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Defense chief steps down in Ukraine, A7
Blazers’ rally falls just short, B1
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
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Global politics of LNG exports BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
COOS BAY — The Jordan Cove Energy Project has become one piece of the United States’ political strategy to punish Russia for annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, political analysts say. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy conditionally authorized Jordan Cove to export up to 800 million standard cubic feet of liquefied natural gas per day for 20 years to non-Free Trade Agreement countries. In the last week, President
Barack Obama has been pushed from both parties to fast-track approval of LNG export facilities — particularly those on DOE’s nonFTA list — to weaken Russia’s stronghold on eastern Europe and Ukraine’s natural gas market. But no matter how fast these facilities receive approval, most will still take years to build and become operational. Jordan Cove is slated to start construction the beginning of next year (should it get all of its permits), but it wouldn’t be up and running until 2019. And its parent, Canadian energy company Veresen Inc., still has to
make its final decision whether to build the $7.7 billion facility. House Speaker John Boehner asked Obama to “do everything possible to use American energy to reduce the dependency on Russia for our friends in Europe and around the globe,” according to AP reports. On Monday afternoon, Obama and Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan’s leaders kicked Russia out of the Group of 8, canceling the G8 annual summit in June in Sochi. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Russia President Vladimir Putin has violated international law, though he
doesn’t expect the G8 will disband for good. “The door is open to Russia to deescalate the situation,” Rhodes said. Now that Jordan Cove got the DOE’s green light, 24 other LNG export facilities are on deck for approval. But this “hurry up and wait” scenario will have minimal impact on the Russian and European market today, political analysts say. “To leverage natural gas for geopolitical impact, Washington would need to compel energy firms to direct exports to or invest in specific countries,” according to a
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March 7 analysis by geopolitical intelligence firm Stratfor. “LNG export terminals are expensive, so attracting investment in them requires a promise of high returns. Natural gas companies can thus be expected to resist diverting LNG away from the most profitable destinations. For example, the Asian market for LNG is more lucrative for exports than Eastern Europe, where Russia can undercut U.S. prices. Already much of the industry’s export capacity has been sold in long-term contracts to Asian SEE LNG | A8
Coquille man sentenced in sexual assault BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
Photos by Lou Sennick, The World
On the front page of the Coos Bay Times, Sept. 27, 1912, a short story told of the accidental death of John M. Rylander being killed in a logging accident the day before. He was buried in the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery in an unmarked grave. Now, with the help of two grandchildren, Rylander got his headstone Monday, 102 years later. Four family members, along with See related video Crickett Soules, gathered at the online at cemetery Monday morning as theworldlink.com the new headstone was installed by Chris Boynton and Sean Chase of Oregon Granite Monument and Memorials. His grandson Richard Blide said the family “knew he was someplace here” in Coos Bay. The grave site is near the front gate of the cemetery next to Marshfield High School’s gym.
COQUILLE — A Coquille man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for sexually assaulting a 7-yearold girl this summer. In a hearing Monday morning, Judge Richard Barron sentenced Richard J. Sanderlin to 300 months in prison for first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse. Under Measure 11 sentencing guidelines, he won’t be eligible for parole, sentence alternatives or reductions for good behavior. Sanderlin Sanderlin was convicted March 5 after a bench trial, having waived his right to a jury during a much-delayed pre-trial process. “The incident occurred at some date prior to the end of July,” said Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier. “The little girl told her dad what happened, and he confronted (Sanderlin) about it.” Sanderlin admitted the abuse to the girl’s father. Eventually, Frasier said, Sanderlin became depressed and contacted Coos County Mental Health. The mental health department, in turn, referred him to Bay Area Hospital. Both medical providers were alarmed by Sanderlin’s admissions that he had molested the girl, and, under state law, were required to report the abuse. Coos County sheriff’s deputies later arrested Sanderlin at the hospital. Sanderlin’s attorney, Ron Cox, had asked Barron to take Sanderlin’s health under consideration prior to sentencing, saying that a stroke prior to the assault had altered his judgment. Sanderlin’s son also said the stroke had worsened his father’s judgment. Barron told Cox that even if he was inclined to take Sanderlin’s mental capacity into account — a defense that hadn’t been enough to prevent his conviction — SEE SANDERLIN | A8
Justices tackle health law birth control coverage
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companies’ supporters chanted, “My faith, my business.” The justices have never before held that profit-making businesses have religious rights. But the companies in the Supreme Court case and their backers argue that a 1993 federal law on religious freedom extends to businesses as well as individuals. Under the new health care law, health plans must offer a range of preventive services at no extra charge, including all forms of birth control for women that have been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Some of the nearly 50 businesses that have sued over covering contraceptives object to paying for all forms of birth control. But the companies involved in the high court case are willing to cover most methods of contraception, as long as they can exclude drugs or devices that the government says may work after an egg has been fertilized. The largest company among them is Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.,
More fatalities Claudia Skubon, Coos Bay Waunetta Cook, Bandon Jerry Mitchell, La Pine
Obituaries | A5
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Searchers pulled six more bodies out of a huge mudslide in Washington. The lastest deaths put the total at 14. Page A5
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an Oklahoma City-based chain of more than 600 crafts stores in 41 states with more than 15,000 fulltime employees. The company is owned by the Green family, evangelical Christians who say they run their business on biblical principles. The Greens also own the Mardel chain of Christian bookstores. The other company is Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. of East Earl, Pa. The business is owned by SEE JUSTICES | A8
Rain 57/46 Weather | A8
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WASHINGTON — Supreme Court justices are weighing whether corporations have religious rights that exempt them from part of the new health care law that requires coverage of birth control for employees at no extra charge. The case being argued at the Supreme Court on Tuesday involves family-owned companies that provide health insurance to their employees, but object to cov-
ering certain methods of birth control that they say can work after conception, in violation of their religious beliefs. The Obama administration and its supporters say a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the businesses also could undermine laws governing immunizations, Social Security taxes and minimum wages. Protesters on both sides gathered outside the court Tuesday as light snow fell on Washington. “Back off, boss,” went one refrain from administration backers. The
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