Tillamook County is taking this drill to the next level with a county wide tsunami evacuation drill. The earthquake is the tsunami warning – if you are in the tsunami zone, then evacuate. Be prepared, not scared. Participating is a great way for your family or organization to become better prepared to survive. Tillamook Co will be sending out a DRILL alert for a Tsunami on 10/17/24 at 10:17. This will be an exercise NOT a real emergency, The alert will state that there has been an earthquake, and a tsunami is arriving withing 30 minutes, evacuate to nearest assemble point.

Oregon’s governor and top elections official are calling for an independent external audit of the state’s automatic voter registration system after the Motor Vehicles Services Division found another 302 people were incorrectly registered to vote. The latest numbers, included in an “after-action” report Gov. Tina Kotek requested from the DMV, join an earlier 1,259 people who were registered to vote despite not providing proof of citizenship when they obtained driver’s licenses. At least 10 of those individuals voted, though election officials have since determined that...

Along with 34 other counties in Oregon, Tillamook is classified as a childcare desert, with spots available for less than one in three kids in licensed programs across the county. Eva Manderson, Director of Northwest Regional Childcare Resource and Referral, said that the pandemic had put focus on the issue and that investments were starting to come into the industry but that the challenges for expanding access remained formidable. “Covid...

Hosted at the Hydrangea Ranch as a family-run business, the Kilchis River Pumpkin Patch, is authentic with thousands of u-pick pumpkins grown on the farm, including specialty bi-colored and unconventionally shaped pumpkins and gourds. They are priced according to size and include a hayride around the farm. The pumpkin patch has multiple sets decorated and setup for family photos as well as free hayrides. The five-acre corn maze the largest on the Oregon Coast and has a unique design with miles of trails. There is...

Astoria City Councilor and Democratic candidate for Oregon House District 32 Andy Davis stepped into the race late and is focusing his campaign on addressing the high cost of living in the district, with a special focus on housing costs. Davis said that if elected he would look for legislative opportunities to streamline the state’s land use appeals process to speed development, enact policies to encourage increased density in cities and reduce administrative costs in healthcare to increase funding for treatment. ...

Following hard drugs’ recriminalization on September 1, Tillamook County officials are working to stand up a deflection program for those caught in possession of hard drugs going forward. While the program itself will be the purview of healthcare and mental health providers, both Tillamook County Sheriff Josh Brown and District Attorney Aubrey Olson will have to sign off on the program. Brown’s deputies will also be in charge of determining whether individuals should be referred to the program or face charges, with Olson and her...

Oregon is set to file a lawsuit against TikTok over allegations that the popular social media company is endangering youth and trying to addict them. With the state’s courts closed on Tuesday for a software upgrade, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said the suit will be filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Oregon is joining 13 other attorneys general in suing the company. The Oregon lawsuit will seek a court...

Education doesn’t have to end after high school or college graduation or a long professional career, and at Tillamook Bay Community College, there’s always something to learn Education is the ultimate investment in oneself, and whether it’s seeking a GED or wanting to learn about photography, expanding skill sets also expands opportunities. Tillamook Bay Community College is offering a diverse array of courses. ...

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce a new shellfish opening. Marine biotoxin levels have fallen below alert levels in mussels on the south coast. Sport harvest of mussels has opened from Cape Blanco to the California border. Sport mussel harvesting is now open along the entire Oregon Coast. Sport razor clam harvesting is open from the Washington border to Cape Blanco. Sport...

There’s no better way to celebrate Homecoming than by getting a big win, and that’s exactly what the Neah-Kah-Nie High Pirates did as they defeated the Vernonia/Jewell High Loggers 24-0 on Sept. 27 at home. The Pirates, guided by second-year Coach Alejandro Quintana, snapped a three-game losing streak and recorded their first win in the impressive shutout over the Loggers (0-2 SD1, 0-4 overall). “Our defense was awesome in holding...

The Tillamook County Fire Defense Board in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Forestry will allow burning in burn barrels and small open debris pile burning on Saturday October 5th, 2024. Other fire season restrictions are still in effect. In Tillamook County, for the General Public, burning permits are required. For residents that live within a City Fire Department District or Rural Fire Protection District, they will need to contact their local Fire Department for burn permit requirements. In the remainder of Tillamook County, the...

As the executive director of Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA) for the last 10 years, it’s been my pleasure to work with community members and leaders on multiple projects. Whether it’s mayors, council members and city managers, or Community Advisory Committees and nonprofit managers, there is a common thread among them all: to enhance their communities for residents, and both benefit from and manage impacts of tourism. We live in a popular vacation destination, and combining livability with economic vitality is the core of tourism management. ...

The team at TCVA has placed a high priority on two things: providing accessibility tools and providing accurate accessibility information for Tillamook Coast visitors and residents alike. TCVA has funded the placement of nine big tire beach wheelchairs around the county, including at the Manzanita Visitors Center and Cape Kiwanda Marketplace. These chairs provide a safe, comfortable way for people with mobility challenges to access the beach with their families. They have created heartwarming memories, from getting a young woman on the beach who had...

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) administrators have announced what they classify as "monumental progress" in improving housing outcomes for all Oregonians with the release of the final report on Oregon’s first-ever Statewide Housing Plan (SWHP). The five-year housing plan was launched in July 2019 with a bold, shared vision: to ensure every person across Oregon has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home, according to a release from the OHCS. ...

Drone footage captured by researchers in Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute is offering new insight into the acrobatics undertaken by gray whales foraging in the waters off the coast of Oregon. The whales’ movements, including forward and side-swimming, headstands and the use of “bubble blasts” change as the whales grow, said Clara Bird, a researcher in the Marine Mammal Institute’s Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory. Using drone footage...

Decisions made at the U.S. Supreme Court can filter down to impact the lives of those living across Oregon and America. Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden said they have joined legislation that would revitalize Congress’s ability to check the Supreme Court’s inaccurate interpretation of federal law and restore rights by statute that the Court has taken away. “The Supreme Court is making life-altering decisions threatening Americans’ reproductive...

A standing room only crowd gathered at the Kiawanda Community Center on October 1 to offer input on a 35-mile, mountain bike trail system proposed for Buzzard Butte in the Siuslaw National Forest. Staff from the United States Forest Service detailed the project’s status as it nears the end of a federally mandated environmental review and along with representatives from the Tillamook Offroad Trails Association, responded to community members’ questions and concerns. ...

There’s just something about teachers. Teachers are often some of the most influential people in a person’s life. Many teaching careers, from beginning to retirement, span three decades. In that time, just one person can touch countless lives. Now double that, and add piano into the equation, and you have Marianne Gienger, who has been teaching piano for over six decades. Her studio where she teaches piano has photos of her students’ recitals spanning decades, a testament to her dedication to music and her pupils. ...

The intent of our county to upgrade our 911 communications system is a typical move seen everywhere at all levels of government. In a perfect world, we would have nothing but sate of the art equipment in all phases of our lives. This is far from a perfect world. The people of this county cannot afford it. A resident with an assessed value of $400,000 on his home (mediocre in this day and age), will pay $120 per year, $1,200 in ten years when the powers that be decide on another upgrade. A landlord will pass this expense on to...

Buoyed by Lane County, Oregon is on track to meet Gov. Tina Kotek’s January goal of moving 650 formerly homeless people into permanent housing before the state’s latest homelessness emergency declaration expires in January. But data compiled by Oregon Housing and Community Services show the state is far behind on Kotek’s second goal of preventing 11,856 Oregon households living on the brink from slipping into homelessness. Just 2,853 households have been kept in their homes through aid such as rent or utility assistance. ...