SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946 www.currypilot.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022
Brookings, Oregon
St. Timothy’s moves COVID clinic Walk-in testing is offered Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays St. Timothy Episcopal and Saturdays from noon to 3 Church’s community COVID-19 p.m. Vaccinations are adminisclinic opened its doors at a new tered on Saturdays from noon to location on Monday, March 14. 3 p.m. on a walk-in basis. No apTesting and vaccination services pointment is necessary either for are now available at 648 Chetco testing or vaccines. The services Avenue in Brookings in the Coast are provided to the community at Community Health building no charge. across from the Redwood Theatre The clinic schedule may (in the Rush building). change to adapt to community Testing and vaccine services need, and the public is welcome are no longer located at the to listen to the church voicemail church. recording for the latest schedule, The clinic, operated in collab- or check the poster displayed in oration with Coast Community the clinic window along the sideHealth, is accessible from the walk at the street-level entrance. sidewalk fronting Chetco Avenue. St. Timothy Episcopal Church’s Parking is available on both sides telephone number is (541) 469of the building. 3314. From Staff Reports
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Fr. Bernie Lindley and outreach clinic staff Chris Burton welcome people desiring COVID-19 tests on opening day at the new location.
Merkley: Federal spending bill will benefit Oregon By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
Millions of dollars will soon be headed to Oregon as Congress closes in on passing an omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through September. Sen. Jeff Merkley discussed the spending bill during a conference call with media Thursday, saying the bill will help communities throughout the state. "We continue to fund the government," he said. "We now have the spending bill. This takes us from continuing the Trump budgets to transitioning to the first Biden budgets." Merkley said one thing he was excited about was a new element called Community Initiative Projects. The CIPs basically replaced earmarks and are a way for lawmakers to fund projects in their home states and districts. "I've had the privilege of traveling throughout the state, gathering information about what people care about," Merkley said. "Both in terms of the normal spending and a new category, community initiative projects." Merkley said one percent of funding was set aside in many categories for the CIPs, and lawmakers can get them secured for their states. "We were able to secure about 140 projects through the Senate bill which has survived into the omnibus," Merkley said. "There's a whole lot of community projects in this bill." Merkley focused on four key areas when discussing the omnibus bill - drought, forest health and firefighting, economic issues and housing. For drought, Merkley said the budget has tens of millions of dollars set aside to deal with drought nationwide, much of it in western states. "We've been suffering from year after year of drought," the senator said. "This is a very
big deal having secured money to address that issue." When it comes to forest health and fire issues, Oregon is one state that needs a lot of help, Merkley said. "People are very aware of the longer, intense fire season," he said. "I'll never forget driving 600 miles and never getting out the smoke and seeing the remains of the towns that have been burned." One area Merkley said he was excited about was the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program that brings all agencies together to help forests. Merkley said funding for the program was doubled in this budget. "The bill provides a lot of funding for wildfire suppression, about $3.8 billion," Merkley said. It also increases funding for firefighter pay, setting a minimum pay of $15 an hour. The spending bill also increases funding for the removal of hazardous fuels, with the combined efforts of the spending bill and the recent infrastructure bill topping $1 billion. "That was a huge change for how much support there is for this challenge of forest management," Merkley said. In the economic area, Merkley highlighted funding for a wood innovation grant. The grant will accelerate a program between Oregon State and the University of Oregon to study mass timber, with the goal of building large structures out of wood rather than concrete and steel. Merkley said the move is beneficial to the environment and could be great for Oregon. The senator also highlighted funding for dredging and harbor maintenance throughout the state.
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Sen. Jeff Merkley talks to constituents in a town hall in Coos County. Merkley said the omnibus spending bill that is expected to be approved in Congress will bring millions of dollars back to Oregon.
"I really pushed the idea of small ports because we have so many smaller ports that have to be dredged regularly," he said. "This funding was not included in the president's budget, but I fought to restore it to the budget." Merkley said the omnibus bill went to the House, which split it into two parts. The biggest was the government funding, while a smaller portion dedicated to preparing for the next COVID wave was split into a separate bill. The spending element was passed by the House Wednesday, and Merkley said the Senate would vote on it within several days. "We may get this bill passed today or we might not," Merkley said Thursday. "Then next week, we will complete work and then More Merkley, Page A9
Soaring pump prices, no end in sight By JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media
From the coast to the metro areas and into Central and Eastern Oregon, we are paying record high prices for gasoline, according to the Oregon/Idaho American Automobile Association (AAA). A quick price survey finds unleaded regular at $4.89 for the high in Tillamook and Coos Bay, $4.49 in Lincoln City and $4.39 a gallon in Newport as of March 9. Russia’s unprovoked and violent invasion of Ukraine has sent crude oil prices skyrocketing above $120 per barrel (bbl), the highest price since July 2008, according to the Oregon/Idaho AAA. The soaring oil prices have sent gas prices to new record highs, breaking records set in 2008. All 50 states are seeing dramatic increases in gas prices. For the week, the national average for regular jumps 54 cents to $4.17 a gallon. The Oregon average shoots up 55 cents to $4.59. These prices eclipse the old record highs set in 2008 when the national average peaked at $4.11
The average price in Oregon reached $4.59 for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline on March 8. on July 17, and the Oregon average peaked at $4.29 on July 3. President Biden on Tuesday, March 8, announced a U.S. ban on Russian oil imports. Biden said the move has strong bipartisan support in Congress as Americans rally to support
the Ukrainian people, and that this and other sanctions have wreaked havoc on the Russian economy. But Biden cautioned that there will be costs as well here in the U.S., including even higher gas prices which hurt American families.
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The United Kingdom also announced it will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year. The European Union has also outlined a plan to stop using Russian energy. About 8% of oil used in the More Gas, Page A8
Three candidates file for county commission seat By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Pilot
A former county commissioner, Brookings city councilor and a homeless activist will face off for an open seat on the Curry County Board of Commissioners. With the filing date for county elections passed, the race for position 1 county commissioner will be the only locally contested race on the ballot. With Commissioner Chris Paasch not running for re-election, the three well-known contestants will face off in a race likely to gather a lot of attention. The field will include former Commissioner George Rhodes, Brookings Councilman Brad Alcorn and Beth Barker-Hidalgo, the executive director of the Curry County Homeless Coalition. A fourth candidate, Ed Halcumb, filed for the seat, but he withdrew his candidacy, saying “My wife said I can’t! Ha ha.” The only other county race on the ballot will be for county treasurer, where incumbent David Barnes will be running unopposed. A second candidate, Elizabeth Nekton, also filed but withdrew her candidacy. Barnes is a long-time financial expert who was appointed as treasurer in 2021. His appointment made him the third treasurer in three weeks, and his appointment settled the position. The big race in Curry County will likely be the Position 1 contest for commissioner. All three contestants have strong support in different areas of the county. Rhodes has the element of experience on his side, having served as commissioner from 2009 to 2012. In that position, he has been through the Oregon County College. Hailing from Brookings, Rhodes has also owned his own business for 30 years. Alcorn also comes from Brookings and spent his career in public service as a police officer, retiring after 34 years as an officer and three years as a reserve sheriff’s deputy. Alcorn is a current member of the Brookings City Council and served as a volunteer on the county’s budget committee. Barker-Hidalgo comes from Gold Beach and has had a varied career in healthcare and nonprofit work. The current executive director of the Curry County Homeless Coalition, Barker-Hidalgo has also worked with Oregon Coast Community Action, Curry Community Health and more. She is a commissioner on the Coos Curry Public Housing Authority and served on the Ambulance Service Area Committee. Curry County voters will also have a say on whether to continue the Sixes Rural Fire Protection local option levy. The tax of $1.375 per $1,000 of assessed value will continue an existing tax. Without approval, the fire district will not have the funds to continue operation after 2022, which will likely increase insurance rates for housing and businesses. A second tax levy to fund fire equipment in Gold Beach will also be on the ballot. The primary election will be held May 17. If no candidate in the Position 1 commissioner race receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote getters will advance to the November general election.
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