Curry Coastal Pilot

We live in the heart of western blacklegged tick country, which brings a seasonal risk of tick-borne diseases. Tick-borne diseases occur when ticks transmit microscopic pathogens through their saliva while feeding. Most of these illnesses are caused by bacteria. Common examples include Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, and Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

OHA announces grants to advance rural healthcare in every Oregon county Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is awarding about $97.1 million in additional federal funding to improve the health and well-being of Oregon’s rural communities this year. The grants will collectively support 136 new projects across all counties in the state. With this announcement, Oregon has so far awarded about $175.3 million total to support health in rural communities this year.

Federal legislation being considered in Congress is expected to open doors of opportunity for the United States seafood industry, making it more competitive on the national and international stages. These moves at the federal level are expected to bolster local seafood harvest, processing and profitability in sustainable ways. A few years ago, a study commissioned by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) found that 90 percent of the seafood sold in Western Oregon isn’t from local waters.

Hotter temperatures and longer stretches between measurable moisture mean many plants need more water from the end of a hose. "Choosing plants that require less water saves time and money while helping sustain Oregon’s water supply," Oregon State University Extension Service Horticulturist Amy Jo Detweiler said.

For years the Rotary Club of Brookings-Harbor has presented a water-safety program the last week of school to area third-grade students. This year, 122 students learned about water safety, and during five days of classes, worked with 19 community volunteers. Day 1 classes began with testing and grouping students according to their water skills.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has activated the State Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) as of 8 a.m. on July 17, 2026, escalating to Level 3: Regional Response as wildfire conditions intensify across the state. At this time, the activation will be conducted in a hybrid format. Photo of the Hoag Fire. This activation allows OEM and partner agencies to increase coordination, situational awareness and resource support as wildfire danger escalates.

Oregonians deeply value their state parks, are increasingly noticing signs of wear across the park system and support exploring additional ways to provide stable, long-term funding, according to a new statewide survey released by Environment Oregon. The findings were released along with a national Investing in Nature report, which examines maintenance backlog trends and how states are addressing those backlogs.

This year’s theme, Myths, Legends & Science in the Musical Arts invites us to interrogate our collective stories, our accepted facts, and where they overlap. The forty-eighth installment of the Oregon Coast Music Festival will see dozens of world class musicians flocking to the South Coast to once again participate in a tradition that brings a wave of inspiration and artistic verve to the community.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is fighting back against a Pentagon freeze that’s blocking wind energy projects nationwide, including here in Oregon. Rayfield filed a motion along with 18 other attorneys general July 16, intervening in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing that DoD unlawfully stopped routine reviews of land-based wind projects.

The police blotter is an excerpt of a public record of incidents as reported by law-enforcement agencies. All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are innocent until proven guilty. The information printed is preliminary and subject to change. For a list of missing items found in the Brookings area, you can visit the police services page of the city of Brookings website at www.brookings.or.us/134/police-services and follow the link near the bottom of the page.