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SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2014
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Pot dispensary moratorium gets county’s approval Coos County now has one year to get zoning regulated ■
BY EMILY THORNTON The World
By Alysha Beck, The World
Devin Hockema, owner of the Brandy, offloads his weekly crab catch to sell at Fishermen’s Wharf in Charleston on Friday. Oregon’s Dungeness crab fleet is one of several fisheries with financial obligations under the terms of a groundfish fleet buyback loan authorized by Congress in 2003.
Fleet looks to refinance loan Congressman trying to help get new deal to relieve burden on South Coast fishermen ■
COQUILLE — The Coos County Commissioners on Thursday passed a year-long moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, the 11th such county in the state to do so. The ordinance puts a hold on any more medical marijuana dispensaries from opening. It does not affect those already in operation. The decision came after listening to comments from a couple of residents who initially voiced concern over its passage, but later agreed with commissioners, who said it merely bought time for them to decide what kind of ordinances they wanted to place down the road. “That’s really what the moratorium’s doing, keeping it to where it’s under control,” said Waylon
Rosebear, a county resident. Paul Frasier, district attorney for the county, weighed in on the moratorium. “I think you folks need more time to structure zoning regulations,” Frasier said. Planning department director, Jill Rolfe, said it was a lot of work for her department to zone land. She said they had to mail notices to all residents. It would be followed by hearings, and could take at least three months. “The moratorium is very beneficial to us,” Rolfe said. The moratorium is effective until May 1, 2015, the maximum amount of time allowed under Senate Bill 1531, or until the commissioners pass another ordinance, whichever comes first. Other counties with ordinances include: Linn, Columbia, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lincoln, Malheur, Umatilla, Wheeler and Yamhill. Reporter Emily Thornton can be reached at 541-269-1222, ext. 249 or at emily.thornton@theworldlink.com or on Twitter: @EmilyK_Thornton.
Commissioners to seek lobbyist for Wagon Road land
BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
BY EMILY THORNTON
Matt LeDoux weighs crab from fisherman Devin Hockema, owner of the Brandy, at Fishermen’s Wharf on Friday. Fish buyers like Fishermen’s Wharf are required to collect a fee on crab and some fish for payment on a groundfish fleet buyback loan. set up a system to receive the payments.” Brad Pettinger, who heads the Oregon Trawl Commission, said that buyback left the groundfish fleet saddled with a heavy financial burden. “It took us 8 years and $20 million to get down to the principal,” he said. SEE FLEET | A8
Health care enrollment surges
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Still to be announced is what share of those enrolled were previously uninsured — the true test of Obama’s Affordable Care Act — and how many actually secured coverage by paying their first month’s premiums. “This thing is working,” a confident Obama said of his signature domestic achievement. The days of website woes and canceled policies seemed far behind. State-by-state statistics, expected as early as next week, will provide a much fuller picture.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge of eleventh-hour enrollments has improved the outlook for President Barack Obama’s health care law, with more people signing up overall and a much-needed spark of interest among young adults. Nonetheless, Obama’s announcement Thursday that 8 million have signed up for subsidized private insurance, and that 35 percent of them are younger than 35, is just a peek at what might be going on with the nation’s newest social program.
A key question is how many of those signed up were young adults, ages 18-34. They’re the health care overhaul’s most coveted demographic because they’re healthier than older adults and their premiums can help cross-subsidize care for the sick. That would help hold down future premium increases. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, young adults 18-34 represent about 40 percent of the people eligible to
Ralph Van Hoof, North Bend Marymae Johnson, North Bend Bonnie Foreman, North Bend Hazel Alvey, Coos Bay Melinda Basile, North Bend Wesley McCormick, Coos Bay
SEE SURGE | A8
COQUILLE — The Coos County Commissioners voted this week to seek a lobbyist to represent the county’s interests in Wagon Road lands in Washington, D.C. The decision came after commissioners comments at their regular meeting. Commissioner John Sweet discussed the federal timber funds in relation to Sen. Ron Wyden’s, D-Ore., bill, which he said wouldn’t expand the timber harvest enough. There are 18 O & C Land counties that would be
affected by the bill. Commissioner Bob Main agreed. “Wyden didn’t ask the counties what they thought at all,” Main said. Keith Chu, a spokesman for Wyden, said the lands had been combined for years. “For all practical purposes, the Wagon Roads lands have been treated as O & C lands for decades, which is why Sen. Wyden included them in his bill,” he said in an email. Sweet, Main and Commissioner SEE LOBBYIST | A8
Coos Bay pedestrian killed on Highway 101 THE WORLD COOS BAY — A 55-year-old Coos Bay man was killed Thursday night after being struck by a semi truck. According to the Coos Bay Police Department, witnesses told officers that Donald Darwin Johnson walked into southbound U.S. Highway 101 traffic near the intersection with Johnson Avenue shortly before 10:30 p.m. Police and medical personnel found Johnson lying dead in the roadway. Witnesses said two vehicles were able to avoid Johnson, but he was struck when he stepped in front of a semi truck.
Margaret Ball, Coos Bay Donald Bignell, Coos Bay Elizabeth Henze, North Bend Rodney Wisby, Myrtle Point Judith Spilman, Myrtle Point
Obituaries | A5-6
FORECAST
COOS BAY — Eleven years after the federal government handed local fisherman the bill for reducing the size of their fishing fleet, the South Coast’s congressman is saying enough is enough. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, says chances are good that HR 2464, better known as the Pacific REFI Act, will make it out of committee and be voted into law. The bill would refinance a $36 million loan authorized by Congress in 2003 to reduce the size of the West Coast groundfish fleet. The fishery had been declared a disaster for three years by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “I’m cautiously optimistic we’re going to get this resolved,” he said, speaking by phone from Eugene on Tuesday afternoon. At the heart of the bill is the mounting interest on the loan. Although Congress authorized the buyback in 2003, it didn’t provide a mechanism for payments until 2005. “They acted like a payday lender,” DeFazio said. “They said you can’t make any payments until they
The World
The driver of the truck, 52-yearold Rene Hibbs of Coos Bay, hasn't been charged, and stayed at the scene to help the Coos County Crash Team with the investigation. The crash team is composed of the Coos Bay and North Bend police departments, Oregon State Police and the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, along with the district attorney and chief deputy medical examiner. The district attorney's office found no basis for criminal charges after a preliminary investigation. Police are asking anyone with information or questions regarding the investigation to contact Deputy Gil Datan at 541-396-7780.
Rain 59/45 Weather | A8