September 12, 2026

West of the Tunnel

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  • Carl Washburne campground north of Florence closed for a month August 4, 2026 Lincoln Chronicle

    The Carl G. Washburne State Park campground along U.S. Highway 101 between Yachats and Florence is closed for at least a month so a contractor can replace two culverts damaged by a heavy rainfall in December 2023, the Lincoln Chronicle reported.
  • Red Flag Warning Includes Most of Lane County An undated file photo of smoky skies over Eugene. ~ Photo by Karen Richards/KLCC August 3, 2026 KLCC

    Take care if you’re traveling towards Eugene over the next few days.

    The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the southern Willamette Valley for Monday from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. The warning area includes Eugene, Albany, Springfield and Cottage Grove.

    The agency said the smoke should arrive by Monday afternoon and linger in the area through at least Wednesday.
  • Department of Transportation facing $200 million shortfall in 2027-29 budget cycle A “closed” sign sits at a counter at the DMV office in Albany. Since Jan. 1, 2026, there have been 34 full day office closures across Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle division offices because of staffing shortages. ~ Photo by Mia Maldonado/Oregon Capital Chronicle August 2, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Mia Maldonado

    Inflation and declining gas tax revenues are the primary causes of the predicted $200 million budget gap in Oregon’s Department of Transportation budget, according to this article in the Oregon Capitol Chronicle.

    Without new revenue, the agency will need to eliminate almost 550 positions, according to agency deputy director Travis Brouwer. Cuts will be felt in road maintenance, and in DMV offices around the state, the article reports.
  • Oregon 39th out of 50 in New State Ranking The Blue Basin in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, in 2024. ~ Photo by Will Yurman July 29, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman
  • Pro-Data Center Ads in Oregon Funded by Industry Screenshots of similar videos from Connected Ohio, Oregon Connects, Pennsylvania Connects and North Carolina Connects. The groups were founded by leaders at the Data Center Coalition, a nonprofit data center advocacy group backed by large tech companies. (Collage by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) July 28, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Alex Baumhardt

    Recent ads promoting data centers in Oregon were paid for by Oregon Connects, a non-profit funded by an industry group that includes Microsoft, Google and Meta, the Oregon Capitol Chronicle reported in this story.

    Nearly identical ad campaigns are being run in more than half a dozen states around the country.

    Tax incentives in Oregon will save data centers $85 million in property taxes this year.
  • In Oregon, Safeway and Fred Meyer among companies with highest number of employees on Medicaid July 28, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Alex Baumhardt

    Safeway and Fred Meyer were among the most-listed employers on Oregonians’ applications for Medicaid in 2025, according to a report by the Oregon Capitol Chronicle.

    More than 5,000 people receiving Medicaid listed Safeway/Albertsons as their employer and just over 4,000 listed Fred Myer/Kroger.

    This comes as cuts to the federal program in 2025 could cost Oregon more than $9 billion in Medicaid funding over the next ten years, according to The Oregon Health Authority, the Chronicle reported.

     
  • Proposal to Ban Hunting Won’t be on November’s Ballot Members of the Yakama Nation harvest Pacific lamprey at Wilumpt, or Willamette Falls, near Oregon City on June 24, 2026. The lamprey are an ancient and culturally significant species for many Northwest tribes. Fishing would have been banned under an initiative that failed to gather sufficient signatures to make the November ballot. ~ Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle July 25, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Julia Shumway

    Initiative Petition 28, an effort to dramatically expand the state’s animal cruelty laws, won’t be on the ballot in November. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office announced the petition did not have enough valid signatures to qualify.

    The Oregon Capitol Chronicle reported that, “none of the other 88 initiatives Oregonians proposed this year submitted enough signatures, so this will be the first general election in decades without a citizen-led initiative on the ballot.”

    Read the full story at the Oregon Capitol Chronicle by clicking on this post.
  • Heceta Head Lighthouse Shining Again The Heceta Head Lighthouse in a 2023 file photo by Will Yurman July 24, 2026 Lincoln Chronicle | Dana Tims

    The lighthouse is back online after five months of repairs, according to this story from the Lincoln Chronicle. A $35,000 project replaced and repaired part of the mechanism that rotates the 10-foot-tall lens.

    “Everything is fully restored and it all looks beautiful,” said Hylah Furnish, park manager for the state-managed property that includes the 132-year-old lighthouse. “We’re all really excited.”
  • National Carousel Day Celebrated in Albany Volunteer Dale Gray hands out rings for the brass ring game at the Albany Carousel on July 13, 2026. ~ Photo by Kendra Schertell/KLCC July 24, 2026 KLCC | Kendra Schertell

    The Albany Historic Carousel and Museum is celebrating National Carousel Day on July 25th with free rides for visitors. Hours and pricing are on its website.

    The Albany Carousel includes a greyhound named Neil who is missing a toe. As are most of the wooden animals in the carousel, Neil is modeled after a real pet, a former greyhound racer who lost a toe and had to stop racing.

    All of the animals have been crafted by hand by a team of 30 or so active artists. It took four years to carve Neil, appropriately the fastest carving ever for the museum.

    Click to read the whole story on the KLCC website.

     
  • Help Buying Home Arrive Executive Director Dana Shepherd Fuller, left, with tenured board member Mike Shcrader and Arrive Founder and Former Executive Director Peg Malloy. ~ Photo Courtesy of Arrive July 22, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Mia Maldonado

    Arrive, an Oregon non-profit, helps people on a low income buy a home.

    Formerly the Portland Housing Center, Arrive helps marginalized Oregonians achieve homeownership with counseling and lending services. In 2025, it expanded its lending services statewide to support Oregonians living outside the Portland area.

    A one-time $99 fee provides access to a housing counselor and finance, homebuying and homeowner classes such as plumbing 101 or estate planning.

More Local News

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  • Walk for Breast Cancer returns to Florence in October Members of the Lincoln County cancer-fighting group CoastBusters promote their upcoming fundraising walks Sept. 26 in Newport and Oct. 3 in Florence during the Beachcombers Festival parade in Waldport. ~ Photo Quinton Smith/Lincoln Chronicle September 2, 2026 Lincoln Chronicle | Cheryl Romano

    CoastBusters Walk for Breast Cancer will be in Florence on October 3, 2026, at the Siuslaw Middle School.

    After taking a year off in 2025 to mourn the loss of their co-founder and regroup, this year’s events will be held in memory of Sonia Graham, who co-founded the organization with Jeanette Campagna to support area breast cancer patients and their families.

    Participants can register on the CoastBusters’ website.

    Businesses, sponsors, volunteers and community partners are also invited to participate, as CoastBusters gears up for what it expects to be its biggest year since its start in 2021. Since then, the group has staged walk-a-thons and other events to help patients and their families along the central coast, raising almost $150,000.

    Donations can be made online to support those in Lincoln County and in Lane County. People preferring to write a check may mail it to CoastBusters, P.O. Box 1804, Newport, Ore. 97365. Anyone who donates will get a receipt for their tax-deductible contributions.
  • Car crashes into the Travelodge hotel August 31, 2026 Press Release | Florence Police Department

    A red SUV crashed into the Travelodge on Route 101 on Saturday evening, August 29, injuring a woman inside the motel, according to a press release from the Florence Police Department.

    The initial investigation of the scene, combined with eyewitness statements, indicates that the driver left the Circle K at a high speed, crossed 101, crashed through the Edward Jones Investment building before crashing into the Travelodge, trapping a woman inside. Western Lane Fire and EMS Authority extracted the woman from the room and both the victim and driver were transported to Peace Harbor Hospital.

    The crash remains under investigation and felony charges against the driver are pending, according to the press release.

    Read the full press release…
  • Siuslaw National Forest raises fire danger level The Three Buttes Fire northeast of Florence on September 11, 2023. ~ File photo by Will Yurman August 12, 2026 Press Release | Siuslaw National Forest

    The Siuslaw National Forest is raising the fire danger level from moderate to high, effective August 13, 2026, they announced in a press release.

    “Local firefighters have already detected and contained several small fires on the Forest this year,” said Anne Trapanese, Deputy Fire Staff Officer-Fuels with Northwest Oregon Interagency Fire Management. “With the hot and dry conditions in western Oregon, we want to urge the public to remain vigilant in preventing human-caused wildfires and follow all fire restrictions,” Trapanese said in the press release.

    Read the full release…
  • Road Work on Rhododendron Drive August 7, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman

    Be prepared for road construction starting Monday on Rhododendron Drive, from 9th Street to Wild Winds Street.

    Read More…
  • Cooling Centers in the County A 2024 file photo of the Siuslaw Public Library ~ Photo by Will Yurman August 5, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman

    Warm temperatures and poor air quality are in the forecast for all of Lane County including the coast.

    In Florence and Mapleton, the library is a cooling center. The DHS office in Florence is as well.

    Read the story to get the full list.
  • Fee increases proposed for Siuslaw National Forest August 2, 2026 Press Release | Siuslaw National Forest

    The Siuslaw National Forest has proposed fee increases to nearly two dozen recreation sites in the national forest area. Click to see the full list of sites, and the proposed fee changes.

    The public is invited to comment, and the Forest Service has extended the comment period through September 18. See the press release for how to submit your comments by mail, email or online.
  • Postcards July 23, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman When a picture is worth a thousand words.
  • Sutton Lake Boat Ramp Closing July 22, 2026 Press Release

    According to a Siuslaw National Forest press release, “Sutton Lake Boat Ramp and day use facilities will be closed for construction from August through November 2026 to replace the deteriorating boat ramp and floating docks.”

    The facilities will close August 3.