Housing project on the rise............................. PAGE 6 Newport mayor resigns. . ................................. PAGE 4
July 18, 2023
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Two arrested following child luring investigations JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
Two people are facing multiple criminal charges after being arrest during two separate child luring investigations in June and July by officers from the Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD). The first investigation began after officers received a
complaint regarding an adult male attempting to initiate sexual contact with a 16-yearold juvenile. During the case investigation, probable cause was developed and on June 26, officers arrested 34-year–old Ceotis Rhodes of Lincoln City, charging him with the crimes of Luring a Minor and Attempted Sexual Abuse in
Access denied?
the second degree. He was taken into custody and transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on the listed charges. His bail was set at $200,000. The second investigation involved officers posing as an underage child on various social media platforms. The undercover officers went online and were subse-
quently contacted by adults who offered to meet for sex with a person they believed to be a minor. When these adults arrived at an undisclosed public location to meet up with the minor, they instead were contacted by law enforcement and arrested. On July 6, 32-year-old Daniel Wilson from Tacoma, Washington, traveled to the
Lincoln City area to meet with a person he believed was a 15-year-old juvenile. When Wilson arrived at the agreed undisclosed location, he was arrested and charged with the crimes of: Luring a Minor, Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the first degree, Attempted Rape III, and Attempted Sodomy III. He was subsequently transported to,
and lodged at, the Lincoln County Jail. His bail was set at $250,000. “The Lincoln City Police would like to encourage parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and discuss with them the possible dangers of communicating with strangers online,” LCPD Lt. Jeffrey Winn said.
Deadline looms for beach access closure decision
JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc. The News Guard first reported in February of this year, that the City of Lincoln City was seeking state permission to close vehicle access to specific ocean front locations. The story in print and on online at thenewsguard.com has been one of our most viewed reports. The concerns by city officials and first responders center around the vehicle congestion and public safety on the beach, especially in the summer. Access by emergency vehicles is slowed. High waves and sneaker waves along the beach have also raised concerns. Over the years, vehicles have gotten stuck in the sand, and on several occasions, been swamped by the incoming tide. Pulling the vehicles from the rising tide can be dangerous and expensive, according to officials. Following the city’s closure request to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), which has jurisdiction over Oregon’s beaches, a public comment periods was established. The last scheduled public comment meeting is set for 6 p.m. July 18, at the Lincoln City Community Center, 2150 NE
Oar Place, in Lincoln City. The danger In The News Guard’s February report, first responders, such as officers from the Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD), outlined issues, such as vehicle congestion on the beaches, which increases life and safety issues. Over the past several years, the 15th Street beach access area has been experiencing a substantial increase in the amount of vehicular traffic accessing and parking on the beach, according to LCPD Lt. Jeffrey Winn. “The situation becomes a safety issue when there are so many vehicles in the area that it becomes overly crowded and vehicles begin driving and parking past the areas where it is allowed,” Winn said. “This substantial number of vehicles operating in the small area amplify the safety concerns because you have people, including children, walking, playing, exploring, and relaxing in the same areas where vehicles are now driving around them in very close proximity, increasing the likelihood that someone is going to get hit or a child running and playing will get run over.” Winn added that when the area is so crowded and con-
Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc. The access ramp at 15th Street in Lincoln City now has these posts embedded in the pavement to prevent vehicles from traveling down to the beach. gested with vehicles, emergency services have a difficult to impossible time trying to get rescue equipment and personnel down onto the beach and through the area to provide quick and appropriate rescue services in the event of an emergency on the beach. “LCPD does not have the staffing to have police personnel at the site all day to direct traffic up and down what essentially is a one-lane access road, as well as deal with the overcrowded parking issues, keeping a clear lane for emergency service vehicles, and address the dangerous driving issues that have occurred at the location,” Winn said. “The closing of the access to vehicular traffic is a way for the city to mitigate the hazards created by the ever-increasing vehicle traffic
and congestion, thereby substantially reducing the risk of injury or death to persons on foot in the area. The goal is to maximize the safety of all who are enjoying our beautiful ocean beaches and shore.” The restrictions One proposed change would ban vehicles yearround at NW 34th Street in Lincoln City. The parking lot is already closed to vehicle traffic by city ordinance. The second proposed change would close vehicle access to the beach from on NW 15th Street May 1 to Sept. 30 or whenever conditions were unsafe. The access is already closed by city ordinance from May 26 to Sept. 5. The proposed change would also expand the area of
shore open to vehicles from 150 feet to 300 feet on each side of NW 15th when access is open. “We’re proposing these changes in cooperation with the city as we both try to improve the quality of the beach experience and keep people and vehicles from mixing on a busy beach,” says OPRD spokesperson Chris Havel said. “The tricky part is striking a balance between those concerns and easy, fair access to the tremendous gift that is the Oregon ocean shore.” Next steps The News Guard has reached out to OPRD Government Relations and Policy Manager Katie Gauthier for insight into the next steps of the process.
The News Guard: So far, what has been the public response to the vehicle beach closure request from the City of Lincoln City? Katie Gauthier: We have received a variety of comments across the spectrum from individuals who would like to see both areas closed permanently to individuals who would like to see both areas remain open. We post the comments received on our rule making webpage weekly, you are welcome to read through the pdfs with each comment. The News Guard: What is the process once the public comment period ends and when will a final decision be made? Gauthier: Comments will See ACCESS, Page 12
Scientists believe climate change is impacting ocean’s color SEAN NEALON News Guard Guest Column
The ocean’s color has changed significantly over the last 20 years, and the global trend is likely a consequence of human-induced climate change, scientists, including one from Oregon State University, report in a new study. In the study published in Nature, the team, which includes researchers from National Oceanography Center in the U.K., MIT and the University of Maine, writes that they have detected changes in ocean color over the past two decades that cannot be explained by natural, year-toyear variability alone.
These color shifts, though subtle to the human eye, have occurred over 56% of the world’s oceans — an expanse that is larger than the total land area on Earth. In particular, the researchers found that tropical ocean regions near the equator have become steadily greener over time. The shift in ocean color indicates that ecosystems within the surface ocean must also be changing, as the color of the ocean is a literal reflection of the organisms and materials in its waters. At this point, the researchers cannot say how exactly marine ecosystems are changing to reflect the shifting color. But they are pretty sure of
Courtesy photo from OSU These color shifts, though subtle to the human eye, have occurred over 56% of the world’s oceans — an expanse that is larger than the total land area on Earth. one thing: Human-induced idence of how human activiclimate change is likely the ties are affecting life on Earth driver. over a huge spatial extent,” “This gives additional ev- said lead author B. B. Cael of
the National Oceanography Center. “It’s another way that humans are affecting the biosphere.” The ocean’s color is a visual product of whatever lies within its upper layers. Generally, waters that are deep blue reflect very little life, whereas greener waters indicate the presence of ecosystems, and mainly phytoplankton — plant-like microbes that are abundant in the upper ocean and that contain the green pigment chlorophyll. The pigment helps plankton harvest sunlight, which they use to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into sugars. Phytoplankton are the
Police Blotter ............ 3 Opinion ...................... 5
Classifieds.................. 7 Comics ...................... 11
VOL. 96 NO. 27
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foundation of the marine food web that sustains progressively more complex organisms, on up to krill, fish, and seabirds and marine mammals. Phytoplankton are also a powerful muscle in the ocean’s ability to capture and store carbon dioxide. Scientists are therefore keen to monitor phytoplankton across the surface oceans and to see how these essential communities might respond to climate change. In the current study, Cael and the team, including Kelsey Bisson, an oceanographer at Oregon State, analyzed measurements of ocean
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