NHS BOYS WIN SWEET HOME INVITE; GIRLS PLACE 3RD
A FRESH TAKE ON GYPSY JAZZ
SAMARITAN PHARMACY OPENS IN LINCOLN CITY
Sports PAGE A11
Coast Life PAGE A12
Business PAGE A6
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
There’s a new sheriff in town STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
Former Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers, left, pins collar brass on the uniform of the county’s new sheriff, Adam Shanks, who was officially sworn in during a ceremony Monday afternoon. (Photo by Steve Card)
At a swearing-in ceremony Monday in the courtroom of Lincoln County Presiding Judge Sheryl Bachart, Adam Shanks officially became Lincoln County’s new sheriff. He takes over for the retiring Sheriff Curtis Landers. Although Shanks is new to the position of sheriff, he is no newcomer to the department. In fact, he has basically spent his entire career with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and interestingly enough, he has followed Landers pretty much throughout that career. “I started Aug. 1, 1997, as a patrol deputy,” Shanks told the Lincoln County Leader during an interview last week. When Shanks came on board, Landers, a sergeant at the time, was his training officer. “I worked in patrol until 2005, and during that time I became See SHERIFF, page A4
Newport Post Office limits lobby access STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
People with mailboxes at the Newport Post Office who are used to picking up their mail after normal business hours or even late at night are going to have to come up with a new schedule. The lobby at the Newport Post Office used to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but post office officials announced last month that restricted hours would go into effect on Dec. 26. Now, people can only access their mailboxes in the lobby of the post office from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The lobby will be closed on Sundays and holidays.
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Lincoln County, Oregon
The lobby at the Newport Post Office used to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But as of Dec. 26, the hours are now limited to 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The lobby will be closed on Sundays and holidays. (Photo by Steve Card) Rachel Garofalo, who is the postmaster at the Newport Post Office, said she isn’t able to say much about the situation, but “I can say it’s due to the issues with the homeless.
I can’t comment a whole lot on it. We’re not the only post office that’s limiting hours due to the issues (but) my job is to protect my staff and the mail.” Garofalo referred the Lincoln
County Leader to Sherry Patterson, who works in corporate communications for the U.S. Postal Service, covering See POST OFFICE, page A4
Man jailed in connection with cold case investigation STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
A Newport man, identified as Jack David Baird, 60, has been arrested and charged with a felony offense for abuse of a corpse after police conducted a search at his home and discovered evidence related to a threeyear-old missing person case. Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace released information on the afternoon of Dec. 31, saying that shortly after 7 a.m. on Dec. 27, law enforcement personnel served the search warrant. According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the Lincoln County Circuit Court, the warrant was for Baird’s residence at 209 NW Seventh St. in Newport. Law enforcement personnel spent much of that day searching the property, which included the use of dogs and heavy equipment in the backyard. According to the press release issued by the DA, the case is related to the disappearance of Ryan Staggs, who went missing in late January 2022 after being last seen at his residence at 175 NW 55th St. in Newport. Staggs was 30 years old at the time he went missing. The probable cause affidavit states that police interviewed a person on Dec. 24, 2024, who said Staggs was killed and had been buried in Baird’s backyard with a backhoe. Police were able to confirm that Baird had rented a backhoe two days after Staggs’ disappearance, and Baird had reportedly told someone at the time that he had a water leak in his yard that needed to be fixed. Baird was arrested by police at around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27. He was arraigned in court See COLD CASE, page A4
Lincoln City’s main economic driver holding ‘steady and stable’ JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
The latest figures show fall and winter tourism in Lincoln City overall has been “steady and stable.” In 2024, total visitor days were slightly down, while total visitor trips were up 4 percent. The average length of stay in Lincoln City is 1.9 days per visit. While 28 percent of visitors stay in one of the many hotels/motels in Lincoln City, nearly 60 percent of the people who stay overnight or for an extended visit choose short-term rentals. The other 12 percent are staying in campgrounds, RV parks, or other lodging facilities, according to Explore Lincoln City. “Our data shows visitor spending is up nearly 6 percent in 2024 over 2023,” the Explore Lincoln City team said. Off-season attractions
bringing folks to the city started with the Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival in September. “During the holiday season, holiday lights, including the Deck the Dock celebration, and sales at local shops and the Lincoln City Outlets bring folks into the area,” the Explore Lincoln City team reported. Explore Lincoln City launched the 25th anniversary See TOURISM, page A4
This mural, painted on the side of McKay’s Market, illustrates Lincoln City’s iconic fall and summer kite festivals that draw thousands of visitors to the city. (File photo)
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