The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Monday, July 10, 2023
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Newport Mayor Resigns After Protest Over Hateful Facebook Posts
The mayor of Newport has resigned after revelations he posted offensive messages about women, immigrants and the LGTBQ community on a Facebook group for current and former law enforcement officers.
Jonathan Levinson / OPB
Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer initially said the messages, which were revealed by OPB in a story Friday, did not reflect his true values. But on Monday, he announced his resignation and apologized.
The Newport City Council was scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to discuss responses to Sawyer’s social media messages. His colleagues on the council had criticized him for the posts.
Most of them attended a weekend protest at which demonstrators called for Sawyer to step down.
City council president Jan Kaplan is acting mayor until a replacement is selected.
On Saturday, Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” the 1978 anthem about personal empowerment after a heartrending breakup, echoed from a loudspeaker as more than 100 protesters marched on Newport City Hall demanding Sawyer resign.
The demonstration was organized by Newport Oregon Pride.
In more than 40 posts spanning nearly seven years, Sawyer targeted a large segment of this 10,400-person coastal community, including women, immigrants, non-English speakers and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Kathy Redwine, who is on the board of Newport Oregon Pride and helped organize the protest, said Sawyer has surrounded himself with LGBTQ people and allies.
“It kind of gives the idea that he’s an ally,” Redwine said. “I felt like I got stabbed in the back. He was deceiving so many of us for so long. I don’t support anybody who has that kind of hate in the heart.”
Protest attendees rejected Sawyer’s claim that his private actions don’t represent his values. Sawyer apologized for the posts in an interview with OPB and called the messages juvenile.
Before Monday, Sawyer did not respond to requests for comment on the protest or calls for him to step down.
Rhonda Jantzen, an 81-year-old transgender woman, carried a rainbow flag and wore a shirt saying “You are the weakest link. Goodbye,” Jantzen said she’s been protesting for LGBTQ rights since long before same-sex marriage was legalized in Oregon in 2014. She said Sawyer’s posts sickened her.
“I’m trying to get Dean Sawyer to resign, whatever it takes,” Jantzen said. “It impacts me, and it brings back memories of when I used to be out here.”
A protester screamed “Mayor Sawyer! Gonna need a lawyer!” in the background as Jantzen spoke.
Next to Jantzen, Debra Fant referenced one of Sawyer’s posts joking about putting women in car trunks and said she was offended as a woman. Fant said she was also there because she has a transgender child.
“They have as much right to be in this world and to be treated respectfully as anybody else,” Fant said. She added that she hopes Sawyer learns from this experience: “I would like for this to be a pivotal time for him as a human being. But I think it would be nice if he would move on.”
Five of Sawyer’s six colleagues on the Newport City Council attended the protest along with two former mayors. Councilor Ryan Parker couldn’t attend because he had work. Councilors Cynthia Jacobi and Beatriz Botello declined detailed interviews but said their presence at the demonstration was a statement.
Jacobi said she wants Sawyer to resign. Botello, a Mexican immigrant, said she’d be speaking at a special council session scheduled for Monday afternoon to discuss the city’s options.
Speaking over a stream of supportive car horns, Councilor Dietmar Goebel said Sawyer’s posts are egregious, and he thinks councilors are going to ask Sawyer to resign.
“We need to get past the anger and to get into the healing process. The only way to do that is if Dean steps down,” Goebel said. “Dean has got to try to figure out what’s best for the city rather than what’s best for him.”
Councilor Jan Kaplan said the city has been hurt.
“If you’re going to reveal who you are, then you have to be accountable for who you are,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan said making fun of and ridiculing marginalized groups encourages others to do the same and that pushing back against such behavior is key to making people feel safe again.
Sawyer was a Newport police officer for 30 years. In a statement Friday, Newport Police Chief Jason Malloy distanced his agency from Sawyer and said his actions don’t reflect the police department’s mission or its officers.
“The Newport Police Department condemns racism, discrimination and other types of bias,” Malloy wrote. “Racism and bigotry are never to be supported or tolerated, and instead are to be identified and condemned.”
Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers said he was “deeply disturbed” by Sawyer’s “racially insensitive, bigoted, and culturally inappropriate comments and posts.”
“Such behavior is completely unacceptable and has no place in our society,” Landers wrote. “I want to assure our community that this kind of behavior is not tolerated in our Sheriff’s Office, and I do not condone it.”
In his statement, Landers acknowledged Sawyer’s law enforcement history, writing that his actions reflect poorly on the profession and undermine recent efforts among law enforcement agencies to improve how they police their communities.
“Law enforcement agencies across the country have been making significant strides in improving community relations, fostering trust, and promoting inclusivity,” Landers wrote. “Instances like these serve as a stark reminder that there is still work to be done to address biases and prejudices within the law enforcement community and society as a whole.”
Sunday morning, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners — which includes Claire Hall, a transgender woman — followed Landers with their own statement.
“The exposure of Mayor Sawyer’s bigoted online commentary makes it harder for those vulnerable people to feel safe or to seek assistance and protection from their local government,” the commissioners wrote. “This is unacceptable.”
Speaking directly to impacted members of the community, the commissioners wrote, “You are a valued, irreplaceable part of this community. You have a place here. Hatred does not.”
Before Sawyer announced his intent to resign, the Newport City Council, which includes six councilors and Sawyer as mayor, had limited options. Sawyer’s actions didn’t rise to a level that would force him out of office under the city charter, such as moving out of the city or being incarcerated. Short of a public recall petition that would put his future on the ballot, all councilors could have done was urge Sawyer to resign. Otherwise, LGBTQ+ activist and City Councilor CM Hall said, people will think Sawyer’s comments reflect the city. (SOURCE)
Cyclist Killed in Fatal Crash on Hwy 101 in Lincoln County
On Friday, July 7, 2023, at approximately 1:15 P.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus bicycle crash on Hwy-101, near milepost 125 in Lincoln County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a white “Giant” bicycle, ridden by Bradley James Stark (57) of Hillsboro, was traveling southbound on US-101 when for unknown reasons it contacted the side of a maroon 2020 International CMV (bunked, empty log truck), operated by Richard Eugene Wiser (36) of Newport.
Stark suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
US-101 was closed/partially closed for approximately 4 hours following the crash during the on-scene reconstruction investigation.
OSP was assisted by LCPD, LCSO, and Depoe Bay Fire. This is an ongoing investigation and will be forwarded to the Lincoln County District Attorney for review when complete.
Fire Destroys Iconic Home on Hwy 101
A fire Friday night around 6:45 pm required the assistance of Western Lane Fire and EMS Authority as well as ODF. According to Deputy Chief Matt House a home along the west side of Highway 101 at milepost 173 was engulfed in flames and due to the size of the fire Highway 101 had to be closed for a period of time while firefighters battled the blaze.
The 6,400 square foot home could not be saved, water was an issue as trucks had to leave and refill in Yachats. A subsequent brush fire started from the initial call. Reedsport fire assisted WLFEA by covering portions of the Florence area while local resources were deployed. A total of 60 firefighters from 10 agencies were on scene through the night. Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.
North Bend School District Public Meetings — July 2023
Below are North Bend School District public meetings currently scheduled for July:
July 13, 2023
Regular Board Meeting with Executive Session
North Bend City Hall Council Chambers at 6:00 p.m.
835 California Ave., North Bend, OR
The Board will meet in executive session to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry on labor negotiations pursuant to ORS 192-660(2)(d).
The Board will meet in executive session to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection pursuant to ORS 192-660(2)(f).
The schedule is subject to change.
Please email rix@nbend.k12.or.us“>mbrix@nbend.k12.or.us or visit the NBSD Website: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1573 for agenda information.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Electronic Scent Detective K9 Program Fundraiser
The Sheriff’s Office recognizes that child exploitation and human trafficking are increasing in the United States. Based on our detectives’ caseloads, we are seeing a comparable increase in our community as well. Because of that we are seeking to establish an electronic storage detection (ESD) K9 program to supplement our K9 Unit in partnership with Operation Underground Railroad (OUR).
An ESD K9 finds the chemical commonly found in all digital storage devices. These K9s cut search times exponentially and increase success in finding hidden electronics. Currently, there are no ESD K9s in Oregon.
OUR, a nonprofit, is dedicated to finding and rescuing victims of human trafficking and child exploitation throughout the world. OUR has worked with hundreds of law enforcement organizations, been involved in over 4,000 operations, 6,500 arrests, and impacted over 7,000 lives through rescue and aftercare, both domestically and internationally and provided nearly 80% of all the ESD K9s deployed in the United States. We are seeking assistance from our community, businesses, organizations, and individuals by donating to help establish an ESD K9 in Lincoln County.
There are several ways to do that and donations are tax deductible.
1. Donate directly to https://donor.ourrescue.org/-/NMSACXLP?member=SLPNSAKK
2. Donate at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in person by going to the Support Services Division in room 203 at the Lincoln County Courthouse (225 W. Olive St., Newport, OR 97635)
3. Donate by mail to the Lincoln County Foundation:Attn: Lincoln County Sheriff Community Fund ESD K9 Program PO BOX 622Newport, OR 97365
We know not everyone can help financially, but everyone can do something. Help us get the word out and you will be aiding us to defend the defenseless. Watch for our social media updates and share them to get the word out. Thank you for helping us to protect our community.
Statewide Camera Outage Leaves Oregonians Unable to Get ID Photos
A widespread camera system outage in Oregon has rendered residents unable to get new photos for driver’s licenses. The state is unsure when the problem will be resolved.
As reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, all Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services locations have been unable to take people’s portraits for identification and driver’s licenses since Wednesday afternoon.
“At the moment, we are not performing credential transactions that require a photo to be taken, but we are continuing all other transactions,” says Oregon DMV spokesperson Michelle Godfrey, adding that the DMV does not have an estimated restoration time for the faulty camera system.
Godfrey said early Thursday morning that the third-party vendor in charge of the state’s camera system is working to address the problem.
This is not the first issue that Oregon’s state government has recently experienced. On June 1, the Oregon DMV reported that a third-party vendor was hacked, resulting in the exposure of data records for Oregon’s driver’s licenses, permits, and ID cards.
At the time, the Oregon DMV recommended that anyone with an active Oregon driver’s license, permit, or ID card assume that their personal information was available to malicious actors and take steps to secure their data. The Oregon DMV discovered that about 3.5 million license and ID files were compromised, which comprises around 90% of Oregon’s files.
Godfrey says the new issue with the DMV’s camera system is unrelated to that data breach.
If it is any consolation to the Oregon DMV, it is not the only victim of a statewide camera outage this year. In March, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles experienced an outage that took down numerous services, including issuing state licenses and IDs.
A potential solution, allowing people to take their own state ID photos, may not prove too popular with states after officials in Georgia needed to ask people to stop taking naked driver’s license photos.
“Attention, lovely people of the digital era! Please take pictures with your clothes on when submitting them for your Digital Driver’s License and IDs,” the Georgia Department of Driver Services said on Facebook.
Georgia is one of eight states that allows its residents to create digitized ID cards. At least in Georgia’s case, its digital IDs are not a complete replacement for physical identification but can be used as part of a digital wallet to pass through certain TSA checkpoints, including at the busy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Hopefully, the Oregon DMV camera outage will be fixed soon and people can get their pictures taken. Even when fully operational, DMV offices around the U.S. have a bad enough reputation as it is.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visits Portland
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited the Pacific Northwest on Friday, first meeting with Washington state leaders in Washougal to highlight and discuss a railroad crossing elimination grant, and later meeting with Oregon leaders to tour 82nd Avenue and discuss the corridor’s future.
In Washougal, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez met with Buttigieg to discuss an intersection the federal government is putting $40.48 million toward fixing. It’s where 40 trains a day cause gridlock for drivers and first responders coming in and out of town.
“So that’s why we’re so glad to be here — to be here to celebrate the $40 million that are going to reconstruct that 32nd street underpass and make for a better life and a better routine all across this area,” said Buttigieg as he addressed stakeholders Friday morning.
Also in attendance was Washougal Mayor David Stuebe, who welcomed Buttigieg.
“What an incredible day for our community and Washougal, this is an epic moment,” Stuebe said.
Soon after, it was across the river to Portland Community College’s Southeast Campus flanked by some of Oregon’s congressional delegation and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.
U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer arranged the visit to talk about 82nd Avenue, an old state highway, now under city control and in need of a lot of help. Blumenauer said it’s one of Oregon’s orphaned highways, ripe for transformation.
“Seven miles of opportunity and challenge — and we’re poised now to finally take advantage of that,” said Blumenauer.
Poised for improvements, because of more than $100 million committed by the state and the city of Portland. Buttigieg said it’s something the federal government can get behind financially.
“Ultimately what we’re doing with the federal dollars going out is actually going to be decided at the state and local level, we’re constantly trying to empower state and local government to get things done,” he said.
Following the PCC stop, a bus tour on an all-electric TriMet bus was a chance for officials and community members to show and tell the top transportation official in the country, the dangers of the roadway, the improvements to come, and how federal dollars are needed, as well, to create safety, livability and equity.
Buttigieg liked what he heard. “And seeing everything from this great green bus, which we’re buying more and more for transit agencies across the country, to the corridor that is going to benefit from good policy choices and good investment in the future. This is why transportation matters,” said Buttigieg.
KGW also asked Buttigieg about the federal commitment for a replacement for the Interstate Bridge across the Columbia River. He said he couldn’t talk specifics, but that both states showing a billion-dollar commitment makes the case for federal funding stronger in the grant application process to come. (SOURCE)
Rent Hikes In Oregon Can’t Top 10% As Governor Kotek Signs Bill 611
As of July 6th , landlords cannot increase rent by more than 10% each year. Senate Bill 611 was signed into law by governor Tina Kotek on Thursday.
The bill covers most rental properties in the state, including spaces for manufactured homes, RVs, and floating homes in marinas. The bill brings the rent cap down 4.6% from before it was passed.
Senate Bill 611 limits annual rent increases to either 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower. It passed the Senate on a 17-8 vote Tuesday, then received 32-18 approval in the House Saturday following a heated discussion. Many of the lawmakers who spoke about the bill Saturday said they themselves are landlords.
More protections for renters were also part of the bill. Landlords must give tenants a valid 90-day written notice before raising rent rates. Rent cannot be raised in the first year of occupation and can only be raised once per year afterwards.
OHA launches data dashboards for injuries, overdoses
Interactive graphs detail state, county, demographic trends
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has unveiled two interactive data dashboards to help people track state, county and demographic trends in deaths and hospital visits for a range of injuries and overdoses.
The Oregon Injury Prevention Dashboard and the Oregon Overdose Prevention Dashboard, developed by the Injury and Violence Prevention Program at the OHA Public Health Division, improve access to the data among the public, state and local agencies, and community organizations that work to reduce incidence of injuries and deaths from these causes.
“These dashboards make it easy for people to view injury and overdose data,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., M.P.H., deputy health officer and epidemiologist at OHA’s Public Health Division. “The injury dashboard will help people understand when and why violence, unintended injuries and deaths occur, and the overdose dashboard will help people understand overdose events, deaths and the substances involved in these events.”
On the Injury Prevention Dashboard, mortality, emergency department discharge and hospital discharge data are included on 11 unintentional injury categories, such as assault, drug overdose, falls, firearms and suicide. The Overdose Prevention Dashboard has mortality, emergency department discharge and hospital discharge data on 11 drug categories, such fentanyl, heroin, opioids and stimulants.
Data on both dashboards are aggregated for annual, statewide trends and a four-year average for county-level and demographic trends.
The new dashboards reflect trends that have made headlines in recent months:
- Fatalities for several injury categories are increasing yearly, including assault, drug overdose and firearms.
- Fatalities for most drug categories increased between 2020 and 2021 – only deaths from methadone decreased. Increases are most stark for opioids, stimulants, synthetic opioids and unintentional overdoses.
“What we have seen in firearms injuries and deaths, and in overdoses from fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs is alarming,” Jeanne said. “Data dashboards like these help us monitor trends and better anticipate where to direct resources so we can reduce the burden of these injuries on individuals, families, communities and agencies.”
PacificSource Health Plans Ranked No. 7 among Oregon’s Healthiest Large Employers
PacificSource Health Plans was recently ranked No. 7 among large businesses of 1,500-4,999 employees on the Portland Business Journal’s annual list of Healthiest Employers of Oregon.
The annual assessment is scored rubric style with categories that included culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, marketing and communications, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics. Companies are ranked by the Healthiest Employers Index (HEI), which is assigned to each applicant.
“Being named one of the Healthiest Employers of Oregon is an affirmation of the commitment PacificSource Health Plans has made to support our employees’ health and well-being,” said Sabrina Black, employee well-being program manager for PacificSource Health Plans. “Our well-being program is constantly growing and evolving to help our employees be their best selves, empowering healthy lifestyle behaviors that will serve them at work, at home, and in their community. It’s all connected, and it’s important that our well-being program reflects that.”
PacificSource offers health-promoting tools to support employees wherever they work. This includes a hybrid work model, sit/stand workstations, healthy food offerings and education, access to onsite fitness facilities, company-wide well-being challenges, an online health engagement web portal, complimentary run/walk entry fees, an employee-focused wellness committee, and dedicated employee wellness specialists on staff.
About PacificSource Health Plans: PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource has local offices throughout Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington. The PacificSource family of companies employs more than 1,800 people and serves over 600,000 individuals throughout the Greater Northwest. For more information, visit PacificSource.com.
Medford America’s Best Kids Employee Arrested, Facing 27 Charges
An employee at America’s Best Kids in Medford was arrested on June 23 after he was caught taking pictures of female staff members in a staff changing room.
The Medford Police Department said the employee, Blaine Howitt, is now facing 27 criminal charges. His charges range from encouraging child sex abuse to computer crimes, according to police.
“There are multiple charges per victim…” said Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick with MPD. “The charges stem from encouraging child sex abuse in the third degree, to invasion of personal privacy, to computer crimes.”
ABK sent out an email on Monday addressing the incident and stated it was working with police on this investigation.
MPD said Howitt was caught taking pictures of female staff members, including some women under the age of 18, in a staff changing room.
“As of now, we don’t believe there are any victims at ABK that we don’t already know about and that we’ve already talked to,” Kirkpatrick said. “This is involving staff members and not clients or children that are clients at ABK.”
This is an ongoing investigation and moving forward, Kirkpatrick said detectives are still going through all of Howitt’s devices, which could take a while.
“We are still working on other aspects of his life and that may take some time to sort through mountains of digital evidence that usually are encased on phones and computers, so that may take some time to work out,” he said.
Howitt was formally arraigned at the Jackson County Courthouse on June 23. His bail was set at $250,000. According to court and jail records, it appears Howitt bailed out of jail. He is due back in court on July 28 for another arraignment and a hearing.
Oregon gas company criticized for using ratepayer money to fight state climate program
Three nonprofit environmental groups are calling out Avista for raising natural gas prices while using ratepayer money on lawyers fighting climate regulations
Oregon’s second largest natural gas provider spent ratepayer funds fighting state climate change regulations while simultaneously attempting to raise rates for customers.
During the last five years, Avista paid lawyers more than $51,000 to fight Oregon’s Climate Protection Program, according to records obtained by three environmental groups critical of the decision. The nonprofits Earthjustice, Sierra Club and Climate Solutions on Friday submitted the records, which showed the money came from an account funded by Avista’s 105,000 ratepayers, to the Oregon Public Utilities Commission. The commission is considering whether to allow the utility to raise residential rates 8% by year’s end.
Avista, along with the state’s two other gas utilities — NW Natural and Cascade Natural — has hired lawyers from San Francisco-based Baker Botts and Reno-based Snell & Wilmer to sue the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
The companies are challenging the agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gasses under the climate program, which mandates a 50% cut in Oregon’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and a 90% cut by 2050. At least 26% of that reduction will have to come from the natural gas utilities.
Natural gas is almost entirely methane gas, among the most potent climate-warming greenhouse gasses, which trap heat in the atmosphere contributing to global warming. One-third of global warming today is due to human-caused emissions of methane, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Avista’s senior legal counsel, Greg Hesler, said in an email to the Capital Chronicle that paying lawyers with ratepayer money will benefit those customers.
“We believe it is a prudent expenditure on behalf of our customers, and it is therefore included as a cost to customers in their rates,” he wrote. “Avista does not believe that the Oregon Climate Protection Program (CPP) provides a constructive pathway for reducing emissions, and that it negatively impacts our customers through reduced energy choice, higher costs and decreased reliability.”
The environmental groups disagree. Avista has already raised residential rates 18% since November 2022, an increase the company attributed to global supply and demand issues exacerbated by extreme weather events and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Greer Ryan, a policy manager at Climate Solutions, said the utilities commission should reject Avista’s request to raise rates again while spending ratepayer money to challenge the state’s keystone climate change mitigation program.
“We hope the commission will agree with us and say it’s inappropriate for gas utilities to charge their customers for political activities, especially for activities that are against the public interest like dismantling landmark climate policies,” she said.
The payments to lawyers are one of many that environmental groups are beginning to challenge from gas companies that are imposing rate hikes on customers. Ryan said Climate Solutions and other groups will continue urging the Oregon Public Utilities Commission to join several other state commissions and agencies that have created rules banning or limiting the use of ratepayer money on political lobbyists and on dues and fees paid to industry trade groups.
“We want the commission to say, ‘In rate-setting situations moving forward, you cannot charge your customers for these expenses,’” Ryan said. (SOURCE)
August Caretaker Needed for Riddle Brothers Ranch
Hines, Ore. – Are you interested in a three-week, paid vacation to Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon? Do you enjoy history, nature, and quaint, remote settings? We have the perfect opportunity for you! The Bureau of Land Management Burns District is looking for a short-term host to fill a caretaker position at Riddle Brothers Ranch from August 7 to 31. Rustic riverside lodging for two included.
“Caretakers are an important part of our ability to serve the public,” said Kyle Wanner, BLM Burns District Assistant Field Manager. At the ranch, caretakers live on site and interact with travelers. They may provide directions, share history of the site and structures, or offer details on nearby recreation activities. Caretakers also keep an eye on the historic buildings and artifacts.
“Whoever lands this unexpected opening is truly lucky. It is a unique and hard to come by experience,” added Wanner.
The Caretaker Cabin rests on the edge of Little Blitzen River. It has a bed, electricity, running water, a refrigerator-freezer, cooking stove with oven, and a cozy front porch. Steps away, you’ll find a vault restroom. The cabin is located one-half mile down the road from another agency building where more food storage and a hot shower can be found. Cellular service is intermittent, but reachable within two miles, and a BLM radio is provided for reliable emergency communication.
The Riddle Brothers Ranch is located about 80 miles from Burns, Oregon, in the heart of Steens Mountain. Caretakers must have the means to receive a stipend electronically and be confident in a remote setting. Light walking on uneven terrain, including stairs and various surface materials, is also required.
For more information or to apply, call Tara Thissell at (541) 573-4400. Learn more about Riddle Brothers Ranch at https://on.doi.gov/3NSh8ac. Browse through photos of the area by visiting https://bit.ly/44p2r3J.
-BLM- The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
83-year-old Clarence Edward Pitts walked away from his home in Bandon on Tuesday, January 31 at around 1:00 p.m. Pitts is described as:
- 6′ 00″
- 150 lbs
- Gray hair
- Brown eyes
- Last seen wearing an orange beanie, plaid jacket, tan pants and white shoes
- May have a walking cane
- Has dementia and PTSD
Pitts may be in a vehicle that was also found to be missing from the home:
- 1999 Toyota Van
- White
- Oregon license plate: WYN 788
If you see Clarence or have any information pertaining to where he may be, please call the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 541-396-2106 or the Bandon Police Department at 541-347-3189.
Contact us: Info@OregonBeachMagazine.com