KAST 1370 AM

09/05/2025

Rep. Javadi to switch political parties. Follow the link to his blog post.

Let’s not bury the lede: I’m switching parties.

09/05/2025

Republican North Coast State Rep. Cyrus Javadi says he is switching party affiliation. He plans to run for reelection as a democrat.

In a Friday blog post, the Tillamook dentist says he's switching because the republican party fails to support those things his constituents want and he agrees with.

He writes, "By the end of the long session in June, my patience had worn thin. Every priority for Oregon’s North Coast, nearly every single one, ran into opposition from my own party. Protecting Medicaid benefits for the nearly 60% of children in Tillamook and Clatsop counties? Opposed. Keeping rural hospitals afloat? Opposed. Preserving students’ access to books that reflect who they are? Opposed. Protecting the First Amendment rights of people different from ourselves? Opposed.

Not because the policies were flawed. But helping me deliver for my district didn’t fit the Republican Party’s agenda."

09/05/2025

The Columbia Outboard Racing Association is hosting the Cullaby II Battle at the Sea races at Cullaby Lake County Park the weekend of September 6-7, 2025.

The boat ramp and the boat race course on the waters of Cullaby Lake will be closed for racing from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day.

The races are free for the public to view from the park and the park is open for picnicking and other activities, however, there is a $5 day-use parking fee for the County Park entry.

09/05/2025

On Friday, September 5, 2025, City of Astoria Public Works Operations will conduct a roadway repair. This will result in the closure of 4th St. at its intersection with Klaskanine Ave. and approximately 50 feet south. The closure is expected from 8:00 A.M to 4:30 P.M., or until work is completed.

Public access to 4th St. will be limited to local residences only via 5th St. and Clatsop Ave. No other vehicular access will be available.

09/04/2025

OR 47 in Mist is now open. Here's what you can expect:
Rough road – please use caution as you're driving through the area.
Single lane closures while crews are working with flaggers directing traffic. Crews working Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional night work as needed.

09/03/2025

Beginning Sept. 16, sections of Cape Disappointment State Park will begin closing to undergo major renovations and repairs. The closure is expected to last until Spring 2026.

Cape Disappointment is one of the most visited state parks in Washington. This project focuses on improving the park’s infrastructure through renovations to its entrance, roads, and trails.

09/03/2025

Keeping our kiddos safe.

Students are headed back to school! As a reminder, if there are buses around the neighborhood, there are also students. Please watch your speed, and if the lights are flashing or the sign is out on the bus, don't pass!

You can view and download Astoria School District bus stops, routes, and estimated times on our website at: https://astoria.k12.or.us/155948_3

Please allow 20 minutes difference for the first 2 weeks of school as the routes are finalized. We appreciate your patience with our drivers as they deliver your students safely to and from school.

You can find our school start and end times and the bell schedules for Astoria High School and Astoria Middle School on our website at https://www.astoria.k12.or.us/2718_2

09/03/2025

Old Mill Town Road will be closed beginning Monday, September 8th, through Thursday, September 11th, to all vehicular traffic from Highway 30.
Use Westport Ferry Road as an alternate route to access Old Mill Town Road. Pedestrian and bicycle access will not be allowed in the work zone.

09/03/2025

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang. The president said in a social media posting that 11 people were killed in the rare U.S. military operation in the Americas, a dramatic escalation in the Republican administration’s effort to stem the flow of narcotics from Latin America.

09/03/2025

This month, patients will see changes on the CMH campus in Astoria as the construction team begins working on the foundation for the BuildCMH Expansion Project.

Here is how the changes on the CMH campus will affect the community:

New Main Entrance: The West Lobby entrance, considered the main entrance to the hospital, is typically accessed from Exchange and 20th Streets.

Beginning today, 20th Street, between Exchange Street and Franklin Avenue, and the West Lobby parking lot will be closed permanently due to construction.

Instead of parking by the West Lobby and going through the front doors, patients will need to drive to the back of the hospital to reach a new main entrance. This will be the standard procedure for entering the hospital for the next two years.



To drive to CMH for in-hospital appointments, patients will turn onto 22nd Street from Exchange Street. From there, they will continue onto Franklin Avenue, which goes behind the hospital, to the new patient parking lots south of the hospital. Click here to see a map of the route.



Patients will enter CMH through back doors leading to the Gift Shop Atrium. Those are the doors between Professional Office Building 1 and Professional Office Building 2.



There will be signs showing where to park and how to enter the building.

09/02/2025

UPDATE: The Oregon Senate vote on the transportation package has been delayed until September 17th to allow a democratic member to recover from a recent surgery. The Governor has postponed her planned worker layoffs until October if the package does not pass.

The Oregon House narrowly passed a transportation package Monday that now heads for the Senate. Here is what it includes:

A gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.46, effective Jan. 1, 2026, is expected to raise $90 million a year. The gas tax is split among the state and local governments, with half of the tax for the state, 30% for counties, and 20% for cities. ( In a split vote, Clatsop County commissioners sent a letter in support of the bill)

An increase in annual registration fees from $43 to $85 for passenger vehicles; $63 to $105 for utility vehicles, light trailers, low-speed vehicles, and medium-speed electric vehicles; and $44 to $86 for mopeds and motorcycles.

Increasing title fees for passenger vehicles from $77 to $216.

Temporarily doubling the payroll tax used to support public transit from 0.1% to 0.2% from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2028.

An increase to registration surcharges for electric and highly fuel-efficient vehicles, from $35 to $65 annually for cars with a 40+ miles-per-gallon rating, and from $115 to $145 annually for electric vehicles.

Phasing in a mandatory road usage charge program for electric vehicles by 2031. Electric vehicle drivers have been able to opt into the OReGO program and pay 2 cents per mile in exchange for lower registration fees. The proposed change would mandate that electric vehicle drivers participate in this program or pay a flat $340 annual fee.

09/02/2025

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is implementing new fees at some of its day-use parks and raising fees for some of its busiest overnight camping parks.

The state waives day-use parking fees at more than 225 of its state parks, with only 25 parks charging the $10 fee for in-state visitors and $12 for people visiting from out of state. But on Oct. 1, the department will begin requiring the parking fee at an additional 21 of its day-use parks, including:

Beverly Beach State Park
Bullards Beach State Park
Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Dexter State Recreation Site
Face Rock State Park
Farewell Bend State Recreation Area
Fort Stevens State Park
Harris Beach State Recreation Site
Hat Rock State Park
LaPine State Park
Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site
Lowell State Recreation Site
Oswald West State Park
Prineville Reservoir State Park
South Beach State Park
Starvation Creek State Park
Sunset Bay State Park
Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Valley of the Rogue State Recreation Area
The fees won’t apply to visitors who walk, bike, use public transportation or have a valid 12- to 24-month parking permit from Oregon State Parks.

These parks are some of the busiest parks in the system, according to a news release from the department. For example, Harris Beach State Park experienced an estimated 2 million day-use visits in 2024.