Oregon Coast News - February 23, 2010
Daily news and sports coverage for the Oregon coast plus a variety of guides and directories useful to Oregon residents and visitors.
Morris captured
Double homicide suspect 33-year old Gabriel Christian Morris was apprehended by police without incident in Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia Monday morning. Morris was taken into custody along with his 33-year old wife Jessica Morris and their four-year old daughter Kalea after the person they were staying with became suspicious of Morris and reportedly looked up his name on the Internet where he discovered he was wanted on murder charges. A U.S. Marshal’s news release credits the television program “America’s Most Wanted,” which aired a segment about Morris Saturday night. Community members reportedly recognized him. The persons Morris was staying with contacted police who then responded with a U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF). Morris was apprehended while riding in a Ford Explorer accompanied by the female homeowner of the residence where he was staying. He was armed with a loaded .45 caliber handgun. His wife Jessica and daughter Kalea were in a second vehicle, the Ford Taurus police were looking for, following her husband. The family fled the South Coast after the Feb. 8th murder of Gabriel Morris’ 62-year old biological mother Robin Lynn Anstey and her 48-year old boyfriend Robert William Kennelly Jr. The two were found shot multiple times at their Hwy. 42-South residence six-miles east of Bandon on Feb. 10th. A nationwide search was launched for Morris and his family. They were reportedly spotted in San Diego and then Mesa, AZ. Coos Co. District Attorney R. Paul Frasier and several detectives flew to Virginia Monday. He says the couple will be entitled to court hearings in Virginia. “When they will be returned to Coos County is not known. If they decide to contest extradition, then it could be several weeks or months before they are returned. If they waive extradition, they could be returned in as little as a couple of weeks.”
Rail lawsuit
The shutdown of the Coquille to Eugene rail line by Central Oregon & Pacific Rail in September of 2007 is at the center of a lawsuit filed by CORP against the State of Oregon in Douglas County. Pre-trial motions are expected in court today at Roseburg and the trial is scheduled to be held Feb. 23-26 after Circuit Court Judge Randy Garrison decided the suit will proceed. The state argues that it awarded CORP $7.7 million in ConnectOregon funds for a new switching yard at Winchester, just off I-5 north of Roseburg, largely because it would reportedly benefit their entire rail system, including the South Coast Line which the state alleges CORP identified as having the best industrial development potential in Southern Oregon on Coos Bay’s North Spit. The Coos Bay Line was suddenly “embargoed” by CORP over safety concerns in three of the line’s nine tunnels. Since then, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay purchased the closed line for $16 million from CORP after the federal Surface Transportation Board forced the “hedge fund” investor-supported company to sell. State officials say CORP planned to shutdown the Coos Bay Line all along, but was waiting until the state funding was secured. The judge ruled there was no evidence to support that theory. CORP is seeking the remainder of the $6.3 million owed by the state, while the state is seeking the return of the $1.4 million already paid. A 12-person jury will hear the case.
Accident
According to an entry on the North Bend Police log for 3:04 a.m., Sunday, East Bay at Echo, “officer assisting Coos Co. Sheriff’s Office on possible fatal motor vehicle accident.” According to an entry on the CCSO log, 2:20 a.m., a male on a cell phone reported an injury accident at East Bay and Echo Springs. One occupant of the vehicle not breathing and not conscious. Twenty-nine year old Janet Irene Austin-Lincoln, Port Orford, referred to the District Attorney’s Office for DUII, Reckless Driving, Assault III. “Medical draw, BAC .25%.” A news release from the Sheriff’s Office on Monday stated a deputy located a GMC pickup truck blocking both lanes of travel, “it had apparently rolled several times on the roadway.” East Bay Road at Maple Leaf Lane was closed for approximately two hours. A passenger, 27-year old Cory Joseph Hawkins, Coos Bay, was transported to Bay Area Hospital with injuries.
USCG
An attempt was made to lower a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer to a trapped hiker Monday near Multnomah Falls, east of Portland along the Columbia River Gorge, but it failed because of the angle of the treeline along the mountain ridge. However, the crew of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, from Air Station Astoria, was able to direct members of the Portland Mountain Rescue team, assisting the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, to the location.
College Housing and Culinary rates to increase
Southwestern Oregon Community College offered two incremental price increases as a part of the annual budget planning process at the Monday Board of Education meeting. Student Housing will go up $400 a year for private rooms and $330 a year for double rooms. The effective annual increase is about 6%. The last change in rates occurred January 2009 for the 2009-2010 academic year (approximately 6%) due to the increase in the cost of living. Prior to that, the rates had been frozen for three years. The increase in cost of living during the same interval was approximately 12%. This year’s increase effectively catches up the rates with the cost of living. “It is good business sense to look at these incremental increases on an annual basis,” said Board member Harry Abel. The changes will become effective during the summer of 2010. It is projected the increase will result in $125,000 additional revenue for increased expenses including utilities and dining services. Additionally, the increase will support continued deferred maintenance costs and long term budgeting for anticipated preventive maintenance expenditures on the housing facilities. The Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) tuition and fees will also increase from $23,000 to $24,000 for cohorts starting in fall of 2010. Prior to January 2009, the last change in tuition and fees occurred in the 2005-2006 academic year. Despite the increase, the tuition at OCCI will still be less than that of competitor schools. “This is a really a reasonable cost for what you can get out of the program,” said Board member Lonny Anderson. “OCCI has a lot of value.” The additional tuition will provide OCCI money for maintenance and increasing utility and food costs.
College awarded two grants
Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Board of Education unanimously accepted the funds from two new grants recently awarded to the college. The Oregon State Library awarded the college with the Ready to Learn Grant in the amount of $5,574. The Library District contracts with Southwestern Oregon Community College to provide county-wide cooperative library services provided through the Extended Services Office in Tioga hall on the Coos Campus. Southwestern has provided these services to the District for thirty years. This grant budget period begins January 1, 2010 and ends December 31, 2010. The grant improves public library services to children. The Ready to Read Grant program was established by the 1993 Oregon Legislature and is administered by the Oregon State Library. The grant was established to assist local libraries in helping to achieve the Oregon Benchmarks for childhood learning and development. This year the grant funds will be used to continue the support of early literacy services for children ages 0-5. The funds will pay for the purchase of early literacy material to augment public library collections including books, audio books, music, educational toys/games and computer software. The grant will also fund incentives for early literacy programs and promotional materials including giveaway books, bookmarks and brochures. $725 from the Ready to Read grant will be used to continue Dora Public libraries summer reading program. Using the statewide theme, Dora Public Library will present two summer reading sessions per week, one for grades K-3 and a second for grades 4-7, for a period of six weeks to encourage children to continue reading through the summer months. The college also was awarded a grant in the amount of $6,500, funded by the MetLife Foundation and administered by the League for Innovation for the year 2010. Southwestern has received a grant for developing a Significant Discussions Guide designed to facilitate dialogue between faculty and staff in secondary and postsecondary institutions, leading to curriculum alignment between the institutions. To offset the costs of the project, each participating college will receive a $6,500 stipend. The funds may be used at the discretion of the college for faculty reassigned time or stipends, substitute teachers, meeting costs, travel expenses, project leadership, or other expenses that directly support the project’s work. Fifty percent of the stipend will be provided to colleges upon selection and acceptance and fifty percent upon successful completion of the project, on or before July 30, 2011.
CCCC&F
The Coos County Commission on Children and Families will meet on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. at ESD, 1350 Teakwood, Coos Bay. AGENDA: I. Call to Order: 5:30 p.m.; II. Public Input; III. Consent Agenda: A. Financial Report; B. Commission Minutes of January 2010; C. Directors Activity Report January/February 2010; IV. Reports: A. Youth Summit; B. Drug Free Communities; V. Old Business: A. Commission Resignations; B. The Maslow Project; C. Casey Foundation Initiative/Wrap Around Training; D. AYA Grant Application; VI. New Business: A. Legislative Report; B. Budget Issues; C. Comp Plan Issue Review; VII. Adjournment.
CB Joint Session
The City of Coos Bay Council, Planning Commission and Historic Design Review Committee will meet in a joint session on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 6:00 PM – COOS BAY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 525 Anderson Avenue, Coos Bay. Agenda: 1. Introductions; 2. Discussion of Hollering Place draft zoning district. (6:10 – 8:00); 3. Discussion of downtown design standards. (8:00 – 8:30); 4. Adjournment. If you have questions please contact the Public Works and Development Department at (541) 269-8918.
SOLV training
2/23/2010 - VOLUNTEER ACTION TRAINING - LINCOLN CITY, City Hall, Lincoln City 9:30AM - 2:30PM Volunteer Action Training is a leadership development workshop teaching Oregonians how to envision, organize, and implement successful community projects. Participants are encouraged to lead a SOLV project in their community focused on litter and debris cleanup, invasive species removal, native planting, or watershed maintenance and monitoring. The training is free for participants who lead a project within one year of the training and costs $75 to other participants. The workshop provides training, resources, ongoing project support, and covers a wide range of topics. It will be held in the NW Conference Room on the 3rd floor of City Hall in Lincoln City. Info & Registration: Volunteer Action Training or contact Diana Bartlett at dianab@solv.org, or 503-844-9571 x336.
Sperm whales
Toothed whales are known to form long-standing social groups – especially among females – and scientists have hypothesized that these bonds are created to fend off sub-dominant males interested in mating, and to watch after each other’s offspring while individual females dive for food. However, a new study of sperm whales suggests that these long-lasting female social groups – and short-term male aggregations – may actually be collaborations for coordinated feeding behavior, with individual whales taking turns making deep dives to “herd” bait balls of Humboldt squid higher in the water column so the other whales can feed. Such coordinated feeding behavior has not been observed among sperm whales, scientists say. Findings of the study, by researchers at Oregon State University and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur in Mexico, were announced today at the American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, Ore. Using new sophisticated tagging instrumentation, the researchers were able to track the movements and diving patterns of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of California between Mexico and the Baja Peninsula. Three of the tagged animals traveled in a social group and took turns diving for squid, according to Bruce Mate, director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State, and principal investigator on the study. “We expected their dives to be similar, but each time one of the three whales went deeper than the other two – suggestive of how sea lions coordinate their predation on bait balls of schooling fish,” Mate said. “In both cases, it appears that some animals need to dive deeply to prevent the prey from escaping downward. “It hasn’t been possible to gather these types of data from multiple whales at the same to learn about possible coordinated feeding – and it is quite different from the collaboration of other whales, like humpbacks, that conduct ‘bubble-net’ feeding,” Mate added. “There, the role of individual whales seems to be fixed from one dive to the next. We found the sperm whales appear to take turns making the deepest dive – perhaps as a way to share the physiologically demands of the task.” Sperm whales have been difficult to study in detail because they make deep dives and tags used to track their movements have been short-lived, or not accurate enough to adequately describe their dives. However new tags and a special tagging protocol, developed by Mate and Seattle-based Wildlife Computers, use ARGOS satellite transmitter components fitted with a GPS receiver and a time-depth recorder that allows the scientists to track the whales for up to 28 days. The tags, called Wildlife Computers’ Mark 10, are designed to detach and float to the surface, where they can be recovered and the data on dives can be downloaded and analyzed. The researchers found that the whales frequently would dive 800 meters deep and went as deep as 1,500 meters, sometimes exhibiting fast, zigzag patterns that likely reflect foraging on Humboldt squid, a year-round fishery, Mate said. Frequently, a different whale would make the deepest dive. “It’s a stressful role that is not unlike the lead swan or goose in a V-formation changing positions to share the physiologically demanding role,” Mate said. “It also explains why these social bonds form. Female bonds may still have a component that relates to thwarting the attention of sub-dominant males, or babysitting each other’s offspring. But that didn’t explain why males would bond for short periods of time.” Mate, a professor of fisheries and wildlife at OSU, is a pioneer in the use of satellites to track threatened and endangered whales and other marine mammal species. He directs the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore.
Suspicious vehicle
A Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Deputy, patrolling the Elkton area, came upon a suspicious vehicle parked at Bunch Bar Landing on Hwy. 38 Friday evening, about 7:20 p.m. According to a news release, the deputy contacted two male occupants and obtained their consent to search their 1994 Chevrolet Blazer. A large amount of property, including clothing, jewelry, stereo equipment, a computer and a small amount of methamphetamine were discovered. The property was traced to a residence burglarized on Siltcoos Station Road in Florence. Thirty-year old Kyle Alan Lowry, and 43-year old Kenneth Ray Simmons, both of Eugene, were arrested on charges of First Degree Burglary, First Degree Theft, Possession of Burglars Tools, Unlawful Possession of Meth, First Degree Criminal Mischief and Parole Violation. They were transported to the Douglas Co. Jail at Roseburg. The value of the stolen property was listed at over $3,000.
Burglaries
The Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office is turning to the public for leads following the discovery of two burglaries over the weekend in the northern end of the county. Over $7,000 in Stihl chainsaw bars, ten new chainsaws (Stihl & Husqvarna) and a Dell computer were taken from the Drain Saw Shop Friday night or Saturday morning. The other break-in occurred to a shipping container at a job site on Interstate 5 at the Elkhead Road Bridge. Around $3,000 in tools and generators were taken. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office in Roseburg at (541) 440-4471.
Vandalism
A large rock was reportedly found thrown through a cafeteria window at Millicoma Middle School on Second Avenue in Eastside. The report was made at 5:45 a.m., Monday morning, according to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log.
Problems
According to an entry on the Coquille Police log for Sunday, 8:26 p.m., Hwy. 42, Deli Mart, “out at location, possibly having problems with a patron.” Twenty-nine year old Larry Jenks arrested on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant charging Probation Violation. Transported to the Coos Co. Jail at Coquille.
Attack
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Sunday, 1:22 p.m., 100 block Norman Ave., a 22-year old female complained, “I just got attacked by my roommate in front of my child.” Forty-three year old Christine Robin Phillips cited for Assault IV.
Accident
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Sunday, 12:08 p.m., “Yellow Cab and another vehicle just involved in a head on collision on Sherman near Newmark. “Caller patched to North Bend Police.” According to an entry on the North Bend Police log for 12:10 p.m., Newmark/Tremont (Hwy. 101), traffic accident with injuries. A couple from California in a 2004 Toyota was transported to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay. The driver, 80-year old Larry A. Ramel was issued a citation for Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device. The driver of the other vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Caravan, was identified as 66-year old Gordon Weltzheimer, North Bend.
Marijuana
The smell of marijuana being smoked was allegedly seeping through the walls of an apartment and into the hallway. According to an entry on the North Bend Police log for Sunday, 11:50 p.m., an officer responded to the 700 block of Virginia Ave. and made contact with a 19-year old female.
Lost in dunes
According to an entry on the Coos Co. Sheriff’s log for Sunday, 8 p.m., Oregon Dunes, “husband lost/ran out of gas in the dunes. Built a small fire. He is 1.5 miles from beach, can see ocean. Also sees orange markers.” A deputy located the subject, 24-year old Justin Bernard, gave him a ride to Bull Run staging area and a friend responded to pick him up.
WX
Rain along the Oregon Coast today with highs in the mid 40s to mid 50s and breezy with winds out of the southeast at 5-10 mph, but increasing to 15-25 mph this afternoon. Rain tonight with lows in the mid 40s and still breezy with winds from the south at 15-25 mph, but decreasing to 10-15 after midnight. Rain showers on Wednesday.
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NBHS bxb
North Bend’s boys can clinch the 4A Far West League basketball title with a win over Siuslaw at home tonight. The girls are tied with Sutherlin for first place. The girl’s varsity game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the boy’s varsity game at 7:30 p.m.
Pirates bxb
Marshfield’s frosh boy’s basketball team went 2-0 during a season ending tournament at Willamette High School in Eugene on Saturday. The Pirates’ jayvee boy’s team went 1-1 according to varsity head coach Jesse Ainsworth. The varsity team won the 5A Midwestern League title this year and clinched a berth in the upcoming OSAA state playoffs. The Pirates will play North Eugene Friday in Coos Bay to determine the No. 1 & No. 2 seeds. The winner stays home on March 6th, while the loser travels to the Intermountain No. 2, either The Dalles or Pendleton on March 6th. The winners advance to the 5A OSAA State Tournament March 10-13 at McArthur Court in Eugene. On Sunday, Ainsworth took the team to watch the Portland Trailblazers play the Utah Jazz at the Rose Garden.
Pac-10 bb
Oregon State beat Hawaii in collegiate baseball Monday to finish a four-game trip to the Islands with a 3-1 record. The Beavers host Tennessee in the Pape’ Grand Slam beginning this Friday in Corvallis. Oregon beat Loyola Marymount 12-3 Monday to complete a season opening road trip to California with a 3-1 record. The Ducks fly to Hawaii this week for a four-game series beginning Thursday, Feb. 25th.
Blazers
The Portland Trailblazers play at the New Jersey Nets tonight in an NBA basketball game.
Alonso
A 19-year old redshirt freshman linebacker for the University of Oregon has been suspended from playing in the 2010 season following his arrest over the weekend for drunk driving. Duck coach Chip Kelly says Kiko Alonso will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out next year. Alonso was the fourth player involved in legal infractions this month.
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