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Tag: Lincoln County

  • Lincoln Co. DA Forced To Occasionally Close Office – KXL

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    Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office logo.

    Newport, Ore. – The Lincoln County District Attorney’s office has closed to the public several times in the past couple of weeks and the D.A. says it’s going to happen more often if County Commissioners don’t take action. 

    District Attorney Jenna Wallace says her office is short-staffed, “We are normally budgeted for 22 full-time positions, as well as two part-time and eight grant-funded positions. And, essentially, we’re down 11 of those positions.” It means, she says, there are very few people to work the front desk if someone is sick or on vacation, “We’re really struggling covering the front, while also getting our work done that’s required of us on any given day.” It’s not stopping them from prosecuting cases, yet. “Where it really impacts is people coming to the front desk and either looking for information or wanting to have contact about a case.” But, Wallace says, if the problem continues, she may be forced to reduce the number of misdemeanor cases her office takes on.

    County Commissioners imposed a hiring freeze last spring, in light of a $4 million budget shortfall. Wallace tells KXL News, “They indicated this freeze would be for six months; the six months has expired already.” And, she says, other departments have been allowed to hire through an “exceptions” process, while her requests have been denied or ignored altogether. 

    Wallace wants answers, “Commissioner [Walter] Chuck won’t even speak to me about my exception request, about my staffing levels.” She says Commissioner Chuck has refused to add her to a meeting agenda. “I’m not even getting information as to why I’m being denied or ignored, and really just trying to understand why other departments in the county are receiving exception requests, are able to hire in the past 6-8 months.”

    Lincoln County’s Board of Commissioners is down one member, after Commissioner Claire Hall passed away amid a recall vote. She was Board Chair at the time. As Vice Chair, Chuck assumed the top position following her passing.

    KXL reached out to the Board for comment; the office did not respond. 

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    Heather Roberts

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  • One Hurt In Lincoln Co. Helicopter Crash – KXL

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    Photo courtesy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

    Lincoln County, Ore. – Authorities say a helicopter crashed Thursday morning in eastern Lincoln County. According to the Sheriff’s Office says the chopper went down in a cow pasture near milepost three on Moonshine Park Road. The pilot was the only person on board and was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

    Lincoln County deputies and other agencies responded. The FAA and NTSB are now investigating the cause of the crash.

    This story has been updated from a previous version. 

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Lincoln Co. Commissioner Passes Away Amid Recall Election – KXL

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    Claire Hall, courtesy of Lincoln County.

    Portland, Ore. – A Lincoln County Commissioner at the center of a recall effort died Sunday at a Portland hospital after what officials say was a brief illness. In a statement, the county says Commissioner Claire Hall lived a life defined by service to her community, “Claire prioritized others before herself, led with kindness and created countless services to improve the lives of community members.” Hall served as a Lincoln County Commissioner for over 20 years. She was 66.

    Hall underwent surgery several months ago, after suffering a fall at her office and had been in and out of the hospital. Her death comes a week after ballots went out in a recall election, following months of divisive meetings and questions about her leadership.

    Commissioner Casey Miller expressed sympathy for Hall’s family, saying, “Regardless of differences, the loss of a colleague and community member is a moment of reflection, compassion and respect.”

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    Heather Roberts

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  • NASCAR champ Kyle Busch, wife lose millions in insurance scheme, lawsuit alleges

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    NASCAR champion Kyle Busch and his wife Samantha are suing an insurance company and agent they allege misled the couple about a life insurance policy that cost them $8.58 million.

    The lawsuit accused Pacific Life Insurance Company and the agent of misleading the couple about Indexed Universal Life, which the company said would be self-sustaining and fully funded “after a limited number of annual premium payments.”

    “These policies were sold to us as part of a retirement plan — something safe and secure that would grow tax-free and protect our family long after racing,” Kyle Busch said in a press release Tuesday. “We trusted the people who sold them, and the name Pacific Life. But the reality is far different. What was pitched as retirement income turned out to be a financial trap.”

    The couple was told the policy would “generate substantial, tax-free income for retirement,” according to the lawsuit, filed in Lincoln County on Oct. 14 . “Those representations were negligent and false.”

    Pacific Life and the agent failed to tell the truth about the risks associated with the policy, the lawsuit alleged, including variable interest crediting, policy charges, underperformance, and potential policy lapse.

    The press release said the company and agent used “misleading illustrations, undisclosed costs, and false promises of guaranteed multipliers and controllable charge” to get payments out of the couple.

    The couple lost millions out-of-pocket after paying more than $10.4 million in premiums to the insurance company, the press release said.

    In a social media video, Busch and his wife said it was a “major scam” and were trying to raise awareness because others have been impacted by it as well.

    “We tried to do what was best for our family,” Samantha Busch said. “Little did we know that by investing money in this scam, it’s all gone.”

    Busch is a two-time Cup Series champion. Racing for Richard Childress Racing, he is currently the 22nd ranked driver in NASCAR.

    A spokesperson at Pacific Life provided the following statement Wednesday in response to the lawsuit:

    “To maintain the privacy and trust of our clients, Pacific Life does not comment on the specifics of individual matters. For nearly 160 years, we have committed ourselves to fairness, integrity, and acting in the best interests of our clients — and we continue to take this responsibility very seriously. Pacific Life offers several different life insurance products, each with unique characteristics that are important to understand before making a decision. We encourage individuals to visit our website or contact their financial advisor to learn more about our products.”

    This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 2:34 PM.

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    Jeff A. Chamer

    The Charlotte Observer

    Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.

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    Jeff A. Chamer

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