Sea star research efforts give hope for their survival
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Ex-wife arrested in murder of North Bend doctor BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World
Nearly two years after a North Bend physician was shot to death, his ex-wife has been arrested and charged with murder. Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier said Reina Gabriela Jackson was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshall Service in Atlanta, Georgia. She is facing charges of one count of second degree murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder
in the second degree. The charges relate to the Aug. 2, 2021, death of Dr. Craig Jackson. At the time of his death, Dr. Jackson was a physician with Bay Clinic in Coos Bay. At the time, Dr. Jackson’s wife, Yen Zhou, told officers two men entered their home early in the morning and got into a physical confrontation with Jackson. After Jackson was shot, the men fled the scene. Since that time, the North Bend Police Department along with the Oregon State
Police, have led an investigation that crossed state lines and included many interviews. According to Frasier, on May 24, the Coos County grand jury returned a secret indictment against Reina Jackson, charging her with the three felony county. Reina Jackson is also known to go by the name Reina Gabriela Matute-Ruano. After the indictment was released, the DA’s office asked for assistance from the U.S. Marshall Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in
locating and arresting Reina Jackson. Frasier said it was believed she was residing in Guatemala at the time. On Wednesday, Reina Jackson flew into the airport in Atlanta. Frasier said she was apparently unaware of the arrest warrant and flew into the United States for personal reasons. She was arrested at the airport and is being held in Atlanta pending extradition. Frasier said depending on whether Reina Jackson fights the extradition request, it could take several weeks or months for her to
return to Coos County. Reina Jackson was booked into the Clayton County Jail in Georgia on a charge of being a fugitive from justice. At the time, she claimed to be homeless and from Jonesboro, Ga. In addition to the three felonies related to the murder of her ex-husband, Reina Jackson was also wanted on a Coos County Circuit Court warrant for a probation violation for leaving the area. In that case, Reina Jackson had been convicted on a charge of burglary in the first degree.
Marshfield Class of 2023 remembered for talent, excellence BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World
The Marshfield High School Class of 2023 walked across the stage for the last time Saturday night, celebrating graduation for a group of resilient, talented and passionate students. The night started off with a surprise as Athletic Director Greg Mulkey unveiled the 2023 state championship banner for the boys track and field team. Mulkey specifically called out senior Alex Garcia-Silver, who won five individual state titles and two team titles in his time at Marshfield. Principal Eli Ashton bragged even more about the senior class. He said the students amassed more than 1,000 college credits while in high school, volunteered more than 3,500 hours and represented the school well in athletics, CTE and other school activities. Ashton also pointed out the six
seniors who will be joining the military after graduation. In his last speech before the Class of 2023, Ashton told the students to never be afraid to stand and stand out. “Be original and be the best you, you can be,” Ashton said. “You may not be perfect, but that’s why you can be perfect. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, even it won’t be the best. If it’s your best, it’s perfect.” Superintendent Charis McGaughy thanked the senior class for making her first year leading the district so successful. “You are incredibly talented,” McGaughy said. “The depth and breadth of your talent is awe inspiring. I am deeply moved and inspired by your incredible community service, more than 3,500 hours. You are amazing role models. Thank you for your service and for your leadership.” Kim Brick, the chair and Coos Bay School District Board of Directors, told the seniors that life may throw curve balls at them, but she is confident they can succeed. “You may know exactly what you want to do in your life,” Brick said. “I say, go forth, but know that life happens. Be flexible with your expectations so you can change when needed. For those of you who have no idea what’s next, that’s OK. There’s still time to pivot.” Brick ended her comments by quoting Winston Churchill. “Success is stumbling from failure to failure without a loss in enthusiasm.” Please see MARSHFIELD Page A3
North Bend High School graduates celebrate their journey BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World
The journey through high school is paved with both excitement and challenges. When students graduate, they can ceremoniously leave their hardships in the past and build excitement for their futures. North Bend High School students got to celebrate their achievements and recognize their hard work together with friends, families and school staff during a graduation ceremony June 9. “For most of us, high school has been a series of ups and downs. It might have
been a little embarrassing and quite painful,” said North Bend High School Salutatorian Paige Speakman during her speech at the graduation ceremony. “The pains of high school are going away, and we are walking into a world of new experiences and new challenges. I urge our class not to shy away from life’s challenges simply because they are uncomfortable. I hope we dive into our futures with a zeal for life.” Many students were recognized for their achievements at the graduation, whether it be through good grades, earning college credits, or being part of band, choir, drama and athletics.
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Valedictorian students who gave speeches reflected on their journeys through school and urged their peers to be true to themselves, to keep their loved ones close and to acknowledge societal injustices. Please see NORTH BEND Page A6
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Coquille school district to receive first school resource officer BY RYAN HOOVER Country Media, Inc.
Coquille School District will be receiving its firstever school resource officer, according to Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio. Sheriff Fabrizio presented the news to the Coos County Board of Commissioners at their bi-weekly meeting. “We’re pretty excited about this,” Sheriff Fabrizio said. “It’s pretty unusual for a sheriff’s office to have a school resource officer. Going forward, we are hoping to provide a full-time officer for Coquille School District and helping out all five of the schools with lots of different programs.” Coos County Commissioners appeared to be excited about the proposition of having an officer in the schools. Commissioner John Sweet believed the acquisition provided an example of how different forms of government can work together. “Thank you for your work. I think working together is really good for all forms of government,” Commissioner Sweet said. Commissioner Rod Taylor expressed his relief over seeing the Sheriff’s department being able to add more personnel. The news comes as other Oregon cities are contemplating budget moves that would move funding for vacant police positions to contingency funds for the next fiscal year. “I find that in this season of post defund the police that this is exactly what we need to be seeing happen and I’m just thrilled. Thank you for approaching with this, and thank you, Sheriff, for your work,” Commissioner Taylor said. After the announcement ended, an audible “Yay!” could be heard from audience members, accompanied with a round of applause. Please see OFFICER Page A12
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