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Lincoln County, Oregon
Hall submits statement of justification to stay in office, fight recall JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Claire Hall
Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall has made it official. She will remain in office and fight a recall effort against her. Hall had 5 days to decide if she would
resign or if she would issue a statement of justification to the Lincoln County Clerk as to why should remain in office, following the county clerk’s certification of recall signature petitions Dec. 2. Hall issued the following formal justification
statement Monday, Dec. 8. For twenty years, I have stood for all citizens of Lincoln County. I have been a voice for all, but have always believed that some of our neighbors need and deserve extra support, especially for essential needs such as
food, shelter, housing, and medical care. Over my years as a commissioner, I’ve advocated and implemented regulations for short term rentals (STR) to protect the livability of our community. I’ve overseen the building of hundreds of affordable housing units,
supported the creation and expansion of health clinics (FQHCs), tripled staffing to expand veteran benefits, and grew transit services while maintaining nominal cost for riders. Recently, I’ve implemented the winter See RECALL, page A7
Rescue helicopter returns for now
The U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during a training mission at the Newport Airport in June. (Courtesy photo)
Will remain in Newport, Oregon’s US senators say SHAANTH NANGUNERI Oregon Capital Chronicle
T
he U.S Coast Guard has promised to indefinitely return a life-saving rescue helicopter to its facility at Newport’s Municipal Airport, Oregon’s two U.S. senators said Thursday, Dec. 4, capping weeks of angst in the town ahead of a dangerous crab fishing season.
The U.S. Coast Guard removed the helicopter in late October with no public explanation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for why it was relocated to a North Bend Coast Guard facility nearly 70 miles away. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Val Hoyle and local officials have all previously said they were trying to find out why the helicopter was removed amid speculation that the Trump administration could be repurposing the site for Oregon’s first long-term immigration detention facility. See HELICOPTER, page A7
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden speaks to reporters in Newport at the city’s municipal airport on Nov. 23. (Shaanth Nanguneri / Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Dungeness Crab season to open Dec. 16
The opening is from Cape Falcon to the California boarder. (Courtesy from the ODFW) JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Oregon’s commercial
Dungeness crab season opens Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon to the California border, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced in a release Dec. 5. Oregon will open the north coast to align with Washington once Long Beach crab meet
the 23 percent meat fill criteria. The earliest this area could open, pending meat fill, is Dec. 31. The commercial bay crab fishery also opens Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon to the California border in conjunction with the ocean fishery. See CRAB, page A7
A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy strolls down the aisle with a foster child searching for a particular toy. (Jeremy C. Ruark / Lincoln County Leader)
Shop with a Cop provides Christmas gifts, love, to area foster children JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
It was a fun filled morning for 148 foster children and approximately 50 local law
enforcement agents who all gathered for the annual Lincoln County Shop with a Cop event. The shopping, conducted at the Newport Walmart, Saturday, Dec.
6, is an annual event coordinated by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jamie Russell. She’s been participating in the See SHOP, page A6