Newport, Oregon Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Number 32 • 75¢ • 134 Years
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See Page C1 Lincoln County’s Leading Newspaper Newport, Oregon Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Number 32 • 75¢ • 134 years MISSING PERSON Massive search for Depoe Bay woman BY RICK BEASLEY Roe, a response, a full-scale search aggressive response by mul- McGuire said “there was and turn over every stone be- Of the News-Times Depoe Bay involving Lincoln County tiple agencies was about the no indication” that Roe, fore we go down that road.” resident who Sheriff ’s Offi ce deputies, a nature of the case, he said. who stands 4 feet 9 inches Under the whine of a tur- DEPOE BAY — As de- lived with volunteer posse, fi refi ght- “This is completely unchar- tall and weighs 90 pounds, bine helicopter, searchers tectives questioned the last her grand- ers, a Coast Guard helicopter acteristic of her,” asserted was inebriated when she left fanned out Sunday morn- people who saw 22-year-old parents, was and two motor lifeboats was McGuire, who learned that the Wing Wa wearing black ing across the city and along Katherine “Katy” Roe on the last seen leav- launched at 5:30 a.m. Roe texted her grandmother pants, a white, long-sleeved nearby logging roads while night she left a bar to walk ing the Wing Sheriff ’s Deputy Bruce Mc- at 2 a.m. to let her know she shirt and a black fl eece vest. Coast Guard motor lifeboats home alone, small teams of Wa Restau- Guire was one of the fi rst law was leaving the restaurant “She’s not a big person — probed at harbor pilings and citizens and city work crews rant by her- Katherine enforcement offi cers to get to and coming home. she’s tiny,” said McGuire, wor- the rocky Depoe Bay coast- continued to comb the town self about 2 Roe the scene after Roe’s grandfa- “She was going to walk and ried that the Highway 101 is line. All had retired after this week for clues to her dis- a.m. Sunday, ther gave up his own desper- look at the ocean, but never a conduit for predators. “But appearance. April 17. In an unprecedented ate search and called 911. The showed up.” we want to look in every gully MISSING PERSON on Page A5 LABOR GAUGE TRAFFIC STUDY ROCKY CREEK TRAGEDY County’s Filmmaker jobless Parking problems swept away rate 5.4 by big wave BY RICK BEASLEY percent Of the News-Times DEPOE BAY — A young BY WYATT HAUPT JR. fi lmmaker drowned Friday, Of the News-Times April 15, after he was struck by a sneaker wave and swept LINCOLN COUNTY — A to sea at Rocky Creek Scenic resurgent Lincoln County Viewpoint. employment market posted According to state troopers its lowest jobless rate in eight who handled the case, Kelly years despite a wave of people Bennett Smith, 26, of Chat- coming back into the work- tanooga, Tenn., was visiting force. the Oregon coast for the fi rst The unemployment rate in time with members of his the coastal region dropped fi lm crew after fi nishing a job to 5.4 percent in March from in Corvallis. 6.5 percent in March 2015, While angling for a better the Oregon Employment De- shot with his camera, Smith partment said in a Tuesday, and a companion walked April 19, report. onto a rocky shelf just one The jobless reading was or two feet above the surf in the best for the county since an area below the park’s rest- it measured 5.4 percent in rooms. March 2008. “They wanted to get as “March’s total nonfarm em- close to the water as possible ployment was 90 more than to take some photos when a one year before, a growth rogue wave approached and rate of 0.5 percent,” said Erik struck them from behind,” Knoder, a regional economist reported Oregon State Police with the employment depart- Senior Trooper David Wertz, ment, in a note that accom- who was dispatched to the panied the labor report. scene at about 11 a.m. on Fri- “The private sector shed A pedestrian walks past lines of parked cars on the Bayfront near the fi shing docks on Monday, April 18, in Newport. Tourists, day. “The victim was pulled 30 jobs, and government local businesses and fi shermen regularly compete for the limited parking spots available in the Bayfront, Nye Beach and City out by the current into the employment rose by 120. Center, prompting the city to study alternative parking options. (Photos by Nathan Howard) rough seas.” Industries adding the most Offi cials said Smith’s com- jobs over the year were local BY DANI PALMER $45,000 study focused on how panions called 911 before try- governments (plus 120), food Of the News-Times to improve Newport’s parking ing to save their friend, who and beverage stores (plus struggled for seven minutes 90), and leisure and hospital- in three areas: the Bayfront, Bayfront business before losing the fi ght. ity (plus 50).” Nye Beach and City Center. “They were yelling ‘Swim! Other sectors of the econ- owner looks out his “There isn’t enough room for Swim!’” reported one of the omy that added jobs in the front window and A property owners who are choos- emergency responders who period included fi nancial ac- spies a trailer parked across swarmed the scene. “But the tivities, and educational and ing to either redevelop or do four parking spots during the waves kept pulling him out. health services. new development in these areas One of his buddies jumped The sharp drop in the heat of summer. to provide that off -street park- in to help him, but the others unemployment rate came The area is already packed, ing a business would typically called him back when they amid a spike in the number one of Newport’s most popular saw the body fl oating face of people looking for work provide on their property,” New- during the on-season. The con- down in the surf. Then he in the coastal region. Gen- port Community Development just disappeared beneath the erally, lower unemployment gestion is a frustration for busi- Director Derek Tokos said. waves.” nesses, fi shermen and visitors. The main parking lot in Nye Beach is crowded with tourists LABOR GAUGE on Page A5 The traffi c issue has sparked a TRAFFIC STUDY on Page A7 and vehicles on a sunny Monday, April 18. TRAGEDY on Page A5 ODOT PROJECT Requests made to change highway closure times BY DENNIS ANSTINE meeting, the council agreed Wolcott gave a presentation County, the Port of New- One of the requested mod- to keep the traffi c fl owing For the News-Times to City Manager Spencer to the council and told Nebel port and the Greater New- ifi cations to ODOT’s sched- unimpeded during the last Nebel’s request to send a that ODOT would try to have port Chamber of Commerce ule for construction between 3 ½ months of the project NEWPORT — Newport letter to ODOT concerning the closures held around the have collectively requested July 16 and Oct. 31 would on the day when there is the community leaders have suggested changes in road same time of the day so peo- changes to ODOT’s planned be changing the full, weekly heaviest use in both direc- asked the Oregon Depart- closure times during specifi c ple can make plans ahead of closures for the fi nal phase 24-hour opening of the road tions. ment of Transportation days. time. of the 5.5-mile reconstruc- from Saturday to Friday. (ODOT) to reconsider some ODOT Project Leader Jerry Besides the city, Lincoln tion project. The requests are an eff ort PROJECT on Page A5 of its projected closures for Highway 20 this coming summer and fall. ANY SYSTEM SERVICE During a Monday, April FULL SERVICE OIL BRAKE PAD 18, Newport City Council & FILTER CHANGE REPLACEMENT $ With Buy 2 SAVE $25 FRXSRQ SHUD[HO FRONT END Buy 3 SAVE $40 8SWRTWV5HJXODURLODQG¿OWHU 7XUQLQJRUUHSDLULQJURWRUV SRLQWLQVSHFWLRQ all other services extra *AC Service ALIGNMENT *Car wash and vacuum *Shuttle service ([FOXGHV&RUYHWWHVRURWKHUVHOHFWYHKLFOHV 7UDQVPLVVLRQ)OXLG([FKDQJH WE SERVICE ALL MAKES AND MODELS 5HZDUGVSURJUDP%X\JHW)5(( 5HWDLO&XVWRPHUVRQO\ &KHFN(QJLQH/LJKW Service hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 6 pm • Saturday, 9 am - 3 pm YLVLWXVRQWKHZHE#ZZZJROGPRWRUVFRP1&RDVW+Z\1HZSRUW2UHJRQ A2 News-Times • Newport, OR Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Weather INSURANCE LIABILITY Wednesday: Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog Kayak Shack suspended for 2016 season before 11 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a BY CALLEY HAIR its management. But the ment in summer 2017. Port of Alsea or the school Boating Foundation, a New- high near 60. Light and Of the News-Times Port of Alsea took on that “We are going to continue district, said district Busi- port-based nonprofi t dedi- variable wind becoming responsibility six years ago, to rent the space,” Cuellar ness Manager Julie Bald- cated to boating safety and southwest 5 to 10 mph in WALDPORT — Students and in doing so opened said. “We will continue to be win. It functions on outside education. the afternoon. Chance of hoping to gain real-world themselves up to a host of in a landlord capacity with grants and the revenue col- However, even if the trans- precipitation is 40 percent. business experience with liability troubles, said Port the Kayak Shack.” lected through guided tour fer runs smoothly, the foun- Wednesday night: Mostly the Kayak Shack, a student- Manager Roxie Cuellar.