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More strain could be coming to healthcare system By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
A healthcare system that is already struggling due to COVID-19 and understaffing could take another hit soon due to a state mandate that requires all employees in the healthcare industry to be fully vaccinated
against COVID. The mandate issued by Gov. Kate Brown requires anyone who works in the healthcare industry to be fully vaccinated by October 18. To meet the deadline, employees would have had to already begun the Moderna and Pfizer series of vaccines. They could also get the Johnson and
Johnson vaccine, which is only one shot, by October 4. Dr. Eric Gleason, assistant director of Coos Health and Wellness, said local healthcare employees will lose their jobs due to the mandate. The exact number is not known, but as the deadline approaches, Gleason admits he’s worried.
“I don’t know how it wouldn’t be a concern,” Gleason said. “October 18 is the deadline to prove you are vaccinated. That impacts us just like it does any other clinic. The healthcare system is already crumbling.” Gleason said as of last Wednesday, 23 COVID patients were hospitalized in Coos County, putting an
enormous strain on the healthcare industry. Losing more nurses and staff could be devastating. “That’s concerning,” he said. “That means more deaths, that means more people are not going to get the care they need. It’s another darn reason to get the vaccine. Please see HEALTHCARE, Page A3
Unlawful cars could be towed under CB ordinance By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
Photos by David Rupkalvis/The World
Zinzi Konig, a nursing instructor at SWOCC, protests to give teachers the option to choose whether to teach in person.
SWOCC professors protest in-person mandate By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
As students began to arrive at Southwestern Oregon Community College on Friday, they were
met with an unexpected sight professors protesting. Just days before classes were scheduled to begin Monday, teachers from SWOCC were protesting a rule requiring all teachers to
teach on campus. Due to rising COVID cases, the American Federation of Teachers union at SWOCC was asking for the right to let teachers decide if they wanted to teach in person or online.
Mike Springer, the vice president of the faculty union, was leading the small protest Thursday, despite saying he intended to teach in-person. Please see SWOCC, Page A11
Photo by David Rupkalvis/The World
A mural being painted on the Star of Hope building in Empire will be partially funded by the Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency after the agency voted to give a $6,000 grant to support the project.
URA votes to support Empire mural By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
The Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency voted unanimously to offer financial support for
a mural being painted in the Empire District. The URA, which is made up of the city council, voted to give $6,000 to the Community Coalition of Empire and Star of Hope to
support the mural, which is being painted as an effort to revitalize the downtown Empire District. Joanne Moss with Community Coalition of Empire asked the agency for a grant to help fund
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the project. She said time is of the essence in order to get the mural finished. “It rains a little bit here, so we
Having an unregistered vehicle in Coos Bay could lead to the car being impounded after the Coos Bay City Council approved an updated towing ordinance last week. The move to update the ordinance was an effort to strengthen the camping ordinance the council recently passed. That ordinance, which limits camping in residential areas, went into effect at the end of August. One element of the ordinance is banning people from camping in vehicles in residential areas. That ordinance also bans camping in vehicles in one location for more than 72 hours. Police Chief Chris Chapanar said his department has begun enforcing the camping ordinance, but he said the towing ordinance needed to be updated to ensure law enforcement can remove vehicles that are not legal. “This will tie in with that,” Mayor Joe Benetti said. “It’s something we need to do.” The biggest change in the ordinance is adding the term unlawful vehicle to those that can be towed. Previously, only abandoned vehicles could be removed. According to the ordinance, any vehicle that does not have a current license plate, registration sticker and insurance can be towed away. Before a vehicle is towed, the registered owner will be given five days to bring the vehicle into compliance. Other vehicles that can be towed according to the ordinance are ones that are inoperative or disabled, wrecked, partially dismantled or junk and parked on city streets. Vehicles police believe are abandoned can also be removed. The ordinance also outlines that legal vehicle cannot be parked or left on public property for more than 72 hours. If a vehicle is removed, police will inventory everything inside and will have it stored for up to 30 days. The ordinance outlines that if a vehicle is being used as a place of occupancy when it is towed, the owners can remove personal property from the vehicle with proof of ownership or police permission.
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