A vehicle driven into the Salmon River Jan. 22 — the subject of a dramatic rescue — was removed a month later, Feb. 22, by a coordinated effort of multiple first responders.
North Lincoln Fire Rescue’s (NLFR) Water Rescue Team, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation and Car Care Tow-Pro worked together to extricate the vehicle from the Salmon River using recovery cables on the partially submerged vehicle which was trapped by a fallen tree.
NLFR officials said the delay in removing the vehicle was due to high water levels, poor weather, swift currents and financial constraints.
Car Care Tow-Pro donated equipment and personnel to make the recovery possible.
The entire operation took approximately one hour to complete.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says two men from Portland trespassed on Salishan Resort’s golf course with an SUV, had a confrontation during a burglary and tried to carjack a lady on Siletz Highway Tuesday morning.
Damon Michael Hodge, 46, of Portland, was arrested on criminal trespass, burglary, attempted robbery and car theft charges.
Mark Alan Hays, 48, of Portland, was arrested on all the charges listed above, and also, driving under the influence, reckless driving and driving while revoked.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to Salishan Resort’s golf course at 8:36 a.m. to reports of a “silver SUV traveling down the golf cart path and through portions of the golf course.”
According to deputies, the caller said the SUV was stopped by a Salishan employee who made contact with two middle-aged males and confronted them about trespassing. The men fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
Twelve minutes later, a burglary from a homeowner on Siletz Highway was called in to Lincoln County dispatch. An unknown male had entered a home and caused a confrontation before fleeing the house. The homeowner said he saw a second man and a silver SUV.
Just 23 minutes since the entire affair occurred, the two men were out of gas on the highway, flagging down a passing motorist. Hays attempted to forcibly open a woman’s passenger door but it was locked and she sped away and called 911.
Both men were lodged at the Lincoln County Jail.
Law enforcement is asking witnesses to step forward and call 541-265-0777 and ask for Senior Deputy Boys. The case number is 20s-00461.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Oregon State Police and Lincoln City Police.
Electron microscope image showing the COVID-19 virus from a patient in the US (NIAID-RML)
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) officials will begin issuing updates on persons under monitoring and persons under investigation for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
OHA will post data on its website every Tuesday on persons under monitoring and persons under investigation.
Individuals who do not have COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, but who may have been exposed through close contact with a confirmed case or travel to mainland China are considered “persons under monitoring.”
“Persons under investigation” are individuals with COVID-19 symptoms — but not necessarily the virus — who have had exposure.
According to OHA data, as of Tuesday, Feb. 24, no cases of the virus have been confirmed in Oregon and only two people have been tested for the disease out of 254 that have been monitored since Jan. 24. Currently 76 people in Oregon are being monitored for COVID-19.
Across the United States there have been 14 total confirmed cases with 426 people tested.
“We recognize people are very worried about COVID-19, particularly given that we don’t know everything we wish we could know about how it’s transmitted,” said Lillian Shirley, director of the OHA Public Health Division. “People need to understand their real risks and feel confident the state and their local health departments are working hard to protect their health. We hope sharing [this data] will help do that.”
A new radio tower and communications system will be built by Complete Wireless Solutions and Emerick Construction for approximately $400,000, which is under the $750,000 originally budgeted for the project as part of recent efforts to modernize Lincoln City’s police force.
“Good job!” Councilor Riley Hoagland said about the savings, but his joy was short-lived as City Manager Ron Chandler said any money saved on this and other capital projects was going to be used towards the demolition of the old police building and subsequent construction of a parking lot which is estimated at around $500,000.
Police Chief Jerry Palmer testified before the council about the nealy 20-year-old radio system and its problems, including a previous bid to fix the dilapidated system for close to a million dollars, at which point he and city officials decided they needed to “do something else.”
Palmer said a new modern communications system was necessary for dispatch and officers to better protect the public as it would eliminate most of the problems they were facing with the current antiquated system, such as dead spots.
“The one thing that I lose sleep over every single night is the fact that my people step out of their patrol cars …and we don’t know — from one spot to another — if anyone’s going to hear them talk on their radio,” he said. “Sometimes they can’t even hear each other and they’re within line-of-sight.”
Palmer said he had “high confidence” in Complete Wireless Solutions and said new transmitters would improve police capabilities in the north end of town, especially in the Roads End and interchange areas. Complete Wireless Solutions currently applies “band aid fixes” for the police department’s aging radio system.
“This is a win for the City and a win for the PD,” Lincoln City IT Department’s Tony LaSoya said.
“This new system is going to create a voting system throughout the city,” Palmer said. “So when they step out of their car, the system will analyze and direct the proper signal to that site so that dispatch and the rest of us get the strongest signal possible based on location.”
Editor’s Note: In contrast to a repeater-only radio system, a voted system makes use of multiple voting receivers strategically placed throughout the desired coverage area. Whenever a field transmission is made, the voter gets receive audio from every voting receiver that picked up the transmission.
“This is a huge officer safety thing,” Palmer said. “I think we’ve hit on a very solid plan that is extremely cost-effective and is going to resolve most of our issues.”
Lincoln County has a vacancy on the Nonprofit Social Service Agency Allocation Review Committee.
This committee recommends which non-profit agencies should receive funding and the amount of funding based on specific criteria established by the Board of Commissioners.
Frequency of Meetings: One night meeting/year (occasionally may require additional review).
An agency qualifies to make an application if it is a 501(c)(3) private, nonprofit social agency providing direct services to either the general population of Lincoln County or targeted segments of that population within the county. Allocations can be made for on-going operational expenses, equipment purchases, capital improvements and associated expenses, service improvements or expansions or any combination of the above.
Allocations will be awarded by the Board of Commissioners based on the recommendations of a Review Committee appointed by the Board.
The Review Committee may request additional information from applicants and may, at its discretion, schedule informal meetings with applicants to clarify information. The Review Committee will recommend funding allocations to the Board of Commissioners. The criteria the Review Committee and Board will generally use to review the applications include:
Provider of direct social services to citizens within Lincoln County
Historical support by Lincoln County of agency’s operations and activities
Record of service in the County
Demonstrated sound financial and administrative capabilities
Unavailability of services through other sources
Avoidance of duplication of services from either governmental or other nonprofit agencies
Experience in coordinating services with other agencies across spectrum of social services provided in the County
Accessibility of programs and facilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
Completed applications may be delivered in person/mailed to, Lincoln County Courthouse, 225 W. Olive Street, Room #110, Newport, OR 97365 or emailed to [email protected]
National Weather Service Portland (NWS) issued a “high surf advisory” early Saturday morning for the northern and central Oregon Coast calling for destructive surf and sneaker waves Sunday into Monday.
NWS predicts large surf will arrive at 10 a.m. Sunday and last until 10 a.m. Monday and warns beachgoers to stay off of rocks, logs and jetties where waves can run up significantly farther on beaches, causing serious injury and loss of life.
According to the advisory, destructive waves may wash over beaches and structures unexpectedly and may damage coastal properties and buildings. Minor beach erosion could occur.
The possibility for sneaker waves exists and anyone interested in watching the high surf should do so well back from the high tide line.
If you see someone swept out to sea do not follow them into the water. Call 911 and keep an eye on them so you can help rescue units with location.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Public Health Department are releasing their new short video and information guide on the Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center.
The video provides an interactive overview of when and how the call center can be utilized by those impacted by community disasters or emergency events. The information guide can be printed for work or home as a reminder of how and when to contact the call center.
Helpful tips related to the call center are:
Save the Call Center phone number and County Emergency Management website in your contacts under Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center at 541-265-0621, https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/emergencymanagement so you have them when you need them.
Watch the short video in advance so you know what to expect when you contact the call center
Save the American Red Cross “Safe and Well” website in your contacts to assist with reuniting with family members when separated during disasters – https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php.
Lincoln County Sheriff, Curtis Landers, and Public Health Director, Rebecca Austen, extend their sincere appreciation to our local community volunteers, over 120 trained, to be able to respond and staff the call center when needed.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary Communications Service
Lincoln County Emergency Management Volunteers
Community Emergency Response Team Chapters of Lincoln County – Depoe Bay Fire District, Newport Fire Department, North Lincoln Fire and Rescue (North County), Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue (South County communities).
Coastline Auto Detail owners Shawn Mykisen, left, and Joe Salsbery
Twenty-two-year-old Lincoln City local Joe Salsbery didn’t know much about detailing cars and trucks when he started his own detailing business, Pit Crew Inc., back in November 2017.
“I had to learn the industry pretty quick,” he said.
The Taft High graduate, baseball and wrestling star had been cleaning interiors, removing mold and buffing out scratches with moderate success for over a year, until he partnered with detailing expert and 18-year combat Veteran Shawn Mykisen.
The two rebranded the business as Coastline Auto Detail in June 2019 and have landed some big accounts together, such as Salishan, Taxi 101 and local construction companies.
Mykisen, 46, brings a lifetime of detailing experience to Lincoln City, having worked for Beaverton Toyota and other auto detailing shops his whole life. He did two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Army and his discipline and respect shows in his dealings with customers and how he works on the vehicles.
“We are detailing perfection,” Mykisen said.
Salsbery, who wrestled at 138 pounds for Taft, now wrestles with Malco’s Epic Ceramic Coating System, which is basically body armor for cars that bonds with the manufacturer’s clear coat and prevents salt, dirt and other contaminants from ruining paint jobs.
Using high-quality products that perform well at the coast, Coastline Auto Detail is establishing a reputation for quality and has its sights set on acquiring “whales” like Chinook Winds Casino and the City of Lincoln City.
What sets Coastline apart from other detailing shops is their willingness to save customers money by offering discounted services after performing a full-detail on a vehicle. Realizing that when they apply good products professionally, the maintenance is easier, and so savings are getting passed on to customers.
Due to an increase in business, the detailing duo tore down an old office inside the main shop located at 3321 NW Highway 101, Suite A, and expanded their available workspace by 33 feet.
“You can fit a small car in here now,” said Salsbery.
Coastline Auto Detail offers what you would expect from an auto detailer, including:
Interior/Exterior detailing
Ceramic (Body armor) packages
Mold extraction
Pet hair & beach sand removal
Removing smoking damage
Engine degreasing/cleaning
Headlight restoration
Coastline’s social media campaigns have brought more than a few customers to the newly-rebranded business by way of Facebook and Instagram, where customers can leave reviews:
Neighboring business Sean’s Automotive Services said they really enjoy having Coastline next door and often refer business to the detailer and vice versa.
Salsbery reflects on life before being a business owner:
“I remember working for UPS. Sometimes I think about what I’d be doing there. What we’re doing now is awesome.”
A plethora of people packed Lincoln City beaches Wednesday, with many perusing the Pacific’s placid perfection under sunny skies.
Beachcombers were out in full-force as the sun shone on Nelscott Beach, collecting agates and seashells deposited in large quantities after earlier storms.
More than a few beachgoers could be heard describing the Pacific Ocean as “beautiful” and “amazing” as the stillness of the water was in stark contrast to large waves and rough seas previously witnessed.
Drone operators could be seen flying their aircraft with precision and grace, capturing images and video of the Oregon Coast.
Canine companions made the most of the sunny day by exploring much of the available surface area of the beach and laying claim to it.
With no rain predicted until Sunday, people are on the beaches in Lincoln City doing everything the small-town coastal community has to offer.
A search warrant executed by the Street Crimes Response Team Thursday, Feb. 6, led to the arrest of two Lincoln City residents on drug and child neglect charges after a months-long investigation.
Daryl Donat, 60, of Lincoln City, was arrested at 2333 NE 29th Street after an investigation by the Street Crimes Response Team (SCRT) compiled enough evidence of drug activity to get a search warrant.
2333 NE 29th Street Lincoln City
Upon executing the search warrant, SCRT agents and members of the Toledo, McMinnville and Lincoln City police departments found methamphetamine and items used to distribute the drug, such as baggies and digital scales. Also found living at the residence were two children.
McMinnville Police drug-detection K-9 Tucker and his handler assisted in the investigation.
Donat was taken to the Lincoln County Jail where he faces charges of delivery, possession and manufacturing of methamphetamine and two counts of first-degree child neglect. His bail is set at $500,000.
Also arrested at the residence was 59-year-old Melody Goodmanson, of Lincoln City, for possession of methamphetamine. She was taken to Lincoln County Jail with bail set at $15,000.
The SCRT is a county-wide team designed to augment patrol divisions and specializes in the handling of community impact crimes, such as narcotics investigations, burglaries, and repeat offenders. SCRT is made up of members of Newport and Lincoln City Police Departments and routinely obtain assistance from the Toledo Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The Lincoln City Police Department encourages citizens to report any suspicious activity they witness, as it may assist law enforcement. The LCPD Drug Tip Line is 541-994-9800.
