coastal news

A religious retreat on the Oregon coast is on the auction block. The Oregonian reports the Jesuits plan to sell their 93-acre Nestucca Sanctuary. It's on a spit near Pacific City. A Jesuit official says the sale is part of a trend within the group nationally, as retreat use has declined. The Jesuits developed the site in the 1930s for novitiates to study and reflect.Read More »

The Coast Guard is preparing to turn the historic Cape Arago Lighthouse near Coos Bay over to Indian tribes. Part of the work involves removing a 74-year-old bridge that has been condemned for some time. The Coos Bay World reports the lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.Read More »

A development company hopes to sell about four million cubic yards of sand from a 69-acre property in Coos Bay and then build a 500-unit housing project. Ocean Grove Development Group sees a growing demand for sand for big construction projects and because of the special sand used in hydraulic fracturing drilling for natural gas. But other businesses that sell sand in the area told The WRead More »

The city of Coos Bay has drafted an ordinance to allow wind turbines in town. The World of Coos Bay reports that turbines have been under a moratorium, but the city plans to take public comment in early 2013. The draft ordinance would allow turbines no higher than 70 feet - industrial wind turbines are more than 250 feet. For large turbines, residents would have to show that noise woulRead More »

The company planning a wave energy installation off Reedsport won't have its first buoy in the water this year as planned.Read More »

A 32-year-old man convicted of kidnapping two Coos Bay girls was sentenced Monday in Coquille to a mandatory 13 years in prison. With the added sentence for unrelated burglary convictions Robert Perez faces a total of more than 17 years in prison. The World reports Perez was convicted last month of kidnapping, coercion and furnishing liquor to a minor.Read More »

A man accused of taking two Coos Bay girls to a park and giving the marijuana and alcohol was convicted in Coquille of kidnapping. The Coos Bay World reports Robert Perez wept in court Wednesday. He faces about six years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 1. He's also facing time for a separate conviction last week on burglary and theft charges.
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The chief and at least six firefighters have resigned from the Port Orford fire department. That's about one-third of the volunteers in the Port Orford Rural Fire District.
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A new report is giving planners their best look yet at how melting ice sheets and warming oceans associated with climate change will raise sea levels on the West Coast.

     The report issued Friday by the National Research Council is generally consistent with earlier global projections, but trains a finer lens on California, Oregon and Washington.Read More »