Sinkhole discovered ....................................... PAGE 6 Taft High School Sports 2023. . .................. PAGE 10
January 31, 2023
Serving Lincoln City Since 1927
In crisis
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Fentanyl use, dealing, overdoses heightens local concerns WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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regon is facing an overdose crisis. According to Oregon Health Authority (OHA), unintentional and undetermined drug overdose deaths in Oregon more than doubled between 2019 and 2021. Illicitly manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) is at the heart of this crisis and has now surpassed methamphetamine as the most frequent drug involved in overdose deaths. An issue briefing from the OHA to the Oregon Governor’s Office revealed staggering statistics on the crisis. “Fentanyl overdose deaths increased nearly 600% between 2019 and 2021, from 71 to 509, respectively. In 2021, more than half (54.6%) of overdose deaths involved more than one drug and/or alcohol,” the report said. Local concerns Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers reported that he has “very much so” seen a rise in both dealing and fentanyl use in his county. The county has also had deaths due to the drug. Landers also gave reasons why the drug is becoming more common. “It seems to be easily obtained and cheap to produce and purchase,” Landers said. “It also provides a “better high” for the user looking for or addicted to other opioids.” Lt. Jeffrey Winn of the Lincoln City Police Department expanded on why he thinks fentanyl has become more prevalent. “Oregon has seen a substantial increase in Fentanyl use, with some studies showing a 163% positivity since 2020,” Winn said. “Price and availability seem to be the main reasons. In addition, Oregon has basically legalized possession of “personal amounts” of many drugs, including Methamphetamine and Fentanyl.” What is Fentanyl Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the CDC website. Doctors prescribe pharmaceutical fentanyl to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer. Its illicit form is often added to other drugs to make them more potent, cheaper Shutterstock
See CRISIS, Page 9
OCCC considering career, tech ed support opportunities JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
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n Feb. 15, the Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC) Board of Education will determine whether the college will place a ballot initiative in the May 2023 election. The measure would seek voter approval for the college to renew the facility’s exist-
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ing bond to support career and technical education opportunities in Lincoln County.
We can and should focus on securing what is needed for students, families and employers in Lincolnc County.
The need OCCC President Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge said expanding the college’s ability to offer cutting-edge workforce training in a variety of trades has long been a goal of OCCC leadership. “Since joining OCCC in 2014, I have often been asked ‘when will the College offer more training opportunities for students looking to work in the trades?’ After careful examination of employer and
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Voters may be asked to renew current bond
Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge, OCCC President
student demand, we concluded this was absolutely an area where we needed to grow. And we do not have the specialized facilities needed to house complete trades programs,” she said. Ryslinge said OCCC suc-
cessfully secured an $8 million challenge grant commitment from the state to help fund such facilities. However, the college won’t receive the state support if it does not receive significant local funding for the project.
“We partnered with Lincoln County School District and the Port of Toledo to start a welding program in 2020, she said. “In the intervening years, we have been busy – earning independent accreditation, responding to the pandemic, and adding and expanding other programs (Teaching, Early Childhood, expanding health programs, and more). It is time now to move forward with a bond to secure the matching funds from the state, build the new trades facility, and ensure the rest of our spaces will evolve to meet the future.” “An expanded welding
program is just one of many programs we anticipate delivering over the long life of this new building, ” OCCC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs Dan Lara said. “This facility will be designed from the ground up as a cutting-edge, flexible, industrial space. Virtually all the fixtures in this facility will be on wheels so that classrooms, workshops, and other learning spaces can flex and adapt over time to meet changing needs – the needs of our students and our county’s employers.” See OCCC, Page 9
Local graduation rates rising JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
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he statewide graduation rate for the class of 2022 is 81.3 percent, marking gains for every student group compared to the previous year and the second highest graduation rate ever recorded in Oregon, according to data released by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). After a slight drop due to the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 graduation rates are a positive sign that Oregon’s students and school systems are continuing to recover, acJeremy C. Ruark / County Media, Inc. cording to ODE Director Colt The 2022 graduating seniors toss their gaps into the air. Gill.
Notably, students completing two credits in an approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program of Study significantly exceeded the statewide average, graduating at a rate of 93.0 percent. Students who successfully completed English Learner programs prior to entering high school in Oregon graduated at 86.4 percent, 5.1 percentage points higher than the statewide average and an all-time high for that student group. “When we combine the tremendous resilience of Oregon’s youth, the courageous, tireless, work of our educators, and the individualized, student centered resources made available through the
Student Success Act and other key initiatives, we’re able to make meaningful progress for Oregon’s students,” Gill said. “There is more work to do, and we are ready to keep working to make sure all students have what they need to succeed.” “Each graduate represents an individual and family success story, a point of pride for their community, and a stronger future for Oregon,” Gov. Tina Kotek said. “It will take focused leadership and increased accountability to continue our recovery and ensure that all of Oregon’s children are better served by our investments in K-12 schools. All of our education investments
Police Blotter ............ 2 Opinion ...................... 5
Classifieds.............. 7-8 Sports ...................... 10
VOL. 96 NO. 5
Lincoln County School District Lincoln County School District Director of Secondary Education Majalise Tolan said the district’s graduation rates represent growth during a time that required more perseverance and resiliency on See GRADS, Page 4
TheNewsGuard.com
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must be paired with specific strategies to ensure we know how the dollars that are spent are connected to the education priorities that Oregonians care about. Every child is full of promise, and I am committed to creating the conditions for them to thrive.”
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