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Convicted rapist, murderer to be re-sentenced for 1988 crime By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

A convicted rapist and murderer who was sentenced to death more than 30 years ago will be re-sentenced after a change in state law took the death sentence off the table. David Lynn Simonsen, who has been appealing his death sentence for more than 30 years, will be re-sentenced during a hearing at 3 p.m. June 13 in the Coos County Courthouse with Judge Martin Stone presiding. Simonsen and Jeffrey Ray Williams were convicted of the rape and murder

of two German citizens who were raped before being shot and killed in September 1988. At the time, state law allowed the death penalty as a sentencing option in the case of aggravated murder, which included the murder of two or more people in the same criminal episode. Both defendants were convicted of aggravated murder and were sentenced to death, due to the two women being killed in the same crime. Williams died of natural caused while in prison in 2020, while Simonsen was appealing his death sentence. While Simonsen was still on track to

face the death sentence, things began to change during the 2019 legislative session when the Legislature changed the definition of aggravated murder. The new definition set by state lawmakers did not include the killing of two or more people in the same criminal episode. Instead, such cases are now considered murder in the first degree, and defendants are not eligible for the death penalty. The language in state law made the law retroactive to any case that was sent back to the trial court for any reason. Late last year, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that since the Legislature changed the definition of aggravated mur-

der, the changes should apply to anyone currently facing the death penalty. When the state Supreme Court ruled, Simonsen had two appeals in process. He had a post-conviction relief petition pending in Marion County Circuit Court and a habeas corpus action pending in the U.S. District Court in Oregon. At the time, the federal case was put on hold due to the case in Marion County. Due the change in state law and the state Supreme Court’s ruling, Simonsen’s death penalty was vacated in May and a new sentencing hearing was scheduled. He will be re-sentenced June 13, with the maximum penalty now life in prison

Hospital to end behavioral health services By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

After two years of pandemic restrictions and difficulties in finding permanent employees, Bay Area Hospital announced last week it was being forced to make changes to stay financially sound. The hospital, which primarily serves Coos Bay and North Bend, announced it was going to stop using contract labor, primarily nurses that charge a rate significantly higher than regular personnel. As a result, the hospital said it was being forced to close its behavioral health services and many other parts of the hospital will be impacted. In a press release, the hospital said the financial strain was primary due to two aspects. First, government action on COVID-19 restricted surgical services for more than two years. Second, the inability to hire and keep full-time personnel forced

the hospital to hire temporary labor, or traveling nurses. Since September 2021, the hospital has spent $19 million on contract labor, with many charing rates twice as high as a year ago. The hospital announced it was canceling contract of all 56 of its temporary personnel, with the contracts ending within 14 to 30 days. The impact will be seen throughout the hospital, but behavioral health will be the biggest loser as the hospital is closing that service completely. That closure is expected by the end of June. “These changes will reduce the organization’s annual expenses and align our cost of operations with our budget,” the press release read. “Bay Area Hospital remains committed to serving this community’s healthcare needs and honoring the people that join the organization in that mission. We recognize that these Please see BAH Page A3

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Due to increasing costs for temporary employees, Bay Area Hospital announced it was being forced to close its behavioral health services within 30 days.

Grant will return neon sign to Liberty Theatre

Photos by David Rupkalvis/The World

North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke, center, announces the city received a Main Street grant to replace the neon blade sign at Liberty Theatre. Joining Engelke are Jeanne Woods, the Liberty Theatre Restoration Committee chair, and Aymee Pedder, the president of the Little Theatre board.

By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

In 2015, the leaders of the Little Theatre on the Bay had a tough decision to make. The Liberty Theatre, which houses Little Theatre on the Bay, was falling apart. So local officials had to decide whether to embark on an aggressive fundraising campaign to save the theater or to simply tear it down. The theater turned to the city of North Bend, which amended its Urban Renewal Agency District to include the theater, opening the door for needed funding to kick start the process

of saving the theater. Seven years later, the theater and the city of North Bend got together once again, this time to announce a grant that will pay for the final aspect of the upgrades that have completely changed the theater and set it up to be a mainstay in downtown North Bend for generations to come. Mayor Jessica Engelke announced the city’s Main Street Program had secured a $174,805 grant to replace the 24-foot neon blade sign at the Liberty Theatre. The neon sign lit up downtown North Bend before it was taken down, likely sometime in the ‘50s. The Little Theatre on the Bay

will provide a 30% match for the grant. “Theater has the power to bring people together, influence the way we think and feel, encourage personal reflection, and foster creativity and expression – all while making our lives better,” said Engelke. “The Liberty Theatre, home of the Little Theatre on the Bay, is integral to the fabric of North Bend. It is only right that we support our community theatre that adds so much value and culture to our community and region.” While making the announcement, Engelke was joined by Jeanne Woods, the Liberty Theatre Restoration Committee chair,

and Aymee Pedder, the president of the Little Theatre board. Woods said once the sign is complete, it will be a marker of downtown North Bend. “It will be flashing neon - L I B E R T Y - to highlight downtown,” Woods said. For the restoration work, the neon sign will be a significant moment. “This is very exciting,” Pedder said. “When we started the restoration project in 2015, the neon was always there as the crown jewel of the restoration.” Pedder said much of the restoration work has been completed over the last seven years, but there is still some to do. In ad-

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dition to renovating the theater, stage, lights and sound system, Little Theatre on the Bay added a 4,000-square-foot addition that is being used for practice, making sets and much more. An additional 4,000-squarefoot area upstairs is still being worked on. “The domes have been manufactured for the top of the building,” Woods said. “We are waiting on some rooftop repairs, and they will be installed sometime next month. This was phase 6 and the sign is phase 8.” Woods said announcing the grant with several members of Please see LIBERTY, Page A2

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