Briefs for Feb. 26, 2026

Published 3:30 am Thursday, February 26, 2026

Temporary utility bill assistance for qualified residents

The City of Astoria is partnering with Clatsop Community Action to provide temporary utility bill assistance for income-qualified residents.

Eligibility for the program is set for 30% area median income for Clatsop County, and assistance is based on household size with the assistance provided approximately 10% of average consumption for that household size.

For more information go to the website: astoria.gov.

ODOT holds open house in Astoria March 9

Officials from the Oregon Department of Transportation are stopping in Astoria to talk about the proposed projects in the 2027-2030 Draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, also known as the STIP. It is the department’s capital improvement plan for state and federally funded projects.

The in-person event for Clatsop County is slated for 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March at the ODOT Astoria office, 350 W. Marine Drive. Accessible parking is available near the front entrance. Accommodations will be provided to people with disabilities and materials can be provided in alternative formats. To make a request, please contact Caroline Crisp at 503-313-6812 or call the statewide relay 7-1-1 at least 48 hours in advance.

For anyone who can’t make the in-person event, there is an online open house available until March 20 with an interactive map to see proposed projects in and around your community.

Human Services Advisory Council vacancy

Applications are open for a seat on Clatsop County’s Human Services Advisory Council with a term ending Feb. 28, 2029. The council meets the first Thursday of each month.

The council advises the Board of County Commissioners on developmental disabilities, mental health and alcohol and drug abuse services.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. Application forms are available online at ClatsopCounty.gov or at the County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410 in Astoria.

All applications will be reviewed by the Human Services Advisory Council and then brought to the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners for appointment.

Feb 18 final edition of North Coast Citizen

Country Media, Inc., announced that Feb. 18 was the final issue of North Coast Citizen. The newspaper covered local news in the Manzanita and Tillamook County area.

“Simply put, for several years we’ve struggled to generate enough subscription and advertising revenue to support this every-other-week newspaper,” said Country Media’s CEO, Steve Hungerford. “By discontinuing its publication,” said Hungerford, “we’ll be able to sharpen our focus on the sustainability of our company’s eight other paid-subscription Oregon newspapers.” Hungerford said that subscribers to The Citizen who have $5 or more in prepaid subscriptions will be mailed refunds. Country Media is a family-owned newspaper company based in Salem. It publishes the community weeklies in Tillamook, Dallas, Coos Bay, Cottage Grove, Florence, Newport and Brookings.