is possible Tuesday and Wednesday.
The timing and location of heavy rain for this storm remains uncertain. If conditions warrant, watches or warnings for specific areas or rivers will be issued.
Monitor weather and river forecasts closely at weather.gov/portland. If you live in or near a flood-prone location, this is a good time to review your preparations and action plans should flooding develop next week.
Winter officially begins in another week or so, but the time to start driving with extra caution is now. Our partners at the Oregon Department of Transportation have some excellent tips regarding use of your GPS during our rough and unpredictable weather and we thought it would be good to share them here as well:
When roads are closed and your GPS navigation system directs you onto a detour route, keep in mind that the device you count on for guidance could instead guide you into trouble. Most navigation tools don’t take current road or weather conditions into consideration. They may direct you onto remote roads that are neither maintained nor passible in all weather conditions.
Already this season someone had to be rescued after following their GPS navigation device off the main highway and onto a snow- covered forest service road near Mount Hood. Fortunately, they received help and everyone was safe. This has not always been the case.
Navigation systems and similar smartphone apps are great tools, but travelers may need to verify the identified detour route is appropriate given current conditions and the vehicle they are driving. Here are a few tips to consider:
What you can do:
• Be aware that the app on your phone or in your GPS device might not have the latest information – don’t follow it blindly!
• Use TripCheck.com (available on your computer and on your phone) to get the latest on state road conditions, or call 511.
• Remember, in winter conditions (or in summer’s fire season), roads can be impassable, so USE COMMON SENSE.
• If you are not familiar with an area and current road conditions, stay on state roads and don’t attempt detours onto roads you don’t know.
• Alter your travel plans. If you are not sure of the route and road conditions your GPS device directs you to, ask local folks for information and consult a map. It is better to stay the night in town rather than be stuck on a remote road in the middle of nowhere.
What ODOT will do:
• ODOT crews work continually to keep state highways safe, but during certain conditions, such as blowing snow and freezing temperatures, you may want to avoid travel altogether.
• ODOT will issue media flash alerts if roads are closed. These will be updated continually on TripCheck.com.
For other tips and information visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriffnet or visit us on Facebook: Lincoln County Sheriff – Oregon
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson recorded a video to update Oregonians to the status of his cancer treatment.
“I’m so proud to lead a gifted team of public servants as we continue to improve transparency, accountability and integrity in Oregon government.”
“As many of you are aware, I announced in June that I was diagnosed with a small, cancerous brain tumor. The support I have received since has been so encouraging to my wife Cathy and me,” Richardson said.
“The latest MRI shows that the tumor has not grown,” he said.
“Thank you so much for all of your ongoing prayers and support during my treatment.”
Taft girls basketball coach Jake Tolan addresses his team in an earlier road game (File photo by Heather Hatton)
As if stepping up in rank to meet Tillamook on the road Wednesday night wasn’t a tough enough test for the Taft High girls basketball team, maybe next week’s home opener will be.
The Class 3A Tigers (2-2), who fell 50-34 Wednesday to the 10th-rated -Cheesemakers (6-1) of the 4A Cowapa Conference, will host No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Warrenton at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in their debut in the newly formed Coastal Range League.
The Warriors, who have outscored their seven opponents 407-209 (58-30 points per game) this season, are coming off a 61-44 victory Tuesday over Yamhill-Carlton. The Coastal Range League, a combined 20-5 in non-league play this season, has four teams ranked in the top 14 in the state, and two in the top seven. All five teams are .500 or better.
Details sought from the Taft girls loss to Tillamook have not been provided. The Taft girls JV defeated the Cheesemakers, 50-23.
The Taft boys, coming off a 60-53 comeback win at Tillamook on Friday, will host Warrenton (4-2) following the girls game. The Tigers, already relegated primarily to a seven-player rotation, will be without starting junior guard Lucas Hindman, who broke his right hand Wednesday at practice.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Warrenton girls lost 46-17 at home to Salem Academy on Thursday following this post and are now 7-1 and ranked second in the state.
The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a high surf advisory for the Oregon Coast due to a strong series of storms crossing the northeast Pacific.
Breakers up to 25 feet are possible with all beach areas impacted. Hazardous surf will cause waves to run up much higher on the beaches than normal. These powerful waves can sweep people off jetties and rocks and can also move large logs and other beach debris.
A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing rip currents and localized beach erosion.
The storms will continue through early next week and will send westerly swells towards the Pacific Northwest Coast resulting in periods of high surf activity. High surf is possible Friday, and Sunday through Monday.
Central Oregon Coast-
156 PM PST Wed Dec 12 2018
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THURSDAY...
National Weather Service is uncertain about this forecast and will be updating and refining it as the storms draw closer.
The Lincoln County School District is seeking a Lincoln City-area resident to consider fiscal issues and spending that affect North County schools as a Budget Committee member.
Community members are encouraged to apply by the Jan. 2 deadline. The application is available on the LCSD website.
Openings for three Budget Committee positions were discussed at Tuesday’s regular Lincoln County School Board session. Its Budget Committee consists of the five school board members and five appointed citizens from each of the five board zones.
Budget Committee members serve three-year terms, which are staggered to allow some continuity on the committee.The school board appoints the other citizens to the Committee.
The vacancies on the Committee are: Zones 1 (Lincoln City area); Zone 2 (Agate Beach to south Lincoln City); and Zone 3 (Newport central).
The Zone 1 vacancy expires June 2020. Zone 2 and 3 vacancies are full three-year terms.
Applications will be available on the district website and at the District Administration office in Newport (459 SW Coast Highway, Newport, OR 97365). Applicants must be registered voters, may not be employees of LCSD and must live in the zone to which they are applying.
Taft High senior Ana Ortiz, a first-team all-league girls soccer player, has been recognized as an honorable mention member of the Class 3A/2A/1A All-State team.
Ana Ortiz
Taft senior Tyee Fisher was named first-team all-league punter and split end in football, and junior Edson Fuentes first-team all-league in boys soccer.
Tyee FisherEdson Fuentes
Taft High Fall Sports All-League Honors
Boys Soccer
Edson Fuentes – First Team
William Calderon – Second Team
William Brooks – Honorable Mention Keeper
Jose Flores – Honorable Mention
Estib Hernandez – Honorable Mention
Girls Soccer
Ana Ortiz – First Team
Sammy Halferty – Second Team
Lydia Prins – Honorable Mention
Cross Country
Micah McLeish – All-League (5th place)
Lucas Hindman – All-League (7th place)
Football
Tyee Fisher – First Team (Punter)
Tyee Fisher – First Team (Split End)
Logan McClendon – Second Team (Defensive Back)
JJ French – Second Team (Running Back)
Trenton Hall – Honorable Mention (Linebacker)
JJ French – Honorable Mention (Linebacker)
Logan Gilleo – Honorable Mention (Linebacker)
Victor Carrasco – Honorable Mention (Offensive Line)
The next time you renew your Oregon driver license or identification card you may see a new design with new security features. DMV is rolling out a new card design starting this winter and early 2019.
The beauty of the new cards isn’t just skin deep. The enhanced colorful look is part of the new card’s advanced security features, making it harder to alter or duplicate.
Your current driver license or ID card will remain valid until its expiration date, so you do not need to replace your card before that date. You also do not need to replace your card when you move within Oregon – you can file your new address online at OregonDMV.com.
This is the first major upgrade to the card technology in Oregon since 2003. In addition to the new look and security features, the new card will provide a vertical layout for provisional driver license holders – drivers younger than 21 years old. This will make it easier to identify minors where age restrictions apply, such as the purchase of alcohol.
The new card will hold the same information as the current card, including name, address, issuance date and expiration date, as well as a small duplicate “ghost” image of the person’s photo. Driver license and ID card fees will remain the same with the new card.
New features
Among the new security features:
The card body is a durable plastic material made of a polycarbonate blend.
Customer information is laser-etched in clear, highly defined lines.
The colors are printed in tiny patterns that are difficult to see without magnification and difficult to duplicate.
The clear laminate covering the card front shows a hologram of Oregon symbols at certain angles and light conditions.
DMV will begin to test and install the new card system in two Salem-area field offices starting the week of Dec. 17. After making sure the new process is working properly, DMV will begin to install it in the rest of its 60 field offices during the first half of 2019.
Real ID option in 2020
As a reminder, this new card design is not yet available as a Real ID Act-compliant card. Oregon will begin to offer an optional Real ID-compliant card in July 2020. Until that time, Oregon driver licenses and ID cards will continue to be accepted as identification at secure federal locations and for boarding commercial aircraft. For more information about Oregon and Real ID, click here.
More information
Any time you need to visit a DMV office, first check www.OregonDMV.com to find office hours and locations, and to make sure you have everything you need before your visit. You also can do some DMV business from home at OregonDMV.com. You can renew your vehicle registration, file a change of address or file notice of the sale of your vehicle online without getting in line at an office.
A head-on collision took the life of one driver, while the other driver and her passenger were injured Monday night as the result of a two-vehicle accident at NW 68th Street and Highway 101.
The deceased driver of a white Geo Metro has been identified as Candous Lee Holberg, 52, of Waldport. Suffering minor injuries were the driver of a Chevrolet S10 Blazer, Jacqueline Eve Read, 34, of Lincoln City, and passenger Carl Vincent Davidson, 44, of South Beach.
An investigation revealed the Geo was headed southbound on Highway 101 and crossed the center line, where it crashed into the Blazer, which had been traveling northbound. The driver of the Geo, who was trapped inside the vehicle, was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.
Highway 101 was closed for several hours while the Lincoln County Interagency Major Crash Team completed its investigation. The team is comprised of members of the Oregon State Police, Lincoln City Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Toledo Police Department, Newport Police Department and the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office.
Senior Tyee Fisher, shown in a game earlier this season, led the way for the Tigers (File photo by Eric DeMello)
First-year Taft High boys basketball coach Andy Morgan was well aware his team’s toughest test of the young season awaited when it stepped up in class Friday night on the road at Tillamook.
So the upstart Tigers showed the Cheesemakers they don’t know jack.
Class 3A Taft of the newly founded Coastal Range League upset Class 4A Tillamook of the long-established Cowapa Conference 60-53 despite a depleted rotation that lacked its leading scorer and with three JV players who were eligible to play only one quarter each on the bench.
“As a young team, our expectation is to learn during the month of December, and, hopefully, be very competitive in January,” Morgan said of his new-look Tigers, who stand just 10 points away from being undefeated following a 2-2 start.
The Tigers exploded on a 22-8 second-quarter scoring barrage after trailing 21-9 after the opening period for a 31-29 halftime lead, then stretched the lead by a basket in both the third and fourth quarters to depart dairy farm country with a .500 record.
Senior Tyee Fisher led Taft with team highs in rebounds and blocks and junior Eli DeMello paced the Tigers in steals as Taft took the fourth-quarter lead for the fourth time this season.
“There have been some conditions that have led us to stay with our plan to grow and learn rather than win at all costs,” Morgan said. “I am not saying we definitely would have won all the games, but I do believe we have been committed to the process of team growth rather than wins during the preseason.”
With senior starting post player Ray Darrington benched due to academic issues by a last-minute coach’s decision, Taft used the 6-foot-9-inch center’s pregame talk as motivation to get maximum minutes and a disciplined group effort on both ends of the court, Morgan said.
“We discussed the importance of playing fundamental defense and keeping our feet in position and on the ground,” he said. “We knew we couldn’t get into early foul trouble while keeping aggressive on-ball and from the help-side defense.”
With starting junior guard Lucas Hindman inexplicably caught hesitating on a few early possessions that led to a 12-point first-quarter deficit, Morgan said he turned to senior Clay Nelson to help combat Tillamook’s potent shooting.
“It was a blow to the team’s defensive plan to send Lucas to an early breather.” he said. “Lucas is known for his sharpshooting, and is probably one of the smartest basketball minds on the team. He has ability to score from anywhere around the arc. [We] have recognized Lucas’s ability to be a very strong one-on-one defender. He is long, quick and has a huge heart. You won’t get more effort out of any other player.”
The Tigers shifted to a 2-3 zone, made some other minor defensive adjustments and used “the hustle and heart we talked about pre-game” to turn the tables into a two-point halftime advantage, Morgan said.
Hustle and defensive intensity throughout the second half allowed Taft to hold Tillamook at bay with junior guard Trenton Fisher leading the way. “Little Fish,” as Tyee’s younger cousin is known among teammates, was able to increase his offensive presence and limit his turnovers while playing nearly the entire game.
“By far Trenton’s best performance,” Morgan said. “He was able to stay aggressive on the defensive end while he found himself matched up against formidable athletes.”
Partnering with the younger Fisher in the ball-handling duties was DeMello, who had numerous key steals, Morgan said.
“Eli was also potent, sinking three shots from deep, adding to the layups from his steals,” he said.
Taft, which forced 23 turnovers while committing 17, overcame the fourth-quarter jitters that have twice proved the team’s undoing this season.
“Tyee Fisher was not going to let his teammates give up,” Morgan said of the senior post player, who had six blocks, two steals, two assists and 12 rebounds in Darrington’s absence. “The inspired team leader played a dominant game as the team’s sole big man.”
With Tillamook making a charge to tie the game midway through the final quarter, the Tigers seized command by turning to junior point guard Jordan Hall, who made 14 of 17 foul shots.
“It was Hall that changed the outcome with his aggressive play at the rim,” Morgan said. “He continued to attack the paint off the dribble. The team knew the challenges of a fast-paced game with a short roster. Hall recognized the benefit of the free throws.
“It did wonders to calm the heart rate and the breathing. The atmosphere is always electric in the Cheesemakers’ gym. The fans are rowdy and the band is loud. The pressure of the situation didn’t steal the moment.”
Morgan said assistant varsity and head JV coach Kyle Hamlin then stepped in to help the Tigers halt the comeback.
“A timeout by the Tillamook coach allowed a 60-second rally cry by Coach Hamlin,” he said. “The team responds well to his unique understanding of competition, teaching the boys to be calm and confident. As the clock ticked, it became more apparent that this Tiger team is becoming a strong, trusting fraternity.”
Taft will have 10 days off to regroup from the emotional victory before returning to the court Monday, Dec. 17, for its league and home opener against Warrenton.
Eli DeMello takes a shot in game earlier this season (File photo by Eric DeMello)
Community members are encouraged to apply by the Jan. 2 deadline. The application is available on the 
