Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
Bandon honors seniors
Harvick wins
Signs celebrate graduates, A3
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Texting line for abuse survivors AMANDA LINARES The World
COOS COUNTY — In an effort to better help survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault during current stay-home orders, a new texting option is now available countywide. The new service was launched by the SAFE Project, a local organization dedicated to helping abuse survivors. The text option, which is part of the nonprofit’s current crisis
hotline, is a confidential service provided to survivors who may be quarantined or isolated in their homes with an abusive partner. SAFE Project Executive Director Rachel Espy said the organization has been working on the new texting capability ever since the governor’s executive stay-home order went into effect. Understanding that the COVID-19 pandemic created an extra layer of risk for survivors
being forced to stay home, Espy said its advocates quickly began brainstorming ways they could still connect with survivors. “We realized that survivors were going to be more isolated than they have ever been before and possibly isolated or quarantined with an abusive partner,” said Espy. “So, it was a top priority for us.” According to Espy, it’s important to note that it may take advocates up to 15 to 30 minutes to respond to survivors
over text. That being said, survivors are being advised to utilize the service when they feel they are safe and comfortable to do so. The texting option is in addition to its 24/7 crisis hotline and is believed that it will help survivors access its services more easily, said Espy. Some survivors are more comfortable reaching out via text while for others it may be a safer option for them to access their advocates, Espy added.
Last month, the SAFE Project also launched its “Not Everyone is Safer at Home” campaign, which included multiple collaborations with businesses and community partners, in placing yard signs with the organization’s contact information. The signs have been placed throughout the county in front of businesses and homes who participated in the public awareness campaign to let survivors know that assistance is nearby. Please see Abuse, Page A9
Pressure from Ballot Measure 6-177
A salute to healthcare workers
JILLIAN WARD The World
Photo contributed by Patricia Pepper, Phoenix Photography
Heads were looking up Friday morning as the Oregon Air National Guard performed flyovers with F-15 Eagles to salute healthcare workers for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flyover was conducted by Oregon’s 173rd Fighter Wing and the 142nd Wing. The two jets flew over hospitals in Coos Bay, Coquille, Bandon and Gold Beach. The photo was taken as the F15s flew over Bandon.
Hospitals to be provided virus drug PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon hospitals will be provided with an experimental drug that has shown some promise treating extreme cases of COVID-19, state health officials said Sunday. The state’s first shipments of remdesivir will provide enough doses to treat 80 COVID-19
patients for 10 days which is enough to treat all hospitalized patients who met the medical criteria for using the drug as of Saturday, the Oregon Health Authority said Sunday. Recent early results for the drug suggested it could help patients recover from the corona-
virus faster, although longer-term data is still needed to confirm any benefit. It has not been formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration but can be used under a federally issued Emergency Use Authorization. The health authority is not taking a
position on whether it should be used or not, leaving that decision up to doctors and their patients. “Because of the experimental nature of the drug, shared decision-making between patients and providers is paramount and informed consent must be Please see Drug, Page A9
Canadian jet crashes during flyover KAMLOOPS, British Columbia (AP) — A Canadian aerobatic jet crashed into a British Columbia neighborhood during a flyover intended to boost morale during the pandemic, killing one crew member, seriously injuring another and setting a house on fire. Video appeared to show the plane’s crew ejecting.
The crash left debris scattered across the neighborhood near the airport in the city of Kamloops, 260 miles (418 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver, on Sunday. The Snowbirds are Canada’s equivalent of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds or U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Capt. Jennifer Casey, who served as a spokesperson for the Snowbirds, and the injuring of Capt. Richard MacDougall, one of the team’s coordinators and pilot of the aircraft who survived landing on the roof of a house. “For the past two weeks, the
Photo gallery: The Face of Coronavirus Photo gallery: Marshfield Junior High School construction
Snowbirds have been flying across the country to lift up Canadians during these difficult times.” Trudeau said in a statement. “Their flyovers across the country put a smile on the faces of Canadians everywhere and make us proud.” The morale boosting mission
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NORTH BEND — Some members of the North Bend Professional Firefighters Association are feeling the pressure of Ballot Measure 6-177 as residents decide whether or not to lower the public safety fee. “Should (the measure) pass, we will see a 28% reduction in our frontline firefighters and we absolutely can’t have that right now,” said Luke Rector, a member of the association. The current May ballot measure asks residents, “Shall the Public Safety fee be reduced from $30 to no more than $15, with voter approval for future increases?” The measure’s summary describes a “yes” vote as reducing public safety funding by $785,000, resulting in the elimination of police services from 11 p.m.-7 a.m. A “yes” vote also would reduce detective staffing by 50 percent, and eliminate police responses to “many civil and criminal occurrences such as non-injury traffic crashes, trespass with no other crime, thefts under $25 and medical calls.” In the measure summary, there is no mention of firefighters losing personnel. However, the possibility of cuts at the fire department are still being discussed by city officials. When asked why a reduction of the fee would impact fire services, City Manager Terence O’Connor pointed to this being how the general fund is handled. “The issue is one of public safety, where the departments are both funded out of the general fund,” O’Connor explained. “As funds get eliminated or reduced, there is a domino effect on how that impacts all of the operations in the general fund. Police and fire are the preeminent users of tax dollars and fees of the general fund because taxes don’t cover the cost of police and fire … As fees are reduced, revenue gets reduced. The citizens would tell Please see Measure, Page A9
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