SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946 www.currypilot.com
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
Brookings, Oregon
Omicron leads to COVID surge in Curry County By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Pilot
As Omicron surges across Oregon, the impact is being felt in almost every county in the state. On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority reported an as-
tounding 28,307 new cases. That included 121 new cases in Curry County, one of the highest if not the highest one-day totals since the pandemic began. The OHA report was for four days, as the state holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday
delayed most reporting by a day. Despite the massive increase in cases, the lighter symptoms from Omicron were also seen with just 10 new deaths reported. After a relatively strong start to the year, with new cases in the low single digits in Curry County
for the first three days of 2022, the impact of the more contagious Omicron variant quickly began to add to the case count. In the last week, Curry County has reported 229 new cases of the virus. Since the beginning of the
pandemic, Curry County has reported 2,490 positive cases with 20 deaths associated to those who contracted the virus. With just over 23,000 people in the county, more than 10 percent More COVID, Page A2
Tsunami threat passes with little impact Secretary
of State releases OSP audit By JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media
Photo by David Rupkalvis/The Pilot
An underground earthquake in Tonga caused a tsunami warning in California and Oregon, more than 5,000 miles away. While the tsunami waves caused little damage, they did lead to large waves in the Pacific Ocean along the coast.
Serves as a warning of danger lurking along coast By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Pilot
An underground volcano that erupted near Tonga caused concern along the Oregon and California coasts Saturday morning. The volcanic eruption Friday night caused significant damage from tsunamis and ash in Tonga,
but it sent waves more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Around 7 a.m., notices from the Coos County Sheriff's Office, Curry County Sheriff's Office and the National Weather Service warned of tsunamis along the Pacific Northwest. The waves were expected to reach Northern California shortly
after 7 a.m., parts of Curry County by 7:30 and the Charleston and Bandon areas in Coos County shortly after 8 a.m. The warnings urged those in low-lying areas near the coast to be cautious an to evacuate to higher grounds. When the waves did arrive, the impact was minimal with waves
rising less than three feet. But the impact in the ocean could be seen for hours as massive waves could be seen up and down the coast. In Charleston, waves crashing into rocks sent plumes of water soaring 50 feet or more into the More TSUNAMI, Page A2
The Pilot file photo
Congressman Peter DeFazio will not run for re-election in the Fourth Congressional District. The Democrat congressman recently endorsed Val Hoyle.
Field vying for DeFazio's seat takes shape
By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Pilot
The field vying for Congressman Peter DeFazio's congressional seat is beginning to take shape. After DeFazio announced he
would not be seeking another term, many expected a freefor-all as numerous candidates announced. But to date just six had and last week one got a big boost. As of Tuesday, four Democrats have announced they are
running. Val Hoyle, the Oregon commissioner of labor and industries, announced she was running the same day DeFazio announced he would not seek re-election. Hoyle is a former Democratic member of the Oregon House
of Representatives, representing District 14 from 2009 to 2017. She ran for secretary of state, losing in the Democrat primary, before winning election as labor commissioner in 2018.
Looking back at top stories of 2021 2022 Curry County calendar released AT CURRYPILOT.COM
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More FIELD, Page A2
More comprehensive data analytics could help the Oregon State Police Patrol Services Division better project future staffing needs, deploy current resources and project overtime needs, according to a just-released OSP audit by Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division focused on whether OSP’s workforce planning efforts adequately consider public needs and trooper safety. The audit contains four recommendations to the OSP to improve the law enforcement agency's ability to identify staffing needs when developing future budgets, ensure consistent and efficient deployment of trooper resources, and better project overtime needs for budget requests. “OSP’s presence on state highways is vital to the safety of motorists and their passengers,” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said. “Better information and a more comprehensive approach could help build trust with Oregonians and improve public safety.” OSP currently analyzes existing data to determine the impact its troopers can have on public safety but uses a method that primarily focuses on population — which experts say is one of the least effective methods. Auditors identified a more comprehensive approach considering OSP’s workload allowing the agency to identify actual staffing needs when developing future budgets and better leverage existing troopers. The Audits Division also recommends OSP account for the changing law enforcement environment within its staffing strategy and methodology including assessing whether all current duties are aligned with the evolving nature of state policing public policy. Audit Recommendations To improve trooper staffing analyses, promote public safety, and make the best use of budgeted resources, OSP should: 1. Use available time-based data to analyze the Patrol Services Division’s workload and include the results when presenting budget requests to the Legislature. 2. Continue working with the Legislature to appropriately fund administrative support positions and fill vacant trooper positions. 3. Create a standardized methodology and process for conducting workload analyses at the area level, train the More AUDIT, Page A2
INDEX Crossword.................................... A10 Classifieds............................... A5 Crossword Answers................. A6
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