USCG Air Facility will Remain Open, for now, Dec. 11

The U.S. Coast Guard Air Facility at Newport will remain open through January 2016. Members of Oregon’s and South Carolina’s congressional delegations maneuvered through congress by passing a bill that blocks the Coast Guard from closing helicopter air stations on the Central Oregon Coast and Charleston, SC. Both were slated for closure due to budget constraints. However, the Coast Guard authorization bill now includes new language that requires that the stations will remain open. The Newport facility is staffed daily by a helicopter crew flown from the North Bend Air Station. The non-profit Fishermen’s Wives organization filed a lawsuit to prevent the closures, scheduled for Dec. 15, in federal court. A judge is expected to hear arguments this Friday. The lawsuit was joined by Lincoln County, and the Port of Newport. Officials have argued that the air station is essential to search and rescue operations with a quick response.