JC NEWS by Matt Jarvis

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Sunrise/Sunset, Coos Bay, OR
Coos Bay, OR, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 – Sunrise: 6:57 a.m., and Sunset: 6:02 p.m., offering eleven-hours & five-minutes of daylight.

Tides, Coos Bay, OR
Coos Bay, OR, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 – Low tide: 1:58 a.m., 3.59 ft.; High tide: 8:15 a.m., 7.38 ft.; Low tide: 3:48 p.m., 0.01 ft.; High tide: 10:51 p.m., 5.51 ft.

CBPL Events
Coos Bay Public Library, 525 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay, OR - Pokémon Club, Thursday, February 26 in the Kids & Families Section, 3:30pm – 4:30pm, Ages 5-14, Thursdays, 3:30-4:30pm, February 26, March 26. Celebrate all things Pokémon at a monthly club for fans. Pokémon games, crafts, and puzzles. No experience necessary. The club will meet the fourth Thursday of every month in the Coos Bay Public Library. Age Bracket: Kids. Tymberhavene Workshop - Pre-1600's Cooking, Thursday, February 26 in the Myrtlewood Room, 4:00pm – 6:15pm. A survey of pre-1600's Cookbooks! Join us for a two-hour discussion of cookbooks, what they contain, and a sample of recipes from them! From Rome to medieval England, to Renaissance Italy, and times and places in-between. Join us in a journey through time and take a look at people's lives through the window that is food. Age Bracket: Everyone. Community Cooking with the Co-Op, Thursday, February 26 on Zoom, 5:30pm – 6:30pm. Need a new recipe? Join us! Coos Bay Library has teamed up with Coos Head Food Co-op to provide safe, easy, and healthy recipes to create at home. Join us virtually on Zoom for this fun community event! Monthly Event: Every Fourth Thursday! For this month’s recipe, Ex-Coos Head Food Co-op employee, Josh Peterson, will be making Vegetable Tortilla Soup. Pic of Josh's Vegetable Tortilla Soup in bowl on wood table w/blue corn chips and grated cheddar chees, etc. Vegetable Tortilla Soup ingredients: Tortilla Chips x1; Violife Cheddar Cheese x1; Embasa x1 (chipotle peppers in red adobo sauce); Pacific Vegetable Broth x1; Beefsteak Tomatoes x3; Red Onion x1; Poblano Pepper x2; Serrano Pepper x1; Oil/Butter x4 tbsp; Smoke Paprika x2 tbsp; Chipotle seasoning x2 tbsp; Cumin x2 tbsp. Josh with his big white and black dog. Event is FREE and open to everyone! Check out the Community Cooking playlist on the library's YouTube channel with over three years worth of recipes! Go to: https://bit.ly/3pXmapN, Register, Age Bracket: Teens & Adults. Art with Tymberhavene, Thursday, February 26 in the Cedar Room, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Tymberhavene welcomes you to learn about pre 1600 century arts and sciences. Join them with your questions, projects, and enthusiasm. Learn new skills, and meet your local SCA group. Age Bracket: Everyone.

Community Cooking with the Co-Op
CBPL release - Coos Bay Public Library, in partnership with Coos Head Food Co-op, will co-host COMMUNITY COOKING WITH THE CO-OP every fourth Thursday at 5:30pm on Zoom (virtual meeting software). Next event: Thursday, February 26. Coos Bay Library has teamed up with Coos Head Food Co-op to provide safe, easy, and healthy recipes to create at home. Join us virtually for this fun community event! Next month, Ex-Coos Head Food Co-op employee, Josh Peterson, will be making Vegetable Tortilla Soup. This event is FREE and open to everyone. For ingredients and access, please register by going to http://bit.ly/4l4ZxsR

NBPL Events
North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave., North Bend, OR - Lapsit Storytime (Under 2). Every Thursday in February at 10:30 AM. Enjoy stories, music, & play designed to encourage early literacy skills. Unbook Club, Thursday, February 26 at 1:00 PM. Discuss your latest read in a book club without assigned reading. Attend in person or online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/958309491.

Update: 114 Oregon Municipalities Still Behind on Filing Required Financial Reports
OR Secretary of State release - SALEM, OR — Wednesday, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division released the FY 2024 Summary of Financial Reporting for Oregon Municipalities, which found that 114 municipalities are still behind on filing their required financial reports. This full report also includes information about municipalities that filed extensions and any material or significant findings from the audits that were submitted. “Oregonians rely on these reports to hold local governments accountable,” said Secretary of State Tobias Read. “When these reports aren’t submitted on time, the public loses faith in government’s ability to effectively steward public funds.” Under Municipal Audit Law, Oregon’s municipalities are required to submit annual reports with key financial information to the Secretary of State’s Office. For most entities, this report must be a financial audit conducted by a certified public accountant; for other, smaller entities, they may self-report expenditure information. The municipalities required to file reports include counties, cities, school districts, special districts, and public corporations subject to control by local governments. Auditors noted that municipalities and auditing firms alike are still struggling with challenges in hiring and retaining qualified staff. Staffing and limited resources remained one of the most-commonly cited reasons for filing late audit reports. There are limited mechanisms to enforce compliance. But there may be consequences for municipalities that are delinquent. Entities that don’t file a report may jeopardize their ability to service debt, obtain new debt, comply with grant requirements, or obtain new grants. School districts may have state school funds withheld by the Oregon Department of Education. Special districts may be subject to dissolution if they don’t file reports for three consecutive years. Read the full report on the Secretary of State website.

DEQ issues eight penalties in January for environmental violations
DEQ release - Statewide, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued eight penalties totaling $169,583 in January for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at ordeq.org/enforcement. Fines ranged from $3,300 to $70,991. Alleged violations included a delivery company failing to maintain underground fuel storage tanks, a railroad failing to submit greenhouse gas reports, and a flooring company failing to comply with asbestos rules. DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations: Apex Anodizing Inc., Portland, $8,433, air quality; BNSF Railway Co., Portland, $28,966, greenhouse gas reporting, clean fuels; Emerald Forest Products Inc., Drain, $9,000, air quality; Highline-Warren LLC, Millersburg, $11,200, hazardous waste; Reid Flooring LLC dba Modern Floors Floor Covering Co., Coos Bay, $16,800, asbestos; Thomas Fulcher, Canyonville, $20,893, solid waste; United Parcel Service, The Dalles and Tualatin, $70,991, underground storage tanks; United Site Services of Nevada Inc., Clackamas, $3,300, onsite septic wastewater; Recipients of DEQ civil penalties must either pay the fines to the state treasury or file an appeal within 20 days of receiving notice of the penalty. They may be able to offset a portion of a penalty by funding a supplemental environmental project that improves Oregon’s environment. Learn more about these projects at ordeq.org/sep. Penalties may also include orders requiring specific tasks to prevent ongoing violations or additional environmental harm. DEQ works with thousands of organizations and individuals to help them comply with laws that protect Oregon’s air, land and water. DEQ uses education, technical assistance, warnings and penalties to change behavior and deter future violations.

Sentenced for Sex Trafficking
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon release - PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for sex trafficking three minor victims. Eric Lamont Harris, 51, was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Harris began trafficking 15-year-old Minor Victim 1 in Spring 2022. Minor Victim 1 was a ward of the state and reported missing in March 2022. Harris began trafficking 16-year-old Minor Victim 2 in June 2022. In July 2022, Harris brought Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Portland to Kennewick, Washington, with the intent that they engage in prostitution at a hotel he booked in Kennewick. After Minor Victim 2’s parents reported her missing, the FBI and Kennewick Police recovered Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Kennewick. Harris met 17-year-old Minor Victim 3 in June 2022 and began trafficking her in August 2022. Each victim lived with Harris while he trafficked them. Harris booked hotel rooms for the minor victims’ commercial sex dates, transported them to and from those dates, facilitated the posting of online escort advertisements featuring the minor victims, and received thousands of dollars’ worth of commercial sex proceeds from the minor victims. On September 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an eight-count second superseding indictment charging Harris with transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, three counts of sex trafficking of a child, three counts of sex trafficking of a child – benefitting from participation in a venture, and sexual exploitation of children. On November 6, 2025, Harris pleaded guilty to the eight-count indictment on the fourth day of his ten-day trial. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portland Police Bureau, the Kennewick Police Department, and the Medford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlotte Kelley and Robert Trisotto prosecuted the case. This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.

DUII, Windy Lane, Charleston
CCSO release - Date/Time: February 25, 2026 / 7:23 a.m.; Case #: S2026-00289; Classification: DUII / Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine; Location: Cape Arago Hwy / Windy Lane; Suspect(s): Donald B. Pitassi (46); Summary: On February 25, 2026, at approximately 7:23 a.m. Deputy H. Francis conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle on Windy Lane, near Cape Arago Hwy, after she observed several traffic violations, and the vehicle driving extremely recklessly. As a result of the traffic stop and subsequent investigation, Donald B. Pitassi (46) of Coos Bay was arrested on the charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, and Reckless Driving. A small amount of methamphetamine, a methamphetamine pipe, packaging materials, and an open bottle of alcohol were also seized from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed from the location, and Mr. Pitassi was transported to the Coos County Jail.

Burglary
According to an entry on the NBPD log for Feb. 24, 10:44 a.m., 2900 block Sheridan Ave., “burglary.”

UEMV
According to an entry on the NBPD log for Feb. 24, 3:09 p.m., 1300 block Scott Ln., “unlawful entry into MV.” At 4:52 p.m., 3800 block Brussells St., “unlawful entry into MV.”

Criminal Trespass
According to an entry on the NBPD log for Feb. 24, 5:09 p.m., 1775 Thompson Rd., BAH, “result of criminal trespass,” 32-year old Kyle William Ismay charged with Criminal Trespass II, “Ismay lodged CCJ.

Illegal Camping, CB
According to an entry on the CBPD log for Feb. 24, 8:17 a.m., Anderson & 2nd, “illegal camping.” At 6:02 p.m., Ocean & Norman, “illegal camping.” At 7:27 p.m., 2100 block Newmark Ave., “illegal camping.”

Unlawful Vehicle, CB
According to an entry on the CBPD log for Feb. 24, 8:25 a.m., 100 block Newmark Ave., “unlawful vehicle.” At 5:24 p.m., Oregon & Southwest, “unlawful vehicle.”

Burglary
According to an entry on the CBPD log for Feb. 24, 4:16 p.m., 1100 block Newmark Ave., “burglary.”

WX
A River Flood Warning along the South Oregon Coast. Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon with highs in the upper 50s and winds out of the Northeast at 5-10 mph. Cloudy tonight, lows in the upper 30s and winds light and variable. Partly cloudy on Friday with highs in the low 60s and winds out of the North to Northeast at 10-15 mph.

Sports

Prep gbxb scores
Prep girls’ basketball scores from Wednesday, Feb. 25: 3A – First Round of the playoffs: Brookings-Harbor beat visiting Oregon Episcopal, 45-42. Jefferson downed visiting Burns, 58-42. Visiting Santiam Christian beat Neah-Kah-Nie, 41-31. And, Westside Christian won at Harrisburg, 43-34. 1A playoffs: Powers beat visiting Trout Lake, 54-31. Round two is now set for the 3A schools: Brookings-Harbor plays at No. 1 Vale, Feb. 28. Cascade Christian at Sutherlin. Other side of the bracket, Taft at Valley Catholic. Coquille at Pleasant Hill. In the 1A, Powers will host Harper Charter.

Prep gbxb schedule
Prep girls’ basketball for Thursday, Feb. 26: 4A – SkyEm Lg.: Marshfield at Junction City, 5:45 p.m. Tri-Valley Lg.: Estacada at Madras, 7 p.m.

Prep bbxb schedules
Prep boys’ basketball schedules for Thursday, Feb. 26, 4A – SkyEm Lg.: Marshfield at Junction City, 7:15 p.m. Tri-Valley Lg.: Madras at Estacada, 6:30 p.m.

SWOCC Bxb
Southwestern Oregon’s men’s basketball team completed the regular season with a win at Linn-Benton, 83-74, Wednesday night at Albany. The Lakers (11-5, 23-6) finish second in the South Region and have qualified for the playoffs. SWOCC’s women dropped their final game, 84-54, to Linn-Benton and finish the season 3-13, 8-19.

UO wbxb
With one game remaining in the regular season, Oregon’s men beat visiting Purdue in a Big Ten Conference game at West Lafayette, IN, 71-65. The Ducks (8-9, 20-10) end the regular season, Sunday, March 1, 2 p.m., by hosting Washington, Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, 2 p.m., televised on the B1G+ Network.

UO mbxb
Three games remaining in the regular season. Oregon’s men beat visiting Wisconsin, 85-71, in a Big 10 Conference game Wednesday, Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene. The Ducks (4-13, 11-17) play at Northwestern, Saturday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m., Evanston, IL, televised on the Big Ten Network.

OSU Mbxb
Oregon State’s men won a WCC contest at home Wednesday, 92-82 over visiting San Diego, Gill Coliseum, Corvallis. The Beavers (9-8, 16-14) play at Santa Clara, Saturday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m., televised on CBS Sports Network.

OSU Wbxb
Oregon State’s women’s basketball is at San Diego, Thursday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m., televised on ESPN+.