NE 6 th Street & Hwy 101 541-574-6847 THENEWPORTCAFE.COM
CRAB CAKES
EAGLES CONTINUE SOARING
RIZO LOVES YOU: A SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT
Sports
Coast Life
PAGE B6
PAGE B1
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
$2
Lincoln County, Oregon
Roads funding, budget deficit, protecting Oregon’s Two arrested immigrants top 2026 state legislative priorities following ALEX BAUMHARDT Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon House chamber on June 26, 2025. Lawmakers in during the February 2026 session will consider more than 250 proposals and, most urgently, find ways to balance the state budget. (Laura Tesler / Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Ninety lawmakers from across Oregon gathered February 2, at the State Capitol in Salem to tackle a host of urgent issues, including balancing the state’s budget amid a looming deficit, keeping the state’s transportation department solvent, protecting Oregonians and immigrants from aggressive federal enforcement tactics and affordability. The lawmakers — 30 senators and 60 representatives with Democratic majorities in
both houses — have no more than 35 days during the short session to pass new laws. Each member is allowed to propose two bills, though each chamber and the committees within them can propose additional, joint legislation. So far more than 260 bills have been posted to the Oregon Legislative Information System, and the session must end by March 8. Here’s a look at the biggest issues and proposals lawmakers will consider: Balancing the state’s See PRIORITIES, page A4
Oregon graduation rates increasing JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Oregon high schoolers in the class of 2025 graduated at all-time highs for the state but still at a lower rate than recent national averages, according to the latest state data, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. Despite stubbornly small gains in student proficiency in key subject areas since the pandemic, and consistently high absenteeism rates, more than 40,300 students graduated from Oregon’s public schools in 2025, reaching an 83% four-year graduation rate, the Oregon Department of Education announced Thursday, Jan. 29. It’s an increase of 9 percentage points over the last decade and 1 percentage point over the previous year, equivalent to about 500 more students graduating in 2025 than in 2024. It’s the highest graduation rate ever recorded in the state, besting the previous record of 82.6% achieved by the class of 2020. Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon Department of Education, said at a news conference Tuesday ahead of the data release that squaring rising graduation rates with stagnant student proficiency levels, as measured by state assessment data, has less to do with real learning challenges than with See GRADUATE, page A4
Seniors from Toledo Jr/Sr High School are showered with confetti at their 2025 graduation. All LCSD schools saw improvements in graduation rates from the prior year, according to LCSD officials. (Courtesy photo from LCSD)
Depoe Bay bank robbery STAFF REPORT Lincoln County Leader
A coordinated multi-agency law enforcement effort led to the capture of two suspects wanted in a Depoe Bay bank robbery. At approximately 11:48 a.m. Jan. 29. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies responded to a bank robbery at Columbia Bank in Depoe Bay. “Callers reported two armed adult males concealing their faces entered the bank and held staff at gun point, demanding access to the vault,” a LCSO releases stated. “Columbia Bank reported the two successfully obtained more than $50,000 in US currency before fleeing south on Highway 101 in a red sedan without license plates.” Deputies located the red suspect vehicle abandoned at a vacant lot near NE Stanley and E. Collins Street in Depoe Bay. The vehicle was set on fire. The suspects were seen getting into a grey 4-door Toyota and left the area west as reported by a nearby resident, according to the LCSD. At approximately 12:51 p.m. Newport Police spotted a grey Toyota Camry near Don Davis Park in Newport. Witnesses reported seeing two men leave the grey Toyota Camry on foot. “During a search of the area, Newport Police spotted a white male adult matching the description of one of the suspects at the intersection Highway 101 and Highway 20. The subject was contacted and detained,” the release states. “A short time later, the second male was spotted at Nye Beach and detained as well. A subsequent canvas of the nearby area around the vehicle revealed clothing found in a public trash can that matched the clothing worn by the suspects in the bank.” NPD K9 Officer Magnum See ROBBERY, page A4
Decision to fill county board commission post could be made this month JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
A decision to fill the vacant Lincoln County Board of Commission Position 2 could be made this month by the two current commissioners, Walter Chuck and Casey Miller. At the deadline Jan. 31 for applicants, 23 people
had applied, according to county documents. See the full list of names with this story at the Lincoln County Leader website. Commissioners Chuck and Miller will conduct the selection through the same basic process undertaken in February of last year, following the resignation of Commissioner Kaety Jacobson, Lipp told the Lincoln County Leader. Commissioners Chuck and Miller will conduct the selection through the same basic
process undertaken in February of last year, following the resignation of Commissioner Kaety Jacobson, Lipp told the Lincoln County Leader. “The commissioners will be sent the applications, minus the first page with confidential information, immediately following the deadline. Then they’ll evaluate and score them, likely taking about a week to do so,” Lipp said. “Finalists will then be interviewed, either during a special meeting or regular meeting, depending on the timing
of the completed evaluations, and commissioners will vote to make an appointment in a subsequent meeting.” Chuck and Miller discussed the process and a timeline during their January 14 work session, which is posted to the Lincoln County website. In an email to The Lincoln County Leader Feb. 2, Miller said the commissioner vacancy appointment process is a priority. However, the Board does not desire to compromise transparency, professionalism and community
engagement at the risk of urgency. “I will not move forward with a review process until I am confident that we have full transparency and that every individual who took the time to apply has been properly accounted for,” Miller said. “The community deserves assurance that no applicant will be missed, and the community deserves an opportunity to meet the candidates. I’m excited to see who’s ready to roll up their sleeves and serve this community.” The annual
salary for the Board of Commissioners position is $94,000 not including benefits. Lincoln County has a three-member Board of Commissioners, whose full-time salaried members are elected on a countywide basis to staggered four-year terms of office, governs the County, according to the county’s website. The Board of Commissioners has the responsibility to oversee all activities related to the operations of the County. The See POST, page A5