WEEKEND EDITION
Friday January 24, 2020
www.currypilot.com
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Brookings, Oregon
Oregon’s jobless rate drops in December
Old school
O
regon’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in December, the lowest on comparable records dating back to 1976. The November unemployment rate was 3.9 percent. “The latest estimates suggest there are fewer unemployed Oregonians now than at any point since 1976 when comparable records begin. That’s especially striking considering Oregon’s labor force is twice as large as it was 44 years ago,” said Nick Beleiciks, Systems and Economic Analysis manager at the Oregon Employment Department. In December, many of Oregon’s workforce metrics set records, indicating an increasingly tight labor market. The number of people who were unemployed for less than half a year dropped to the lowest level in at least 18 years. The number of people who were unemployed due to a layoff also dropped to the lowest level in the past two decades. The broadest measure of labor underutilization, called “U-6”, came in at the lowest on records dating back nearly two decades. This measure includes the unemployed, plus those who want a full-time job but who were working part-time due to the economy. Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 800 jobs in December, following a gain of 3,800 jobs, as revised, in November. December gains were strongest in leisure and hospitality (up 2,000 jobs). Also, several industries added between 300 and 500 jobs. Meanwhile, two industries declined by more than 500 jobs: health care and social assistance (down 900 jobs) and professional and business services (down 1,600 jobs). Oregon’s over-the-year job growth of 1.4 percent equaled the U.S. job growth of 1.4 percent. Most of Oregon’s major industries expanded by between 1 percent and 3 percent since December 2018. The fastest-growing industries in the past 12 months were private educational services (up 1,300 jobs, or 3.6%) and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (up 2,100 jobs, or 3.0%). In that time only two industries cut jobs: retail trade (down 700 jobs, or down 0.3%) and mining and logging (down 300 jobs, or down 4.2%).
(Top) In addition to hunter education, Jock Headlee is also a certified ODFW Angler Education Instructor. Here, he shows off a wild chinook salmon at the mouth of the Rogue River. Photo courtesy of ODFW. (Bottom) Jock Headlee shot this buck in a 2018 Del Rio, Texas hunt. Photo courtesy of Jock Headlee.
Teaching hunter
education with traditional values J
Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
ock Headlee of Gold Beach has been volunteering as a Hunter Education Instructor for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife since 1997, donating hundreds of hours of his time. He was recently recognized with a Platinum Award by ODFW for his 22 years of service to the program. He has taught hundreds of young Oregonians responsible and safe firearm handling, hunter ethics and knowledge about Oregon’s game species,” Michelle Dennehy, Oregon
Fish and Wildlife state communications coordinator said. “Jock also donates his time to teach people fishing as an ODFW Angler Education Instructor.” Headlee grew up on a cattle ranch in Alamosa, Colorado until his grandfather sold the ranch. Headlee left home at the age of 14 and traveled around the country for several years before he ended up in Gold Beach in 1961, where he worked for five years in the timber industry. After the timber industry slowdown, he went to work in the grocery industry. Later he owned a
Country Media adds coastal papers to group few businesses but fell into his dream job in 1996 when he got a job with ODFW transplanting elk and turkey and doing fish surveys. He also worked for the Elk River More Values on Page A3
City completes Mill Beach Access work Brian Williams Editor
The City of Brookings Mill Beach Access is paved and has restrooms, picnic tables and trash cans. Photos by Brian Williams.
Index
Classifieds.................A7-10 Crosswords...............A4 Calendar....................A11 Comics......................A4 Art Scene..................A11-12
Weather HIGH LOW
Thurs 54 48
Past four days
Wed 51 46
Tues 52 45
Mon 56 45
5-day forecast, tides and complete weather: Page A
Mill Beach Access has received plenty of positive attention from the City of Brookings over the past couple of months. The restroom there has been reopened, the entire area was cleaned up and the City’s camera system received an update, according to Jay Trost, City of Brookings Deputy Director of Public Works and Development Services. “There has been a fair amount of damage in the past few years,” Trost said of the access area. “Damage to pumps, damage to infrastructure, things of that nature. And so we’ve had to close the restrooms on several occasions for major fixes.”
Tides LOW HIGH LOW HIGH
Call us 541-813-1717
The area is considered a “hidden gem” in the City and gives visitors access to Mill Beach and a panoramic view of Macklyn Cove. There is an upper and a lower paved area for day-use parking with a restroom and two solid tables. The City of Brookings is responsible for the upkeep of the access area for Mill Beach and the staff was directed by City Council to make necessary repairs and system upgrades. “In an effort to try to keep that area safe and secure for the public the City Council gave us direction to basically do everything that we possibly can to make sure that we
Staff Report
C
ountry Media Inc., which bought the Del Norte Triplicate and Curry Coastal Pilot last July, has reached an agreement to acquire the daily newspaper in Coos Bay, as well as the weekly newspapers in Bandon and Reedsport. Country Media president Steve Hungerford said the transaction will close Jan. 31. The World in Coos Bay, the Western World in Bandon and the Umpqua Post in Reedsport are being sold to Country Media by Southwest Oregon Publishing Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lee Enterprises Inc., which has owned the Coos Bay newspaper since 2005. Lee is a publicly-traded media company headquartered in Davenport, Iowa that also owns Oregon dailies in Corvallis and Albany. Country Media is a 20-year-old Oregon family-owned company with its central office in Salem. It bought the twice-weekly newspapers in Crescent City and Brookings seven months ago from Western Communications Inc. in Bend. More Publications on Page A3
More City on Page A3
Sat Fri Sun 4:54 AM 5:37 AM 6:19 AM 10:41 AM 11:22 AM 12:01 AM 5:50 PM 6:26 PM 7:00 PM (SA) 12:29 AM (SU)1:04 PM (MO) 1:37 AM
Fax 541-813-1931
Reaches deal to purchase Coos Bay newspaper
Sunrise/Sunset RISE SET
Fri 7:36 5:22
Sat 7:35 5:23
Online www.currypilot.com
Sun 7:34 5:24
Mon 7:34 5:25
$1.50