Wednesday, May 1, 2024
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Lincoln County, Oregon
Parking fees now active Child luring on Newport Bayfront investigations lead to arrests STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
Travis Tibbetts, standing, and Matt Hall, with the Newport Public Works Department, install a pay station at the Fall Street parking lot. It is one of 10 stations that will be located throughout the Bayfront. (Photo by Steve Card)
As of today (Wednesday, May 1), the city of Newport’s new pay-to-park program on the Bayfront is up and running. Newport Public Works employees were busy last week installing 10 new pay stations, along with new signage — regulatory signs, text-to-park signs, parking lot identification signs — to help inform motorists of the new system. There are around 240 signs in total, officials said. The fee for parking will be in effect between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week, from May through October. From
November through April, people will only be required to pay for parking from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The paid parking program is in effect at every public parking space on the Bayfront, although there are some differences in certain regions. Newport Director of Community Development Derrick Tokos said for metered parking, “It’s going to be $1 an hour. There’s some areas where it’s meter only. There’s other areas where it’s meter unless you have a permit, and then there are some areas that are just a time limitation unless you have a permit.” See PARKING, page A3
Drill prepares hospital for armed intruder invasion JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
Lincoln City’s proposed budget JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
A Samaritan Health Services security officer plays the role of an armed intruder during a drill held Friday, April 29, on the Lincoln City hospital campus. (Photo by Mary Jo Kerlin)
Ballots being mailed this week STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
Ballots for the May 21 Primary Election are being mailed out this week by the Lincoln County Clerk’s Office. Voters will be choosing candidates for federal, state and local offices. For partisan races, the top vote getters in each party will face off in the November General Election. Locally, there are only two contested races on the ballot — Lincoln County Commissioner Position 2 and the office of Lincoln County District Attorney. These are both nonpartisan offices. Because there are only two candidates — Kathryn Benfield and Jenna Wallace — running for the seat being vacated by
A multi-law enforcement agency child luring investigation has led to the arrest of a Depoe Bay resident and a Salem man. Officers from Lincoln City Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Newport Police, Toledo Police, and Oregon State Police conducted the joint investigations into the child luring crimes in Lincoln County. Details of the arrests were revealed April 26. “During the investigations, officers posed as underage children on various online social media platforms and were contacted by two separate adult men who were offering to meet up for a sexual encounter,” Lincoln City Police Department Lt. Jeffrey Winn said. Jagdeep Singh, 23, of Salem, was arrested after attempting to meet with a child for sex at an undisclosed location in Lincoln City. Singh was charged with luring a minor and first degree online sex corruption of a See ARRESTS, page A7
Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital staff is reviewing the results of an armed intruder drill conducted at the Lincoln City medical center. “Practice is vitally important to ensure proper action is taken when a real emergency response is required,” Samaritan Health Services Security Coordinator Malcom Rutherford said. The drill, a slow walkthrough with the goal of educating all staff on the appropriate response to an armed intruder, was conducted on Friday, April 26. “Ultimately, we want all patients, staff and visitors to be as safe as they possibly can be if the worst-case scenario were to ever happen here,” Rutherford said. The active portion of the See DRILL, page A8
JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
the current district attorney, Lanee Danforth, the winner will be decided in this May election and then take office next January. There are five contenders in the county commission race — incumbent Claire Hall and challengers Don Gomez, Ryan Parker, Rick Beasley, and Tyrone (Ty) Halbrook. In order for the winner of that office to be decided in the May election, one of these individuals would need to receive more than 50 percent of the overall vote. If that doesn’t happen, the two candidates receiving the highest See BALLOTS, page A6
1422 N Coast Hwy 101 • Newport • 541-265-7731
The 2024-25 proposed Lincoln City budget does not include employee layoffs or service reductions, and there are no new departments planned or new service additions, according to Lincoln City City Manager Daphnee Legarza. The proposed $21,095,207 spending document reflects a $157,993, or 0.7 percent increase over the 2023-24 budget of $20,937,214. See the full budget proposal at the city’s website.
FEE INCREASE
“The proposed budget does include a 5 percent increase in water and sewer fees,” Legarza said. “This increase is necessary due to increased operational costs, and due to need of funds for capital maintenance of the water and sewer infrastructure.” Legarza said the most significant factors influencing the proposed budget include revenue growth, and revenue growth in FY2023-24 has not been as strong as in previous years. The overall net change in total revenues from the current year See BUDGET, page A8
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