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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2026 |

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School Bus crash with Log Truck ends without injury, a reminder to mind busses while driving

FROM THE COOS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

On February 17th, 2026, at 7:36 a.m. Deputy M.R. Smith responded to a report of a trafﬁc crash in Green Acres involving a School Bus and a Log Truck. The Coos Bay school district school bus occupied by children had been driving westbound on

Green Acres Lane near Upper Loop, and had just stopped to clear the Railroad tracks. At that moment, a log truck came around the corner, driving eastbound (Towards the School Bus) and slowed down. A second log truck noticed the log truck in front of him was slowing, so he hit his brakes,

and he slid towards the log truck in front of him. Avoiding that collision, the log truck continued to slide into the oncoming lane, where the school bus was located in its westbound lane of travel. As a result, the front right corner of the log truck hit the front right corner of the school bus. No injuries were reported, and

the damage was very minimal. The Trucking Company pulled their truck out of the ditch, and the Coos Bay School District recovered their school bus after transferring the children to another bus. Please be cognizant of school buses, which make frequent stops and clear speciﬁc intersections,

such as railway crossings, prior to continuing to ensure the safety of their precious passengers. “Police action is not indicative of guilt. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs, Senators David Brock Smith and Anthony Broadman, oppose Initiative Petition 28. IP28 would criminalize lawful hunting, ﬁshing, and trapping, severely damage wildlife conservation. FROM THE OFFICE OF DAVID BROCK SMITH

SALEM - The Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Senate Co-Chairs Senator David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) and Senator Anthony Broadman (D-Bend) are speaking out in opposition to Initiative Petition 28 (IP28) which would make lawful hunting, fishing, and trapping illegal and turn nearly one million Oregonians into criminals. IP28, the People for Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, is an initiative petition seeking to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. It would remove the established exemptions from Oregon’s animal abuse statutes that protect legal actions such as lawful hunting, fishing, and trapping; rodeos; killing animals for food; wildlife management practices; scientific or agricultural research or teaching with animals; even trapping pests and vermin. In addition, language in IP28 would remove the exemption for acts of ‘good animal husband-

ry’ such as dehorning, docking tails, castration or neutering of livestock, and would also classify standard breeding practices, such as artificial insemination, as sexual assault. By eliminating lawful hunting, fishing, and trapping, IP28 would eliminate the main funding source for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and have detrimental effects on wildlife management. “Historically, sportsmen contribute 45-55% of ODFW’s budget, comprising the majority of dollars used for wildlife management and conservation,” said Senator Brock Smith. “The General Fund, or Oregon’s taxpayer dollars, makes up only 10% of ODFW’s budget, nowhere close to the amount needed to operate the agency and benefit Oregon’s wildlife.” In addition to the direct economic impact to ODFW, shutting down farming, ranching, dairy farming, and commercial fishing would create incredible negative impacts to Oregon’s state-wide

economy, causing increased tax pressure and reduced state services for all Oregonians. “Buying locally-raised foods at the local farmers market would be outlawed while restaurant and grocery prices would increase substantially due to the need to ship meat and dairy products in from out of state,” said Senator Broadman. “Hunting and ﬁshing for food is a part of Oregon’s heritage and for many of us, part of who we are.” Adding additional insult to these effects, IP28 also does not exempt Oregon’s Tribes from the ban on hunting and ﬁshing, even for sustenance or ceremonial uses. The proponents have collected over 100,000 of the 117,173 signatures needed by July 2 to qualify for the ballot. The Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus encourages all Oregonians to register to vote and, should IP28 qualify for the ballot, defeat the measure by historical margins

A Conversation with the Congresswoman: Hoyle on the PCIP, Epstein, Midterms BY NATE SCHWARTZ Editor

During her most recent visit to the South Coast, I sat down with Congresswoman Val Hoyle at the Port of Coos Bay ofﬁce in Downtown Coos Bay to talk about her legislative priorities, the current administration, and the upcoming midterm elections. In addition to visiting the port to talk about the Paciﬁc Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) project, Hoyle’s visit to her constituent areas in Oregon Congressional District 4, which stretches from Lincoln down to Curry County, included meetings with local FIND US ONLINE: TheWorldLink.com

“We have the opportunity right now to invest. We have four grants that are in process, and I feel really good about those opportunities. Those will be worth over $100 million. We have bipartisan support from the legislature; we have support from the governor. Fundamentally, the investment and jobs that will come into this region are going to be substantial,” said Hoyle. “We do have to address the housing issue, so workforce housing is an important aspect,

governments, tribes, and women in leadership. “When I’m back home, I work hard to go to each part of the district… I think it’s important not just to talk to people when there’s something to do, but to get to know people. To catch up,” said Hoyle. Given we were there in their conference room, I asked about where the port’s PCIP project stands in terms of funding. Hoyle, alongside both Oregon senators, has been a proponent of the project which has stayed an infrastructure priority through the change in administration.

HOYLE Continued on Page 2

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