Waterfall Readies for Influx of Patients
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STERN WARNING MOVIN’ ON Global carbon dioxide at record levels, A7 Bulldogs win in soccer playoffs, B1 Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 theworldlink.com I 75¢ Waterfall readies for influx of patients BY EMILY THORNTON Waterfall Community Health Cen- It will do this partly from a lot,” Greenhill said. “But with the “We were told not to submit The World ter to care for the added patients. $50,000 grant it will receive from Cover Oregon site not functioning, paper applications at the start,” The clinic is used largely by Medic- WOAH within the next week, said it’ll be slower.” Laird said. COOS BAY — They’re on their aid and Medicare and other quali- Phil Greenhill, WOAH spokesman. Waterfall currently has two full- They’ve only submitted about way, but are we ready? fying patients. Waterfall alone expects at least time and one half-time enrollment 40 applications and had 370 Not yet. The clinic’s plan is to add at least 3,000 more patients as a result of workers. Six other staff members assisted sign-ups, she said. Thousands of newly insured one physician, one nurse practi- Medicaid’s expansion and the also enroll people in Medicaid or Still, some remain hopeful. people in Coos County will flood tioner, one registered nurse, two Affordable Care Act, Laird said. other insurance. “There is evidence in Salem hospitals, doctors’ offices and clin- medical assistants and a half-time Greenhill said he expects there But those workers have run into ics beginning early next year, said medical billing staff member by will be more than 4,000 patients. problems, Laird said. they’ll have the bugs out in the next officials at a meeting Tuesday of Jan. 1. It also hopes to retain a chief He said WOAH could be more effi- So far, Cover Oregon has only couple of weeks,”Greenhill said. Western Oregon Advanced Health, operations officer. It is already cient, especially with enrolling been able to accept paper applica- Reporter Emily Thornton can be the coordinated care organization looking at three applicants, patients for insurance, if Cover tions and wouldn’t accept them at reached at 541-269-1222, ext. 249 or for the South Coast. according to a report from its CEO, Oregon was working properly. all in the first couple of weeks, she at [email protected] Plans are underway at the Kathy Laird. “I think we could accomplish a said. or on Twitter: @EmilyK_Thornton. Curry Finding that old fishing spot voters reject measure I Safety funds currently only run through the middle of next year GOLD BEACH (AP) — Voters in Southern Oregon’s Curry County were rejecting a property tax increase Tuesday night and their decisions could eventually test a new public safety emergency funding law. Election results showed 58 per- cent voting no and 42 percent vot- ing yes. Residents were asked to approve tripling their county property tax rate — the lowest in the state at 59 cents per $1,000 valuation — to raise $3.3 million a year for sher- iff’s patrols, the jail and other law By Alysha Beck, The World enforcement. A Great Egret stands under the Choshi Bridge in Mingus Park waiting to catch a fish Tuesday afternoon.The on-again,off-again rain pattern we’re in is scheduled to con- “It’s unfortunate that the citi- tinue for the next several days.Today’s forecast calls for just a 30 percent chance of rain today, ramping up to 100 percent on Thursday. zens did not pass this three-year funding bridge,”County Commis- sion Chairman David Brock Smith said. “We will work together with Honor Flight takes citizens to craft a funding solution that can be palatable,” he said. “I know in these economic times it can be difficult for people to look North Bend man on at their checkbook and decide whether they can afford added taxes.” Smith said he hopes to offer voyage of memories county voters another proposal in May. Current public safety fund- ing only runs through the middle I Ray Smith kept bombers The GI Bill enabled him to enter of next year. Washington University in St. Louis to County officials will also begin flying in World War II earn a degree in electronics. Upon grad- talks with the governor’s office uation, he signed on with International about declaring a public safety Business Machines for a 28-year-long BY JAMES CASEY career that lasted until he retired in 1979. emergency if need be, Smith said. For The World “We have to ensure the public Smith, now nearing 90, recently returned from an Honor Flight to Wash- safety of our citizens,”he said. NORTH BEND — Ray Smith calls him- ington, D.C. The free program ferries An emergency declaration self one of the most grateful mem- World War II veterans to visit would allow county commission- bers of the Greatest Generation. and reflect at the World War II ers to impose a surcharge on some Smith’s U.S. Army Air Corps Memorial and other national existing tax to fill half the budget service during World War II first monuments to members of the gap, and the state to pick up the took him from his small-town armed forces. Fifty-one other rest. Missouri home to airfields in Italy, vets made the trip with Smith. The Legislature enacted the law then sent him off to the job of his With hundreds of World War this year in anticipation that rural dreams. II vets dying daily, Honor Flight counties like Curry would face “I owe a greater debt to my is hurrying to take servicemen funding crises related to declines country than it owes to me,” he Ray Smith and women on a trip to recog- in federal subsidies to timber said in his home a few blocks nize their sacrifices — and those counties, and voters’ refusal to from the McCullough Bridge. of the 400,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines increase their taxes. After Pearl Harbor was bombed, and airmen who didn’t return. The county had proposed a Smith took advantage of a government- Smith has his share of memories three-year levy. By the end of that run school that taught electronics, By James Casey/For The World repairing the big bombers, wonderful something the poor farm boy could only time, county officials hope that Honor Flight transports World War II veterans and vets of other wars work for a young man whose Depres- legislation will have been enacted yearn for.After he then enlisted in the Air with terminal illnesses to visit monuments erected in their honor in sion-era civilian job had been pulling by Congress to boost logging on Corps, he learned to repair the VHF sys- federal lands in Western Oregon Washington, D.C. Ray Smith of North Bend recalls his service in the U.S. tems of B-17 and B-24 bombers that Army Air Corps after a recent trip to Washington, D.C. known as the O&C lands. pounded Nazi targets across Europe. SEE FLIGHT | A8 Deloy Barkwell, Myrtle Point Police reports . A2 Comics . A6 Robert Pacini, Coos Bay T S S Gordon Brown, Coos Bay E Rosalie Villeneuve, Reedsport A H D What’s Up. A3 William Loshbaugh, Bandon I Keith Stewart, Coos Bay C Puzzles . A6 T E A S South Coast. A3 Natalie Hill, Coos Bay Thomas Menzenberg, Coos Bay Chance of rain E R N James Peart, Myrtle Point 60/50 I D Opinion. A4 Sports . B1 Obituaries | A5 O Jimmie Applegate, North Bend F Weather | A8 WE CAN DELIVER YOUR Need to sell something? MESSAGE OVER 100,000 TIMES! Call Valerie Today! 541-267-6278 A2 •The World • Wednesday, November 6,2013 Three Three South Coast Executive Editor Oregon Grown, Larry Campbell Employee Owned! DAYSDAYS ONLYONLY • 541-269-1222, ext. 251 theworldlink.com/news/local Smith granted more time to MEAT BONANZA! prepare manslaughter defense MEAT BONANZA! THE WORLD COQUILLE- Coy Smith, she swerved into the oncom- ANDA ND 40,was back in court Tuesday SOUTH AND COAST ing lane of traffic to avoid hit- morning for a change of plea REPORTS S Super Sale! hearing, but instead the ting a deer in the road. Su Allen lost control of her uppeer defense asked for more time r S tion continued Tuesday for 2005 Ford Taurus, which hit Saal to prepare their case. lee!! the cause of a fire that start- the bank and flipped onto its The Bandon man was arrested in October and ed in a garage at about 4 p.m. side. Allen was taken to the T Monday at 68018 Honeydo hospital for injuries sustained hurs., Fri. & charged with manslaughter Sat. • No in the death of William Drews. Road. in the crash, but her 6- v. 7, 8 & month-old son was unin- 9 2013 • On Oct. 3, authorities The garage, its contents Gold Be Av 7am - 6p and the vehicles, a truck and jured. ach • Coos ailable m found the 42-year-old Drews Bay • Reed At: a boat, were a total loss, said sport • Lin lying motionless outside of a NB school foundation coln City • North Bay Fire Chief James Lakeside • residence on Bill Creek Lane. gives $4,000 grant Empire Police had responded to a Aldrich. ¢ report of an altercation.Drews A U.S. Coast Guard heli- NORTH BEND — The Ground Fresh Daily! copter spotted the fire and North Bend School Founda- 10-22 lb. Norbest 69Tender Timer was pronounced dead on lb.