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SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946

www.currypilot.com

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021

Brookings, Oregon

County considers upgrading dispatch radios KNOX KERANEN The Pilot

Some local law enforcement officers are calling for an upgrade to the county’s aging radio dispatch equipment. During a Wednesday board of commissioners meeting, members of the Curry County Sheriff’s office made their case for upgrading the dispatch system, which multiple local police and fire agencies use for communication.

Among those using the system, Gold Beach and Port Orford police, multiple fire departments, as well as the sheriff’s office and Coos Forest Patrol. Brookings police has its own dispatch system. Captain Phil McDonald recommended the commissioners consider using some of the incoming federal coronavirus relief money, which can be used toward infrastructure, to pay for the $714,000 upgrade. “It’s not a matter of if this breaks, it’s when this breaks because it is

old equipment,” said McDonald. “We have the opportunity to have our system updated, a big portion of it, not being borne by the taxpayers of the county, it’s being borne by money from the federal government.” Sheriff John Ward said the sheriff’s office recently experienced an issue with the equipment during a May 11 rescue of four people, whose boat became stuck on a gravel bar on the Rogue River. “We sent a marine deputy up

there with a couple of SAR [search and rescue] members, it was very tough to hear what they were saying. Our marine deputy ended up getting his boat stuck...It all ended up pretty well, but my point is it’s been an ongoing issue,” said Ward. Commissioner Chris Paasch spoke in support of the upgrade and noted the importance of emergency communications. “This is an integral part of the infrastructure of this county,” said Paasch. “For me, to be proactive on

this, it’s imperative that we look at this.” He said he did not expect the board to take action at that meeting, but he wanted to bring it forward sooner rather than later. Commissioners Court Boice and John Herzog were also in favor. Boice said they may vote on the upgrade in early June. Additionally, the board plans to form a committee to evaluate what exactly coronavirus relief funds should be used toward.

Alfred A. Loeb State Park reopens Businesses

must see proof of vaccination to forgo mask rules

KNOX KERANEN The Pilot

After remaining closed for more than a year because of revenue shortfalls and reduced staffing due to COVID-19, the campground at Alfred A. Loeb State Park has reopened. Located eight miles inland from Brookings along the Chetco River, the park features 48 campsites with electrical hookups, as well as three group picnic areas and restrooms with showers. In addition to the reopening, Loeb has enrolled in the statewide online reservation system. Previously, all campsites at the park were first-come first served, which “created inefficiencies and inconsistencies to the process of administering campground stays,” stated an April 29 press release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announcing the reopening. “Adding the park to the reservation system has been a long-term goal for the OPRD,” said Coastal Region Manager Dennis Comfort in the release. “It brings consistency to agency processes and to the visitor experience. Now anyone can enjoy this beautiful campground, with the peace of mind that you’ll arrive and

ZACK DEMARS The Pilot

Photo by Knox Keranen/The Pilot

Alfred A. Loeb State Park campground finally got the go ahead to reopen after more than a year of remaining More Loeb, Page A3 closed due to revenue shortfalls and COVID-19.

County supports bill to attract filmmakers KNOX KERANEN The Pilot

The Curry County Board of Commissioners will move to support a bill in the Oregon Legislature which proposes increasing tax incentives for companies producing films in the state. Miranda Plagge, economic development assistant for the county, presented a letter of support for state House Bill 3244 to the commissioners during a Wednesday

meeting. She said the bill could give Curry County an opportunity to attract more filmmakers into producing their films here. “We can create a niche industry here in Curry,” said Plagge. Plagge said a recent science-fiction film made in Brookings, titled “54,” had a dramatic impact on the local economy over the course of the three-week shoot. During the shoot, the production company paid out $1.4 million in gross wages to Oregonians, as well

as $120,385 in local site rental fees and $990,000 in goods and services, which includes $431,000 spent on lodging alone, mostly in Curry County, according to the Oregon Film. “What I’m excited about is... Curry’s on the map now,” said Plagge. “We have the ability to help facilitate more productions.” All three commissioners were in support of the bill. Commissioner Chris Paasch said he has seen first-hand how a film production

can be a shot in the arm for local economies. “The movie ‘Dreamers,’ some of that was shot at my ranch in Kentucky. They rented everything,” said Paasch. “They hired locals for all of the extra work, they leased wagons and gates and everything... The economic incentives for the county are tremendous.” Before voting on sending a letter of support, the commissioners wanted to amend some of the language.

Merkley vows to fight for Curry County KNOX KERANEN The Pilot

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley held a remote town hall with his Curry County constituents Wednesday. Beforehand, the Pilot asked Merkley about steps he is taking to address the challenges facing our region. If passed, how would the proposed $2 trillion infrastructure bill, “The American Jobs Plan” help Curry County residents? “The American Jobs Plan is going to address traditional infrastructure, as well as other types of infrastructure. The traditional is the jetties, dam repair, the roads, the bridges and then extending that to other forms that may be electric transmission lines. Certainly, a big factor will be our rural broadband, which we need high-speed broadband in every small town in the country to make those towns economically viable in this century. I’ve really pushed hard More Merkley, Page A3

Photo by Knox Keranen/The Pilot

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley discusses issues facing Curry County while holding a virtual town hall last week. Merkley said there are many local issues the federal government can help with.

Go Wild Rivers Coast Guide released Sheriff ’s Office helps in mutiple rescue operations AT CURRYPILOT.COM

Oregon businesses, employers and faith institutions must review proof of vaccination in order to ease up on state masking and social distancing rules, the Oregon Health Authority announced Tuesday. The state’s newest guidance on the issue came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced fully vaccinated individuals can safely remove their masks in many instances. “Under the updated guidance, people who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear a mask indoors in most public settings where vaccination status is checked. In indoor public settings where vaccination status is not checked, masks will still be required,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger. Sidelinger addressed questions about the new policy in a press briefing Tuesday. Here are some answers to a few top questions about the seismic shift in state policy, according to Sidelinger and the state’s guidance. Who counts as “fully vaccinated”? Anyone who’s more than two weeks past their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is considered fully vaccinated, according to OHA. Do businesses need to require masks for patrons? That depends. Under the new guidance, businesses can choose to either set up a system for verifying vaccination status before letting customers in, or continue to require masks and social distancing for all their patrons. If businesses choose to verify vaccination status, those who are fully vaccinated can enter the business without a mask and without following social distancing rules. “If they have a process to review vaccination records and show that people are fully vaccinated, they’re free to serve customers in that manner,” Sidelinger said. Businesses who don’t verify customer vaccination status must still follow the same guidance as before, with indoor masking and social distancing in place. “If they don’t want to or cannot implement a system like that, they can continue to operate under the OHA guidance that requires masks and physical distancing in most indoor public settings,” Sidelinger said. The rest of the state’s guidance still applies, including the four-tier risk level system, which places capacity limitations on businesses, More Masks, Page A2

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