e Edition Edition MOSTLY SUNNY 64 • 52 | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020 | theworldlink.com Follow us online: facebook.com/theworldnewspaper twitter.com/TheWorldLink instagram.com/theworldlink Bees at the North Spit Zach Silva, The World A bee flies near some Scotch broom flowers along a path near the North Spit. South Coast events update AMY MOSS STRONG The World SOUTH COAST — Residents and visitors alike are probably wondering what’s happening this Fourth of July weekend and for the remaining of the summer along the South Coast with the current COVID-19 restrictions. Here’s an update: Fireworks displays canceled Almost all cities along the Oregon Coast from Astoria to Brookings have canceled their annual fireworks displays, fol- lowing the lead of most jurisdic- tions and entities. In addition, private displays, such as the annual much-antic- ipated Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park’s July 3 fireworks show, have also been canceled. City and county law en- forcement lack the resources to control crowds or to enforce any type of physical distancing or health precautions with crowds of the expected sizes. The can- cellation of other displays along the coast makes it likely that any area that is having fireworks would be met with a flood of people. The crowds also could create liabilities for cities and counties if there are COVID-19 surges following the events. Most fireworks companies have agreed to carry over the money cities have already paid and apply it to next year’s display, city administrators have reported. However ... Fireworks displays scheduled Gardiner There will be a fireworks dis- play in Gardiner on July 4. Here are the details: Fourth of July Fireworks Show, presented by the Gardiner Fire Department. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. at the Gardiner Fire Department, 208 Marsh St., just north of Reedsport. The event includes a food stand fea- turing barbecued hamburgers and hot-dogs, potato salad and drinks for purchase. A fundraising car wash will also be held. Fireworks start at sundown and will be fired over the water across from the fire department. There will be paid parking inside the fenced area for $6. Important note from the Gardiner Fire Department: “We are following social distancing guidelines from the government (including) 6 feet stay safe. Thank you for practicing social distancing. Please come join us for the fun and help support our local volunteers!” Coos Bay Speedway On Saturday, July 11, the Eve of Destruction XI American Daredevil Mr. Dizzy and the Or- egon Coast’s Best Fireworks will be held at the Coos Bay Speed- way, 94320 Highway 42. The grandstands open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks happen after dusk. There is an admission fee. For more information, call 541- 269-2474 or visit the website at http://www.coosbayspeedway.us/ Legal fireworks only It is illegal to possess or light illegal fireworks in the state of Oregon. The definition of an ille- gal firework is: “Illegal firework in the state of Oregon is anything that will fly in the air, explode, travels more than 6 feet on the ground or 12 inches in the air.” If you did not buy it from a fireworks stand in the state of Oregon it is more likely than not illegal. Citations and fines can be issued by local law enforcement for those in possession of or found lighting illegal fireworks. No fireworks on the beach The public is reminded that no fireworks of any kind, even legal ones, are allowed on beaches or Oregon State Park property. In addition, beach fires are not allowed south of Cape Arago to the Coos-Curry County line. This rule went into effect on June 24. To report a controlled beach fire in the Bandon area, please call Bullards Beach State Park at 541-347-2209 ext. 221 or 222 and leave a message. Do not call 911 to report, unless the fire is out of control. Coos Bay City will hand out flags Though there will be no fire- works over the bay this year, and no family day in Mingus Park or Mayor’s Firecracker Run. Coos Bay city employees will still cel- ebrate America’s Independence — just in a less explosive way. City Manager Rodger Crad- dock announced that instead of fireworks, Coos Bay residents will see police and fire vehicles driving through the city playing patriotic music and giving away miniature American flags. On July 4, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. three police and three fire vehicles will tour the city. The fire department plans to send one ladder truck and two fire engines. The police department will send three marked vehicles. The vehicles will roam in pairs of one fire vehicle and one police vehicle through different segments of Coos Bay. The city has been loosely divided by neighborhood and the pairs will drive through Empire, Eastside and Coos Bay. Fire Chief Mark Anderson said, “It’s not a parade route. We’re just spending time, driving the streets, handing out mini flags, wishing everyone a happy Fourth of July and encouraging them to enjoy the holiday.” Blackberry Arts Festival and Bay Area Fun Festival The Coos Bay Downtown As- sociation has made the difficult decision to cancel two major festivals that draw thousands of visitors to the downtown core. “Because of COVID-19 restrictions placed on festivals in the phased reopening of Coos County, the CBDA board made Masks are a proper precaution JILLIAN WARD The World COOS COUNTY — As the governor’s guidance to wear masks in public spaces goes into effect, Coos Health and Wellness talks about what that means for the county. “As we learn more about COVID-19, evidence continues to mount that face coverings play a critical role in reducing trans- mission,” said Gov. Kate Brown in press release. “We have to live with this disease for a while. And that is going to require adjusting our habits — taking the simple step of covering our nose and mouth in spaces where we inter- act with others.” Incident Commander Eric Gleason with Coos Health and Wellness said this means cus- tomers will need to wear masks when walking into businesses, including grocery stores, gyms, and shopping malls. According to Gov. Brown’s guidance on the state website, it also includes public transit, personal service providers, and ride sharing services. “It’s a positive move,” Gleason said of the new guidance, which went into effect on Wednesday, July 1, statewide. “Our cases in the state are increasing seemingly daily and when you look at the rate of our positives throughout the state on a daily basis they’re much higher than we had to work with when this started. We’re at a point where we have to make de- cisions on how to remain open.” Gleason pointed out that there were a number of people who held protests to reopen the state and that in order to stay open “we have to do things that protect each other and this is the best way to do it, in my opinion, as we progress through the phased approach to reopen.” Based on what experts know right now about the new coro- navirus, early precautions of washing hands, not touching your face, and staying six feet apart should still be followed, Gleason said. “…Wearing a mask does reduce the possibility of spread- ing the virus, but it isn’t a perfect system,” he said, explaining why the other precautions are need- ed. “(People) should wear their masks properly as well, because Oregon could be moving toward 900 new cases of COVID-19 a day SALEM (AP) — Oregon had a record 281 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, but officials predict that the increase may become much steeper during the next month - potentially reaching 900 new cases per day. The state has had five straight weeks of case growth, reaching nearly 9,000 total confirmed cases. “Our latest projections showed that we are on track to hit a worst case scenario model that we had just two weeks ago,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state’s epidemiologist, said at a news conference. “We all have to remember that the numbers, I speak about, are people. They are our fellow Oregonians,” Sidelinger said. “These are people who are sick, and tragically some of whom have died. These are people with families. These people are our neighbors.” Based on projections, Sidelinger said if Oregon con- tinues on the path it is on, coro- navirus hospitalizations would increase from eight people per day to 27. The coronavirus death toll in Oregon has risen to 208 people and 118 people are currently hospitalized. “Our healthcare system is be- coming increasingly burdened,” Sidelinger said. As of Wednesday, Sidelinger said, hospitals have adequate intensive care beds and venti- lators to handle the number of cases the state has — according to the state’s website, there are 784 ventilators available. Sidelinger said that COVID-19 is circulating more widely in the community, and rising fastest in rural counties — specifically in central and Eastern Oregon. The Oregon Health Authority has also noticed a substantial increase in cases for all age groups younger than 50. The Oregon Health Authority reported this week the state’s first known outbreak at a child care center in Lake Oswego. Officials said 28 cases, which include children, staff and fami- ly members, have been connect- ed to an outbreak at Lake Grove KinderCare. Sidelinger described the in- creasing trends as “ominous.” People throughout Oregon are now required to wear face cov- erings in indoor public spaces to slow the spread of coronavirus. “Modeling from the Oregon Health Authority shows that if we don’t take further action to reduce the spread of the disease, our hospitals could be over- whelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations with- in weeks,” Gov. Kate Brown said. Oregon is just one of more than 20 states that have imple- mented face covering require- ments. “Wearing a face covering is a simple, common sense way to protect yourself and others. What an easy way to save a life,” Brown said. For weeks the governor and health officials have urged residents to wear a mask, wash their hands and practice physi- cal distancing. During the press conference they stressed that if people do not follow those guidelines, the spread of the dis- ease could become much worse and “overwhelming.” “The choices each of us makes will decide whether we reduce the spread of this virus and find a way to keep busi- nesses open -- or whether we let down our defenses and allow the virus to take hold,” Brown said. In addition, on Tuesday Brown extended the COVID-19 state of emergency for 60 days. Despite a surge in cases, Oregon continues to have one of the lowest infection rates in the country. Please see Events, Page A2 Please see Masks, Page A3
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Bees at the North Spit
Zach Silva, The World
A bee flies near some Scotch broom flowers along a path near the North Spit.
South Coast events updateAMY MOSS STRONGThe World
SOUTH COAST — Residents and visitors alike are probably wondering what’s happening this Fourth of July weekend and for the remaining of the summer along the South Coast with the current COVID-19 restrictions. Here’s an update:
Fireworks displays canceledAlmost all cities along the
Oregon Coast from Astoria to Brookings have canceled their annual fireworks displays, fol-lowing the lead of most jurisdic-tions and entities.
In addition, private displays, such as the annual much-antic-ipated Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park’s July 3 fireworks show, have also been canceled.
City and county law en-forcement lack the resources to control crowds or to enforce any type of physical distancing or health precautions with crowds of the expected sizes. The can-cellation of other displays along the coast makes it likely that any area that is having fireworks would be met with a flood of people.
The crowds also could create
liabilities for cities and counties if there are COVID-19 surges following the events.
Most fireworks companies have agreed to carry over the money cities have already paid and apply it to next year’s display, city administrators have reported.
However ...Fireworks displays scheduled
GardinerThere will be a fireworks dis-
play in Gardiner on July 4. Here are the details:
Fourth of July Fireworks Show, presented by the Gardiner Fire Department. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. at the Gardiner Fire Department, 208 Marsh St., just north of Reedsport. The event includes a food stand fea-turing barbecued hamburgers and hot-dogs, potato salad and drinks for purchase. A fundraising car wash will also be held.
Fireworks start at sundown and will be fired over the water across from the fire department. There will be paid parking inside the fenced area for $6.
Important note from the Gardiner Fire Department: “We are following social distancing guidelines from the government
(including) 6 feet stay safe. Thank you for practicing social distancing. Please come join us for the fun and help support our local volunteers!”
Coos Bay SpeedwayOn Saturday, July 11, the Eve
of Destruction XI American Daredevil Mr. Dizzy and the Or-egon Coast’s Best Fireworks will be held at the Coos Bay Speed-way, 94320 Highway 42.
The grandstands open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks happen after dusk. There is an admission fee. For more information, call 541-269-2474 or visit the website at http://www.coosbayspeedway.us/
Legal fireworks onlyIt is illegal to possess or light
illegal fireworks in the state of Oregon. The definition of an ille-gal firework is: “Illegal firework in the state of Oregon is anything that will fly in the air, explode, travels more than 6 feet on the ground or 12 inches in the air.”
If you did not buy it from a fireworks stand in the state of Oregon it is more likely than not illegal. Citations and fines can be issued by local law enforcement for those in possession of or
found lighting illegal fireworks.
No fireworks on the beachThe public is reminded that no
fireworks of any kind, even legal ones, are allowed on beaches or Oregon State Park property.
In addition, beach fires are not allowed south of Cape Arago to the Coos-Curry County line. This rule went into effect on June 24.
To report a controlled beach fire in the Bandon area, please call Bullards Beach State Park at 541-347-2209 ext. 221 or 222 and leave a message. Do not call 911 to report, unless the fire is out of control.
Coos BayCity will hand out flagsThough there will be no fire-
works over the bay this year, and no family day in Mingus Park or Mayor’s Firecracker Run. Coos Bay city employees will still cel-ebrate America’s Independence — just in a less explosive way.
City Manager Rodger Crad-dock announced that instead of fireworks, Coos Bay residents will see police and fire vehicles driving through the city playing patriotic music and giving away
miniature American flags.On July 4, from 1 p.m. to 4
p.m. three police and three fire vehicles will tour the city. The fire department plans to send one ladder truck and two fire engines. The police department will send three marked vehicles.
The vehicles will roam in pairs of one fire vehicle and one police vehicle through different segments of Coos Bay. The city has been loosely divided by neighborhood and the pairs will drive through Empire, Eastside and Coos Bay.
Fire Chief Mark Anderson said, “It’s not a parade route. We’re just spending time, driving the streets, handing out mini flags, wishing everyone a happy Fourth of July and encouraging them to enjoy the holiday.”
Blackberry Arts Festival and Bay Area Fun Festival
The Coos Bay Downtown As-sociation has made the difficult decision to cancel two major festivals that draw thousands of visitors to the downtown core.
“Because of COVID-19 restrictions placed on festivals in the phased reopening of Coos County, the CBDA board made
Masks are a proper precautionJILLIAN WARDThe World
COOS COUNTY — As the governor’s guidance to wear masks in public spaces goes into effect, Coos Health and Wellness talks about what that means for the county.
“As we learn more about COVID-19, evidence continues to mount that face coverings play a critical role in reducing trans-mission,” said Gov. Kate Brown in press release. “We have to live with this disease for a while. And that is going to require adjusting our habits — taking the simple step of covering our nose and mouth in spaces where we inter-act with others.”
Incident Commander Eric Gleason with Coos Health and Wellness said this means cus-tomers will need to wear masks when walking into businesses, including grocery stores, gyms, and shopping malls. According to Gov. Brown’s guidance on the state website, it also includes public transit, personal service providers, and ride sharing services.
“It’s a positive move,” Gleason said of the new guidance, which went into effect on Wednesday, July 1, statewide. “Our cases in the state are increasing seemingly daily and when you look at the rate of our positives throughout the state on a daily basis they’re much higher than we had to work with when this started. We’re at a point where we have to make de-cisions on how to remain open.”
Gleason pointed out that there were a number of people who held protests to reopen the state and that in order to stay open “we have to do things that protect each other and this is the best way to do it, in my opinion, as we progress through the phased approach to reopen.”
Based on what experts know right now about the new coro-navirus, early precautions of washing hands, not touching your face, and staying six feet apart should still be followed, Gleason said.
“…Wearing a mask does reduce the possibility of spread-ing the virus, but it isn’t a perfect system,” he said, explaining why the other precautions are need-ed. “(People) should wear their masks properly as well, because
Oregon could be moving toward 900 new cases of COVID-19 a day
SALEM (AP) — Oregon had a record 281 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, but officials predict that the increase may become much steeper during the next month - potentially reaching 900 new cases per day.
The state has had five straight weeks of case growth, reaching nearly 9,000 total confirmed cases.
“Our latest projections showed that we are on track to hit a worst case scenario model that we had just two weeks ago,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state’s epidemiologist, said at a news conference.
“We all have to remember that the numbers, I speak about, are people. They are our fellow Oregonians,” Sidelinger said. “These are people who are sick, and tragically some of whom have died. These are people with families. These people are our neighbors.”
Based on projections,
Sidelinger said if Oregon con-tinues on the path it is on, coro-navirus hospitalizations would increase from eight people per day to 27.
The coronavirus death toll in Oregon has risen to 208 people and 118 people are currently hospitalized.
“Our healthcare system is be-coming increasingly burdened,” Sidelinger said.
As of Wednesday, Sidelinger said, hospitals have adequate intensive care beds and venti-lators to handle the number of cases the state has — according to the state’s website, there are 784 ventilators available.
Sidelinger said that COVID-19 is circulating more widely in the community, and rising fastest in rural counties — specifically in central and Eastern Oregon.
The Oregon Health Authority has also noticed a substantial increase in cases for all age groups younger than 50.
The Oregon Health Authority reported this week the state’s first known outbreak at a child care center in Lake Oswego. Officials said 28 cases, which include children, staff and fami-ly members, have been connect-ed to an outbreak at Lake Grove KinderCare.
Sidelinger described the in-creasing trends as “ominous.”
People throughout Oregon are now required to wear face cov-erings in indoor public spaces to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“Modeling from the Oregon Health Authority shows that if we don’t take further action to reduce the spread of the disease, our hospitals could be over-whelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations with-in weeks,” Gov. Kate Brown said.
Oregon is just one of more than 20 states that have imple-mented face covering require-ments.
“Wearing a face covering is
a simple, common sense way to protect yourself and others. What an easy way to save a life,” Brown said.
For weeks the governor and health officials have urged residents to wear a mask, wash their hands and practice physi-cal distancing. During the press conference they stressed that if people do not follow those guidelines, the spread of the dis-ease could become much worse and “overwhelming.”
“The choices each of us makes will decide whether we reduce the spread of this virus and find a way to keep busi-nesses open -- or whether we let down our defenses and allow the virus to take hold,” Brown said.
In addition, on Tuesday Brown extended the COVID-19 state of emergency for 60 days.
Despite a surge in cases, Oregon continues to have one of the lowest infection rates in the country.
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the decision to cancel the Blackberry Arts Festival on Aug. 22-23 and the Bay Area Fun Festival on Sept. 19-20,” said CBDA Executive Director Holly Boardman in a press re-lease. “Instead, the focus will be on building other promotions and events that will help bring visitors to the downtown area.”
The Blackberry Arts Festival is a juried arts and crafts festival that has been happening consecutively for 37 years.
The Bay Area Fun Festi-val would have been in its 43rd consecutive year. The Prefontaine Memorial Run was also canceled, as well as the Cruz the Coos and Show ‘n Shine.
Music on the BayMusic on the Bay open
air summer concerts in Mingus Park and 7 Devils Brewing Co. have also been canceled.
North Bend
July JubileeNorth Bend’s summer
festival, the July Jubilee, scheduled for July 17-19, has been canceled. “We are sorry to inform our loyal fans of a long time tradition that for this year, we have to cancel,” stated a post on the event’s Facebook page. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much for all of us this year. We are heartbroken. Stay happy and healthy and we will see you in 2021.”
Coquille
Sawdust TheatreThe Sawdust Theatre’s
summer melodramas and olios have been canceled. “It is with heavy hearts that we tell you the 2020 season has been canceled,” said a post on the Sawdust Theatre’s Facebook page. “The play we have been rehearsing is now sched-uled for the 2021 season.
ALL theatre activites have been suspended for the next three months, includ-ing board meetings. Please take care during these crazy times.”
The Gay 90s Festival in June also was canceled.
Bandon
Fourth of JulyThe Fourth of July
Parade has been canceled. The Port of Bandon has canceled its popular Card-board Boat Races this year. The Port of Bandon Board-walk Art Show, which usually runs from Memo-rial Day to Labor Day, has been canceled this year. The Lions Fourth of July Family Day in the Park has also been canceled.
Greater Bandon Asso-ciation’s Alive After Five events, including the one on the Fourth of July, are on hold until late fall, when GBA will reevaluate the safety of holding such events. Unfortunately, there will be no apple pie and ice cream sale on the Fourth of July this year, either.
The following activities will be held on the Fourth of July weekend:
Old Town MarketplaceThe Port of Bandon’s
Old Town Marketplace will be held indoors and outdoors from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, at 250 First St. SW iin the big green building on the waterfront.
Circles in the SandA five-day draw will be
held over Fourth of July weekend on the beach below the Face Rock viewpoint in Bandon. The viewpoint parking lot and stairs have been reopened, but visitors are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines while attending the Circles in the Sand events.
Schedule: Saturday, July 4: 8 a.m.; Sunday, July 5: 8 a.m.; Monday, July 6: 8 a.m.; Tuesday, July 7: 9 a.m.; Wednesday, July 8:
9 a.m.
VFW Motor ParadeOn the Fourth of July
members of Bandon’s Frank C. High Medal of Honor VFW Post No. 3440 will drive-through the city with decorated cars, trucks and motorcycles showing their pride for the nation and celebrate its indepen-dence.
Anyone is welcome to join them at noon on Saturday the Fourth of July at the VFW parking lot just off Highway 42S on Bates Road. At that time VFW members will announce the do’s and don’ts as well as the route. Please no political advertisements of any kind. For more infor-mation, call Royce Kelley, Commander at 541-294-5995.
Flags to fly over cem-eteries
More than 100 Amer-ican flags will be flown from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all five Bandon cemeteries on Saturday, July 4, in honor of the Fourth of July, weather permitting.
For information on how to donate a flag in honor of your loved one, contact Harry Stephens, Veterans Flag Project chairman, at 541-294-1048, or co-chair-man Bill Smith at 541-404-6194. Volunteers are needed to place the flags at 7 a.m. and take down the flags at 5 p.m. on Saturday. To volunteer, call Stephens or Smith.
Cranberry FestivalOrganizers for Bandon’s
64th Cranberry Festi-val, scheduled for Sept. 11-13 have not yet made a decision on whether to cancel the town’s sig-nature event. “With the surge of cases, it’s really hard to predict a festival,” said Bandon Chamber of Commerce CEO Margaret Pounder. “We really will need to wait until mid-July to make any decisions. We will hope to update in mid-July.”
Check back with the Bandon Chamber of Com-
merce at Bandon.com for more information.
Reedsport
Oregon Chainsaw Championships
The Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Championship, set for June 18-21 was canceled and rescheduled to June 17-21, 2021. The Rock and Gem Show and Sale, which runs concur-rently with the Chainsaw Championship and the Downtown Artwalk, was also canceled.
Fireworks on the Bay“In light of the current
pandemic, the difficult decision has been made to cancel this year’s Fourth of July Fireworks on the Bay in Winchester Bay,” said an organizer. “Many, if not most, cities along the Or-egon coast have canceled fireworks displays.”
DuneFest DuneFest, scheduled for
July 21-26, is considered the premiere ATV sand event in the country. It features motocross racing, sand drags, freestyle shows, charity auction and much more. Unfortunately, this year’s event has been canceled.
“I am sorry to say that DuneFest 2020 has been canceled,” said Jody Morrow, DuneFest coordinator. “Governor Brown announced that ‘large gatherings such as conventions, festivals, and major concerts and live audience sporting events will need to be canceled at least through September. Restarting events of this size will require a reliable treatment or prevention, like a vaccine, which is many months off.’
“As a Chamber event, we were holding out hope that things would im-prove,” Morrow added. “For those of you who have been coming for years and collect dog tags or camping stickers, we will have 2020 items available with the phrase
#quarantined on them. Please send an email to [email protected] with the subject ‘quaran-tined’ and we will put them in the mail to you as soon as they are available.
Kool Coastal NightsKool Coastal Nights fea-
tures 300 cars for a Show ‘n Shine event, along with a harbor cruise for those nostalgic for the 50s. However, the event, set for Aug. 22, has been canceled this year.
Old Time Fiddlers Jamboree
“Sadly, due to our Gov-ernor issuing new guide-lines for the the gathering of groups which will re-main in effect at least until September, we are forced to cancel our Winchester Bay Campout Aug. 13-16,” stated the OOTFA’s Face-book page.
Port Orford
Port Orford July Jubilee
From the Port Orford July Jubilee Commit-tee: “Due to the un-certainty surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the Port Orford Jubilee Committee has made the very tough decision to cancel the 2020 Port Orford Jubilee. Given the Governor’s current safety guidelines, along with the uncertainty of when there will be any change in those guidelines, we feel like we will not effective-ly have enough time to prepare for a successful event.
“We will also not be hosting the Town Wide Yard Sales this year either. While it is an ex-tremely difficult decision to make, we feel this is the best decision for us to make right now.
“Please know that we will have a bigger and even better Port Orford Jubilee in 2021! For now, please stay healthy, and thank you for your under-standing of this extreme-ly difficult decision.”
Powers
White Cedar Days“It is with a heavy heart
that we must announce that the 2020 White Cedar Days celebration and fireworks show (Fourth of July weekend) are canceled,” stated a post on the event’s Facebook page. “However — a new event is in the works for later this year. We will help to relay the new event announcement here.
“We encourage you all to continue to celebrate Independence Day and our nation’s courageous spirit with your families by creating new traditions and memories to last a lifetime. We are united! Don’t let a little social distancing make you for-get that we’re all in this together and we will get through it together. We look forward to bringing you a bigger, better White Cedar Days for 2021!”
Myrtle Point
Coos County Fair & Rodeo
After much deliber-ation, the Coos County Fair Board announced its decision to cancel the 2020 Coos County Fair & Rodeo, originally set for July 21-25.
The Coos County Youth Auction’s live-stock auctions will still be held, with organiza-tions drafting guidelines for modified shows that follow local and state health guidelines related to COVID-19. The board advised community mem-bers interested in updates regarding the 4-H proj-ects to contact the Coos County OSU Extension office at 541-572-5263.
“We want to thank each and every one of you as well as our sponsors that have shown excitement and support over the past years,” said Leep in a statement. “We look forward to rebuilding and growing in the 2021 year to have a great fair again.”
EventsFrom A1
Oregon has new high 281 new virus casesThe World
PORTLAND — COVID-19 has claimed one more life in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 208, the Oregon Health Authority reported Wednesday.
Oregon Health Authority also reported 281 new con-firmed and presumptive cas-es of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state total to 8,931. It is the highest daily case count since the beginning of the pandemic.
The new cases reported Wednesday are in the fol-lowing counties: Baker (3),
Benton (2), Clackamas (20), Clatsop (1), Columbia (1), Deschutes (4), Douglas (2), Jackson (3), Jefferson (7), Klamath (4), Lake (2), Lane (12), Lincoln (12), Linn (7), Malheur (16), Marion (27), Morrow (2), Multnomah (38), Polk (8), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (42), Union (5), Wallowa (2), Wasco (4), Washington (48), and Yamhill (7).
Oregon’s 208th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on June 18 and died on June 29. Her place of death is being confirmed.
She had underlying medical conditions.
More information is available about Oregon’s 192nd death, which was initially reported June 22. Oregon’s 192nd death is a 90-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on June 18 and died on June 21, in her residence. She had underlying medical conditions.
OHA to report out-breaks in child care facilities
Starting today, the COVID-19 Weekly Report will include names and
case counts for child care facilities that enroll 30 or more children and have five or more cases. The Weekly Report also will include the total number of facilities statewide — no matter how many children they enroll — that have five or more cases.
Today’s Weekly Report covers data from June 22-28. In the report, most indi-cators point to a resurgence in COVID-19 transmission. OHA recorded 1,402 new cases of COVID-19 infec-tion, an 11% increase from the previous week (1,263 new cases). In addition, 12 Oregonians were reported to
have died, the same number as the preceding week.
The number of COVID-19 tests reported (28,359) decreased by 11% and the percentage of tests positive increased to 4.2% from 3.7% in the preceding week. Meanwhile, large outbreaks have contributed a diminishing proportion of recent cases, and sporadic cases have increased consis-tent with diffuse community spread.
Lastly, the report notes that about 75% of recent cases have been diagnosed in people younger than 50 years old. Since hospi-
talization is less common among younger people with COVID-19 infection, statewide hospital capacity remains sufficient for now.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Or-egon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.
eEditionEdition
DEAR ABBY: I have met the most remarkable woman, but after eight months of serious dating, I have realized that she has the worst and most manip-ulating 10-year-old daughter ever. She constantly claims sickness, and now even mental health issues like anxiety and panic disorder, although they have never been formally diagnosed, to prevent her mother and me from having time together. Immediately after her mother agrees to her daughter’s request and lets her get her way, the kid becomes happy and energet-ic, and goes back to playing. (I feel she is laughing in my face.) The numerous can-cellations and tantrums are very upsetting, and it hurts my feelings when the person I love most in the world sets me aside.
I had considered proposing marriage. I have a 13- and 17-year-old who are both respectful, energetic and happy. They have been through a lot since their mother abandoned us, but they would NEVER consider acting out like this girl.
Last weekend I was asked to bring her requested dinner and then leave, because she wanted Mommy to watch her water-color. Abby, they are together every day, almost all day, and close relatives refuse to watch the child.
Is a resolution possible? Should I stay or should I go? When do I have the right to say enough is enough? The constant exclusions make me feel insignificant. -- COUNTED OUT IN KENTUCKY
DEAR COUNTED OUT: If “close relatives” refuse to watch the child so your lady friend can have a break, there may be more to this story than you have written. The girl is fighting for her mother -- and winning. From where I sit, Mama could benefit from some discussions with a child psychologist and lessons in how to say no to her daughter.
Adult relationships are supposed to make both parties feel better, not insig-nificant. As to whether you should stay or go, I think you would be wise to take a break from this relationship because, as it stands, it is going nowhere.
DEAR ABBY: I have a friend who has stopped by unannounced several times. She’ll send me a text, but without giving me a chance to respond, she just pops over. One time I was in the middle of studying for an exam and it wasn’t a good time. Other times I was busy doing something and was startled when she showed up.
Finally, I mentioned something in a text about how much I liked her as a friend but would really appreciate if she would wait for a response to her text before stopping by. It has been two or three days now, and she hasn’t responded. I even said I didn’t want to hurt her feelings and hope she understands.
I would think most people feel as I do about unannounced visitors, but I could be wrong. I would like to ask her how she would feel about it, but before I do, I need to know what’s “normal.” -- BUSY AND BOTHERED
DEAR B & B: It is considered normal good manners to ask if it is convenient -- and wait for a response -- before stopping by someone’s home so it will not be an intrusion. You were studying, but many people work from home and also don’t want to be disturbed. Others prefer to be “presentable” before they have company. Interesting, isn’t it, how many self-cen-tered individuals become hypersensitive when called on their behavior.
-------------------------------Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van
Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or mon-ey order for $16 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)
DEAR ABBYBy Abigail Van Buren
Girl’s tantrums stymie man’s relationship with her mom
if you don’t it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing it – if your nose is sticking out, it doesn’t do you any good.”
Under the new guide-lines, Gleason said cus-tomers should wear masks or face shields walking into restaurants but are allowed to take them off when eating and drinking.
“Restaurants in Phase II still have to follow the Phase II requirements,” he said, which included having employees wear masks while interact-ing with the public and spacing customers six feet apart.
Also under the guide-lines, businesses are
encouraged to provide disposable masks to cus-tomers but not required.
When asked how these new guidelines will be en-forced, Gleason said “that is always the question.”
“I have not seen an enforcement aspect to this,” he said. “I think it is a question pushed up to the (Oregon Health Authority) as to what the businesses do and I don’t know what the answer will be.”
So far, COVID-19 restrictions have been enforced with a Class C Misdemeanor. Gleason said it is unclear if that will apply to the new guidance or not.
“…(Coos Health and Wellness) has always stressed that we have to do this together — we
as a community have to work together to keep our numbers down and our community moving in the right direction to reopen,” Gleason said. “We can’t do that if we don’t take the proper precautions. This mask requirement is a proper precaution.”
He pointed out that not only has Oregon seen an uptick in cases, but so has Coos County.
“…If we wear masks and find a way to work to-gether as a community, we will move in the right di-rection and there wouldn’t be a reason to go back to Phase 0 because we would have done what we need to do,” he said. “If we the community can’t do the things we need to do, then we allow others to make the decisions for us….”
MasksFrom A1
Police seek info after ‘disturbing’ videoThe World
COOS BAY — Police are still urging the public to provide information re-garding a video of a man being harassing in the Empire area on June 23.
“On June 27 … the Coos Bay Police Depart-ment released a press release detailing an incident that occurred in
the Empire area on (June 23),” read a release from CBPD on Wednesday afternoon. “The press release provided informa-tion about an incident in-volving a disturbing video of a male subject being harassed and followed by other subjects. At the time of the press release, (CBPD) urged anyone with additional informa-
tion to contact them.”According to Wednes-
day’s press release, officers continued their investigation by check-ing surveillance videos from businesses and interviewing citizens who may have witnessed the incident.
Then on June 30 at 1 p.m., CBPD dispatch received a call from a
male subject who stated he filmed the video of the incident and requested to speak with an officer.
“A Coos Bay Officer responded to his location and the subject provided his account of the inci-dent,” the release said. “During the interview, he explained that no one was physically assaulted and that no physical contact
was made between any of the subjects. During the time of the interview, he wasn’t able to provide the officer with any addition-al names of the others involved.”
But with additional information provided by witnesses and through video surveillance, “of-ficers believe they have identified two additional
involved subjects, whom they are attempting to lo-cate for their statements. At this time, the incident is still under investiga-tion.”
CBPD is still asking anyone with further infor-mation about the incident to call the department at 541-296-8911 or Coos Stop Crime at 541-267-6666.
The World
HAUSER — Two men were injured and anoth-er cited for DUII after a two-vehicle ATV accident on the dunes Monday.
According to a press release from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the CCSO, Hauser Fire Department and Bay Cities Ambulance responded to the accident at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area near Hauser on Mon-day, June 29, at 7:34 p.m.
The accident took place when a motorcycle, operat-ed by Connor Main, 21, of
Port Orchard, Wash., with passenger Nathanial Row-an, 21, of Ollala, Wash., was heading southbound over a small dune and went over a small drop off.
“The motorcycle operator crashed because of the extra weight of the passenger pushing him for-ward, causing him to lose control,” the release said.
The second vehicle, a quad operated by Jared Dubos, 20, of Bremerton, Wash., was following about 20 to 30 feet behind in the same path of travel and also went over the same drop. Dubos ran
into the back of Main and Rowan.
“Conner Main and Nathanial Rowan were transported off of the sand by Hauser Fire and then transported to Bay Area Hospital by Bay Cities Ambulance,” the release said. “Rowan was then life-flighted to a larger hospital because of the seriousness of his injuries.”
Dubos was uninjured and issued a citation for DUII, the release said, add-ing that both other parties were allegedly intoxicated and the investigation is continuing.
2 injured in ATV accident
The World
EMPIRE — High levels of enterococcus bacteria were identified in the wastewater effluent for the Empire Treatment Plant at 490 Fulton Ave. on Tues-day and Wednesday.
According to a press re-lease from the City of Coos Bay, the City’s wastewater contract operator notified the Department of Envi-ronmental and the Oregon Emergency Response
System of the issue and signs have been posted at the beach access near the outfall located at the most westerly end of Fulton Avenue, warning people of the potential high bacteria limits.
Prior to harvesting shell-fish, it is recommended that people check with the Department of Agriculture and/or Coos County Public Health for any updates.
The City of Coos Bay must meet wastewater
effluent limits per the requirements set forth in the DEQ discharge permit. One of the effluent limit parameters is enterococcus bacteria. Enterococcus is an indicator of the pres-ence of fecal material in water and, therefore, of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
Enterococcus is typical-ly not considered harmful to humans, but their pres-ence in the environment
may indicate that other disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa may also be present.
“The idea is that if during the wastewater treatment process if we kill
or significantly reduce the enterococcus bacteria, we have removed the harmful viruses and bacteria,” the press release explained.
The contract operator is currently investigating the cause for the high
enterococcus results and will test daily until the test results are back to meeting permit limits. Anyone with questions regarding this in-cident can contact the City of Coos Bay Public Works at 541-269-8918.
High levels of bacteria found at treatment plant
BLM sells 5.5 million board feet of timberThe World
NORTH BEND — The Bureau of Land Manage-ment Coos Bay District sold 5.5 million board feet of timber during two sealed bid auctions on Friday, June 26.
Seneca Sawmill Company of Eugene was the high bidder for the “Early Fork” com-mercial thin timber sale. The 4.3 million board feet of timber sold for
$361,626.35, slightly above the appraised value of $320,818.70. The sale is located on Oregon and California Railroad Grant (O&C) Lands in Douglas County. Two other com-panies submitted qualified bids.
Bussmann Timber LLC in Myrtle Point was the high bidder for the “First Floras” timber sale. The timber sale included 1.2 million board feet of timber and sold for
the appraised value of $50,384.80. The sale is located on public domain lands in Curry County.
The BLM manages 2.4 million acres of forests and woodlands in west-ern Oregon, under two management programs: the Oregon and California Revested (O&C) Lands and public domain lands. Some of the most produc-tive forests in the world, these areas contain a di-versity of plant and animal
species, wild and scenic rivers, wilderness areas, and cultural and historical resources, and in addition to opportunities for timber sales, host multiple uses including recreation, min-ing, grazing and more.
A sustainable forestry program is critical to the economies in western Oregon. Local commu-nities rely on the jobs and timber that come from BLM forests, and the BLM is committed to
providing predictable and sustainable timber harvest opportunities. Revenue generated from timber sales on O&C lands is split between 18 western Oregon counties and the general fund of the U.S. Treasury, as designated under the O&C Lands Sustained Yield Manage-ment Act of 1937. The revenue generated from the timber sale on public domain land is deposited with the U.S Treasury.
It takes approximate-ly 16,000 board feet of lumber to frame a 2,000-square-foot home. One million board feet of timber is enough to build approximately 63 family sized residential homes.
For additional infor-mation on the Bureau of Land Management’s timber program, please visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resourc-es/forests-and-woodlands/timber-sales
Make fire prevention a priority this 4th of JulyThe World
SOUTH COAST — The Coos Forest Protective As-sociation wishes everyone a happy and safe Indepen-dence Day.
“While you are out enjoying your celebration, remember that fire season and regulated use restric-tions are in effect. Fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility,” said Jef
Chase with CFPA.Those who plan on us-
ing fireworks are asked to keep the following things in mind:
• Use of fireworks outside of city limits is prohibited.
• Only use fireworks that are legal for use in Oregon.
• Always have a bucket of water or fire extinguish-er immediately available.
• Always use fireworks
as intended by the manu-facturer, never modify or alter them.
“Do your part to make this Independence Day a safe and fire free holiday,” Chase said.
For more information on fire restrictions and pre-vention, find CFPA on the web at www.coosfpa.net, call the closure line at 541-267-1789, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Crash kills 1 on Highway 101 near Winchester BayThe World
WINCHESTER BAY — All lanes of U.S. Highway 101 were closed with no detour available for approx-imately four hours Wednesday after a car chase ended in a firey crash and fatality.
At approximately 10:46 a.m., a Douglas County deputy at-
tempted a traffic stop on a vehicle south of Reedsport on U.S. Highway 101, accord-ing to a press release fro the Oregon State Police. The operator eluded police in the vehicle and eventually crashed on Highway 101 near milepost 218 at Clear Lake between Winchester Bay and Lakeside. The car went
up in flames, killing the operator of the vehicle, who was not identified.
What appeared to be explosive devices were located at the scene and the Oregon State Police Explosives Unit arrived to investigate. OSP is also investigating the crash.
More information will be provided as this story develops.
eEditionEditionTrump to hold rally at Mount Rushmore
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — When President Donald Trump speaks at the Mount Rushmore na-tional memorial before the first fireworks show there in years, he’ll stand before a crowd of thousands of people who won’t be re-quired to socially distance or wear masks despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Friday night’s event, with 7,500 tickets issued, will feature a patriotic dis-play at a monument known as “the Shrine of Democ-racy” in a swath of country largely loyal to Trump. But it has also sparked contro-versy and concern. Public health experts say the lack of social distancing and enforced mask wearing could lead to a surge in the disease, while the fireworks risk setting the surrounding forest ablaze.
Native American tribal leaders and activist groups have also spoken
out against the memorial, saying it desecrates an area they consider sacred and that the mountains on which it is carved were wrongfully taken from them.
Event organizers said this week that space was so tight they had to strictly limit the number of jour-nalists who could cover it. The 7,500 people who received tickets will be ushered into two seating ar-eas: A group of about 3,000 will watch from an amphi-theater and viewing decks near the base of the mon-ument, while the rest will have to bring lawn chairs to watch the fireworks from a gravel parking lot outside the memorial grounds.
Many without tickets are expected to crowd into other areas around the monument where they can get a glimpse of the presi-dent and the fireworks. The pyrotechnics alone will run
$350,000, with the state bearing the cost.
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, a Trump ally who has largely avoided order-ing restrictions during the pandemic, said this week that the event wouldn’t require social distancing or masks, though masks will be available to anyone who wants one. She cast it as a personal choice for at-tendees, telling Fox News: “Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they’re com-fortable with.”
Most of the thousands of attendees at Trump’s June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklaho-ma, didn’t wear masks or practice social distancing, though unlike the Mount Rushmore event, that one was held indoors, where experts say the virus is more likely to spread.
South Dakota has had declining rates of con-firmed cases of COVID-19
and hospitalizations from the disease over the last two weeks.
But surges in cases in many Southern and West-ern states prompted Dr. Anthony Fauci, the gov-ernment’s top infectious disease expert, to warn senators on Tuesday that the country is “going in the wrong direction” and needs to redouble efforts to get people to take precautions against infections, especial-ly by wearing masks.
Dr. Benjamin C. Aaker, president of the South Da-kota State Medical Associ-ation, told The Associated Press that events like the Rushmore fireworks don’t just pose a risk to people who attend. The health of the entire community could be threatened if people unknowingly catch the virus at the event and then spread it at their homes and workplaces, he said.
“If we continue to have
these events, we worry that it’s going to be a much more significant outbreak,” Aaker said. “We know that if that outbreak were to occur, it would not take very long to run out of (hospital) beds and to run out of personal protective equipment.”
Western South Dakota has seen less of the virus than other parts of the state so far, with 518 confirmed cases and 16 deaths in Pennington County, where Mount Rushmore is locat-ed. But Monument Health, which runs the largest hospital in the region, is preparing for a surge in cases due to the the influx of tourists, said Dr. Shan-kar Kurra, the vice-presi-dent of medical affairs at Monument Health.
The pandemic isn’t the only thing that has some locals concerned. Several former officials who oversaw the wildfire
danger at Mount Rush-more have spoken out against the pyrotechnics display. Fireworks displays were canceled after 2009 because a mountain pine beetle infestation had dried out trees near the memorial and in the national forest that surrounds it.
“Some people are very excited about it, they were sad to see the fireworks end,” said Cheryl Schreir, who retired from serving as the Superintendent at Mount Rushmore Na-tional Memorial last year. “But the people who truly understand the preservation and protection understand that this is not a good idea to light fireworks in the middle of a forest.”
Schreir said that testing by the National Park Service has also revealed that drinking water at the memorial has high levels of perchlorate, a chemical found in fireworks.
House approves infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-con-trolled House approved a $1.5 trillion plan Wednes-day to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into projects to fix roads and bridges, upgrade transit systems, expand interstate railways and dredge har-bors, ports and channels.
The bill also authorizes more than $100 billion to expand internet access for rural and low-income com-munities and $25 billion to modernize the U.S. Postal Service’s infrastructure and operations, including a fleet of electric vehicles.
Lawmakers approved the Moving Forward Act by a 233-188 vote, mostly along party lines. It now goes to the Repub-lican-controlled Senate, where a much narrower bill approved by a key committee has languished for nearly a year. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not attempted to schedule a floor debate and none appears forthcoming.
The idea of “Infra-structure Week” in the Trump era has become a long-running inside joke in Washington because there was little action to show for it. Still, Wednesday’s vote represented at least a faint signal of momentum for the kind of program that has traditionally held bipartisan appeal.
Democrats hailed the House bill, which goes far beyond transportation to fund schools, health care facilities, public utilities and affordable housing.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a sponsor of the leg-islation, called it a “trans-formational investment in American infrastructure that will create millions of jobs.”
Republicans ridiculed the bill for what they called a Green New Deal-style focus on climate.
“Instead of seeking bi-partisan solutions, this bill adds $1.5 trillion to the na-
tion’s debt and disguises a heavy-handed and unwork-able Green New Deal re-gime of new requirements as an ‘infrastructure bill,’” said Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, the top Republican on the transportation panel.
Graves blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats for turn-ing what has traditionally been a bipartisan issue in Congress — infrastructure — into what he called “a partisan wish list.”
Republicans scored a rare procedural victo-ry, winning approval of an amendment to block money from the bill going to Chinese state-owned enterprises or companies responsible for building internment camps for the nation’s Uighur minority.
The White House promised a veto if the measure reaches the president’s desk. In a statement this week, the White House said the bill “is heavily biased against rural America,’’ is based on debt financing and ”fails to tackle the issue of unnecessary permitting delays” that have long impeded infrastructure projects.
President Donald Trump has frequently declared his support for infrastruc-ture projects and pledged during the 2016 campaign to spend at least $1 trillion to improve infrastructure. Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly called for enactment of an infrastruc-ture package — but those efforts have failed to result in legislation.
Hopes were dashed last year when Trump said he wouldn’t deal with Dem-ocrats if they continued to investigate him. The House later impeached him.
Trump said after signing a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that low in-terest rates made it a good time to borrow money to pay for an infrastructure bill. No formal proposal has emerged, although the White House has suggest-ed the next virus response bill could include an infra-structure component.
Oregon House speaker slams Portland police use of tear gas
PORTLAND (AP) — More than two dozen protesters were arrested on charges including disor-derly conduct, interfering with a police officer, riot and assault on a police officer during protests that stretched into the early morning hours of Wednes-day, Portland police said.
Authorities said pro-testers threw cans, water bottles, fireworks and “baseball-sized rocks” at police, which prompted officers in riot gear to chase them away with tear gas after declaring a riot. Some demonstrators disputed the police charac-terization in Twitter posts and said officers seemed to react much faster and more aggressively than at past protests.
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek condemned the police response — and the use of tear gas — on Wednesday. In a strongly
worded letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler, Kotek called the officers’ actions “unac-ceptable.” The protesters had been gathering near the police officers’ union headquarters when the conflicts broke out.
‘”It was an unnecessary escalation by the PPB against people exercising their freedom of assembly and freedom of speech,” Kotek said. “It showed an utter inability to exercise restraint. Smart policing is when an officer can differentiate a minor provocation from a serious threat. Nothing about this was smart.”
In a statement, Wheel-er said he appreciated Kotek’s input and said peaceful protests over the past month have “brought the community together in new and transformational ways.”
“We look forward to providing her a briefing so
that she has the benefit of the same information our team ... is operating with,” he said of Tuesday night’s events.
Newly appointed Police Chief Chuck Lovell, who is Black, defended the decision to declare a riot.
“Some have said we are only protecting an empty building and the force used was excessive,” he said in a statement Wednesday. “My response to that is we would have seen one building lit on fire in a neighborhood where a commercial build-ing fire could have led to residences being burned with families inside.”
The protests late Tuesday and into early Wednesday were in the same area where demon-strations late last week and on Monday night also es-calated into violence. Pro-testers have been targeting the North Precinct police
station and, last week, briefly set fire outside the building.
The police station is in a historically Black part of the city and many of the businesses in the same building as the police station are Black-owned. Wheeler and Lovell held a news conference last week with local business owners and community leaders condemning the protest-ers’ tactics.
Thousands of people have turned out every night for more than a month in the liberal Pacif-ic Northwest city since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
At its peak, 10,000 peo-ple marched every night to protest police brutality and racial injustice. In recent days, the protests have been smaller but have ended in violent clashes with police officers, most recently in North Portland.
Experts say protests didn’t significantly spread virus
NEW YORK (AP) — There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavi-rus infections, according to public health experts.
If the protests had driven an explosion in cases, ex-perts say, the jumps would have started to become apparent within two weeks — and perhaps as early as five days. But that didn’t happen in many cities with the largest protests, includ-ing New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washing-ton, D.C.
In what’s considered the first systematic look at the question, a team of econo-mists determined that only one of 13 cities involved in the earliest wave of pro-tests after Memorial Day had an increase that would fit the pattern.
It was Phoenix, where
experts say cases and hos-pitalizations surged after a decision by Gov. Doug Ducey to end Arizona’s stay-at-home order on May 15 and eased restrictions on businesses. Arizona residents who were cooped up for six weeks flooded Phoenix-area bar districts, ignoring social distancing guidelines.
In many cities, the protests actually seemed to lead to a net increase in social distancing, as more people who did not protest decided to stay off the streets, said that study’s lead author, Dhaval Dave of Bentley University.
“The large-scale protests can impact both the behav-ior of the protesters and the behavior of the non-pro-testers,” said Dave. The pa-per was released last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research, but has not been published by
a peer-reviewed journal.Drawing from data com-
piled by Johns Hopkins University, The Associated Press reviewed trends in daily reported cases in 22 U.S. cities with protests. It found post-protest increases in several cities — including Houston and Madison, Wisconsin — where experts say other factors were more likely the main drivers.
Health officials are still investigating case surges in different states, and more data may come in. But experts believe that if the protests did have a big impact on cases, stronger signs would be apparent now.
Floyd was killed on May 25 by a Minneapolis police officer who used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the ground. The killing of a Black man at the hands of a white officer touched off
protests around the United States. Coincidentally, some states had begun to lift social distancing restrictions in late May.
Dave and his colleagues counted protests over three weeks in 281 cities with populations of at least 100,000. Most had protests lasting more than three days, and many had pro-tests that had at least 1,000 participants.
It’s not clear how many protesters participated, let alone how many of them wore masks or got tested after. That may have varied from place to place.
Houston is among a number of Texas cities that have recently seen steep increases in cases and hospitalizations. Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the county health depart-ment, believes it was likely some cases could be traced to the protests.
Unemployment rate falls, new shutdowns underwayWASHINGTON (AP) —
U.S. unemployment fell to 11.1% in June as the econ-omy added a solid 4.8 mil-lion jobs, the government reported Thursday. But the job-market recovery may already be faltering because of a new round of closings and layoffs triggered by a resurgence of the corona-virus.
While the jobless rate was down from 13.3% in May, it is still at a Depres-sion-era level. And the
data was gathered during the second week of June, before a number of states began to reverse or suspend the reopenings of their economies to try to beat back the virus.
“This is a bit of a dated snapshot at this point,” said Jesse Edgerton, an econo-mist at J.P. Morgan Chase.
The news came as the number of confirmed in-fections per day in the U.S. soared to an all-time high of 50,700, more than doubling
over the past month, ac-cording to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
The spike, centered primarily in the South and West, has led states such as California, Texas, Arizona and Florida to re-close or otherwise clamp down again on bars, restaurants, movie theaters, beaches and swimming pools, throwing some workers out of a job for a second time.
President Donald Trump said the jobs report shows
the economy is “roaring back,” though he acknowl-edged there are still areas where “we’re putting out the flames” of the virus.
The job losses over the past two weeks will be reflected in the July unemployment report, to be released in early August.
While the job market improved for a second straight month, the Labor Department report showed that the U.S. remains far short of regaining the
colossal losses it suffered this spring. It has recouped roughly one-third of the 22 million jobs lost.
The re-closings are keeping layoffs elevated: The number of Americans who sought unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week to 1.47 million, according to a separate report. Though the weekly figure has declined steadily since peaking in March, it is still extraordinarily high by historic standards.
And the total number of people who are drawing jobless benefits remains at a sizable 19 million.
The number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits rose last week in Texas, Arizona and Tennes-see. Though the figure fell in California, it remained near 280,000. That’s more people than were seeking unemployment benefits in the entire country before the outbreak took hold in March.
eEditionEditionTHURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020 | theworldlink.com
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SPORTSSPORTS
NFL cuts preseason to two gamesARNIE STAPLETONAssociated Press
The NFL will cut its preseason in half and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train following a virtual offseason made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the de-cision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke Wednes-day on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t an-
nounced that the preseason will be cut from four games to two.
Players are still discussing with their union whether to ask for cancellation of all preseason games, according to two people familiar with their thinking. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision hasn’t been made.
The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering
together for the first time when training camps open July 28.
Minus the usual minicamps, on-field practices and in-person weight training from April to June, players’ conditioning won’t be what it normally is. So, elimi-nating the first week of preseason games Aug. 13-16 will give them more time to ratchet up their football fitness.
Teams will now play exhibi-tions Aug. 20-24 and Aug. 27-31 during what were originally
the second and third weeks of exhibition play, with all 32 teams playing one home and one road game.
Most of those games will remain the same as originally scheduled, although some match-ups in that second slate will have to be changed so every team gets a game at home.
The exhibition finales on Sept. 3 were also scrapped, giving teams more time to get ready for the regular season, which opens Sept.
10 with Houston at Kansas City.There are no changes to the
regular season schedule.The league continues to
draw up protocols, not only for COVID-19 mitigation but for ramping up practices during the first few weeks of training camp.
The annual Hall of Fame Game pitting Pittsburgh and Dallas on Aug. 6 was recent-ly scrapped as the induction ceremonies were pushed back to 2021.
Thorns, Chicago play to scoreless draw
HERRIMAN, Utah (AP) — The Portland Thorns and the Chicago Red Stars played to a scoreless draw Wednesday in the group stage of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chal-lenge Cup tournament.
Portland dominated possession and outshot Chicago’s young lineup but couldn’t manage to score in the match played with-out fans in Herriman, Utah.
Rookie Morgan Weaver had a good chance for the Thorns in the 14th minute but Chicago goalkeep-er Emily Boyd got a hand on it and pushed it over the net. Raquel Rodriguez also had a shot from distance go just wide after coming in off the bench in the second half.
Chicago’s Savannah Mc-Caskill had a free kick in the 85th minute that went wide.
The game was the second of the tournament for both teams. The Red Stars swapped out their lineup from the opener, with key players including Julie Ertz, Alys-sa Naeher, Kealia Watt and Yuki Nagasato all on the bench. Red Stars coach Rory Dames has said he wants to give young players experience during the tournament.
Boyd replaced Naeher in goal to start the game and Cassie Miller was subbed in for the second half.
The Thorns were without Becky Sauerbrunn, who had played in the opener, because of a hip injury. Portland is also without goalkeeper Adrianna Franch for the duration of the tournament because of a knee injury. Tobin Heath opted not to play in the Challenge Cup.
Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby has started in goal for the Thorns in both games.
The Thorns lost the tourna-ment opener Saturday to the defending champion North Caro-lina Courage, 2-1. The Red Stars fell to the Washington Spirit 2-1 in their opener.
All eight teams participating in the tournament play four group stage matches to determine seeding for the quarterfinals. The league’s ninth team, the Orlan-do Pride, withdrew because of positive COVID-19 tests.
The NWSL is the first profes-sional team sports league in the United States to return to play amid the coronavirus pandemic. The teams were in training camp when the league shut down on March 12.
COURAGE 2, SPIRIT 0: Lynn Williams scored twice to help the North Carolina Courage beat the Washington Spirit 2-0 on Wednesday night in the NWSL’s Challenge Cup tournament.
Williams has three goals in the tournament for the two-time defending league champions, considered the Challenge Cup favorites.
Williams put North Carolina in front in the 50th minute, then added a second goal in the 61st at Zions Bank Stadium.
76ers stars should be ready for restart
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says All-Star guard Ben Simmons is “good to go” for the NBA restart after sitting out the final games before the shutdown with a back injury.
Brown, whose contract runs through 2021-22, also expected fellow All-Star Joel Embiid to start the season in the best shape of his professional career.
The Sixers need their franchise stars at full strength if one of the early favorites to win the East Conference can shake off both an ordinary regular season (39-26; 6th in the East) and a nearly five-month layoff to return contenders for their first NBA championship since 1983.
The 23-year-old Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve issues in his lower back when the season stopped. Embiid was recovering from surgery on his left hand and had just returned after missing five games with a sprained left shoulder at the time of the shut-down.
“I’m looking for Joel to come in as good a shape as he has been in since I have coached him,” Brown said Wednesday.
Simmons, who averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 54 games, was hurt in a Feb. 22 game at Milwaukee. He vomited because of the pain and there was no guarantee he would have been ready for the playoffs had the season not been suspend-ed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Simmons, the league leader in steals, worked out and played pickup games with LeBron James -- and videos of the two showed both stars playing without mask. Simmons’ trainer, Chris Johnson, posted video two weeks ago of a shirtless Sim-mons shooting and dunking.
“He’s good to go. He’s put in a tremendous amount of work for me to be able to confidently say that,” Brown said. “I think when you search for silver linings with this pandemic and the way things have shaped up, it would be hard-pressed for me to find something more obvious than this. It’s enabled Ben to reclaim his health. But I think ‘inching along’ from maybe a month ago, that is not true.”
Embiid has been riddled with injuries since he was drafted with the No. 3 pick of the 2014 draft. Embiid, averaging 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds, has never played more than 64 games in a season. He was hindered by illness and knee injuries during last season’s playoff run, and the Sixers worked this season to balance his minutes with the proper amount of rest.
The Sixers signed the 25-year-old Embiid, a native of Camer-oon, to a $148 million, five-year extension that kicked in at the start of the 2018-19 season.
It’s about time for the big man to deliver when the NBA re-sumes July 30 at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Florida.
Utah coordinator will keep jobSALT LAKE CITY (AP)
— Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will remain on staff but will take a pay cut and must undergo diversity training after being suspended for using a racial slur in a 2013 text message.
Utah announced Wednesday that Scalley will participate in diversity and inclusion education and have his salary cut from $1.1 million to $525,000.
His contract also was trimmed from a multiyear deal, which he signed last year, to a one-year deal, and he will no longer be the designated head coach in waiting.
“This is a very significant matter,” Utah athletic director Mike Harlan said during a video call. “We are in charge of young people, we’re in charge of their development and our behavior as
leaders always counts. Obvious-ly, the consequences that are here are significant because the matter is significant.”
Scalley was suspended last month when his use of a racial slur in a text message was posted on social media. Scalley issued a public apology for using the slur and Utah hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation.
The review by Husch Blackwell included interviews with 35 cur-rent and former Utes student-ath-letes, coaches and staff members. It found that nearly everyone who was interviewed described being “shocked” when learning Scalley used a racial slur and numerous student-athletes said they did not view Scalley as racist.
It also found several stu-dent-athletes reported Scalley making comments about their
hair, appearance or clothing that they believed implicated racial stereotypes. Scalley denied treat-ing any of his player differently due to race.
“I’m particularly mindful of the young men of color whom I have had the blessing of coaching,” Scal-ley said after needing a few seconds to compose himself. “I understand that my insensitivity and extreme lack of judgement have caused some, if not all of you, to lose trust and faith in me. I sincerely hope that you will give me the opportuni-ty to gain that trust back.”
Scalley has been an assistant at Utah for 13 years, the past five as defensive coordinator.
The school will redirect $100,000 previously slated as part of Scalley’s compensation to enhance a university anti-hate student-athlete forum.
Cardinals replace Yanks in Field of Dreams gameNEW YORK (AP) —
The St. Louis Cardinals have replaced the New York Yankees as the op-ponent for the Chicago White Sox in the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13 at Dyersville, Iowa.
The schedule change caused by the new coronavirus pandemic meant the White Sox no longer play the Yankees this season. The new op-ponent, first reported by The Des Moines Reg-ister, was confirmed to The Associated Press by
a person familiar with the arrangements who spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the matchup has not been announced.
Major League Baseball hopes to announce its new schedule next week. Each team will play 60 games, 40 against divi-sion rivals and 20 against teams in the correspond-ing regional division in the other league.
“We hope to have the option to play,” MLB said in a state-
ment. “Construction is continuing and we are following all CDC and state protocols regarding recommended safety practices, including so-cial distancing, washing hands, and temperature checks before arriving to the site.”
It remains unclear whether fans would be allowed at the game, which is to be televised nationally by Fox.
“We are monitoring ongoing events and plan to remain as flexible
as these circumstances demand,” MLB said.
A temporary 8,000-seat stadium is nearing completion at the site, about 200 miles west of Chicago, adjacent to where the movie was filmed on a diamond in a cornfield. This would be the first major league game played in Iowa.
The movie, released in 1989, starred Kevin Costner, Amy Madi-gan, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster and Ray Liotta.
Turning the corner
John Gunther, The World
Steve Dubisar of Coquille takes a corner during racing at Coos Bay Speedway on Sunday. Dubisar won the Street Stocks division at a special night of racing at the speedway Wednesday that also featured the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and winged sprints. Griff Smith of Bandon won the Junior Stingers division. See Saturday’s print edition of The World for complete results from Wednesday’s races, as well as both days of racing last weekend.
French Open will allow fans in SeptemberPARIS (AP) — The French Open will allow fans
to attend this year’s postponed tournament.The French Tennis Federation said Thursday up
to 60% of the stands can be filled with fans when play starts in September at Roland Garros.
Tickets will go on sale on July 16 for the Sept. 27-Oct. Oct. 11 tournament.
The clay-court tournament had been scheduled to start on May 24 but was postponed to Sept. 20 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It then got pushed back another week.
The FFT has prepared a health and safety proto-
col to ensure the safety of fans. No more than four people can sit together in one group and there must also be one chair left empty between each mini-group of people in the same row.
“The number of spectators allowed in the sta-dium will be 50%-60% of the usual capacity,” the FFT said. “This reduction will allow strict distanc-ing measures to be respected.”
Wearing masks is recommended but will not be obligatory when fans line up outside or sit in the stands, but must be worn when fans are moving around inside the grounds.
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Black activists plan virtual national convention NEW YORK (AP) — Spurred
by broad public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, thousands of Black activists from across the U.S. will hold a virtual convention in August to produce a new political agenda that seeks to build on the success of the protests that followed George Floyd’s death.
The 2020 Black National Con-vention will take place Aug. 28 via a live broadcast. It will fea-ture conversations, performances and other events designed to develop a set of demands ahead of the November general elec-tion, according to a Wednesday announcement shared first with The Associated Press.
The convention is being or-ganized by the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations. In 2016, the coalition released its “Vision for Black Lives” platform, which called for public divestment from mass incarceration and for adop-tion of policies that can improve conditions in Black America.
“What this convention will do
is create a Black liberation agen-da that is not a duplication of the Vision for Black Lives, but really is rooted as a set of demands for progress,” said Jessica Byrd, who leads the Electoral Justice Project.
At the end of the convention, participants will ratify a revised platform that will serve as a set of demands for the first 100 days of a new presidential administra-tion, Byrd said. Participants also will have access to model state and local legislation.
“What we have the opportu-nity to do now, as this 50-state rebellion has provided the conditions for change, is to say, ‘You need to take action right this minute,’” Byrd said. “We’re going to set the benchmarks for what we believe progress is and make those known locally and federally.”
Wednesday’s announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the BLM movement. A surge in public support, an influx in do-nations and congressional action to reform policing have drawn some backlash.
President Donald Trump
lashed out again Wednesday on Twitter over plans to paint “Black Lives Matter” in yellow across New York City’s famed Fifth Avenue, calling the words a “symbol of hate.” White House press secretary Kayleigh McE-nany said Trump “agrees that all Black lives matter” but disagrees with an organization that would make derogatory statements about police officers. McEnany was referring to an oft-cited chant of individual protesters from five years ago.
The Black National Conven-tion was originally planned to happen in person, in Detroit, the nation’s Blackest major city. But as the coronavirus pandemic exploded in March, organizers quickly shifted to a virtual event, Byrd said. The first-ever Black Lives Matter convention was held in Cleveland in 2015.
The most recent AP analysis of COVID-19 data shows Black people have made up more than a quarter of reported virus deaths in which the race of the victim is known.
Initial work to shape the new
platform will take place Aug. 6 and 7, during a smaller so-called People’s Convention that will virtually convene hundreds of delegates from Black-led advo-cacy groups. The process will be similar to one that produced the first platform, which included early iterations of the demand to defund police that now drives many demonstrations.
Other platform demands, such as ending cash bail, reducing pretrial detention and scrapping discriminatory risk-assessment tools used in criminal courts, have become official policy in a handful of local criminal justice systems around the U.S.
Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which orga-nizes in 15 states, said the 2020 Black National Convention will deepen the solutions to systemic racism and create more align-ment within the movement.
“We’re in this stage now where we’re getting more specific about how all of this is connected to our local organiz-ing,” Albright said. “The hope is that, when people leave the
convention, they leave with greater clarity, more resources, connectivity and energy.”
The coalition behind the convention includes Color of Change, BYP100, Dream De-fenders and the Black Lives Mat-ter Global Network, which has 16 official chapters nationwide.
Convention organizers said this year’s event will pay tribute to the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, which concluded with the introduction of a nation-al Black agenda. The Gary gath-ering included prominent Black leaders such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, who ran for president, as well as Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz.
That convention came after several tumultuous years that included the assassinations of Malcolm X and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and outbreaks of civil unrest, all of which were seen as blows to the civil rights movement.
Appeals court clears way for book by Trump’s nieceNEW YORK (AP) — A
New York appeals court cleared the way Wednes-day for a publisher to distribute a tell-all book by President Donald Trump’s niece over the objections of the president’s brother.
The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division said it was lifting a temporary restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that sought to block distribution of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
Although the book was scheduled to be published on July 28, Simon & Schuster said thousands of copies of the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to book-stores and others.
The appeals ruling, written by Judge Alan D. Scheinkman, left in place restraints against
Mary Trump, the book’s author and the president’s niece, after the president’s brother, Robert Trump, said she agreed with family members not to write about their relationships without permission.
Robert Trump had sued Mary Trump to block publi-cation of a book promoted to contain an “insider’s perspec-tive” of “countless holiday meals,” “family interactions” and “family events.”
An email seeking com-ment was sent to Robert Trump’s lawyer Wednesday. The appeals court noted it was ruling after hearing oral arguments from lawyers for Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster and before lawyers for Robert Trump submitted opposition papers.
Scheinkman left in place a restraint that blocked Mary Trump and any agent of hers from distributing the book, but the court made clear it was not
considering the publisher to be an agent, though that issue could be decided in further proceedings at the lower court.
“The evidence submitted is insufficient for this Court to determine whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed in establishing that claim,” the appeals court said in an opinion written by Judge Alan D. Scheinkman.
In court papers, the pub-lisher said it was not aware of an agreement between Mary Trump and her rela-tives until she was sued.
In a statement, Simon and Schuster said it was gratified with the ruling, which it said would let Mary Trump tell her story. The publisher said the book was of “great interest and importance to the na-tional discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the Amer-ican public.”
It added: “As all know,
there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publica-tion injunctions, and we remain confident that the preliminary injunction will be denied.”
Mary Trump’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous Jr., said in a statement it was “very good news that the prior restraint against Simon & Schuster has been vacated.” He added that he believed a similar finding was neces-sary for Mary Trump, “based on the First Amendment and basic contract law.”
In ruling, Scheinkman said people are free to negotiate away their First Amendment rights, especial-ly if they are compensated well, which Robert Trump maintains that she was.
But he noted that “while parties are free to enter into confidentiality agreements, courts are not necessarily obligated to specifically enforce them.”
Russian voters approve consitutional amendments
MOSCOW (AP) — Almost 78% of voters in Russia have approved amendments to the country’s constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036, Russian election officials said Thursday after all the votes were counted. Kremlin critics said the vote was rigged.
In the week-long bal-loting that concluded on Wednesday, 77.9% voted for the changes, and 21.3% voted against, with 100% of the precincts counted by Thursday morning, Russia’s Central Election Commission said. The turnout exceed-ed 64%, according to officials.
The reported numbers reflect the highest level of voter support for Putin in ten years. In the 2018
presidential election, 76.7% of voters support-ed his candidacy, while in the 2012 election only 63.6% did.
But Kremlin critics say the numbers alone show they are false, with an unrealistic approval rat-ing for the Russian leader amid wide frustration in the country over declin-ing living standards.
“A record in falsifying votes has been set in Rus-sia,” opposition politician Alexei Navalny said in a Facebook post on Thurs-day. “The announced result has nothing whatsoever to do with the people’s opinion.”
Putin’s approval rating was at 59% in May, according to the Leva-da Center, Russia’s top independent pollster. That was the lowest in two decades.
