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First case of monkeypox virus conﬁrmed in Coos County BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

Monkeypox has arrived in Coos County. Coos Health and Wellness reported the first confirmed case of hPMXV was confirmed in the county last week. Dr. Eric Gleason, assistant director at Coos Health and Wellness, said the individual with the virus has been working with Coos Health and Wellness to identify any others who might be at risk. Monkeypox is a virus is the same family of viruses as smallpox. While it can be sexually transmitted, it is not an STD and is passed by close, skin-to-skin

contact with someone who has the virus. In Oregon, there have been more than 70 confirmed cases since the virus was first found in June. Gleason said the goal right now is to find out as much information as possible to make sure hPMXV does not begin to spread. “We are in contact tracing with the individual to ensure we can get a full picture of what might have happened,” Gleason said. “We’re still doing the investigation at this point.” Gleason said due to medical privacy laws, no detailed information about the case could be released. According to Gleason, symptoms

of hPMXV can include: • Fever • Headache • Muscle aches and backache • Swollen lymph nodes • Chills • Exhaustion • Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough) • A rash that may be located on or near the genitals or anus but could also be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth. - The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. - The rash can look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

You may experience all or only a few symptoms. • Sometimes, people get a rash ﬁrst, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash. • Most people with monkeypox will get a rash. • Some people have developed a rash before (or without) other symptoms. The good news is monkeypox is rarely deadly and passes naturally over time. Even better, there is an effective vaccine available that prevents the virus, but there are limited doses right now. “We are going to be receiving a very small amount,” Gleason

Community corrections trying to hunt down 300 absconders BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The World

More than 300 convicted offenders are walking free today, but their freedom could be shortlived. That’s the message Michael Crim, the director of Coos County Community Corrections, wants to share with those who have stopped checking in with the parole or probation officers. Crim leads the parole and probation department and has worked in the department for 29 years. He said his team of 10 Please see MONKEYPOX, Page A3 officers has 463 active people it works with and more than 300 who now have arrest warrants after “absconding.” While keeping up with 463 active cases is not easy, Crim said locating those with warrants is always a priority. “They quit checking in, they disappeared,” Crim said. “They absconded, which is the word we use. We try to track them down.” In the Community Corrections Department, the staff supervises all probation and parole cases in Coos County. They also work to provide treatment, drug testing, work crews, behavioral health, housing and more. “We really try to get people on the right track,” Crim said. “Right now, we supervise, active supervision, 463 cases. That does not include the 300 people we have warrants for.” Crim said he was surprised to recently learn the state of Oregon has the highest level of people D, Page A2 leaving supervision in the nation. When someone quits checking in, an arrest warrant is issued, but most are only enforced if the person is found in the state. “If they were to leave the state, there’s nothing we can do,” Crim said. Occasionally, Crim said, he Contributed photo will get a call from someone Coos County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputy Cena keeps a close eye as North Bend police attempt to rescue a man who got stuck in the ductwork when trying to break into the Lucky who left the state, asking that Star Restaurant. the warrant be removed. In those cases, Crim tells the caller the only way to get rid of the warrant is to come back and finish their expecting was grease built up in K-9 officer Cena responded to as the man was being removed, supervision. BY DAVID RUPKALVIS the ventilation system due to the the scene, cleared the interior of just in case he tried to run from “There’s certain government The World services they can’t get with an kind of cooking the restaurant the restaurant and helped officers officers. A would-be thief was stopped active warrant. There’s certain does. So when the man climbed find the man stuck in the fryer When he was removed, the short when he got stuck in the jobs as well,” Crim said. into the ventilation system under vent ductwork. While Cena was man was dehydrated, but othventilation system at a North He said when an offender quits the cover of darkness, likely clearing the restaurant, officers erwise uninjured and was taken Bend restaurant. checking in, the parole officers early Friday morning, he slipped heard noises in the ductwork and into custody. The Coos County Sheriff’s will quickly begin trying to track realized the man was stuck near Some reports say the same Office and North Bend police re- on the grease and got stuck. them down. When employees at the restau- the roof. man previously broke into anothported a man attempted to break “We try to track them down rant arrived Friday morning, they The North Bend Fire Departer Coos Bay business earlier in into the Lucky Star Restaurant with the last-known address, their noticed the ladder and called poment was called to the scene, the week by accessing the ventiby climbing onto the roof and associates,” Crim said. “We will where they helped extract the lation system. He was arrested in look through their file and try to entering the ventilation system of lice. Police called in the sheriff’s office K-9 unit after an initial man from the fryer vent. that case and released after being get any information we can to the restaurant. But one thing the man wasn’t look found no one inside. Cena was taken onto the roof taken to the county jail. contact that person.” If found, the person can be arrested, but often they are asked to return to supervision, instead. “Maybe jail isn’t the response The good news is the new variants seem tions have stayed down, even as the numbers all the time. Jail is a very finite BY DAVID RUPKALVIS to be less dangerous than earlier versions of have stayed high, is vaccines, boosters and response,” Crim said. “Our goal The World COVID, but the variants are highly connatural immunity is getting to the points it’s it go them back on supervision, Mow much risk is acceptable risk? That’s tagious. As of Thursday, only two people less deadly,’ Gleason said. get them redirected. Our goal is the questions most Coos County residents were hospitalized with COVID at Bay Area Less deadly is definitely good news, but to reform them. We’re half police have to ask every day as COVID-19 continHospital. every day new sicknesses are being reported. officer, half counselor. We wear ues to impact people at near-record levels. “Some data is suggesting with the new Recently, President Joe Biden tested positive two hats. We enforce and counsel, sometimes at the same time.” Dr. Eric Gleason, assistant director of variants, you could get COVID once a two times in a two-week period. Crim said the parole officers Coos Health and Wellness, said while official month,” Gleason said. “We are at a point here the cases are as bad treat each case differently decounts are unavailable, there is evidence After most COVID were lifted, the maas they ever were, and we are accepting that pending on the violation and the COVID cases are continuing to rage in Coos jority of residents have chosen to live like as a risk in society,” Gleason said. risk to the community. RegardCounty. COVID is over. Gleason said that choice is With school starting next month, Gleason less of the risk, the goal is to help “We’re seeing variants that are continufine, as long as they understand the risk. said the close proximity of students could ing to become more and more contagious,” “This isn’t going away any time soon,” lead to another spike in cases, but he does not the person change their ways. “Every case is different,” he Gleason said. “We’re seeing cases ripping Gleason said. “It is not going away, and we expect any local districts to implement any said. “They all have their assets through. They’re not necessarily being are still losing people.” new mandates. and liabilities. We try to build reported. That’s why it’s important to re“I’m concerned,” he said. “It could still wipe COVID-linked deaths are still being reup their assets and limit their member, if you have any symptoms at all, out classrooms. I think the schools will have to ported, Gleason said, but the newer variants don’t go to work. It can really devastate a figure out how to manage it. They did a good seem to be less dangerous. Why is that? Please see CORRECTIONS, Page A3 business.” “The reason the deaths and the hospitaliza- job last year, but it is more contagious now.”

Man arrested after getting stuck in ductwork

Suspect was trying to rob restaurant when he got stuck

COVID cases remain high, but risk is trending down

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