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Lincoln County, Oregon
New focus on decades old murder case Public asked for help in Kelly Disney homicide investigation STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
Forty-one years ago, on March 9, 1984, 17-year-old Kelly Disney went missing. According to several witnesses, she was last seen in the early morning hours walking east on Highway 20 near Highway 101 in Newport. She was never seen alive again. Ten years later, in July 1994, Disney’s skull was found in
an abandoned vehicle near Newport’s Big Creek Reservoir. It appeared her skull had recently been placed at that location, and her death was ruled a homicide. Four decades after her disappearance, her murder remains unsolved, but her case has not been forgotten. Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace issued a press release earlier this month regarding a new effort to uncover information about Disney’s murder, and a plea was put out for information from anyone who may have knowledge about the case. The DA’s office has two cold case investigators — Linda
Kelly Disney Snow and Trish Miller — who are pursuing a resolution to the Kelly Disney homicide, and See CASE, page A6
Angela Dodds, right, is the sister of Kelly Disney, who went missing 41 years ago and was later determined to have died by homicide. Also pictured is Disney’s sister-in-law, Jennifer Disney. (Photo by Steve Card)
Little Log Church getting a facelift STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
The bell was removed from the Little Log Church & Museum in Yachats on Thursday, March 20, as part of a renovation project being done by Top to Bottom Contractors of Newport. (Photo courtesy of Dave Wilson/West Coast Drone Services)
A south county landmark, the Little Log Church & Museum in Yachats, is getting some much-needed attention. A longawaited project to restore the exterior of the structure got underway last week with the removal of the old church bell, which will be refurbished. It was a momentous occasion for members of a group called Friends of the Little Log Church & Museum, which has been working for several years with a goal of first saving the church from demolition and then restoring it for public use. Karl Christianson, a board member of the Friends group, said, “They wanted to tear the building down a few years ago. We started the Friends of the Little Log Church & Museum and persevered, so here we go.” Christianson described the removal of the bell last Thursday, March 20, as “the opening salvo” on the restoration project. He said the See CHURCH, page A4
Mayor delivers State of the City address Input sought on Newport City
Center Revitalization Plan
JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln Country Leader
Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke is looking to the nighttime sky to help boost the city’s tourism industry. During her annual State of the City address, Wahlke outlined one plan to accomplish that effort. For too many people, the night sky has become a forgotten wonder, washed out by the glow of artificial lights, according to Wahlke. “With 80 percent of Americans unable to see the Milky Way from home, dark sky tourism is surging as people seek escapes from urban light pollution,” she said.
Public meeting set for April 3 at city hall STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke delivers her State of the City address. (Photo by Jeremy Ruark)
The Newport City Center Revitalization Plan was the sole topic of a joint meeting of the Newport City Council and the Newport Planning Commission on March 10. Work on this plan has been underway for quite some time, and officials are hoping to finalize details
in the not-to-distant future. As part of that process, a public input session will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, at Newport City Hall. The focus of this planning effort is within two to three blocks of Highway 20 and Highway 101, from the east entrance to the city, west to the Highway 20/Highway 101 intersection, and then south to the Yaquina Bay Bridge. In 2022, the city completed a Transportation System Plan See PLAN, page A7
See MAYOR, page A4
1422 N Coast Hwy 101 • Newport • 541-265-7731
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