TONY AWARDS
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MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014
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Summer wind whips up fire concerns A small grass fire can become a major problem for firefighters, particularly as winds increase ■
BY TIM NOVOTNY The World
By Lou Sennick, The World
The valedictorians and salutatorian at North Bend High School graduation take a selfie Friday evening. Chelsea Samora was giving her speech on things to do so you do not succeed. She and Natalie Canavan and Noah Langlie turned in unison with their cell phones for a selfie.
Big weekend for graduates
COOS BAY — Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a fire burning less than a quarter of an acre in Coos Bay’s Eastside district Friday. While it was quickly taken care of, it served as a reminder that fire season is coming soon, and that even outside of fire season a small blaze can grow dangerously fast. At about 2 p.m. crews from Coos Forest Protective Association and Coos Bay Fire were called out to a report of a wildfire. The East Bay Drive blaze only burned an area of about 80 feet by 100 feet, but officials say it could have gotten out of hand without an immediate response by firefighters. John Flannigan, the prevention specialist for the Coos Forest Protective Association, said the cause of the fire won’t be known for sure until the investigation is complete, but there has been some burning done recently on the property where the fire occurred. He said the landowner also had reportedly had been SEE FIRE | A8
NB will review ‘controversial issues’ policy BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
By Lou Sennick, The World By Alysha Beck, The World
Myrtle Point co-valedictorian Scarlet Celestino and fellow 2014 graduates turn their tassels at the end of the commencement ceremony Saturday. The Bulldog graduating Class of 2014 stands up and applaud their commencement speaker, Sarah Helland, on Friday evening. By Lou Sennick, The World
See the photo galleries for all the weekend high school graduations online at theworldlink.com/gallery
State can pay legal bills for Cover Oregon officials
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employees are eligible to have their legal fees covered if the actions under investigation were related to their job, said Matt Shelby, a spokesman for the Department of Administrative Services. He said the new policy also will allow the state to recover its costs if the employee is SEE BILLS | A8
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BY CALVIN WOODWARD The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — We never leave troops behind. We don’t negotiate with terrorists. Those core U.S. commitments, to the soldier, the country and the world, came into conflict when Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl fell into the hands of the Taliban and the government saw only one way to get him back: in essence, make a deal with terrorists. The debate over Bergdahl rages
on multiple fronts, touching on whether the U.S. came out on the short end in a bargain that freed five Taliban captives, whether the soldier who walked away from his post was disloyal to country, whether adversaries will see more gain in capturing Americans, whether the administration was justified in acting without notice to Congress, and more. What’s clear in the complexities is that the age-old vow to retrieve the captured or the fallen proved more potent than the refusal to
Crash injures comedian
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SALEM (AP) — The state of Oregon may pick up legal bills for current and former employees who face a criminal investigation over the failure of the state’s health insurance enrollment website, Cover Oregon. The state policy on legal fees was recently updated to say that both current and former
Bergdahl return causes values clash
Former Saturday Night Live comedian Tracy Morgan was injured when a WalMart truck slammed into the limo he was riding in. Page A7
FORECAST
A cap and photograph of Natalie Hill sits in the front row of graduates next to Krista Edwards and Elyse Trendell on Saturday evening at Marshfield High School. Hill, part of the Class of 2014, died in October after battling cancer. In honor of her memory, her family was given her honorary diploma during the ceremonies.
NORTH BEND — “The Bluest Eye” is back on the table. The North Bend school board will review the “Studying Controversial Issues and Procedures” policy at its 7 p.m. meeting Monday in North Bend City Council chambers, 835 California St. Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” was originally pulled from North Bend High’s American Connections class last month. School administration said the book was pulled since the policy wasn’t followed, while Scott Peters — who teaches the course alongside Dustin Hood — and his students counter it was due to the book’s controversial content, which includes racism, incest and child molestation. While the policy wasn’t followed, administration did approve the purchase of the books at the beginning of the school year. North Bend High alumnus Dion MacDonald launched an online petition following the book’s removal, asking for it to be reinstated to the curriculum. The petition had gained 1,300 signatures as of this weekend. Reporter Chelsea Davis can be reached at 541-269ext. 239, or by email at 1222, chelsea.davis@theworldlink.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ChelseaLeeDavis.
make deals with those who don’t fight by the rules. Each ethos runs deep in the American conscience, yet has been violated through history, notably in the age of terrorism, where traditional standards of warfare, spying and negotiating are run through a hall of mirrors. Bergdahl and the five Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainees traded for his freedom were captives in an undeclared,
Partly sunny 62/50 Weather | A8
SEE BERGDAHL | A8