W040924 by C.M.I.

Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2024

theworldlink.com |

Coos Bay declares emergency over fentanyl crisis Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, who worked collectively to draft a declaration The City of Coos Bay followed of emergency in response to what the lead of the City of Portland in has been called “Fentanyl Crisis” declaring a state of emergency in Portland. over fentanyl, which has become That crisis is sweeping the an increasingly concerning issue nation however, as the ongoing in Coastal Oregon, and opioid epidemic continues to nationwide. The discussion took ravage rural and middle America. place at the Coos Bay City The declaration written for Council meeting on Wednesday Portland was directed by March, 5th. Governor Kotek to maximize the The groundwork was laid by possible benefit provided by the Governor Tina Kotek, Portland state in the wake of changes to Mayor Ted Wheeler, and Measure 110.

BY NATE SCHWARTZ The World

Councilor Farmer, advised by City Attorney Nate McClintock, co-opted the language of the Portland declaration in hopes the state benefits will apply to Coos Bay just as it will for Oregon’s largest city. “I took what the Governor directed the City [of Portland] and the County [of Multnomah] up there to do. I turned it into things that could apply to Coos Bay. Chief Chapanar and Nate [McClintock] went through it, made it something that will work a little better for us,” said

Councilman Farmer about the declaration. The declaration of emergency itself is not a plan of action, but rather, opens the door for funding and resources through state initiatives. Councilman Farmer mentioned that Portland had received 8 Oregon state officers for city patrols and will be receiving more due to their declaration. “My intention behind this is that it opened the door, 1: for the county to see, yes, this can be done and to move forward with a

declaration on their part. And 2: so that we can establish things that we want to see based on what was already offered to Portland, because if they’re going to receive it, there shouldn’t be any reason we can’t receive it,” said Farmer in Wednesday’s meeting. Farmer hopes that this precedent will allow the County to rectify some of the issues with the jail and District Attorney’s Office. A property tax levy has Please see FENTANYL Page 8

Two appraisers on the ballot for ofﬁExtension ce offers the County Assessor’s Ofﬁce toddler-based cooking program

BY DEAN BRICKEY For The World

COQUILLE — Two appraisers in the Coos County Assessor’s Ofﬁce are vying in the May Primary Election to succeed their boss, Steve Jansen, who intends to retire when his term expires in January. It’s a four-year term and the winner would serve through 2028.

Jason Corbus, a residential appraiser, and Jeff Etzel, a commercial and industrial appraiser, have ﬁled for election as Coos County assessor. Their names will appear on the May 21 Primary Ballot, which will be mailed to voters by May 2, according to the Elections Department of the Coos County Clerk’s Ofﬁce. Corbus, 45, a Coquille resident

Thursday, April 18 at 10::00 am the Coos Bay Public Library and Oregon State University Extension Office’s Food Hero Program are offering a preschool and toddler-based cooking program to give parents tips and tricks for working with children in the kitchen. In this hands-on session adults and toddlers or preschoolers will create a snack to share. The free event geared towards toddlers and preschoolers ages 0-5 and a parent of caregiver will be held at the Coos Bay Public Library. Oregon State University Extension Service partners with local communities to provide trusted expertise and science-based knowledge to address critical issues and help every Oregonian thrive. The Coos County Extension Office is based in Myrtle Point and offers a wide range of programming throughout the year for all ages, including outreach with the Food Hero program, food preservation, gardening, and support for 4-H. For more information on programs at the Coos Bay Public Library visit the Coos Bay Public Library’s website at www. coosbaylibrary.org or call (541) 269-1101.

since 1991, and a 1997 Coquille High School graduate, joined the Assessor’s Ofﬁce in 2018 after working 20 years at Safeway. He attended Southwestern Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, for a time before entering the grocery business. After 20 years at Safeway in Coquille, the last 10 as grocery manager, Corbus realized that to advance with the company he’d have to leave

Coquille. “I wanted to remain in this community because I love it,” he said. He and his wife, Sheena, have two sons, Jaxon, 17, and Parker, 14. Sheena is a commercial loan ofﬁcer at First Community Credit Union in Coquille. Corbus is running for assessor Please see CANDIDATES Page 7

Congresswoman Hoyle Secures $4 Million in Funding for Workers Housing BY NATE SCHWARTZ The World

North Bend, OR Congresswoman Val Hoyle and members of her team were in North Bend this week to meet with local officials and announce a new workforce housing project in Downtown North Bend. Located next door to City Hall at 1975 McPhearson Ave, the County Annex and former Kaiser Memorial Hospital will become the development site. The project plans for 72 affordable workforce housing units aimed toward critical workers such as those in healthcare, education, public safety, and logistics. North Bend, like many coastal communities, has a housing vacancy of below 1%, making it increasingly difficult to find a stable living situation, let alone an affordable one. “So the place in my district that has the most vacancy is

FIND US ONLINE: TheWorldLink.com

Opinion

Classifieds

Obituaries

Sports

Eugene at 1.6%. Roseburg, the entire coast, has half-a-percent or less vacancy, and that’s not just low-income housing. That’s middle-income housing, That’s high-income housing. I mean, Bay Area hospital said they were trying to recruit a doctor, and the doctor could not ﬁnd a house to buy or rent. So, we don’t have enough housing stock, that is the bottom line we don’t have enough housing stock for workforce, so workers can’t afford to live in the places where they need to work,” said Congresswoman Hoyle on the housing crisis. A proactive approach to the housing issue in her district is what helped Hoyle to secure $4 million in funding for the project from the House Committee on Appropriations in D.C. This development hopes to help revitalize the downtown area and bring skilled workers in to capitalize on the City’s economic Please see HOUSING Page 5

facebook.com/theworldnewspaper

twitter.com/TheWorldLink

instagram.com/theworldlink