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TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014
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California man arraigned on murder charges in NB shooting BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
COQUILLE — Court documents filed in Sunday morning’s fatal shooting at the North Bend Community Center paint a grisly picture of a birthday party gone bad. According to a probable cause statement filed by Sgt. Michael Kuehn of the North Bend Police Department, Miguel Alejandro Iniguez was arrested after he went shopping for a disguise at Walmart in blood-spattered clothes. Iniguez, 29, was arraigned Monday afternoon in Coos County Circuit Court on a single count of murder in connection with the shooting.
Dispatchers first took a call of a fight and shots fired at the community center about 1:15 a.m. A birthday party — referred to in the affidavit as a “quinceanera,” a comingof-age celebration for 15-year-old Latina girls — was being held in the building and had drawn a number of people to the community center’s grounds. The first North Bend officers on the scene found the as-yet-unidentified victim lying in the back parking lot, a pool of blood growing from a gunshot wound to the back of his head. One live round and one spent casing of .45 ACP ammunition lay next to him. Bystanders told officers the victim
had been arguing with a woman when a bald man with tattoos on his head ran up and pulled a gun. At some point in the altercation, the gun went off and the victim fell to the ground. The suspect fled on foot. “The shooting was witnessed by several people,” Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said. “By the time I got there they had (Iniguez’s) first and middle name.” Iniguez is heavily tattooed, with the word “Reyes” (kings in Spanish) inked on the back of his head and “So Cal” high on his forehead. According to the affidavit, the forSEE SHOOTING | A8
By Alysha Beck, The World
Miguel Alejandro Iniguez, 29, enters Coos County Circuit Court Judge Richard Barron’s courtroom during his arraignment hearing Monday. Iniguez faces murder charges related to a deadly shooting Sunday morning in North Bend.
North Bend school policy change stalls
Lovely day for a walk
At issue seems to be the definition of ‘controversial issues’ ■
BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
By Lou Sennick, The World
A couple walk in the wind and sunshine on the beach in Bandon on Thursday afternoon, about a half-mile south of the south jetty. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s along the coast and getting much warmer inland.
NORTH BEND — The North Bend School District’s “Controversial Issues” policy is still being tweaked, since the policy committee couldn’t nail down a definition for “controversial issues.” The policy came under review following Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” removal from a North Bend High advanced literature course by high school administrators in May. Last month, the school board directed its policy committee to expand the “Studying Controversial Issues” policy, outlining a clear process for a committee to review “controversial” material before it’s included in a class’ curriculum. That committee would include the school’s principal, assistant principal, librarian and the district curriculum director. Currently, the policy says a teacher has to discuss the material with his or her principal, who will decide if it’s allowed. But that discussion currently doesn’t have a basis, since there is nothing in the policy that actually defines a controversial issue. It only says teachers must disclose the teaching of an “obviously controversial topic.” “We promised a definition of ‘controversial issues,’” school board and policy committee SEE SCHOOL | A8
VA, Congress disagree on progress Contributed photos
BY MATTHEW DALY
The World
INSIDE
COOS BAY — The public is getting its first glimpse this week at one of the most popular local art exhibitions at the Coos Art Museum. The 21st annual Maritime Art show was officially unveiled July 12, during a fundraiser dinner at the museum, but the public is now getting its chance to check it out. Museum Executive Director Steven Broocks says this exhibit always draws tremendous interest from the inside the community and from outside of the area. “This is one of our three anchors that keep the Coos Art Museum operating,” he
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of directors, he received the “Directors’ Award” for the same work. There is one more big honor still to be presented. This year’s Peoples’ Choice Award will be determined in a couple of months, after museum visitors get the opportunity to vote for their favorite work. The voting runs through Sept. 13, though the exhibition runs through Sept. 27. “We thought there might be a flurry of people getting interested after that vote,” Broocks said, “so we thought we’d keep it going for a couple more weeks (after the vote).” The Coos Art Museum is located inside the historic 1936 Art Deco U.S. Federal Building, on Anderson Avenue, in downtown Coos Bay. The museum offers various arts activities including exhibitions, art classes and lectures. It is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday.
Donald Young, Longview, Wash. Muriel Graves, Castle Rock, Wash. Rev. C. Eugene Jennings, Coos Bay George Jarrett, Coos Bay
Obituaries | A5
Wildfire growing
STATE
BY TIM NOVOTNY
said. “The Student Show and Expressions West would be the others. These are shows that have a wide and distinctive audience for each show.” As the name suggests, the maritime exhibit gets its inspiration from the sea. “Much of it is related to sea and ships, but not all,” Broocks added. There are 45 artists featured in this year’s exhibition, displaying 68 works of art. The show opens with some awards being handed out, and artists being spotlighted for their work. Best of Show was awarded to Austin Dwyer, of Mukilteo, Wash., for his oil painting titled “The Bluenose & the Elsie.” Harold W. Johnson, of SeaTac, Wash., also received recognition. Johnson was honored with the Port Award, by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, for his oil work titled “N. Yorkshire Coastal Fishing Village, Staithes.” Through an independent vote by the museum’s board
DEATHS
A uniquely South Coast exhibit takes up residence in Coos Art Museum ■
Southern Oregon blaze has now destroyed six homes and 14 other buildings. Page A5
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has made “tremendous progress” in reducing a disability claims backlog that reached above 600,000 early last year. Members of Congress and the department’s assistant inspector general don’t believe it. Allison Hickey, the VA’s undersecretary for benefits, told Congress that at the insistence of officials from President Barack Obama on down, the benefits backlog has been whittled down to about 275,000 — a 55 percent decrease from the peak. Hickey’s claims were met with disbelief by some. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, told her flatly that he thinks the VA’s numbers are inaccurate. “I don’t believe anybody at the table is telling the truth from the VA,” Miller said at a contentious hearing that lasted more than five hours Monday night. “I believe you are hiding numbers.” Asked if she trusted numbers produced by VA, the agency’s assistant inspector general, SEE VETERANS | A8
FORECAST
CAM show proves seaworthy
The Associated Press
Mostly sunny 64/55 Weather | A8