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$1.00 | AUGUST 28, 2019
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Tall bets placed
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Nicole Sperry earned All-American status after auditioning for the program at the Pacific University Cheer Camp this summer.
Taft 7-12 cheerleader claims All-American title
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Former Super Bowl champion and Dallas Cowboy defensive end Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones put down $5 on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season.
Chinook Winds officially opens Sports Wagering Lounge MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net
The Chinook Winds Casino Sports Wagering Lounge is officially open for business; and the casino expects to see gamblers come from far and wide to get in on the action once word gets out. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, the Lounge held a soft opening that featured a special guest to place the inaugural bet. Former Super Bowl champion and Dallas Cowboy defensive end Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones put down $5 on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season. Shortly after, the Lounge was open to the public and a few wasted no time dropping some serious cash on various sports teams and games. One casino goer, Clarence Lindblad from the Rock
Creek area in Portland, carries the nickname ‘Mr. Lucky’ and he’s hoping to have some luck at Chinook Winds after putting down $1,000 on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the AFC North this season. As a born and raised Oregonian at 73 years young, he said placing a sports bet in Oregon was something he’s been waiting a long time to do. “I’ve been waiting 50 years for this,” Lindblad said. “I would’ve never thought they’d legalize marijuana in Oregon before they legalized sports wagering.” Lindblad said he makes regular trips to Spirit Mountain throughout football season to play their annual football challenge. However, this year he said he’ll be making more trips to Lincoln City. “I’ll be making the trip down here every week this See BETTING, Page A3
MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net
Just a few months ago, Taft 7-12 student Nicole Sperry tried out of the Tiger cheer squad despite not having any cheer experience. Now, she touts the title of All-American cheerleader and will be representing Taft at the world famous London New Year’s Day Parade. At the end of her junior year last spring, Sperry decided to tryout for the cheer squad and immediately fell in love with the sport because of the camaraderie amongst her and her fellow cheerleaders. “I love everything about it, but I really appreciate how we are always supporting each other during practice,” Sperry said. “If someone’s learning a new tumbling skill, we’re always cheering them on, no matter the skill level. If someone messes up in a stunt, we tell them they got it and throw it right back up. “It’s nice to have an entire team cheering you on while we’re all learning together. During practice, we’re all a family.” Although still new to the sport, Sperry jump-started her cheer career at a three-night, four-day rigorous cheer camp at Pacific University in Forest Grove this summer. During See CHEERLEADER, Page A3
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Coastal Economic Summit highlights THE NEWS GUARD
Hundreds of business leaders, elected officials and other key community stakeholders are meeting to learn and find common ground on ways to help coastal and other rural communities around the state thrive. During the Coastal Caucus, Vice Chair Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) alluded to the deep need in Oregon to continue building bridges between rural and urban parts of the state so that all communities can prosper and thrive. “We all have vital roles to play in contributing to and sustaining the constructive dialogues and developments that have become hallmarks of our annual Economic Summit,” Johnson said. A wide range of keynote speakers and panel discus-
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On Aug. 21, state leaders met at Three Rivers Casino in Florence and then on Thursday, Aug. 22, they met all day at the Florence Events Center to discuss various coastal issues. sions focused on planning, designing, building and operating infrastructure projects that are socially, environmentally and economically feasible and attractive to coastal and rural communities. “With such a large
concentration of elected officials, agency heads and local advocates and activities, it is clear that this Summit is one of the most influential gatherings in the state,” said Rep. David Gomberg (D-Otis), who serves as a Coastal Caucus member.
While many topics – from earthquake preparedness to rural broadband expansion – were discussed, it became clear throughout the Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit that many challenges our coastal communities face trace
a line back to our rapidly changing climate. For two days, community leaders, businesses and state and federal legislators spent time focusing on the specific challenges and opportunities for the Oregon Coast. “Drought harms our farms growing food, fish surviving in our rivers and our forests’ health. Rising acid levels in the ocean, toxic algae blooms, and dead zones harm our fishing families and our crab and shellfish industry,” said Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay), a key organizer of the summit. “And perhaps the most top of mind for everyone is the risk of wildfire. How can we protect our communities, prevent wildfire and find resources for sustainable forest management?” See SUMMIT, Page A3
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