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RECORD ROUND Jason Dufner leads PGA Championship, B1
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2013
Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
Not guilty Andrew Davenport acquitted after spending 11 months in jail ■
BY GEORGE ARTSITAS The World
By Lou Sennick, The World
Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier gives his closing arguments to the jury Friday morning in the murder trail of Andew Davenport. Davenport was acquitted of charges that he murdered Randall Harless on Aug. 25, 2012, in Coos Bay.
Hog farm searched for drugs
COQUILLE — In the final day of the Andrew Davenport murder trial, both the prosecution and defense agreed on the fact Randall Harless was killed on Aug. 25, 2012, that it
happened in his home near Empire Lakes and that it most likely was at the hands of someone else. After four days of trial and four hours of deliberation, the 12-person jury decided the assailant wasn’t Davenport, acquitting the defendant Friday by a vote of 11-1 and releasing him after he spent 11 months in jail. The downfall of the prosecution was the two most powerful words in the legal system: reasonable doubt. Defense attorney Donald Scales
offered up plenty of doubt for the jury to chew on: there was no eyewitness of the attack that could positively identify Davenport, the defendant’s DNA and fingerprints weren’t found on any murder weapon, the defendant’s confession he made to Davenport’s daughter was reneged during her testimony, there was no direct motive for Davenport to commit the crime, and the reason other viable suspects that SEE DAVENPORT | A8
Successful rehab
SCINT warrant nets drugs and firearms at location where farmer was eaten by hogs ■
BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
COQUILLE — A search warrant served Thursday morning resulted in the seizure of drugs and firearms from property where the partially eaten body of a 70-year-old man was discovered in a hog pen in October. Capt. Cal Mitts, director of the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team, said detectives arrived at the residence of Thomas Garner and Charity Kinsey at 91648 Highway 42S at approximately 11:15 a.m. By Alysha Beck, The World
SEE HOG FARM | A8
Kathy Castelein, faculty research assistant and plover biologist at Portland State University, watches a rehabilitated snowy plover fly away near New River in the Bandon State Natural Area on Friday. Three chicks were released after being rescued from the same area in July. Snowy plovers are listed state and federally as threatened mainly because of habitat loss and predation.
Young plovers returned to the wild Photo by Thomas Moriarty, The World
A law enforcement officer with the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team carries seized firearms out of a home on state Highway 42 South on Thursday afternoon.
BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
BANDON — 20 years after the western snowy plover was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, state and federal wildlife officials say the species is doing great, but predation and habitat management are still at a critical stage. Standing on a stretch of New River south of Bandon Friday morning, Dan Elbert, a biolgist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the government had established a goal of 250 breeding adults for the region.
“We reached that last year for the first time,” Elbert said. The western snowy plover was first listed under the ESA in 1993. Since then, state and federal officials have developed a carefully developed system of beach access restrictions to reduce conflict with humans during the tiny shorebirds’ nesting season. Elbert, who’s based at the agency’s Newport field office, was on the South Coast to supervise the release of three orphaned snowy plover chicks that had been discovered on the beach last year. The chicks had since been raised at the SEE PLOVERS | A8
These are not your parents’ fundraisers The World
INSIDE
COOS BAY - Pancake spatulas and spaghetti ladles used to be the tools of the big-time fundraisers. More and more, however, they are being replaced by motorcycle helmets and, most recently, tattoo artists’ needles. Today’s fundraisers are getting edgier and, those involved say, more fun. Two of the more popular fundraising events these days belong to bikers. Charity runs and poker runs seem to be gaining traction on the South Coast.
Police reports . . . . A2 What’s Up. . . . . . . GO! South Coast. . . . . . A3 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . A4
Alan Pettit is a man who has a good pulse of the local riding community. He says the popularity is nationwide. “If you look at the Bible for riders, Thunder Press, these types of activities are going on in every city, in every community and quite frankly there is a need.” Pettit, the owner of Highway 101 Harley-Davidson in Coos Bay, believes the Harley community itself is one reason for the increase. “Historically, we have a lot of vets who are always supporting each other, and public service people,” he
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said. “We have a lot of Harley riders in this community — period — and historically, they’ve been very generous, whether it’s muscular dystrophy, or St. Jude’s, or Bree’s Foundation, or veterans.” The latest entry into the world of motorcycle fundraisers is the Jeff Common Fallen Brother Memorial Motorcycle Run. Steve Schneiderman, the organizer, says that when deciding on a new fundraiser they were looking for a way to bring people together.
Tom McBee from Camas Valley checks out his new handlebars, Physco Chubby 18-inch Apes, that were put on his 2010 Heritage at Highway 101 Harley-Davidson in Coos Bay on Thursday. McBee rides in poker runs around the state, including the St. Jude Children’s Poker Run last weekend at Highway 101 HarleyDavidson.
SEE POKER RUN | A8
By Alysha Beck, The World
DEATHS
BY TIM NOVOTNY
Frances Moore, Powers Lucas Collins, Reedsport Jessie Moreno, Newberg Illa Nickerson, Coos Bay Susan Cordry, Portland Neva Gohde, Eagle Point
Joyce White, Coos Bay Carol Dose, Salem Rebecca Ginestar, Springfield George Springer Jr., Reedsport Clinton Dibala, Scottsburg Janice Rucker, Coos Bay
Sally Edwards, Coquille Wesley Pierce, Coos Bay Donna Swenson, Coos Bay
Obituaries | A5-6
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