New Surgeon at SNLH............ PAGE 2 School Construction . . ............. PAGE 9
August 19, 2020
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Lawmakers rely on reserves during Special Session MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net
The Oregon Legislature met for a Special Session that lasted late into the night Monday, August 10, as lawmakers from the Oregon House and Senate passed a dozen bills to address a $1 billion shortfall in the state budget. Throughout the session, the House and Senate passed bills that will provide funding to Oregon public schools, tighten restrictions on police and corrections officers’ use of force and help unemployed Oregonians. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown addressed the media today (August 11) in regards to the Special Session. To start the press conference, Gov. Brown spoke on the lawmakers’ approval of using $400 million in emergency dollars from the Education Stability Fund to keep K-12 funding stable. “First, I appreciate that lawmakers decided to continue our investments in K-12 public schools and early childhood education,” Gov. Brown said. “For a generation, we underfunded our schools, that changed last
A humpback whale washed ashore on the Salishan Spil last week, just south of Lincoln City. Stranding Coordinator, Jim Rice, said there were signs of killer whale predation and scavenging by sharks.
See BUDGET, Page A6
See WHALE, Page A6
Whale Washed Ashore COURTESY PHOTO/AMANDA CLARK
37-foot humpback whale washes up near Lincoln City
Administration (NOAA), declared an Unusual Mortality Event as whales were seen washing ashore at a high rate. But this summer, whale standings are back to a relatively normal rate, despite the recent stranding of a humpback whale near Lincoln City last week. On August 7, NOAA reported a 37-foot humpback whale had washed ashore on the Salishan Spit, just south
MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net
During the summer of 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
of Lincoln City. The next day, Jim Rice, Stranding Coordinator for the Oregon Marine Mammal Institute, was out on the beach taking samples of the large mammal. “I examined and sampled it on Saturday morning… It had been dead and floating for quite a while,” Rice said. “There were some signs of killer
BB Camp helps strike out hunger in Lincoln City MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia. net
B’nai B’rith Camp, located in Lincoln City, has teamed up with NW Coastal Housing this summer to provide free Grab and Go Meals to kids in Lincoln County. Since 2013, B’nai B’rith Camp has provided free meals to nearby Lincoln City children who meet guidelines for free lunch. With COVID-19 impacting school food programs and increasing food insecurity in the state of Oregon, this year the
camp expanded to start early and will end past the ‘summer break.’ “Since mid-June, we have been providing breakfast and lunch for seven days a week to nearly 400 kids a day,”said BB Camp Executive Director Michelle Koplan. “We’ve now served well over 20,000 meals!” The meals are provided to kids who meet the USDA/ Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Program requirements for the Summer Food Service Program. “When schools were closed a few months ago, I reached
out to our housing partner, NW Coastal Housing, to make sure that the kids in the two apartment complexes we have been providing food to during previous summers were going to be receiving food,” said BB Camp Operations Director Allison Kaufman. In addition to the meals served to campers in the Lincoln City BB Day Camp, sack meals for three or four days are available for pickup two days a week at BB Camp and at two apartment complexes operated
See CAMP, Page A6
Four deaths reported at Hillside Place THE NEWS GUARD
Four residents of Hillside Place passed away over the weekend. Public Health has reported that two of the four tested positive for COVID-19 and two others are pending test results from August 14. All individuals had additional medical conditions. The deceased individuals are a 90-year-old man (COVID-19 positive), who died on August 14, a 66-year-old man, who died on August 15, a 97-year-old woman (COVID-19
positive), who died on August 15 and a 93-year-old woman died on August 15. Public Health also announced seven new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend and two on Monday, the majority of which are sporadic. This means that the source of exposure cannot be determined and is considered community spread. Lincoln County has many resources that can help residents or visitors of any background and preferred language. If you experience a medical emer-
gency call 911 immediately. For less urgent care, contact the Lincoln Community Health Center or Samaritan Health. The three situations where people need to self-isolate and quarantine are: - Confirmed COVID-19 test - Close contact of positive case (within 6 feet for over 15 minutes) - Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19. If you have questions, contact the call center at 541-2650621 or email LincolnCoCallCenter@co.lincoln.or.us
COURTESY PHOTO
BB Camp Food Service Chef Becci Bazen prepares sack lunches for kids of Lincoln County. The BB Camp has served up well over 20,000 meals this summer, giving out seven days worth of breakfast and lunch meals for kids ages 1-18.
Property Management Pros Under New Ownership Visit us: 2140 NE Hwy 101, Lincoln City Call (541) 994-2100 • Web: re100lc.com • Find us on Facebook: @re100lc
INDEX Classifieds............4–5 Look Back................. 3 Opinion.................... 7
VOL. 93 NO. 34
thenewsguard.com
WEATHER Obituaries............... 7 Police Blotter........... 8
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