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County has first death from virus Voter The World COOS COUNTY — A 58-year old woman died Thursday, just four days after testing positive for COVID-19. She was the first person in Coos County to die with the virus, according to a press release from Coos Health & Wellness. "This is a sobering reminder that this virus is in our communi-

ty and can have a serious impact especially for seniors and those with underlying conditions," Assistant Director Eric Gleason wrote in the release. The woman had underlying medical conditions and died in her residence, the release said. Officials are not releasing where in Coos County the woman lived. "We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family,

friends and others who have been impacted by this loss," Gleason wrote. The county's first COVID-19 death comes as case volume is increases around the county. CHW's data showed 29 active cases in the county Wednesday, with a total of 231 over the course of the pandemic. This week alone, new cases have been appearing at a number

of locations, including Walmart, the North Bend School District and the CHW offices. "With the increase of cases in Coos County it is more important than ever to continue with the tools we have to control the spread of this disease," Gleason wrote. "The best tools that we have are contact tracing, social distancing, wearing masks and good hand hygiene."

Please see Learning, Page A8

Please see Voters, Page A8

Supporting distance learning HAUSER — When schools went online last spring, Jessica Meade knew the internet in her rural home wasn't going to cut it for classes. So she started bringing her kids to her salon, temporarily closed due to virus restrictions, to use the WiFi. But Meade's salon is open again, which means her students can't keep using the space for its internet access. "We live very far out of town, where internet access is not available to us by a couple of the major networks here in town — and certainly not enough where

we could live stream the teacher like we need to every day, every period for classes," Meade said. Instead, she called Wade Lester, the vice principal at North Bend Middle School, and told him that the setup wasn't going to work. Since then, he's tried to tackle one of the most challenging parts of pandemic learning in rural areas: How do you manage online learning if your internet isn't very good? His answer: A distance learning outpost. With the help of a team of community partners, Lester set up spaces where students could be dropped off, attend their online sessions in the morning and head home for the

afternoon. The program is all free, and students who attend get lunch and a breakfast for the next day to take home with them. One of the district's educational assistants staffs the space to make sure students get logged in to their class sessions, too. "I think it's great what Wade (Lester) came up with," said Meade, whose daughter attended the program. "I think that's a great option for kids now, and I think for them to be around and to be socialized a little bit, and to be able to go there and get their education is really important." The site is a team effort of community partners: The Lake-

The World

side Public Library and Hauser Community Church offered space to use. McKay's in Lakeside donated cleaning supplies to keep students safe. Wagon Wheel Grocery put up fliers to spread the word. Hennick's Lakeside Lumber even got to work to support the effort — the store made a few dozen wood partitions that can be put up between students. "I know last spring was rough on families in the Hauser and Lakeside areas," Lester said of the effort. But the program isn't perfect — without a couple more students in attendance, Lester said

Zack Demars, The World

The World

ZACK DEMARS COQUILLE — Voter turnout is "looking excellent" after the first week of ballot collection, according to COOS County Clerk Debbie Heller. By Thursday, nearly 30% of eligible voters had returned their ballots — far exceeding previous years. By the same time in 2016, only 14.02% of voters had turned in their ballots. The high turnout is part of a nationwide trend: Officials around the country are reporting record-high levels of early turnout as the presidential election heats up and mail-in voting security receives heightened attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Coos County, about 70% of voters so far have returned their ballots through the mail. The county saw a surge in mailed ballots on Thursday, the data show. Heller said that county elections staff is busy with the high volume of ballots, but has been able to get them scanned in and signature-verified on time like usual. Turnout has been similar in Curry County: Over a third of ballots had been returned by Wednesday, according to county data. Statewide, over 730,000 people have voted, more than a quarter of the state's registered voters. Voters should mail ballots soon Election Day is Nov. 3, and the U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail their ballots by Oct. 27 to ensure they arrive on time. In Oregon, ballots include free postage, but postmarks do not count for meeting the deadline. There are also seven drop sites throughout the county, which accept ballots through 8 p.m. on Election Day. County employees, who swear an oath to protect the integrity of the vote, collect ballots from the following sites: Bandon City Hall, 555

Wade Lester, right, set up an online learning outpost at the Hauser Community Church, where students can get access to strong internet, meals and assistance getting logged on to complete assignments.

ZACK DEMARS

turnout 'looking excellent'

County to close NB Annex, renovate Coquille courthouse ZACK DEMARS The World

NORTH BEND — Coos County officials announced Tuesday a plan to close and sell the county's North Bend Annex building, which currently houses some circuit court functions. Those court proceedings will be centralized in Coquille after the closure, and state funding will allow the county to renovate the county's main courthouse to add capacity. All of the county's other offices in the building, including Coos Health & Wellness and the Assessor's office, moved out years

ago to other facilities, leaving the state's courtroom as the only occupant in the former hospital. At the time of those moves, the state judicial department decided to keep the court annex in the building. Now though, the building is raising concern for court officials, and they've come to an agreement with the county for a move. The building's heating system no longer works, and the building's large size makes it difficult to keep secure, according to Trial Court Administrator Thomas Lankford. "There are some general safety concerns about being in the build-

ing," Lankford said, noting that someone set a fire in the building's stairwell earlier this year. It's also costly for the county. Board of Commissioners Chair Melissa Cribbins estimated Tuesday that keeping the building open costs the county around $50,000 a year in electricity and natural gas expenses. Currently, the courtroom in the building is home to one judge, Brett Pruess, who handles smaller matters like small claims, landlord-tenant issues, violations and traffic cases. After Nov. 16, anyone who needs to go to court to deal with one of those matters will have to

go to Coquille to do so, meaning some people will have to travel farther to make required court sessions. "There will be an impact, that's inevitable," Lankford said. "That impact is going to be seen and felt over time." Still, Lankford said many of the cases which are currently heard in North Bend don't necessarily require appearances. He's also confident that some options for appearing by phone or video call, which have increased in frequency because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will remain. "Those options are likely to Please see Annex, Page A8

Photo gallery: 'Speeders' steam through Coos Bay for toy drive Photo gallery: Barktoberfest rolls over another successful year

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