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Snowy plover numbers tick up as Oregon beaches roped off for nesting season

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Snowy plover numbers tick up as Oregon beaches roped off for nesting season


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The number of Western snowy plovers in Oregon increased slightly last year, continuing what’s been a major success story for the threatened shorebird as officials begin roping off beach for nesting season.

After two years of slight declines, officials counted 440 plovers during the 2024 breeding season survey, which was higher than the 433 counted in 2023 but still lower than the historic high of 532 in 2021.

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Plovers are one of Oregon’s biggest success stories. Their numbers dropped to as low as 55 in 1993 and 76 in 2003, leading to them being listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

“With the support of the public and improvements to plover habitat, we’re making great strides in reversing the decline of this species,” said Cindy Burns, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist. “Keep doing your part to understand nesting season rules and to share the beach this spring and summer.”

Beaches roped off to protect nesting for snowy plover

A main reason for the rebound has been the policy of roping off roughly 40 miles of dry sand on coastal beaches in management units that allow plovers to hatch and thrive in peace.

That policy, which started in 2010, began anew on Saturday. Plover nesting season lasts from March 15 to Sept. 15. The plover management units prohibit people and dogs tramping into the dry sand of plover nesting units, though in some cases they can bypass the areas on wet sand.

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Sensitive plover nesting areas are identified on maps for the northern Oregon Coast and southern Oregon Coast. Signs may be present at trailheads with additional rules and limits, such as staying on the wet sand and no dogs even on a leash, “to help protect the small shorebirds and their exposed nests during this crucial period,” a news release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said.

Reminders for recreation on designated plover beaches March 15-Sept. 15:

  • The following are not permitted: dogs (even on a leash), driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, operating electric-assisted bicycles, camping, burning wood, flying kites or operating drones.
  • Foot and equestrian traffic are permitted below the high-tide line on hard packed sand.

Snowy plovers nest in open sand

The numbers of plovers began to improve dramatically following the establishment of the roped-off units, the numbers show.

“They’re a ground-nesting bird that lays their eggs in small depressions on open sand — we call them scrapes in the sand — and rely on camouflage for protection. They need undisturbed time for the young to develop,” Cheryl Strong, a wildlife biologist and plover lead for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Statesman Journal last year.

If the birds are disturbed by people, dogs, kites or drones — all of which are perceived as predators — they may fly away from their nest and put the eggs or young at risk.

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Snowy plovers expanding range

Beyond plover numbers improving is the fact that they’ve expanded their range, Strong said previously.

“We’ve seen them expand their range to the north and south. We now have plovers in every coastal county in Oregon. It’s quite a turnaround,” Strong said last year.

One of the new areas plovers have been nesting is the Sand Lake Recreation Area, near the lake’s inlet, every year the last few years.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.

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Oregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping

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Oregon man sentenced to 77 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping


A Benton County man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after prosecutors say he held his brother at knifepoint inside their family home, a confrontation that ended with police shooting the wrong person as the victim tried to escape, the Benton County District Attorney’s office said in a media release.

On Thursday, June 18, John Dakota Lyon pleaded guilty to Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Coercion, according to a news release from the Benton County District Attorney. He was sentenced to a total of 77 months in prison and two years of post-prison supervision.

The case stems from the morning of Jan. 6, when Maverick Lyon was home visiting his parents during winter break from college. Prosecutors said Dakota Lyon, his brother, was living at the home after recently being released from the Department of Corrections.

In February 2023, Dakota Lyon was sentenced to 58 months in prison for convictions of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, the release said.

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On Jan. 6, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon accused Maverick Lyon of conspiring with their father to do harm to him. Dakota Lyon armed himself with a large kitchen knife and, while holding onto Maverick Lyon’s shirt, pulled him throughout the house, implying he would harm him with the knife, according to the district attorney’s office. Despite Maverick Lyon’s pleadings, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon refused to release him or put the knife down.

Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon convinced Dakota Lyon to allow him to grab his own kitchen knife under the guise that they would leave the residence to confront their father together. Their father, who saw and heard what was happening through a surveillance system set up at the home, called 911 to report the crime, the release said.

Multiple Albany Police Department officers arrived and were able to see two men through a back door window, including one with a knife, according to the district attorney’s office. After a brief conversation between officers and the men, prosecutors said Maverick Lyon broke free and rushed out the back door.

The district attorney’s office said Maverick Lyon still had a knife in his hand as he began to break the plane of the door, and officers were standing near the door. Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon began dropping the knife, but officers, fearing for their lives and the lives of other officers, fired their weapons. Maverick Lyon was struck several times.

An earlier Officer Involve Shooting review by the Benton County District Attorney’s Office found the officers’ use of force was justified, the release said.

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Officers rendered first aid, and while being treated, Maverick Lyon said, “You shot the wrong guy,” according to the district attorney’s office.

Dakota Lyon was taken into custody without further incident, and the knife he was believed to have been possessing was located near him, prosecutors said. He has been in custody since Jan. 6.

After surgery and a lengthy recovery period, Maverick Lyon “appears to be doing well,” the release said.

The district attorney’s office said methamphetamine may have played a role in Dakota Lyon’s actions. A urine sample taken from him that day tested positive for methamphetamine, and he was known to use methamphetamine in the past and was believed by those close to him to have recently begun using methamphetamine again, according to the release.

“The tragic shooting was a direct result of Dakota Lyon’s actions. As Dakota marched Maverick around the house at knife point, Maverick feared for his life and wanted nothing more but to escape his drug crazed older brother. But for Dakota’s actions, police would not have been called, Maverick would not be a victim of kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, and coercion, and the police would not have shot Maverick,” Chief DDA Amie Matusko, who prosecuted the case, said in the release.

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At sentencing, Dakota Lyon’s attorney, Christian Strahl, acknowledged Dakota Lyon’s responsibility in Maverick Lyon’s shooting, the release said. Strahl indicated the remorse Dakota Lyon felt, saying Dakota Lyon wished he could have taken the bullets instead of Maverick, according to prosecutors.

“While this sentiment is appreciated, true accountability would be remorse in having raised a knife towards his brother and regret that the lives of Maverick and the family are forever changed,” Matusko said.



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Who’s visiting for Oregon’s final weekend of official visits?

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Who’s visiting for Oregon’s final weekend of official visits?


The biggest and final weekend of official visits is finally here for the Oregon Ducks. The program has made the most of its prior rounds of visits, adding five commitments this month alone.

Dan Lanning and his staff will get a chance to lock in a top-five recruiting class this cycle with another tremendous list of visitors this weekend. Oregon will welcome back a pair of committed gems in the class, including quarterback Will Mencl and edge rusher Rashad Streets. However, the biggest visitors are those who have yet to decide on their college future.

Here’s a look at which recruits are expected to be in Eugene this weekend, as well as where they rank in the Rivals Industry Ranking.

  • 5-star WR Xavier Sabb (No. 30)
  • 4-star QB Will Mencl (No. 46) (Oregon commit)
  • 4-star EDGE Rashad Streets (No. 47) (Oregon commit)
  • 4-star WR Tae Walden Jr. (No. 69)
  • 4-star LB Brayton Feister (No. 135)
  • 4-star DL Brayden Parks (No. 166)
  • 4-star TE Anthony Cartwright III (No. 343)
  • 4-star RB Caden Waye (No. 359)
  • 3-star IOL Lex Mailangi (No. 697)

It’s a loaded weekend for the Ducks, and they are well positioned to land several of the visiting recruits this summer. With Mencl and Streets both in town as well, two of the most vocal recruiters in Oregon’s class, don’t be surprised if the Ducks manage to earn a commitment or two before the weekend is over.

On the heels of adding wideout Dakota Guerrant to their class, the Ducks are the frontrunners for Xavier Sabb, who is making the trip across the country from New Jersey. Sabb, whose brothers both play at Alabama, is one of Oregon’s favorite targets in the cycle, and one that Mencl has publicly called for the Ducks to bring to Eugene.

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As a junior, Sabb played both receiver and safety at Glassboro High School. He made 59 catches for 896 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and was named Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey. After visiting Alabama last weekend, Oregon will get the last word on Sabb’s recruitment and could add a pair of elite receivers to pair with their star quarterback.

The Ducks are also in great position to finalize a commitment with both linebacker Brayton Feister and tight end Anthony Cartwright III. Cartwright will commit on June 28, and Oregon is already viewed as the leader in the race for the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher from Detroit. Feister is fresh off a visit to Georgia, and the Bulldogs made a big push. However, the Ohio native and No. 10 linebacker in the class has always been strongly linked to the Ducks. An official visit this weekend could be enough to push the recruitment to the finish line.

There are a couple of question marks making their way to campus as well. Wide receiver Tae Walden Jr. and defensive lineman Brayden Parks are both leaning elsewhere, but the Ducks have a reasonable shot in both recruitments. Auburn has led the way for Walden, but a strong visit to LSU last week did make a difference. Oregon could do something similar this week, but as of now, he is thought to wind up in SEC territory.

Parks has been a Notre Dame lean, but the momentum over the past few months has swung between the Irish and the Ducks. Oregon gets the final say this weekend, and it could make the difference. Parks didn’t commit after he visited South Bend last weekend, leaving the door open for the Ducks to swoop in at the final hour before the dead period.

Oregon has been a leader for Mater Dei offensive lineman Lex Mailangi as well, but recent visits to Cal and UCLA have narrowed the gap. The Ducks could use another lineman in their class, with Gus Corsair being the only interior lineman committed. The Ducks have some work to do to regain the lead in the race.

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Caden Waye is a late add to the list. Although he has had the Ducks at the top of his list since he narrowed his recruitment in the winter, his list has changed after a trip to UCF last weekend put the Knights in his top three. Oregon already has four-star running back CaDarius McMiller committed and is pushing hard for four-star Landen Williams-Callis. Waye is a bit of a wild card for the Ducks, so it will be interesting to see how his visit to Eugene goes.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.



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Deadly officer-involved shooting on Oregon Coast under investigation

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Deadly officer-involved shooting on Oregon Coast under investigation


PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon State Police are investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting that took place in Lincoln County on Wednesday.

OSP responds to an officer-involved shooting on June 17. (Jenny Rae Nelson)

Officers from the Newport Police Department, as well as OSP, responded to the 1500 block of the Siletz River Highway just before 4 p.m. to conduct a follow-up investigation, which later escalated into a fatal shooting.

The suspect is dead, and no officers or members of the community were injured, OSP said.

The investigation is ongoing.

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