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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Brookings, Oregon

Boice takes oath, starts work at Legislature Resources, Agriculture, Land Use, Water, Housing and Homelessness. Boice told his colleagues that public service is a family legacy he is proud to continue. “I’m simply, but greatly humbled by this tremendous honor and responsibility,” he said. “Public service has deep roots in my family beginning with my grandfather Allen, who was historically the longest serving Curry County commissioner from 1930 to 1948. Also, my father Allen who was the famous sheriff from 1964-1975 and too, my first cousin Bev Clarno – who in1992 was chosen as the first ever Oregon woman representative to serve as speaker of the house.” Members of the House Republican Caucus welcomed Boice, saying they were ready to get to work. “I am excited to welcome State Representative Court Boice to the legislature and to the House Republican Caucus. I have full confidence that Representative Boice will serve his district well. I look forward to having his knowledge and experience in the building,” said House Republican Leader Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville).

BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The Pilot

Court Boice is officially representing House District 1 in the Oregon Legislature. Last week, Boice took the oath of office from Oregon Supreme Court Justice Roger DeHoog with his wife by his side. Boice was selected by county commissioners in Coos, Curry and Douglas counties to fill the seat vacated when David Brock Smith was appointed to the state Senate. Boice, who served six years as Curry County commissioners, then spoke to his new colleagues in the Oregon House of Representatives. “I’m here to be a servant leader and look forward to working with each and every one of you in the months and years ahead,” Boice said. “In my Coos, Curry and Douglas district - it’s a privilege to serve for the Timber Capital of the world, and where we can boast of the very best rivers, best fishing, best golfing and best cranberries all found anywhere. Please bring your families - come and visit us.” Boice will be serving on the House committees of Natural

Contributed photo

State Rep. Court Boice takes the oath of office from Oregon Supreme Court Justice Roger DeHoog during a swearing-in ceremony last week in Salem.

Crescent City dentist expands practice Gitlin named BY ROGER GITLIN The Pilot

James Standring, DDS, is expanding his practice in Crescent City. With the construction you might observe ongoing at his ofﬁce on Northcrest at Washington, one might think his dental practice has been interrupted or his practice has been sold to a new dentist. Quite the contrary. Dr. Standring has built a second story which will house new state-ofthe-art technology equipment and add additional needed storage space. Two new exam rooms will complement the existing four rooms, plus a lab will be up and ready during this

Dr. James Standring is expanding his dental practice in Crescent City to meet a growing need in the region.

hectic construction period. Dr. Standring will be increasing his square footage 25 percent. Standring expects to have all construction completed by June. An announcement stating water damage has curtailed patient access is not correct. The dentist opened his practice on 9th Street in 1987 under Dr. Aubell. Within three years, Standring stood alone. In the year 2000, Standring moved to his current Northcrest Drive location. As the dental profession has evolved, so has Standring. One bit of advice - be patient. His backup for appointments may be as long as three months. Standring is accepting new patients and can be reached at (707) 341-7866

Photos by Roger Gitlin/The Triplicate

Upper respiratory cases continue to fall BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The Pilot

The upper respiratory surge that plagued Oregon late last year is lifting, and the state is continuing to wind down from the threeyear COVID pandemic. That's the message Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer and state epidemiologist, reported Thursday while briefing the media. "We are now well into the new year with spring rapidly approaching, and I'm happy to report there's reasons for optimism in the months ahead," Sidelinger said. "Overall, respiratory viruses and hospitalizations in Oregon have decreased significantly and influenza and RSV spread continues to decrease." Sidelinger said the Oregon Health Authority is keeping a watch on a recent uptick in COVID-19 activity as the newest COVID sub-variant moves through Oregon. But even as cases have increased, Sidelinger said it has not shown up in hospitals. Speaking of hospitals, Sidelinger said the state is looking at the possibility of lifting the mask requirement in healthcare facilities. "When we decided to lift the mask

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requirement for indoor public settings, we kept in place the mask requirements for healthcare settings," Sidelinger said. "Members of our healthcare workforce have been on the front lines throughout this COVID pandemic. We recognize we are entering yet another sustainable phase of the pandemic. Even as we monitor increases in COVID-19 and inﬂuenza B activity in the coming week, overall hospitalizations are expected to continue trending downwards, and 86.6% of people over the age of 18 in Oregon have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. "If these trends continue, we expect to be able to safely lift the healthcare masking requirement over the coming months. Any change to the healthcare masking requirements must be made carefully. As we move forward through this new phase of the pandemic, please know we are reviewing all phases of our response." Sidelinger said RSV cases have dropped since late November when 25% of tested patients showed positive results. Last week, that number was 5.2%. Flu cases have been changing as inﬂuenza

associate editor of Pilot From Staff Reports

Country Media recently announced the appointment of Roger Gitlin as associate editor of The Del Norte Triplicate and the Curry County Pilot. Gitlin is a retired 1st district two-term supervisor for Del Norte County. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism from California State University Northridge and graduate work in mass communications from California State University Fresno. He has served as a freelance reporter for the Triplicate for the last few months. “Roger has a deep love for these communities and is very active in all aspects of life in Crescent City and Brookings” said David Thornberry, Triplicate and Pilot Publisher. “We are excited to have feet back on the ground as we continue to expand our news coverage.” Gitlin spent 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks and Lakers as the public address announcer. He and his wife Angela moved to Crescent City in 2009. Gitlin can be reached at TriplicateNews@countrymedia.net or the Triplicate ofﬁce at 707-460-6723.

A cases have dropped dramatically while influenza B has seen an increase. "It's not too late to get a flu shot as influenza B tends to cause more severe cases, primarily in young children," Sidelinger said. Sidelinger said models predict hospitalizations for upper respiratory infections forecast a lower demand, but hospitals are still seeing big numbers. "Overall, hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses have declined dramatically since early December," Sidelinger said. "Our hospitals remain at or near capacity as large numbers of people continue seeking care for all types of medical issues." Overall, Sidelinger said, the risk is not fully over but there are a lot of promising signs. "As conditions continue to improve in Oregon, and as Oregon and the rest of the country finally begin the formal wind down of the pandemic, we are seeing more positive changes that speak to the normalization and management of COVID 19 in our lives," he said.

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Ave, Ste 7, Brookings, 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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