Oregon
Cougar ‘Standoff’ on N. Oregon Coast: Officials Wait for Cat to Leave Haystack Rock / Cannon Beach

Published 07/16/23 at 7:51 p.m. – Updated 07/16/23 at 9:41 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff
(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – A series of cougar sightings has resulted in some closures on the north Oregon coast, and that includes a kind of standoff on Sunday night as authorities are waiting for a cougar to leave Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock. (Khula Makhalira. Taken at 6:40 AM.)
The cougar situation in Cannon Beach started about 6:30 a.m., causing the entire beach in that area to be closed. That is still happening at this hour – about 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The beach closure will last as long as the cat is there.
Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) told Oregon Coast Beach Connection this is a first, at least in modern times.
“This is the first confirmed sighting of a cougar at Haystack Rock,” they said.
Earlier this weekend, Nehalem Bay State Park had to close the eastern part of the Loop Trail because of “multiple cougar sightings.”
“For your safety, please remain off this section of trail while the signs and caution ribbon are up,” said Oregon State Parks and Recreation.
In Cannon Beach, a veritable small army of responders are in the Haystack Rock area of the north Oregon coast town, blocking off the beaches and trying to keep both the cougar and the public safe – as well as themselves.
The cougar showed up on the rock by dawn, presumably having arrived overnight. A handful of photos have made social media, showing an adult mountain lion (cougar) crawling around the rock structure.
Cannon Beach Police Department (CBPD) spokesman Bruce St. Dennis told Oregon Coast Beach Connection the big cat has not left.
“He’s walking around various parts of the rock and has not been on the sand at all,” St. Dennis said. “Sometimes he’s wandered to the west side of the rock where we can’t see him, but jet skis can keep track of him there.”
Responding to the scene are members of Oregon State Police Game Troopers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Parks, Haystack Rock Awareness Program, and Cannon Beach Fire. There are some personnel on jet skis.
St. Dennis said they had no clue which path the cougar took out onto the beach before dawn. Now, it’s just a waiting game.
“The whole strategy is to make him feel comfortable enough to leave and go back to his own bed,” St. Dennis said. “We have a 2,000-foot-wide corridor cleared for him to leave.”
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They are hoping the cougar will at least take off after dark, and St. Dennis said it wasn’t clear what would happen if the animal didn’t.
Tranquilizing the cougar or trying to capture him isn’t really an option, St. Dennis told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Both situations put responders at great risk, as well as the cat.
“And that’s just not a good ending for anyone,” St. Dennis said.
UPDATES FROM HRAP
As of 9:30 p.m., the cougar is still on the rock. Also on scene are federal authorities from US Fish and Wildlife.
“Our program has been out on the beach to help answer questions and assist with crowd control for the majority of the day,” HRAP said. “As of now, the cougar is still on Haystack Rock. The hope is that as the tide recedes, the cougar will make its way back down.”
HRAP said a beachgoer spotted the cougar at 6:30 a.m. and alerted staff that was already out there: Lead Interpreter on Shift Michelle Schwegmann then reported it to police.
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Oregon
Turley, Arquette lead Oregon State baseball past Washington in Hillsboro

Gavin Turley and Aiva Arquette drove in two runs each to lead the Oregon State Beavers to a 5-2 victory against Washington on Tuesday night at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Turley doubled down the left field line in the fifth inning to score Arquette and AJ Singer and give the fifth-ranked Beavers the lead for good in front of a sellout crowd of 4,264 at the home park of the Hillsboro Hops.
Two innings later, Arquette blasted a two-run homer to give Oregon State (19-4) its final margin of victory. It was the third homer in four games for the Beavers shortstop, who also doubled, walked and finished 3 for 3.
Trent Caraway scored Oregon State’s first run, coming home from second when Washington starter Tommy Brandenburg tried a pickoff in the second inning and the ball got away.
Five Beavers relievers combined to keep Washington off the scoreboard for the final 5 1/3 innings after the Huskies (11-15) had scored on a sacrifice fly in the third and Matthew Henning’s RBI single in the fourth.
Max Fraser, James DeCremer, Leif Palmer, Joey Mundt and AJ Hutcheson allowed a combined three hits and struck out nine. DeCremer (1-0) notched the win and Hutcheson recorded his second save of the season. OSU starter Kellan Oakes pitched two innings before giving way to Bryce Johnson.
Next up: Oregon State opens a three-game series at Nebraska at 5 p.m. Friday (Big Ten Network).
— Joel Odom
Oregon
Trump admin investigates Oregon's largest school district for allowing trans students to play sports

PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Department of Education said in a news release Tuesday that it has opened an investigation into Portland Public Schools, Oregon’s largest school district, over allowing a transgender athlete to compete on a high school girls’ track-and-field team.
The federal agency said it was investigating whether this violated Title IX, a 1972 law barring sex discrimination in education. The Trump administration has been using the law to push against schools that provide accommodations for transgender students.
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order last month intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
“We will not allow the Portland Public Schools District or any other educational entity that receives federal funds to trample on the antidiscrimination protections that women and girls are guaranteed under law,” Craig Trainor, the education department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in the news release.
The department said it also sent a letter to the Oregon School Activities Association, or OSAA, notifying it of an investigation into its “gender identity participation” policy.
The department said its investigation into the district was based on a complaint filed with its civil rights office. The complaint said the district and OSAA allowed a high school transgender athlete to compete in the girls’ track and field division over the last two seasons, according to the department’s news release.
Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong said the district is in full compliance with Oregon state law, “which may differ from federal guidance,” and that it was working to “navigate this complex legal landscape.”
“I want our community to know that I am aware of the complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and Portland Public Schools is fully cooperating with the investigation,” Armstrong said in a statement.
“While I am limited in what I can share at this time due to the sensitive nature of the matter and our duty to protect student privacy, I want to be clear: my commitment — and our district’s commitment — to doing what’s right for all students, especially those most vulnerable, remains unwavering.”
Elsewhere, the federal agency has also opened investigations into Denver public schools after an all-gender restroom replaced a girl’s restroom while leaving another exclusive to boys, as well as the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Oregon
Street remains closed after part of Oregon District building crumbles
A street remains closed after a building partially collapsed in the Oregon Districts on Monday.
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As reported on News Center 7 Daybreak and 11:00, the partial collapse occurred Monday at 464 E 5th Street near Jackson Street.
TRENDING STORIES:
>>PHOTOS: Section of building crumbles in Oregon District
News Center 7′s Mason Fletcher says the whole area is still blocked off Tuesday morning.
It will remain closed until the damage is repaired.
“Thank God for the firefighters and the public servants,” Peter McLinden said. “Kind of scary, but we got to know that Dayton’s an older city.”
Dayton firefighters say it remains under investigation.
“At this time, we’re not sure if it’s weather-related because it is very windy, or if it was just age-related and it just happened to come down,” said Dayton Fire Department District Chief Nick Judge.
We will continue to follow this story.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.

A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.

A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.

A section of an Oregon District building came crumbling down on Monday. Dayton Fire is on the scene working to determine the structure’s viability.
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