Politics & Policy

At least six people were detained by federal immigration enforcement officers in Clatsop County over the weekend. One of those people has since been allowed to return home, but community members say they do not know the whereabouts of the other five people. It is the first major raid on Oregon’s North Coast since the…

Judy Mattson was late because of peanut butter. In her defense, it was on sale at Fred Meyer and she was able to layer her senior discount on top of the sale price. Then there was cereal on a top shelf in the clearance aisle that she had to grab. “Everything I want is either…

Two people have officially applied to represent the eastern side of Astoria on the Astoria City Council. Joshua Conklin, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2020, and retired Costco executive Mike Brosius are both looking to land the Ward 4 seat previously occupied by Vance Lump. Lump was elected in 2024. He campaigned on…

Incumbents faltered in key elections in Pacific County, Wash., Tuesday night. Preliminary unofficial results for the mayoral race in the small city of Ilwaco show 24-year-old challenger Eddie Hillard with more than 70 percent of the vote, well ahead of incumbent Mike Cassinelli, who was seeking a fourth term.  Hillard is the owner and operator…

Thousands of people on Oregon’s North Coast are poised to lose access to food stamps beginning Nov.1 and local food banks say they won’t be able to fill the gap.  The Trump administration has refused to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, during the ongoing government shutdown. If nothing changes, the program will…

ASTORIA, Ore. — Hundreds of people turned out for No Kings protests on Oregon’s North Coast, joining massive nationwide protests against the Trump administration and its policies on Saturday. In Astoria, an estimated 1,600 to 1,800 participants gathered along city blocks from 15th Street to 23rd Street, with clumps of protesters also near Safeway, on…

A new program to help people in Astoria pay their utility bills is officially accepting applications. At a meeting this week, the Astoria City Council approved the six month pilot program which will be administered in partnership with Clatsop Community Action.  Over the next six months, the city hopes to collect more information about who…

An Astoria city councilor who made housing his top priority says he will need to resign because he can’t afford to continue living in the district he represents. At a meeting on Monday, Vance Lump declined to reveal personal details about his situation but told the Astoria City Council he is in a situation where…

At a town hall in Seaside on Saturday, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici spoke about the government shutdown and healthcare costs and fielded questions about actions by immigration officials and concerns about humanitarian aid to Gaza. Then Troy Bowers from Manzanita asked an unanswerable question. He had attended public events with Bonamici months earlier where she…

Still struggling with how to address issues tied to homelessness in downtown Astoria, city leaders say they plan to take another look at Astoria’s camping ordinances. This comes on the heels of the failure of another ordinance that would have temporarily banned people from downtown Astoria for up to 90 days if they committed certain…

It started with bagpipes. John Goff, a volunteer programmer with KMUN, wandered Exchange Street between 14th and 15th streets, pipes under his arm, to open the community radio station’s block party on Saturday. Along the block, nonprofits set up tents and tables and were prepared to talk to all-comers about their organization and engage them…

In the weeks after a tragic hit-and-run accident in Astoria, there have been calls for city leaders to address safety issues along a tricky and dangerous stretch of Irving Avenue. On Tuesday, the Astoria Planning Commission, acting as the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, promised to follow up with city staff on ways to ease problem…

An investigation into workplace conduct issues at the Clatsop County District Attorney’s office has left the office short-staffed, causing confusion and consternation for those dealing with the fallout. Two employees were placed on indefinite leave at the end of June, tied to an ongoing investigation ordered by the county, according to people familiar with the…

With differing opinions over the intent of a proposed ordinance versus its possible real world impacts, the Astoria City Council voted 3-2 at a Monday night to reject an ordinance that would have temporarily banned people from downtown Astoria if they broke certain laws. The ordinance would have created enhanced enforcement zones in downtown Astoria…

The sidewalk along part of Exchange Street in downtown Astoria is about the right size: Just wide enough to legally camp on, said Timathy Bachteler.  Or as legally as he can under the city’s camping ordinance. When he’s all set up, ideally there is still the minimum six feet of “clear, continuous width” for pedestrians…

With looming infrastructure needs and rising costs, water, sewer and garbage rates are going up for Astorians. At a meeting Monday night, the Astoria City Council approved a 6% increase to water and sewer rates.  The average residential user could see an increase of around $10 per month, though City Manager Scott Spence noted that…

Hundreds of people turned out on Oregon’s North Coast to protest President Donald Trump and his policies on Saturday. In Astoria, organizers with Indivisible North Coast Oregon estimate around 1,400 and perhaps as many as 1,800 people assembled along one mile of Marine Drive. In Seaside, between 300 and 400 people attended. Similar protests were…

ASTORIA, Ore — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the closing of Job Corps centers across the nation, days after the Trump administration announced it was shutting down the job training program. The restraining order buys extra time for staff and students at the Tongue Point Job Corps center in Astoria. Some of them faced…

Vacation rentals in Astoria now come with a licensing requirement and a cap on the total number allowed in the city. On Monday, the Astoria City Council voted 4-1 to approve an ordinance establishing a vacation-rental license program and capping the number of rentals at 50. Astoria currently has 43 vacation rentals.  Councilors Andy Davis,…

Astoria city leaders will hold community meeting to discuss issues as local Job Corps center prepares to close ASTORIA, Ore. — An estimated 20 students at the Tongue Point Job Corps Center in Astoria and 18 staff members and their families could lose their housing by the end of the week.  The center is due…

Astoria city leaders are considering ways to help close a funding gap for a lower-income housing project downtown.  Copeland Commons, a former historic hotel on Marine Drive, would add up to 68 units to a city that has long felt a lack of affordable and workforce-priced housing. The Copeland Commons project has been in the…

A new licensing program for vacation rentals in Astoria, including a cap on the number allowed in the city, is moving forward. At a meeting Monday, a majority of the Astoria City Council approved the first reading of an amended version of the ordinance. They said it is an attempt to get ahead of a…

A majority of Astoria City Councilors still question whether an ordinance that would temporarily ban people from the downtown area will be effective at curbing unwanted behaviors, but they say they’re ready to move forward — with certain guardrails in place. The City Council held off on voting on a proposed exclusion zone ordinance at…