Justice Package
In response to increasing federal threats to immigrant communities, including cuts to food assistance and deportations, a coalition of over one hundred community organizations is urging Oregon’s lawmakers to pass the 2025 Immigrant Justice Package. It includes five bills that would provide Oregon’s immigrant families access to things like food and housing assistance, disaster relief and legal representation. Oregon Worker Relief Coalition president Martha Sonato says the legislation will benefit all Oregonians.
“What community has put forward is a package of very impactful, cost saving investments. These are all basic rights that really help families stay together and succeed. “
Opponents to some of the measures argue it’s unfair to ask legal residents to fund benefits for people in the country illegally. Supporters, however, counter that undocumented Oregonians contribute over 350 million dollars annually in state and local taxes, making them deserving of these benefits.
Blood Drives
For more than two decades a local couple have been organizing blood drives in our area and recently Tom and Candy Zahara have been assisting students at Siuslaw High School organize and execute their own drives. Tom Zahara said the efforts have been impressive.
“They organize it all, they oversee it. A young lady by the name of Macy, she is just a Godsend. She is the one who has been pretty much overseeing this. I believe this is her last year here and her sister is going to be taking over I believe. Oh, we are so looking forward to having her be a part of this.”
Macy McNeill is a senior at Siuslaw and will be graduating next week so her younger sister Clare will be taking care of future drives. Zahara said the student efforts have been impressive and he definitely looks forward to working closely with Clare McNeill in coming years.
Crash Death
A single-vehicle crash on May 26th claimed the life of a Waldport man and led to DUII charges. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:30 p.m. to a report of a vehicle down an embankment on U.S. Forest Service Road 53 outside Waldport. Deputies found the vehicle about 100 feet down a steep, brush-covered slope. Rescuers used rope systems to retrieve two men—Calvin Moreschini, 45, and David Vargues, 45. Both were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, where Vargues later died. Moreschini, who was found to be impaired, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, reckless driving, and DUII.
