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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014
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NB is latest city with pot dispensary moratorium BY TIM NOVOTNY The World
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Photos by Thomas Moriarty, The World
Confederated Tribes Police Officer Colin Roberson checks on a burglar alarm activation in Coos Bay during a recent patrol shift. In 2011, Oregon Senate Bill 412 extended statewide law enforcement powers to most tribal police officers. Below, an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun stand locked in an electronic rack in Roberson's patrol vehicle. Roberson trains with the county's interagency SWAT team on a monthly basis.
TRIBAL LAW Confederated Tribes police dispense justice on and off the reservation BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
The woman’s story was one Tribal Police Officer Colin Roberson had heard many times before. During the middle of the night, someone had kicked in her front door in what appeared to be an attempted burglary. The woman, a resident of the Qaxas Reservation of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, gave Roberson the name of a man she thought was involved, along with a vehicle description. Roberson told the woman he would look into it. As he checked the man’s name and address with dispatchers, the officer quickly realized this was one case that was going to lead him off the reservation. Prior to 2011, tribal police officers like Roberson had no official power to pursue and arrest suspects outside of tribal lands. But in the wake of Oregon Senate Bill 412, which granted certified tribal police officers statewide law enforcement powers, tribal police departments have seen both their law enforcement abilities and working relationships with local agencies grow significantly.
Small department, large responsibilities Roberson, a member of the Siuslaw Tribe from the Florence area, was a Federal Reserve police officer and federal security contractor before joining the tribes' department. He and his partner, Officer Pete Knowlton, have responsibilities ranging as far north as Florence, where the department is based, but Roberson spends most of his time working out
of the tribes’ administrative offices in Coos Bay. The Confederated Tribes have approximately 1,200 enrolled members, roughly a third of which live in Coos County. The bulk of the local housing owned by the tribes is located on Coos Bay’s Radar Hill and the Qaxas Reservation in North Bend, but Roberson said tribal members live throughout the county, giving him a patrol area nearly as large as that of sheriff’s deputies. Roberson said he was surprised — and happy — the victim in the attempted burglary had called the police. He’s been working with several troubled families living at the development since he started with the department 3 years ago. “Some of these people have turned their lives around, others have gone the other way,” he said. “I just try to remain a source of support for them.” Roberson asked dispatchers if the attempted burglary suspect — a “frequent flyer” with local law enforcement — had any known associates listed in the system. He did: 123 of them. Roberson figured his best bet would be to look for the suspect at his last
NORTH BEND — On the heels of similar decisions by the city council’s of Coos Bay and Bandon, North Bend is tapping the breaks on medical marijuana dispensaries; at least until they get their zoning ducks in a row. On Tuesday night, the council voted 5-1 to impose a moratorium on “the acceptance and processing of applications” for permits related to opening a medical marijuana dispensary within the city. Councilman Larry Garboden was the lone dissenting vote against a moratorium. It will be in place for six months, with the option to invoke no more than two extensions of six months each. City Administrator Terence O’Connor says they are going to use that time to work on issues such as zoning codes. “We recognize that the voters passed a law to have these dispensaries,” O’Connor said. “We just hope the state legislature will allow local governments to have a say in where they go.” House Bill 3460 was signed into law in 2013. It authorizes the siting and operation of marijuana dispensaries for medicinal uses, no earlier than March 1. According to city documents, Mike Mullins, with Stoney SEE NORTH BEND | A8
Reconfiguration begins in Coquille BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
COQUILLE — There’s no turning back from reconfiguration now: staffing cuts have been approved and crews are readying buildings for the shuffle of students and teachers. The Coquille School District is cutting nearly $300,000 as it begins a shift to three new schools, which were officially named at Wednesday’s school board meeting: ■ Coquille Junior-Senior High (grades 7-12). ■ Coquille Valley Elementary (grades 1-6). ■ Lincoln School of Early Learning (serving children ages 35, pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten and Head Start). ■ Winter Lakes School (Winter Lakes High and Winter Lakes Virtual Academy will be combined). Cuts include four educational assistants, $70,000 from district office staffing (one clerical position and one staff member), one half-time maintenance position and one retiring custodian (the district won’t fill the position). The district will also partner with the Myrtle Point school district for special needs services, saving Coquille another $30,000. Superintendent Tim Sweeney said this realignment will streamline staff. For example, he said the 19 special needs students at the high school don’t require a “dedicated special education teacher.” Rather, one teacher will oversee special needs students in grades 7-12 and the high school’s current special needs teacher will become a full-day kindergarten teacher at Lincoln.
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SEE COQUILLE | A8
Poll finds Valentine’s bliss outweighs dread
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their partnerships have serious problems. All told, 68 percent of Americans are in committed relationships of some kind, and 11 percent aren’t currently coupled but would like to be. Seventeen percent say they aren’t seeking a relationship. In this love-struck society, Valentine’s Day holds strong appeal. About 6 in 10 say they’re excited about Feb. 14, while a third
James Collins, Coquille Jayden Wright, Coos Bay Betty Dyer, Coos Bay Donald Queen, Bandon
Obituaries | A5
say they feel more dread about the approaching onslaught of candy, flowers and dimly lit restaurants. Apprehension isn’t limited to the lonely: Even 11 percent of those who say they are in a great relationship dread Valentine’s Day. Contrary to stereotypes, men are just as excited as women about Valentine’s Day. In a more expected finding, men are more likely than women to say they’re hoping for sex as a gift Friday (10 percent
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WASHINGTON — Unsure what to get your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Nothing is the wrong answer. An Associated Press-WE tv survey found only 17 percent of adults in committed relationships say they don’t want a gift this Friday or are skipping the holiday. Flowers and candy top the list of
preferred gifts. But there are those who want something pricey like a car, jewelry or a vacation, and others who’d be fine with a teddy bear. About a third say they’d most like to have intangibles such as time together, health or happiness. Overall, the survey found that Cupid’s arrow hits the target for most Americans. Two-thirds of paired-off adults feel their relationships are perfect or nearly so. A scant 3 percent think
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among men, 1 percent among women). Women are more apt to wish for flowers (19 percent vs. 1 percent among men). The survey found no significant gender differences on jewelry, chocolate or teddy bears. A notable generational divide emerged on the gift front: Americans age 65 or older are more likely to say they’d like a card or SEE BLISS | A8
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