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State’s respiratory surge slows, but battle continues BY WILL LOHRE Country Media

Photo from Metro Creative Connection

Hospitalization rates are slowing improving after skyrocketing during the fall due to the combined impacts of Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID variants.

While the surge in respiratory viruses in Oregon has slowed, hospitals still struggling, according to Oregon Health Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger. During the fall, RSV, COVID, and Influenza pushed Oregon hospitals to their breaking point. A situation that Sidelinger labeled a 'crisis' in December is now improving, thanks partly to the precautions Oregonians took over the holidays. "All overall respiratory virus activity in our communities remains high, and our hospital systems are still under extraordinary pressure, with some operating near, or even above 100% capacity, we are seeing some improvements in respiratory virus hospitalizations," Sidelinger said during a media briefing Thursday, Jan. 12. "Unfortunately, our hospitals are not yet able to resume their normal workbooks." Status of Respiratory Viruses Sidelinger reported that RSV hospitalization rates have improved most of the respiratory viruses. The

peak of RSV saw its peak in pediatric hospitalizations on November 3. Currently, Sidelinger reported that "hospitalizations are decreasing rapidly." Influenza in adults and children remains high; however, the flu reached the peak season for adults on December 3. As of now, influenza hospitalizations for children have plateaued, and Sidelinger expects cases for adults and children to continue to decrease. COVID-19 Update Sidelinger also offered an update on the status of COVID-19 throughout the state. "COVID-19-related hospitalizations increased quickly in November and remain higher than their previous baseline but have dropped in the last week," Sidelinger said. "National forecasts are predicting that COVID-19 hospitalizations will remain at their current level for the next few weeks. Dr. Peter Graven and his OHSU modeling team, in their statewide forecast published on January 6, are predicting a small increase in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 into February caused by the highly contagious Please see OHA, Page A13

Volunteers clean up homeless camps in North Bend BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World

Volunteers with Oregon Bay Area Beautiﬁcation worked with employees from the city of North Bend to begin to clean up some of mess left in homeless campgrounds near Ferry Road Park and Simpson Park. OBAB, which hosts Second Saturday Cleanups at locations throughout Coos Bay and North Bend every month, partnered with the city of North Bend Parks Department to begin to clean up the mess in the area. Despite rain and wind, volunteers came out and ﬁlled dozens of trash bags Saturday, making a dent in the homeless camps littered throughout the area. Elizabeth Chu, who founded OBAB, had the work split into categories so all who attended could help in the effort. The adults were sent into the brush with North Bend employees to clean up the homeless camps, while children and other volunteers concentrated on smaller levels of trash inside the city parks. North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke and City Administrator David Milliron were among those while volunteered in the cleanup event. Please see CLEAN UP, Page A2

Contributed photos

The OBAB volunteers filled this trailer and more with trash collected during the cleanup effort.

Representative Brock Move to name house Smith now a state senator candidate now underway BY BREEANA LAUGHLIN The World

Republican State Representative David Brock Smith has had a whirlwind start to the year. Rep. Brock Smith campaigned successfully in late 2022 to retain his position to represent the citizens of House District 1, which includes Curry and parts of Coos and Douglas counties. Then, just weeks into his position in the House of Representatives – he was appointed to serve on the Oregon State Senate. On Friday, Jan. 11, Coos, Curry, and Douglas County

commissioners met in a joint session to ﬁll the vacancy in Senate District 1 created by the resignation of Dallas Heard (R-Roseburg). The commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Brock Smith (R-Port Orford). Smith said he was humbled to be chosen to replace his friend and colleague Heard in the Oregon State Senate. The now Senator Brock Smith was sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 17. “I was honored by the overwhelming support of the precinct committee person’s during the nomination convention, and I want to thank each and every one of them for their afﬁrmation of my work for them in the Oregon Legislature,” Sen. Brock Smith said. Sen. Brock Smith also thanked his legislative

colleagues, industry professionals and community leaders for their support and encouragement moving forward in the process. Brock Smith served in the Oregon House of Representatives since 2017. He has been an assistant leader in the House Republican Caucus and a champion for natural resource industries and their economies. When asked how he would approach serving the voters of Curry and Coos County in his new senate position, Smith replied: “I will continue to represent them in the same hardworking and collaborative way I always have.” Shortly after his appointment, Smith reported he had been busy Please see SMITH, Page A2

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Obituaries

BY DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World

After State Rep. David Brock Smith was unanimously appointed to the vacant Seante seat for District 1, Coos, Curry and Douglas counties will now face the task of filling Brock Smith's state house seat. Last week, Brock Smith was appointed to the Senate seat left vacant when Dallas Heard retired. After precinct committee person's from the three counties met and sent five names for commissioners to consider, Brock Smith was unanimously appointed to fill the Senate vacancy. House District 1 includes all of Curry County along with Bandon, Coquille and Myrtle Point in Coos County and some smaller parts of

Douglas County. Brock Smith won re-election in the district last year with more than 70% of the vote. Because Brock Smith won as a Republican, the person chosen to replace him in the House will also be a Republican. After Brock Smith is officially sworn into the Senate, the next step will be to fill his seat. Curry County Commissioner Court Boice said the same steps used to fill the Senate seat will be used to fill the vacant House seat. Boice said the precinct committee members from the three counties will meet, likely January 21 or January 28, and will pick between three and five candidates that will be sent to the county commissioners. Once the county

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commissioners receive the slate of candidates, they will meet three days later, likely January 24 or February 1. Each candidate who is qualiﬁed will be given and opportunity to speak to commissioners and answer questions. Commissioners will then choose a candidate, with the top vote getter chosen by the nine commissioners being sent to Salem to be appointed. The chosen candidate will ﬁll the set for the next two years. If commissioners cannot choose a replacement, Governor Tina Kotek will be tasked with choosing the replacement legislator. In the Senate seat, Heard endorsed Brock Smith as his preferred replacement. Brock Smith has not publicly endorsed any candidate.

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