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The Curry Coastal Pilot
Drowning at Two-Mile Rapids on the Rogue River
On Saturday, 06-22-24 at about 12:41pm, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch 911 Center, received a Text to 911, from Agness resident, Martin Gillette, reporting a drowning of a woman at Two-Mile Rapids, upriver from Agness. The information provided was that the female victim was on a rafting excursion with three others and a dog on a raft that started at Foster Bar. Shortly after being on the water, the two females on the raft and a dog got flipped out at the Two-Mile Rapids. ...
OSAA appoints new Championship Thresholds Task Force at May meeting
A new task force for the Oregon School Activities Association will look at the amount of teams and individuals who compete in state championships for sports and activities. The OSAA Executive Board appointed the Championship Thresholds Task Force at its May meeting. The 12-member committee includes representatives from each of the six classifications, as well as three additional at-large members (one each for Class 6A/5A, 4A/3A and 2A/1A), two representatives...
Early Literacy Educator Preparation Council releases final recommendations
Following a one year review of Oregon's early literacy education, a state council has released its final recommendations to strengthen educator preparation programs for teaching reading and writing in Oregon elementary schools. In January, the Early Literacy Educator Preparation Council released initial recommendations to revise educator and school administrator preparation program standards for literacy instruction. Members of educator prep programs and the general public were able to submit feedback to the recommendations. ...
Governor urged to use ‘Oregon way’ in ocean wind energy development
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is being urged to embrace the “Oregon way” in pursuit of offshore wind energy development. Oregon’s state seafood commodity commissions have expressed their concerns in a letter to Kotek over federal offshore wind energy development plans proposed for the southern Oregon coast. The letter emphasizes what the commission states are adverse effects on the ocean environment and Oregon’s sustainable seafood industry. ...
ODOT urges drivers to practice safe driving coming into summer travel season
Summertime usually means vacations and road trips. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), now is a good time for a little planning and some safety checks that might spare you from dealing with the consequences of a breakdown – or worse, a highway crash. DFR reminds Oregonians of safe driving tips and to check with your insurance agent or company to review your insurance policies. With changes in driving patterns and potential risks during the...
Southwestern offers a variety of classes in Curry County this summer
Southwestern Oregon Community College offers a variety of classes this summer for credit and for personal interest on a range of topics from Agroecology to Writing. Popular fitness classes include: Low-impact Aerobics, Better Bones and Balance®, and Tai Chi, as well as a new American Tribal Style Belly Dance class. New this summer is a series of three Agroecology classes – What is Agroecology, Life and Photosynthesis, and Sustainability is...
Letter: Dear BOEM
Your project of installing a wind power farm off the coast of Southern Oregon is in total disregard for the environment, economics, and people therein. I lived in an area of wind farms for over 30 years in California and watched animal life disappear and the birds get slaughtered by whirling blades. Birds do not understand whirling blades. Even the ground worms left the area due to ground vibration from the turbines. Hard to believe, right? All you have to do is put an anti-mole...
State officials hear comments on offshore wind lease proposal
Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) officials stopped in coastal communities last week for five public meetings, one of those held in Brookings, designed to explain a state-conducted review of a federal proposal to lease two offshore areas for the purpose of exploring wind energy development. The northernmost area is northwest of Coos Bay between Reedsport and Florence. The southernmost area is directly west of Brookings. Andy Lanier, Marine Affairs Coordinator with Oregon DLCD explained that the process is still in its early stages. ...
N. Coast opens for bay clam harvesting, and S. Coast re-opens for razor clam harvesting
The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce a new shellfish opening. Bay clamming has been re-opened on the north coast. Levels of the marine biotoxin paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) have tested below the closure limit on two consecutive rounds of testing. Additionally, razor clam harvesting has re-opened on the south coast. Levels of the marine biotoxin domoic acid (DA) have continued to test below the closure limit. Bay clamming is now open from the Washington border to Cascade...
Letter: We need to support the Beach Act
I’m grateful for the coverage of the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (“OHA kicks off 2024 Oregon beach monitoring season”). With recent levels of contamination, it’s important to keep an eye on what beaches are safe to swim at. Data from past years verifies the alarming rates of bacteria at local beaches that can make our swimmers sick. In 2022, 86% of Oregon beaches tested had potentially unsafe levels of fecal indicator bacteria on at least one day. Fortunately, Representative Suzanne Bonamici is on the committee...
OHA issues heat wave safety advisory
Summer kicked off officially June 20, and Oregon Health Authority recommends people in Oregon take steps to keep this season from becoming a “bummer” with tips for staying healthy and safe. The Oregon ESSENCE Summer Hazard Report dashboard allows people to monitor trends in the most common summer-related hazards. The dashboard contains interactive graphs showing total daily counts of emergency department and urgent care center visits in Oregon associated with four injury and illness categories: heat-related illness, water submersion events, wildfire-related smoke inhalation, and air...
Hot weather safety for pets
With the temperatures rising this week, Greenhill Humane Society administrators are encouraging pet owners of the importance of keeping pets safe this summer. Leave pets at home when running errands. Leaving your animal in a parked car, even for just a few minutes, can easily cause heat stroke or brain damage. A car's interior temperature can increase in minutes, even with the windows slightly open. Dogs are especially vulnerable to...
Sheriff's Tip of the Week: Encountering Bears in Your Community
Spring is here, and before we know it, summer will arrive. In the coming weeks, people throughout the state will start pulling out their boats after a winter in storage. Time on the water can be a great activity for your mental health and can build positive relationships with others. As with all activities, a little planning and caution go a long way in increasing your safety during your boating fun. ...
Brookings home destroyed, captured mid-blaze
A Brookings family was dealt a crushing blow after a blaze claimed their home at 14929 Ocean View in Brookings Harbor. Harbor Fire District Chief Steve McClintock was first on the scene, after the call came in at around 4:38 p.m. on Monday, May 11. A combined force of 15 firefighters and 3 engines from the Brookings and Harbor departments arrived to try and stop the damage. Unfortunately, the house...
OSU to receive $5.5M for Marine Energy Research
Oregon State University will receive $5.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support its Pacific Marine Energy Center operations in Corvallis. The $5.5 million award will be issued through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office. The funding will assist the Pacific Marine Energy Center, a university consortium with Oregon State University, University of Washington, and University of Alaska Fairbanks, establish marine energy strategy, development and implementation. The award that’s part of the $14.7 million overall to the consortium will also support...
Oregon adds 4,000 jobs
Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment rose by 4,000 jobs in May, following a revised gain of 2,400 jobs in April, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Health care and social assistance gained 1,900 jobs in May, while leisure and hospitality added 1,000. Monthly declines were largest in retail trade ( -800) and construction ( -400). Private-sector job growth has been very slow over the year, gaining 3,500 jobs (+0.2%). ...
Pacific coast gray whales have gotten shorter, OSU study finds
Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found. The smaller size could have major consequences for the health and reproductive success of the affected whales, and also raises alarm bells about the state of the food web in which they coexist, researchers say. ...
It’s calf and fawn season – keep your distance from elk and deer
Oregon’s deer and elk give birth from May through July. It’s natural for mother animals to leave their young alone and hidden for extended periods of time while they go off to feed, so never assume a young animal is orphaned when you see it alone. The mother will return when it’s safe to do so—when people, pets or predators aren’t around. Removing an animal from the wild is also a violation of Oregon wildlife laws. (ORS 497.308 – No person shall remove from its...
Police Blotter
The police blotter is an excerpt of a public record of incidents as reported by law-enforcement agencies. All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are innocent until proven guilty. The information printed is preliminary and subject to change. For a list of missing items found in the Brookings area, you can visit the police services page of the city of Brookings website at www.brookings.or.us/134/police-services and follow the link near the bottom of the page. ...
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The Curry Coastal Pilot is a general interest newspaper serving the Brookings-Harbor and Curry County areas at the southwestern corner of Oregon. We focus on local breaking news, general news, community news, sports, and opinions.
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