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2022 Coos County Fair & Rodeo

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CLOUDY 55 • 44

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July 26-30, 2022

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2022

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Officers justified in shooting that killed man BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

Two Coos County law enforcement officials who shot and killed a Coos Bay man identified as a murder suspect were justified in discharging their weapons, District Attorney Paul Frasier said Wednesday. Frasier said the Oregon State Police spent close to a month reviewing the case, which includes

interviewing the six officers at the Global Inn, when the shooting took place June 14. During the incident, police were trying to arrest Matthew Tyler Michel, 37, on a felony warrant and also wanted to ask him questions about the murder of Amber Townsend. Townsend was found shot and killed on Cape Arago Highway on June 11, and police had identified Michel as a suspect in the case. Frasier said once they learned

Michel’s name, they searched into his records and learned he had a criminal record and was on felony probation. When his probation officer was contacted, police learned a warrant had been issued for Michel’s arrest. Michel was known to be homeless and had no known address, so Coos Bay police drove through parking lots of hotels on Highway 101, looking for a vehicle identified as linked to the Townsend

murder. When police found the vehicle at the Global Inn, they talked to the manager, who said Michel had been staying there, in different rooms, for about a month. Frasier said that’s when officers came up with a plan to try to get Michel out of his room. Six officers, three from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office and three from the Coos Bay Police Department, went to the hotel.

The plan was to have Detective Aaron Whittenburg with the sheriff’s office go to the door because he was in plain clothes. Sgt. Dan Henthorne with the Coos Bay Police was standing about six feet away in case something went wrong and Sgt. Sean Sanborn, with the sheriff’s office, another few feet behind. Deputy Jonathan Boswell and Coos Bay officers Det. Ken Labrousse and Bobbie Collier were Please see SHOOTING Page A11

Old-fashioned police work ties Michel to Townsend murder BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

The Amber Townsend murder case remains open, for now, but District Attorney Paul Frasier said the only suspect in the incident is Matthew Tyler Michel, who was killed by police June 14. Townsend was found murdered three days earlier, when she was shot while walking down Cape Arago Highway. At the time of the incident, Frasier said police had no suspect and asked the public to provide any video they might have taken on Cape Arago Highway that Saturday morning. Linking Michel to the case was the result of what Frasier called, “old-fashioned police work, shoe leather.” Frasier explained after officers found Townsend’s body, they quickly came to the conclusion she was shot by a shotgun and very likely from inside a vehicle. Frasier said the evidence of the scene indicated a shotgun shooting slugs was used because police found wadding related to shotgun. Since there were no pellets around the area or in Townsend, officers determined slugs were used. Frasier said the absence of spent shells were found, they believed Please see MURDER Page A11

Video still

Matthew Tyler Michel is seen in this body cam video still as he grabs a knife and turns toward officers in his hotel room seconds before he was shot by two Coos County officers.

COVID steadies, Children take their turn making public art remains high Partnership leads across Oregon to art project in downtown Coos Bay

BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

COVID-19 may be a distant memory to many, but in Oregon it remains a danger. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 21 counties in the state are in the high-transmission level as the Omicron subvariant BA5 becomes the dominant variant in the state. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, hosted a press briefing Wednesday. He said case counts have leveled to around 1,400 confirmed cases a day, while test positivity rates have climbed to 13.9%. “We know our reported cases are not capturing the full picture because many people are taking at-home tests and not reporting the results and many others are not testing,” Sidelinger said. “Data in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest region indicates there are high levels of transmissions. On July 19, the CDC indicated 21 counties in Oregon are at the CDC high transmission level, indicating high levels of COVID-19 and increased stress on hospitals.” Sidelinger said the Omicron subvariants BA4 and BA5 account for almost all the transmission in the state, with BA5 becoming the dominant strain While testing is not accurately tracking COVID due to a lack of reporting, Sidelinger said OHA is continuing to work with OHSU to do wastewater sampling across the state to get a better picture of COVID in Oregon. “OHA monitors the spread of the virus from samplings collected through the sewage systems,” Sidelinger said. “Wastewater monitoring shows high levels of COVID-19 in our communities statewide.” Please see COVID Page A11

BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

Dozens of children took a break from the summer fun to make art that will add to an influx of public art in the community. The children came to Coos Head Food Co-Op on Thursday to participate in a project coordinated by the co-op and the Coos Watershed Association. The young artists painted different animals in the Coos watershed and the paintings will be permanently displayed on the fence near the co-op. Jamar Ruff, community organizer with the co-op, said mixing art with education was the goal Thursday. “We were looking at where we wanted and how to have some art and make it educational as well,” he said as he helped supervise the event. We were inspired by the school in Elkton, where they have fish painted by the students.” Ruff said he decided to partner with the watershed association, and the idea took off from there. “It’s happening today, and we’ve had all the kids,” he said. By 2 p.m., midway through the event, Ruff estimated 50 children had come out to paint at the event. Alexa Carlton, outreach and marketing manager with the watershed association, was thrilled to see the turnout. “We really love the idea of getting a bunch of Coos Watershed creatures up as artwork,” she said. “Every piece was chosen because it is something living in our watershed.” Please see ART Page A3

Photo by David Rupkalvis/The World

Lily Hall, front, paints a salmon as other children create art during the kids painting event at Coos Head Food Co-op.

2022 Coos County Fair & Rodeo INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAIR STARTING ON PAGE 13! THE WORLD • Serving Oregon’s South Coast since 1878 • A Country Media Newspaper • Copyright 2022

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