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Police Blotter . . ............................. PAGE 3 Taft High School swim team ..... PAGE 10

March 1, 2022

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Student tours at Washed Ashore exhibit give hands-on art experience HILARY DORSEY Editor

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incoln City Cultural Center staff have been leading guided tours of the Washed Ashore exhibit for students in grades K-12 throughout the month of February and through March 13, when the featured exhibit ends. Visual arts director Krista Eddy has designed a large piece and a process by which touring classes can contribute. When possible, students assemble components of a marine debris sculpture that will be permanently placed on the cultural center grounds. Eddy said tours of the Washed Ashore exhibit and an art experience have been given to all students at Taft Elementary School so far for 3-6th grades and are now occurring for Oceanlake Elementary School students for grades K-2. The Lincoln City Cultural Center has also hosted a few alternative schools for this tour, including the Newport Outdoor School, St. James Santiago

School, and the Lincoln City Christian School, Eddy added. Taft High School students are also participating by collecting plastic and making ‘kebabs’ for the project.

See WASHED ASHORE, Page A2

Lincoln City Parks & Recreation Teen Center grand opening March 4

Cases continue to decline, mask mandate to lift March 19 HILARY DORSEY Editor

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CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Roby’s staff volunteering at Teen Center.

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incoln City Parks & Recreation (LCP&R) invites teens of Lincoln City, grades 7-12, and the public to celebrate the grand opening of the Lincoln City Teen Center at 5 p.m. Friday, March 4, at the Lincoln City Community Center. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place with pizza and cake provided for all. Teens may also enjoy video games, arts and crafts, foosball, ping pong, music, board games and more. Special guests include Lincoln City Council, the Lincoln City Parks

& Recreation Board, Roby’s Furniture and Appliance, and of course – the teens of Lincoln City. The LC Teen Center, for grades 7-12, has been years in the making, with new construction and purchase of many, many recreational supplies. In preparation of the grand opening, Roby’s Furniture and Appliance hosted their annual service day with their staff and provided fresh colorful paint and new furniture for the center. Starting on March 8, the Teen Center will be open from 5-7 p.m.

Tuesdays and the last Friday each month. Teens will be able to socialize with their peers, play music, video and board games, arts and crafts, cook meals and much more. LCP&R looks forward to scheduling more Teen Center hours when support staff are hired. All participants are required to enroll in the program with a parent/guardian signature. LCP&R looks to add more teen program hours in the future. For more information on the Teen Center, visit https://www.lincolncity. org/departments/parks-recreation

INDEX Classifieds......................4 Opinion.......................... 6 Obituaries ..................... 6

VOL. 95 NO. 08

OVID-19 case counts continue to trend down in Lincoln County, public health reports. There was a 47 percent decrease in reported cases this week compared to the previous week. Public Health Director Florence Pourtal reported during a Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Feb. 23, there is less work for the public health team now that the omicron surge is over. “It’s likely we’re going to shift some people to our vaccination efforts rather than making calls to cases,” Pourtal said. As of Monday, Feb. 21, there have been a total of 69 COVID-related deaths in the county since the pandemic began. The test positivity rate is trending down. There was a total of 144 COVID-19 cases the week of Feb. 13. The peak was 650 cases the week of Jan. 16. “We’re at about 600 daily hospitalizations in Oregon at this time,” Pourtal said. “We are hoping to come down.” As of the report on Feb. 23, 43 percent of people are boosted in Lincoln County. Most vaccines being administered are boosters, Pourtal added. “Out of all the vaccinations being administered in the county, about 60 percent of them are booster doses,” Pourtal said. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported Thursday, Feb. 24, that the mask requirements to indoor public places and Oregon’s schools will lift March 19. Earlier this month, OHA announced the requirement would be lifted by March 31, with the option of lifting sooner if conditions improve enough. “There are no current plans to lift mask requirements in health care facilities for both patients and providers,” Pourtal said Feb. 23. Once the mask mandate lifts, the decision will be up to the individual on whether they want to continue wearing a mask in public indoor settings. It is still strongly recommended that those at high risk of severe disease or hospitalization continue to wear a mask in indoor public settings, including those unvaccinated and those with compromised immune systems. Find COVID-19 testing at https://bit.ly/3hhXxPn Find a vaccine clinic at https://bit.ly/3v8GvM1 Send comments to: newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net

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