TOUGH NIGHT
LEBANON UNREST
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2013
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Police release sketch of explosives suspect Police sketch
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Board OKs company to spray mosquitoes BY EMILY THORNTON The World
Photos by Alysha Beck, The World
FBI personnel wearing protective clothing enter the Coos Bay Prayer Chapel Wednesday to collect evidence after an attempted bombing Tuesday evening.
Religious sites have been targeted BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
COOS BAY — For more than a decade, The Prayer Chapel stood on the corner of Coos Bay’s Second Street and Commercial Avenue as a silent refuge for the faithful, the doubtful and the lost. O n Tuesday night, See the video online at someone tried to theworldlink.com shatter that silence. Firefighters responding to a reported structure fire just before 5 p.m. discovered an improvised explosive device inside the chapel. Police quickly sealed off surrounding blocks, and called in Oregon State Police explo-
in two weeks. In the late hours of Aug. 22, There’s been a Bible study going on in persons unknown detonated improvised explosive device there one night a week for the past five or an at the base of the Mingus Park six years. It’s been a homeless shelter. I Vietnam War Memorial. The blast rattled police disguess people put bombs in it now, too. patchers a mere four blocks Steve Plinski away inside Coos Bay City Hall. Creator of the prayer chapel The memorial had been at the center of controversy since March, when the city sives specialists from Central neighboring streets. announced it had received a Point. By Friday, police had letter from attorneys from the State police in turn called in released an artist’s rendering Freedom From Religion Founthe FBI. of their person of interest — a dation. By 9:40 p.m., bomb techs short, middle-aged man with a The foundation has claimed were making trips into the shaved head. the cross atop the memorial is chapel wearing a protective unconstitutional, and is suit and carrying thermal The other bomb demanding its removal. The attempted bombing imaging equipment. After a heated public meetIt took slightly over an hour was the second criminal for law enforcement officers to explosives case the Coos Bay disarm the device and reopen Police Department has opened SEE CHAPEL | A8
COQUILLE — Coos County Commissioners on Friday approved Vector Disease Control International to conduct aerial spraying over Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas. Nikki Zogg, administrator for the Coos County Public Health Department, said she contacted five contractors and only received the bid from VDCI. The county only had to contact three contractors. The contract will allow the county to back out if it decides the chemicals are too harmful. Spraying will begin as soon as VDCI can get their equipment ready and the county can get another permit from the Department of Environmental Quality. Hopefully, they will spray Tuesday or Wednesday, officials said. The cost will be about $28,156.88 for the MetaLarv and $23,160 at the most for the Dibrome. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will handle all of the MetaLarv and part of the Dibrome cost. Chris Wiggins, resident of Bandon and code compliance specialist, said she was worried about the chemicals chosen for the abatement. "I don't oppose spraying," Wiggins said. "I'm just concerned how it will affect land use." The Port of Bandon said they will give $2,500 toward the cost. The county is also providing $5,000. The city of Bandon is giving $5,000 and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is donating $10,000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is footing the bill for the area over Bandon Marsh. Zogg and Wiggins suggested having a comSEE MOSQUITOES | A8
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Volunteer becomes new advocate
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Oregon State Police and FBI agents sort through evidence Wednesday after an attempted bombing at the Coos Bay Prayer Chapel on Tuesday evening.
BY EMILY THORNTON The World
COOS BAY — Marshall Pease said he didn’t have much to do, so volunteering seemed like a good idea. “I had some time on my hands and it looked like an opportunity to serve,” Pease CASA of Coos said. He recently County completed For more information or to voltraining and unteer, visit: was appointed http://www.orcca.us/programs/cas by a judge to be a.html or call: 541-824-0215. a court Department of appointed special advocate, Human Resources or CASA. To report child abuse or neglect, CASAs help call 541-756-5500 or 800-500-2730. children who are going through the court system because of abuse, neglect or other reasons. Advocates go to court with the child, review the child’s records, and basically follow every aspect of the child’s life. In 2011, the Oregon Department of Human Resources reported 763 cases of child abuse or neglect in Coos County. Of those, 190 were founded, 385 were unfounded, 147 were unable
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