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American Bridge is closing BY STEVE LINDSLEY The World
The rumored closure of American Bridge in Reedsport was confirmed Monday. Laura Roberts, a member of the Dislocated Worker Team of the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development left a message that the closure of the plant was confirmed. “We found out this morning that, indeed, it is happening today,” Roberts confirmed Monday in the message. The plant has 51 employees and those employees will get some help in looking for new work. “Our folks from Umpqua Training and Employment are on their way out there to talk to them,”
Roberts said. The closure of the plant had been rumored for more than a week. Nobody from the American Bridge corporate office or the New York office would return phone calls or emails, nor would anyone from the Reedsport plant. It’s not known if the closure affects the entire American Bridge Manufacturing or just the Reedsport plant. Reedsport Mayor Keith Tymchuk had also heard the rumors. “It is a loss to the Lower Umpqua Area … the great Reedsport area,” he said. “It’s a significant loss at that. From my perspective, what we’ve heard is rumor that a shutdown is impending, but I’m not sure what that date looks
like, whether it’s 60 days from now or whether it’s six days from now. I think some clarity from American Bridge would certainly be appreciated by all of us in the local area.” The company’s website had no mention of the closure. American Bridge described itself on its website as “a leading participant in the worldwide markets for the improvement and expansion of civil infrastructure. The company excels at the construction and rehabilitation of cable supported bridges, movable bridges, steel truss bridges, steel and concrete arch bridges, heavy marine works, military, government and security infrastructure, and any other type of structural or marine project that benefits
By Lou Sennick, The World
SEE CLOSING | A8
Steel jigs sit in the shop at American Bridge last year as they prepared for a project construction at the facility in Reedsport.
Plan calls for end to salmon releases
Making the laps count
BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
Photos by Alysha Beck, The World
Kids with the Gold Coast Swim Team practice at Mingus Park Pool on Monday. Top, Caleb Wadlington, 7, hangs off a starting block during practice. The weather will continue to be nice throughout the week, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-60s, and lows in the mid-40s.
Government shutdown
House GOP unveils bill to counter Senate plan The Associated Press
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DEATHS
INSIDE
WASHINGTON— House GOP leaders unveiled their own plan Tuesday to counter an emerging Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall an economy-rattling default on U.S. obligations. Top Republicans unveiled a plan that would suspend a new tax on medical devices for two years and take away the federal government’s contributions to lawmakers’ health care and top administration officials in addition to The Associated Press funding the government through Jan. 15 and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, with giving Treasury the ability to borrow normally House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, through Feb. 7. walks to a meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday. The move came as a partial shutdown entered its third week and less than two days before the Treasury Department says it will be President Barack Obama as Republicans had unable to borrow and will rely on a this cash sought but it would set up another battle with cushion to pay the country’s bills. the White House early next year. “The jury is still out,” said Rep. Michael Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Republicans plan to pass the measure later Tuesday. It Burgess, R-Texas. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., said he was not could prove tricky because Democrats probably won’t support it. The House GOP plan sure he could vote for the plan because it did wouldn’t win nearly as many concessions from not address the debt. “I have to know a lot
Laura Franson, Fort Collins, Colo. Sherwin Berlinger, Coquille Kenneth Peterson, Healdsburg, Calif. Kathleen Ansbro, North Bend Ronald Paul, Vancouver, Wash.
more than I know now,” he said. The House move comes after conservative lawmakers rebelled at the outlines of an emerging Senate plan by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Those two hoped to seal an agreement on Tuesday, just two days before the Treasury Department says it will run out of borrowing capacity. Political pressure is building on Republicans to reopen the government and GOP leaders are clearly fearful of failing to act to avert a default on U.S. obligations. Republicans are in a difficult spot, relinquishing many of their core demands as they take a beating in the polls. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., led GOP lawmakers in several verses of “Amazing Grace.” Like the House GOP bill, the emerging Senate measure — though not finalized — would reopen the government through Jan. 15 and permit the Treasury to borrow normally until early to mid-February, easing dual crises that have sapped confidence in the economy and taken a SEE BUDGET | A8
Darlene Blakey, North Bend James Davis Sr., Coos Bay David Blanco, Gold Hill
Obituaries | A5
FORECAST
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
COOS BAY — State officials and representatives of South Coast stakeholder groups wrapped up the last round of preliminary discussions over a controversial fisheries management plan Monday in a tense meeting at the South Slough. Ed Bowles, fish division administrator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that the next step for the Coastal Multi-Species Management Plan is a series of public town hall meetings. “We really haven’t begun the formal public process, yet,” Bowles said. The current draft of the plan calls for the elimination of winter Chinook salmon releases on the West Fork Millicoma River and winter steelhead releases on the South Fork Coos River. The state’s hatcheries are run through the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program, which raises and releases steelhead and Chinook salmon to supplement native fish stocks. The agency has cited conservation risk posed by hatchery fish mingling with native fish as a motive for cutting hatchery releases. Although the meeting had only a limited public comment period, the approximately two dozen that filled the audience made the most of it. Fisherman Dale Karstetter lambasted the agency for what he described as ignoring the value of the hatchery programs. “The only reason you have any salmon in the east fork of the Millicoma, the west fork of the Millicoma is because of the STEP program,” he said. “The native fish in these rivers are non-existent.” Bruce Bertrand, president of the South Coast Anglers STEP Association, said it was likely many of the state administrators couldn’t remember a time before STEP. “I’m looking around at some of the ODFW officials, and they’re a lot younger than we are,” he said. Bowles said the agency was doing its best to balance risk management with creating opportunities for end users. “I know opportunity means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” he said, but stressed that the agency was keeping recreational fisherman in mind. The public process and town hall meetings are expected to precede action by the ODFW Commission next year. Reporter Thomas Moriarty can be reached at 541-269-1222, ext. 240, or by email at thomas.moriarty@theworldlink.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ThomasDMoriarty.
Sunny 68/44 Weather | A8