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Lincoln County, Oregon
Oregon joins effort to stop $24.6k billion grocery merger Newport JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
Kroger and Albertsons are the nation’s two largest grocery chains. In Oregon, the two corporations operate 176 stores, serving nearly every community in the state. Kroger operates 51 Fred Meyer stores, including this one in Newport. (Photo by Steve Card)
The look and feel of local grocery stores, and what you pay for food, is greatly influenced by societal trends and business mergers. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has joined the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the nation in acting to block the proposed $24.6 billion
Lieber, D-Beaverton and cochair of the joint addiction committee that shepherded the bill through both chambers. The bill’s passage disappointed advocates who successfully pushed for drug decriminalization in 2020, when voters passed Measure 110. The proposal would keep intact the marijuana revenue for addiction services and programs in Measure 110, which has led to the distribution of more than $276 million for treatment, See ADDICTION, page A9
See CREATIVE, page A9
See MERGER, page A9
More than a hundred homes were without water last week when a landslide took out a water main on Northeast Beverly Drive north of Newport during the early morning hours of Feb. 28. Work crews were on scene the following morning to make repairs. (Photo by Steve Card)
In the early morning hours on Wednesday, Feb. 28, a landslide took out a water main in the Beverly Beach area north of Newport. The water main is part of the Beverly Beach Water District system and is located along the
shoulder of Northeast Beverly Drive, just south of Beverly Beach State Park. Tim Gross, former Newport Public Works director, lives in the area and serves on the Beverly Beach Water District Board of Directors. He said he was notified of the water outage around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 and went to investigate.
“The first thing I did was go to the tank, and there was water in the tank, which made me happy, but I realized that there was really no water pressure at the plant. Then driving back I saw this,” he said, pointing to the landslide. When contacted by the Lincoln County Leader at the site of the broken waterline on
the morning of Feb. 28, Gross said, “Right now, we’re doing what we can do to get the water service back on because the water plant is on that side, and the tank’s on this side, so the entire district is out of water.” He said there are 120 water connections throughout the district, See WATER MAIN, page A8
Legislature sends drug addiction proposal to Gov. Kotek BEN BOTKIN Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Oregon Legislature’s proposal to overhaul the state’s response to the fentanyl
addiction and overdose crisis cleared a major hurdle on Friday, March 1, with passage by the Senate. The bipartisan vote of 21-8 came a day after a similar 51-7 endorsement in the House, marking the end of a long legislative journey that started last fall. House Bill 4002 now goes to Gov. Tina Kotek’s office for her signature. Her office had no immediate comment about the bill, which strikes a compromise between Republicans and Democrats and comes after widespread disgruntlement over
Measure 110 and a move to repeal that voter-approved law that made Oregon the first state in the nation to decriminalize drugs. The bill would dial that back, enacting a new misdemeanor charge for drug possession, with the goal of encouraging people to enter treatment programs rather than go to jail. Drug users would only face jail time if they violated the terms of their probation. “I can’t stress enough that inaction is not an option,” said Senate Majority Leader Kate
STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
An ordinance establishing “custom creative work” as a new light manufacturing use category within the city of Newport was approved by the city council on Feb. 20. Last fall, the Coastal Arts Guild asked the Newport Planning Commission to consider creating this new category for custom creative work as an outright use in all commercial zones within the city. Without first obtaining a conditional use permit, Newport’s existing zoning regulations prohibit manufacturing uses in commercial zone districts unless they are ancillary to a retail activity. This proposal creates a niche for small-scale manufacturing uses without a retail component to be permitted in commercially zoned areas. The planning commission asked city staff put together a draft code concept for their review. The arts guild, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and further the arts along the central Oregon coast, said eliminating the conditional use requirement would help to achieve a number of goals, including: • encouraging economic development by allowing new, creative small-business enterprises; • fostering growth of dynamic and attractive commercial areas; • strengthening Newport’s diverse economy; • supporting and promoting local arts and culture; • expanding opportunities for youth; • supporting the goals of Newport’s Vision 2040. Some examples of custom creative work provided by the art guild were: • leatherwork for custom saddles and boots; • small-batch canning and brewing; • studio arts such as painting and sculpture; • candle- and soap-making; • custom, fine carpentry; • small press fine printing. On Jan. 22, the planning commission held a public hearing on a draft ordinance that would create this new small-scale light manufacturing use category, and they recommended approval by the city council, which held its own public hearing on the matter at the Feb. 20 meeting. The proposal has received letters of support from the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County, as well as the Nye Neighborhood Association. During the city council
Water main breaks at Beverly Beach
STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
OKs ‘custom creative work’ as outright use
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