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Coast Life PAGE B1
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GREAT BREAKFAST AND SEAFOOD ALL DAY
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Lincoln County, Oregon
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Pilot walks away from small plane crash at Waldport STAFF REPORT Lincoln County Leader
Lincoln County Leader. McGinnis said there are 90 employees at the Newport Safeway. “Our team is working with the affected
First responders rushed to the Wakonda Beach Airport in Waldport at approximately 1:35 p.m. Feb. 11, following a report of an airplane crash. A small aircraft had struck a grove of trees and was reported to be severely damaged, with the pilot still inside, stuck approximately 50-feet up from the ground. Responders arrived on scene and contacted the pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft. The pilot, identified as 80-year-old Les Lacasse, was safely extricated
See SAFEWAY, page A6
See CRASH, page A7
The Newport Safeway store is located at 2020 N Coast Highway in Newport. (Jeremy C. Ruark / Lincoln County Leader)
Newport Safeway to close JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Company officials confirm that the Newport Safeway store, located at 202 N Coast Highway will close by June.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to renew our lease.” Albertsons Companies Senior Director Communications, Public & Government Affairs Jill McGinnis told the
The plane landed in a growth of trees near the Wakonda Beach Airport in Waldport. (Courtesy from the LCSO)
Lawmakers issue letter of opposition for ICE detention center JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and several other federal lawmakers have issued opposition to the Trump administration’s efforts to establish or expand immigration detention facilities in Oregon. Merkley and U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led Oregon’s Democratic members of Congress and ten additional House members in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Todd Lyons opposing such plans, including so-called “soft-sided” or repurposed facilities. The letter, issued February 12, raises serious concerns about the safety, transparency, environmental impacts, and humanitarian standards of ICE facilities, particularly regarding See ICE, page A7
A group pf local pilots staged a No ICE demonstration at the Newport Airport in December; the day Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden conducted a town hall in Newport to hear residents’ concerns about the potential federal facility. (Jeremy C. Ruark / Lincoln County Leader)
$73M in school bond measure projects taking shape JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Since voters approve a $73 million dollar Lincoln County School District bond project in the May 2025 election, crews have been working to complete the improvements, repairs, and additions. To gain insight into what’s been done and what’s next, the Lincoln County Leader has reached out to Susan
Schuytema, the district’s communications representative. Lincoln County Leader: Give us an overview summary of what has been done since the passage of the bond. Susan Schuytema: Since voters approved the bond, Lincoln County School District moved quickly to begin work. In fact, projects began the day after the election, even before bonds were sold, using available capital construction funds that were later reimbursed with bond proceeds. We hit the ground running. Lincoln County Leader: Are the projects on time and on budget? If not, why
not? Schuytema: All projects remain on schedule and on or under budget. Any time there has been even a slight delay on a project, Facilities Director Rich Belloni has filled in with other projects, so the crews are never on hold. Since we’re using our in-house team and local contractors for the relatively smaller projects, we’ve been able to maintain progress and efficiency. Since passage of the bond, LCSD has completed numerous safety, infrastructure, and facility upgrades across the district, and additional projects are underway or See BOND, page A7
LCSD’s Facilities and Maintenance crew finished the rubber fall protection at the Sam Case Elementary School playground. All elementary schools will have these safety features installed. (Courtesy photo from the LCSD)