A lifelong love of arts and culture brought Niki Price to her role as director of the Lincoln City Cultural Center. View her video below, then share your story on why you support the Cultural Center, or another local arts organization, and win admission to the Siletz Bay Music Festival.
Compiled by Price for an online certificate course through Oregon State University, the video, filmed at the Chessman Gallery, briefly describes her story on how she became involved with the local nonprofit.
Log on to Facebook and share your story and, in return, you could be selected to win one of four sets of two tickets to the Festival.
Text, photo or video entries will be accepted. Deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. Winners will be contacted via Facebook with instructions on how to pick up your prize.
Lincoln City Parks and Rec is the first such agency in Oregon to be chosen for the grant program, which will allow it to build a Nature Play Space, including a “Story Circle” with trails, to provide kids and families with greater access to recreation.
“We are thrilled to have the support of NRPA and The Walt Disney Company in building our first Nature Play area in Lincoln City,” Parks and Recreation Director Jeanne Sprague said. “We hope to incorporate many park amenities into our new park, and this is the first step in the right direction.”
As part of the national “Meet Me at the Park Play Spaces” grant program, park and recreation agencies across the country shared their ideas on increasing access to play spaces for children and families in their communities. Agencies with the most innovative and impactful ideas received $30,000 grants to build their projects.
“NRPA is proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company to help more children and families experience the benefits of play,” Kellie May, NRPA vice president of programs, said. “By increasing access to play spaces, this program will also provide unique activities tailored to the local community that support healthy lifestyles.”
A Taft High 7-12 student allegedly hid under pinball machines at Game Over Arcade this evening, reportedly getting away with close to $50 in quarters.
The teen was caught on camera entering the business at 821 NE Highway 101 in Lincoln City, got under the pinball machines when nobody was looking, and pried into the backs of several machines, owner Christopher Donner said.
Video footage shows the boy in the arcade shortly after 9 p.m. when the alleged theft took place, Donner said.
“He also broke the top of the kiddie rides and an employee found the cash bucket next to the machine,” Donner said.
Donner said the teen had been in the arcade on a number of occasions.
Damage to the machines is estimated at around $100 and will take significant time to repair, Donner said.
Driftwood Public Library’s summer reading program for families: “A Universe of Stories,” is designed to entice youngsters to read, and the rewards are out of this world.
Driftwood has aimed the “Rocket Readers” program at youth who read for 15 minute intervals to get rewards. Each column filled up in the provided booklet awards items from a treasure chest, or they can save up six columns and pick a free book. Readers who achieve 15 hours will receive a Universe of Stories t-shirt. Fill out the entire provided booklet and get a medal for your efforts.
The summer reading program kicks off Tuesday, June 18, is for all ages and is sponsored by Friends of Driftwood Public Library and the Lincoln County Library District.
Family nights are coming:
June 19- RISEUP with Kacey (Kacey MacCalister is a motivational speaker and entertainer who never defines himself as handicapped, even though he has no legs. Watch him climb ladders, skateboard, defy all odds and use his wheel chair as an extension of his body.)
June 26- Tears of Joy Theater (Larger than life puppets take the stage with “Pegasus and the Stories of the Stars”)
July 3- Slug Races (Bring your own slug to race! This is a bi-annual event: come cheer on your favorite slug and be prepared to stay a while.)
July 10- Mo Phillips (A goofball Portland singer-songwriter who will ‘wow’ any crowd, especially if you think like a kid.)
July 17- Chris Leebrick (A storyteller for all ages: “Storytelling may be the world’s oldest art form. The need to hear and tell stories is inherent, and through the power of story we can grow in our understanding of what it means to be human.”)
July 24- Dance team ‘After Dark’ (Watch a group of young dancers spin their stuff doing the Lindy, Swing, Ballroom and much more in this incredible Universe of Dance.)
July 31- Explosions Inc. (Experience larger than life science demonstrations that will stun the audience.)
August 7- Rhys Thomas (Jugglemania: hilarity and dexterity.)
August 14- Creature Teachers (Wonderful bugs and crawling things visit the library.)
Driftwood Public Library is located on the second floor of City Hall at 801 SW HWY 101 in Lincoln City, just across the street from Burger King, and adjacent to McKay’s Market. For further information, please contact the children’s coordinator, Teena Nelson, at 541-996-1258, or via email at [email protected].
A passenger died and the driver charged with kidnapping, DUII, reckless driving, manslaughter and numerous other crimes Saturday following a single-vehicle crash near Toledo.
Nikolas Yost, 25, of Toledo, was partially ejected from a white Ford F350 and pronounced dead at the scene in a suspicious traffic accident at milepost 1.5 on 1000 Line Road, a mountainous gravel roadway leading into the forested coastal range.
Robert Lee Bauman
Driver Robert Lee Bauman, 30, of Toledo, who police said exhibited signs of impairment, faces 10 charges, including numerous felonies. Bail was set at $560,000.
According to a police report, initial responders located the caller, Brendon Thomas, 22, of Toledo, who was also a passenger, on the roadway. They found the vehicle, bearing OR plate 241 JQR, resting on its roof approximately 300 feet down a steep hillside.
Deputies and a Lincoln County police dog found the driver in the brush a short distance from where the vehicle left the roadway. He was detained without incident and taken into custody.
The Major Crash Team (MACT) was activated, and MACT members from the Lincoln County DA’s Office, Newport Police Department, Toledo Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the wreck, including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit.
Investigation determined the vehicle was being operated unsafely by Bauman eastbound when he failed to negotiate a curve and it tumbled down the hill. It was learned that neither Yost or Thomas were willing passengers.
Bauman and Thomas were transported by Pacific West Ambulance to Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, where they received treatment. Thomas suffered a serious injury, but was released. Bauman was medically cleared, then transported to the Lincoln County Jail.
Bauman was charged with two counts of Kidnapping in the Second Degree, DUII, Reckless Driving, two counts of Reckless Endangering, Felony Failure to Perform the Duties of Injured Persons, Felony Assault in the Third Degree, and Manslaughter in the First Degree.
The Rope High Angle Rescue Team responded to assist with the recovery, and multiple tow vehicles were needed due to the thick terrain. MACT will utilize Lincoln County collision reconstructionists to continue the investigation, the police report said.
Yard debris burning season will close Monday in North Lincoln County due to unusually dry conditions and low precipitation and re-open when fall rains return around Oct. 1, North Lincoln Fire & Rescue officials said.
Recreational fires are still allowed and do not require a permit. Anyone with questions regarding burn permits and back yard burning may call NLFR at 541-996-2233.
NLFR offers the following safety tips for recreational fires:
— Have a water supply available and extinguish your fire before you leave.
— Keep recreational fires at least 15 feet away from any structure or combustible materials.
— Extinguish all beach fires with water rather than sand.
In addition, Oregon Department of Forestry-Toledo Office reports that fuel moisture levels in the county are at remarkably low levels. The yard debris burning closure coincides with ODF beginning fire season and regulated use for the Western Oregon District.
Police are searching for a suspect in an armed bank robbery Friday morning at Bank of the West, 4659 SW Highway 101 in Lincoln City.
According to a news release from Lincoln City Police, the robbery occurred shortly after the bank opened at 9 a.m.
Police said a male entered the bank at 9:18 a.m. wearing a balaclava, gray sweatpants, a black zip-up hoodie and gray and black hiking shoes. The blue-eyed man pointed a gun at two employees and took an unknown amount of cash.
The male is described as 5-feet-5 to 5-7 and weighing 140-170 pounds.
Lincoln County K9 Bonnie assisted in the search.
Police have requested information from the public at 541-994-3636.
Every day, law enforcement officers and emergency workers put their lives on the line to save ours. Even a routine traffic stop has become risky business. The following information comes from the Oregon Department of Transportation: www.oregon.gov/ODOT.
In the last 10 years, more than 700 officers have been killed in traffic incidents. In many of those cases, the officers were pulled over on the side of the road when inattentive drivers crashed into them at high speeds. That’s why there’s a strict law in Oregon designed to protect the people we depend on to protect us.
The Move Over Law (ORS 811.147) states that if you are approaching any type of emergency vehicle, tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle which is stopped on the roadside with emergency lights activated, you must:
MOVE OVER into another available lane.
If you can’t safely change lanes, SLOW DOWN to a speed that is at least 5 mph below the posted or designated speed of the roadway.
In all cases, the driver must try to provide as much room as possible for the emergency vehicle, tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle.
The Move Over Law is in place to help protect law enforcement officers, emergency workers, tow operators and those who routinely provide assistance to motorists along the highways. This group of dedicated professionals face a deadly threat on a daily basis: speeding and inattentive drivers. But the law also exists to protect you. The flashing lights are your cue to move over and slow down.
If you are approaching the scene of a crash, carefully watch for emergency workers directing traffic and follow all of their instructions.
For more information and tips, visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
The Emergency Management Division of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled an annual county-wide test of its emergency notification systems 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday, June 24.
County Emergency Management will test all components of the Lincoln Alerts emergency notification system in preparation for the seasonal wildfire conditions. A specific focus of the systems test will be on the Lincoln Alerts mobile app (powered by Everbridge) and the functionality of receiving information back from those who received the message.
Community members can participate in the county-wide test in the following ways:
Pre–test date:
Opt-in and create a Lincoln Alerts profile for each member of your household if you have not already done so.
Update your current opt-in profiles to make sure your contact information and addresses are up to date.
Download the mobile app and log-in (must have a Lincoln Alerts account first).
During the test:
Confirm the Lincoln Alerts test message on any of the devices in your profile or your residential or business landline phones.
Confirm the mobile app message and send back a photo through the mobile app to County Emergency Management confirming the ability to communicate to public safety officials during emergency events.
Monitor local media partner sites (radio, digital) during the test timeframe to confirm you received a notification through an alternative source.
Post test:
Complete the County Emergency Management on-line participant survey to provide feedback on the test.
County Emergency Management has several redundancies in place to push out emergency notification messages to those who may be in harm’s way due to emerging or imminent disaster situations. The county wide test allows County Emergency Management to test all features together just as it would be in a real disaster response situation. Those features include:
Emergency Alert System (EAS) – message over local public radio systems
Media release to local media partners
Lincoln Alerts to opt-in profiles
Lincoln Alerts to residential and business landline numbers
Lincoln Alerts message specifically for mobile app users
Lincoln Alerts message to community information Keyword subscribers
Posting of emergency notification banner on county website (test message)
“Having the ability to test all of our emergency notification features and receive feedback from those we communicate to is incredibly important to County Emergency Management, County Emergency Manager Jenny Demaris said. “It provides us a way to evaluate our systems, improve upon our processes and ensure we are ready when our communities need us.”
As part of the test, County Emergency Management is sponsoring a contest for users of the Everbridge mobile app. App users who respond with a photo from one of the categories below will be entered to win a NOAA Weather Alert Radio sponsored by the National Weather Service. Six individuals will be randomly selected as winners. Winning photos will be shared on the Lincoln County Emergency Management Facebook page (@lcemergencymanagement).
Mobile Phone App Photo Categories
Disaster Go Bags
Disaster home/work caches
Your NOAA Radio
Any tsunami evacuation signage, maps, etc.
Pets
Family
Co-workers
Summer activity
Lincoln Alerts New User Guides Released
Lincoln County Emergency Management recently updated its Lincoln Alerts sign-up website page to include three easy-to-follow user guides. The guides are intended to outline the steps needed to sign-up for Lincoln Alerts, download the mobile app and sign-up for the community keyword text messages. The user guides can be found at the Lincoln Alerts page at www.co.lincoln.or.us/alerts.
Pacific Power issues the following statement from Scott Bolton, senior vice president, External Affairs and Customer Solutions:
As wildfires become more frequent and intense throughout the West, protecting the communities we serve from this increasing threat, while providing safe, reliable power, is our highest priority. We are building on our work over past years to strengthen our system and implement additional safety measures to reduce wildfire risks.
As part of this effort, we are working with area emergency services agencies, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and community leaders across Oregon to expand and enhance existing emergency response plans and work in coordination with our communities. This includes some new actions we’re planning for this fire season.
We are enhancing vegetation inspections and vegetation clearance around our power lines or poles, increasing facilities inspections, making investments to improve equipment resiliency and fire-proofing, installing local weather stations, and training and equipping our field crews for wildfire suppression.
For areas at a higher risk of fast-spreading wildfires, we are establishing a new fire prevention measure called a Public Safety Power Shutoff. A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a new measure designed to help keep people and communities in high-risk areas safe, by proactively shutting off power during extreme and dangerous weather conditions that can result in catastrophic wildfires. This measure would only be taken as a last resort to help ensure customer and community safety.
Pacific Power is working with local governments and emergency services agencies to update them on the conditions when this protocol would be used and seek their input on coordination should we need to deploy a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Pacific Power is also launching a public wildfire education and outreach campaign starting June 24 to share wildfire safety and prevention tips and to inform customers of the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff measure. This will include public information workshops for communities in high-risk areas.
Customers can take steps now to prepare for emergencies by keeping vegetation around their homes trimmed and low and updating their emergency plans and supplies. Customers should also contact us to ensure their contact information is up-to-date, so we can keep provide updates about increased fire risk alerts, potential power outages and updates on power restoration.
