SALUTE TO THE U.S. COAST GUARD
VAC TO DEBUT THREE NEW EXHIBITS
CHRISTMAS COTTAGE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
Inside
Coast Life PAGE B1
Business PAGE A8
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
$2
Lincoln County, Oregon
Western Cascade mill in Toledo closing Lincoln City mayor honored
Employees at Western Cascade Industries, located at 300 S Bay Road in Toledo, were notified on July 22 that the lumber mill is shutting down and all employees would be laid off at the end of the month. (Courtesy photo)
STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
The lumber mill operated by Western Cascade Industries at 300 S Bay Road in Toledo is closing its doors this week. Walt Adams, the mill’s general manager, said last week that mill employees were informed on July 22 that the mill would be closing at the end of July. Western Cascade employs more than 50 people at the site, Adams said. “They’re shutting the power off Aug. 1, is what I’ve been told,” he said. “They’re pulling
Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke has received recognition from the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA). Wahlke is one of five city mayors honored with the OMA Leadership Award. She was selected from the nominees in the OMA’s medium city categories. “Currently serving her second term, Mayor Wahlke has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments. However, her recognition for this award goes well beyond her service as mayor,” the OMA states in
See MILL, page A9
Susan Wahlke a release announcing the award winners. “Mayor Wahlke is See MAYOR, page A7
Autonomous watercraft collects ocean samples STEVE CARD Lincoln County Leader
A state-of-the-art autonomous watercraft was launched from Newport’s Yaquina Bay on Tuesday, July 23, with a mission of collecting ocean water samples for the purpose of testing for water toxins. This solar-powered craft, about the size of a large kayak, was developed through a collaborative effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oregon State University and the University of Washington. Anna Bolm is a faculty researcher at Hatfield Marine Science Center who works with the Corporative Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies (CIMERS). This agency conducts research supporting NOAA’s mission, goals and strategic initiatives while training the next generation of marine scientists to advance basic knowledge about ocean ecosystems. “We are working on this project with the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom Partnership (HABs), which is run by UW,” Bolm said. The vessel used to collect See WATERCRAFT, page A8
Anthony Odell, a shellfish monitoring technician with the University of Washington, and Anna Bolm, a faculty researcher at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, work on an autonomous watercraft known as a Lightfish, which gathers ocean water samples to test for biotoxins. (Photo by Steve Card)
Recommendations for Northwest Forest Plan completed JEREMY C. RUARK Lincoln County Leader
A federal advisory committee has completed a comprehensive set of recommendations for amending the Northwest Forest Plan aimed at modernizing forest management practices. After developing the recommendations over the last 10 months, the committee voted unanimously to approve and advance the recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. “Federal forest policy in the Pacific Northwest is complex and challenging,” the committee members stated in the report. “Finding and articulating shared values, goals, and a vision for our national forests has eluded our region for more
than three decades. Our collective task established in the committee’s charter was to develop consensus recommendations to help guide the forest service in developing a climatesmart forestry amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan.” The recommendations address issues such as ensuring See FOREST, page A9
The Forest Service will review a federal advisory committee’s recommendations as the agency works toward amending the Northwest Forest Plan. (Courtesy photo)
1422 N Coast Hwy 101 • Newport • 541-265-7731
Warranty: All Napa parts come with a nation wide 3 year 36k warranty.