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Headlight Herald
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | Vol. 137, Issue 36
Javadi declares party switch, registers as democrat S
For THE HERALD
tate Representative Cyrus Javadi (HD 32-Tillamook) announced today that he changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in advance of yesterday’s deadline for incumbent candidates running for re-election to file with the major political party of their choice. “Being an elected leader has never been about party loyalty to me, it’s been about how I can best fight for our community and our state. Like the Cyrus Javadi vast majority of my constituents, I support our constitution and the right to freedom of speech, support the rule of law, believe we have a moral obligation to treat people fairly and with respect, and believe that as elected leaders it’s our job to show up and govern, for the sake of ordinary people, not the interests of the powerful and well-connected.” “Too many extreme politicians in today’s Republican Party have abandoned these values, which is why I made the decision to join the Democratic Party. I’m not leaving my principles, just aligning with people who still share them, still show up to govern, and are more interested in bipartisan solutions than obstruction. My loyalty is first and foremost to the people of my district and I won’t waver from my values in order to fit into a partisan mold.” First elected to the legislature in 2022, Rep. Javadi, who serves as vice-chair of the House Committee on Health Care, has championed policies to bring down the costs of health care and prescription drugs, fight overdose deaths, and stand up for crime victims and survivors of domestic abuse. “Rep. Cyrus Javadi has worked relentlessly to create good jobs and fight rising costs for coastal families. He doesn’t hide behind political slogans or shy away from tough conversation,” said Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar. See JAVADI, Page A3
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Rockaway Beach Kite Festival brightens skies for the 49th year WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
For the 49th year, Rockaway Beach’s annual Kite Festival will brighten the skies over the beach and ocean for crowds of spectators from September 12 to 14. Sponsored by the American Kitefliers Association, the annual festival welcomes profession and amateur kite fliers alike for a weekend of friendly competitions and exhibitions. Competitions include awards for the nicest kite, the kite that drags on the ground the longest before becoming airborne and many other cool events. Classes will be offered to teach kids how to build and fly small kites, while vendors at Rockaway Beach’s wayside will have kites available for purchase. Large kites will take up residence for longer stretches throughout the weekend, while professional groups put on acrobatic displays choreographed to music. Members of the public are also invited to get in on the fun by flying their own kites. For more information on the event, visit rockawaybeach.net.
Headlight Herals file photo.
NBHD Clinic to open October 4 WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
With substantial completion mere weeks away, workers are completing a final punch list of items at the Nehalem Bay Health District’s new clinic facility in Wheeler, and a grand opening is scheduled for October 4. After a groundbreaking last July, work on the $12.2-million facility has progressed smoothly and is on track to come in under budget, according to Nehalem Bay Health District (NBHD) Board President Marc Johnson. The new 16,000-square-foot building will expand the district’s exam room capacity from seven to 15, while Johnson estimated that the new pharmacy has about ten times more space for staff than the current facility. The clinic and pharmacy will be located on the building’s first floor, while the second floor will house a dental clinic, with three operatories now installed and a dentist hired. The dental suite also has room for two additional operatories. Two behavioral health counselors will also be located on the second floor, as well as administrative office space, a soundisolated room for telemedicine consultations and a community room, including a kitchen for nutrition classes. Substantial completion of the facility is expected on September 8, at which point staff will begin moving in. A grand opening ceremony including tours and a ribbon cutting is planned for October 4, at 1 p.m., before patients are seen in the new building beginning on
October 8. Funding for the project is coming principally from a $10.25-million bond approved by voters in May 2023, with the balance coming from the federal government in the form of a $3 million appropriation in 2022’s OMNIBUS spending bill and a further $500,000 grant. Beyond supporting the new clinic’s construction, those funds are also being used to renovate the district’s skilled nursing facility in Wheeler and will be used to repurpose the district’s existing clinic, the old Rinehart Hospital. Headlight photos/ Will Chappell
(Top) A small plaza at the building’s entrance features benches and a view of Nehalem Bay. (Bottom) Two of the three dental operatories upstairs at the new clinic. The third operatory is in a private room.
IN THIS ISSUE News Opinion Obituaries Sports Classifieds
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