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Total Items 66892

Ed Diehl enters Oregon governor race, pledges accountability and fiscal discipline Featured News by Oregon Today News
Another Oregon republican has thrown his name into the governors race State Representative... More

01/21/2026

Congressman Cliff Bentz nominates 6 Central Oregon students for service academies; 16 statewide Featured News by Oregon Today News
DESCHUTES CO Ore KTVZ-- Congressman Cliff Bentz today announced the nomination of sixteen ... More

01/21/2026

Oregon coast park back open after Texas Lady removed from the beach Featured News by Oregon Today News
An Oregon coast park is back open after a boat got stuck on the beach earlier this month More

01/21/2026

How to watch OSU Beavers Basketball take on Saint Mary's for free tonight Featured News by Oregon Today News
Your Oregon State Beavers mens basketball team faces off against the St Marys Gaels in thi... More

01/21/2026

SpinBlitz promo code BLITZ: Get up to 287,500 Gold Coins, 82.5 free Sweeps Coins Featured News by Oregon Today News
Unlike sweepstakes casinos with predictable perks SpinBlitz Casino operates loudly proudly... More

01/21/2026

DHS increases self-deportation stipend from $1,000 to $2,600 Featured News by Oregon Today News
The Department of Homeland Security has doubled the self-deportation incentive for undocum... More

01/21/2026

When will Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Sabrina Ionescu be in Portland to face the Fire? Featured News by Oregon Today News
Heres when Caitlin Clark Sabrina Ionescu Paige Bueckers and all of WNBAs biggest names wil... More

01/21/2026

Little miss mary's bakery LLC Kcre KpodLittle Miss Mary's Bakery and Café would like to invite you to their Valentine's... Featured News by Curry County Chamber of Commerce
Little miss marys bakery LLC Kcre KpodLittle Miss Marys Bakery and Caf would like to invit... More

01/21/2026

What's the difference between Iceland and Greenland? Featured News by Oregon Today News
As Greenland is in the spotlight due to President Donald Trumps latest comments people won... More

01/21/2026

Watch UCLA vs Purdue women's college basketball streaming live tonight Featured News by Oregon Today News
Tonights Big Ten hoops slate features the No 3-ranked UCLA Bruins facing off against the P... More

01/21/2026

Immigration enforcement arrives in Maine as a court freezes restrictions on tactics in Minnesota Featured News by Oregon Today News
Maine has become the latest target in the Trump immigration enforcement wave as federal ap... More

01/21/2026

Phil Collins opens up about health struggles, says he's under '24-hour' care Featured News by Oregon Today News
In a new interview with the BBC the In the Air Tonight singer revealed hes had ongoing hea... More

01/21/2026

Jury awards $800,000 to public defenders who sued Washington County alleging discrimination Featured News by Oregon Today News
A jury on Wednesday found a Washington County sheriffs deputy discriminated against two la... More

01/21/2026

Oreo debuts first-of-its-kind color-changing cookies in collaboration with Marvel Featured News by Oregon Today News
The limited-time cookies feature a color-changing creme 32 Marvel character designs and an... More

01/21/2026

ICE exploring expanded detention capacity in Pacific Northwest, including Tacoma Featured News by Oregon Today News
A federal planning document shows a potential new facility with up to 1635 beds and five c... More

01/21/2026

Railroad bridge damaged in derailment near Oregon coast Featured News by Oregon Today News
Portland Western Railroad said three locomotives derailed while crossing the bridge in To... More

01/21/2026

Judge orders man shot by Border Patrol in Portland to remain in custody Featured News by Oregon Today News
A federal judge Wednesday ordered Luis Nio-Moncada to remain in custody pending trial find... More

01/21/2026

Whistleblowers expose ICE policy allowing forced entry into homes without judge’s warrant Featured News by Oregon Today News
WASHINGTON Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter pe... More

01/21/2026

Wrapping it up…  
   
By Captain Sean Sanborn  
   
It’s funny isn’t it, how fast a year seems to go by.  But when one sits and contemplates just how busy the year was it suddenly begins to slow down with perspective.  It has been quite a year for your Coos County Sheriff’s Office.  There have been successes and failures, ups and downs as is typical with life in general.  As we roll into the new year, we celebrate the successes and continue to work on the things which need improvement.  I want to introduce to you the fine men and women of my division, the Criminal Division of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office.  
   
In 2025, Deputies handled 21,449 calls for service throughout the county.  We have handled 3 homicides, one of which is still being investigated, 111 unattended death investigations as well as many other calls for service.  We are proud to say that as of October of 2025 we had seen a significant drop in fatal and serious injury crashes in the county.  The work of our traffic safety deputy has saved the tax payers nearly $50,000 in guardrail damage alone which is a 77% decrease over 2024, something we can celebrate.  Deputy Michael Smith serves in our traffic safety position which is half grant funded and half funded from transportation dollars from the Coos County Public Works Department.  
   
Deputy John Owens is our School Resource Deputy at the Coquille School District.  John is great with the kids and teaches in his own right.  John has taught drivers education to 23 kids over the past year.  John was trained to teach this class and has the hair-raising duty of riding in the passenger seat while these young drivers learn.  Additionally, he ensures the safety of kids and staff at the Coquille School District.  John’s position is fully funded by the Coquille School District.  
   
We have trained two new deputies who transferred from the Correction Division and we welcome Deputies Jimmy Lay and John Anderson to the Criminal Division.  While they have both been employed with the Coos County Jail for some time, they are learning a new job and got to go the academy (again) to learn the ins and outs of their new jobs as patrol deputies.    
   
Our civil division is small, but mighty.  Deputy Brison Vitek has been out and about serving legal documents for the courts, DA’s Office, private entities and anyone else who has a need to file documents.  In the past year our civil section has served about 5900 documents around the county and served 59 writs of execution (court ordered evictions).  The Civil Department is overseen by Chief Civil Deputy Tyrone Hansen and is really ran by our professional staff member attached to civil; Civil Clerk Cindi Cade.    
   
Our Emergency Manager Don “Chip” Delyria has been kept very busy.  He is assisted by Emergency Coordinator Debbie Mueller and part time professional staff member Tarynne Lay.  Chip is very active in our Search and Rescue (SAR) program as a Search Manager but also handles the myriad of other responsibilities associated with his position.  In the past year we had a disaster declaration following flooding in March.  Chip coordinated people, state and federal agencies to bring assistance to Coos County.  The hard work by Chip and Deb ensured that some federal dollars will be returning to Coos County to assist us in the cost of mitigating the damages and repairs which were sustained by that event.  Debbie is a miracle of a person, we finally got a grant which pays her part time for some fire mitigation, but she does so much more than that.  Debbie largely volunteers her time on a FULL-TIME basis because she loves the work that she does and she loves Coos County, her home.  We are blessed to have such an amazing volunteer working at our side for the safety of her neighbors.  
   
Our contract deputies have been busy at it.  In Dunes we have Deputies Brian Kent, Allen Churchill and Shawn Starr.  These poor guys ride around on ATV’s in the dunes every day working to keep the recreating public safe.  I say that jokingly, but having worked in that position I can tell you that there is plenty of work to be done out there.  These positions are paid for out of a grant by the State of Oregon largely funded through ATV gas sales and off-road permits.    
   
In a county where timber operations are a large part of our economy, we have three positions funded, one by BLM, various timber operators and land owners throughout Coos County “TOPS” and a position funded by Weyerhauser Corporation.  All of these timber positions ensure that the resources, people and equipment operating on those lands remains safe and un-molested.  All three positions are fully funded and independent from the general fund of Coos County.  Laura McRee, Kris Mong and Adam Burgo work these woods to fulfill those missions.  
   
This past year the Oregon State Marine Board cut our Marine Division funding by 30% across the state of Oregon.  This dealt a huge blow to the marine programs across the state and we were no exception.  We had to cut one patrol position in order to maintain one Marine deputy where at one point, we had two.  Deputy Robert Baker fulfills that role and is responsible for patrolling 190 miles of waterways inside of Coos County.  A daunting task.  Also, a dangerous task.  Deputy Baker has often placed himself in harms way for the people of our county.  At the beginning of last year, he conducted a swift water rescue over raging flood waters high in the mountains to attempt to save a person who was stuck in the middle of it.  During the course of this rescue attempt, Deputy Baker seriously injured his hand.  During the March floods Deputy Baker was in boats and jet skis in the flood waters working to save livestock and check on stranded citizens along with several other citizens.    
   
All these folks are overseen by the Swiss Army Knife of Sergeants; Matt Smith.  Sergeant Smith has cross trained these deputies to assist in all other areas he oversees.  This ensures that if an event which requires two boats is needed, we have trained operators to go out and get the job done.  Sergeant Smith is also proficient in the use of this equipment and geography to be able to assist wherever is needed.    
   
SCINT, which is largely made up of Coos County Detectives is led by Sergeant Aaron Whittenburg.  Sergeant Whittenburg has kept SCINT alive through a vigorous pursuit of grants in addition to the civil forfeiture of various money and items from drug dealers across the county.  Also in our detective division is Detective David Ritz.  Detective Ritz is an individual who deserves so much credit.  He is responsible for the investigation of crimes of abuse against our most vulnerable citizens, children and the elderly.  In the past year SCINT has seized, in round numbers, nearly 100 pounds of illegal narcotics from the street as well as 60 or more firearms.  Detective Sergeant Whittenburg leads a dynamic team with our very own Detective BradLee Davis and assisted by members of Coos County Parole and Probation, Oregon State Police, and Coquille Tribal Police.  The work these men and women may not be directly seen, but it is directly felt throughout the county and beyond.  
   
Our professional staff who works in the front office keep this place running and help out everyone who walks through our doors in Coquille.  We would like to welcome Ellen Knudsen who started with us in September and hit the ground running!  Tarynne Lay and Ellen move all police reports and documents to their final destinations.  These ladies help out with concealed handgun license processing and help sort and move evidence.  Dede Clements takes care of all court ordered expungements, public records requests, grants and is an analyst for SCINT and the list goes on.  Dede is always smiling and has a great attitude.  Heather Sanborn has the difficult task of taking care of our evidence room.  We recently moved our evidence room to another location which is a monumental task which she oversaw.  Heather also has the job of reporting criminal statistics to state and federal agencies.  Melissa Hager handles the finances and payroll of the Sheriff’s Office and is integral in all things budget.  All of these wonderful folks help each other out and are cross trained against each other’s jobs.  We could use at least two more folks to help them out, but sadly, it is not in the budget.    
   
Your patrol staff are the deputies who come out to the calls for service, are the first responders.  Sadly, we have seen our ranks cut due to budgetary restraints.  However, the crime which occurs in this county has not slowed down.  These teams are led by Sergeants Adam Slater, Jon Boswell, Justin Gray and Justin Clayburn.  They lead Deputies Hannah Francis, Zac Smith, Seven Converse, John Anderson and Jimmy Lay.  These positions are paid for out of the general fund of Coos County and are subject the budgetary limitations of the county.  
   
Our Search and Rescue Team is staffed by a group of hardy folks led by Sergeant Gray and assisted by Emergency Manager Chip Delyria.  These men are assisted by Deputies Starr and Baker.  In the past year our Search and Rescue team have found and recovered 6 individuals.  They train monthly to ensure they are proficient in their craft and as a team have logged 1881 hours of training in the past year.  
   
The Coos County Sheriff’s Office hosts the Coos County Emergency Response Team (ERT), a multi-agency special tactics team which is led by Sergeants Matt Smith and Aaron Whittenburg.  In the past year this team was deployed about 20 times and brought a safe resolution to each event they deployed to.  
   
I am proud to lead and serve beside these extraordinary men and women who work very hard and do so much for this county.  It would be easy to tout the hard work of these folks as a success on my part, but I cannot in good faith do it.  This amazing team serves the citizens of Coos County with an energy and diligence that is un-paralleled.  Their successes are all theirs, the failures are mine.  Our response times have gone down due to lack of staffing.  Our ability to protect you is hampered by a lack of resources.  The Sheriff and I continue to work hard to find solutions in these difficult economic times.  In the meantime, we continue to appreciate your support and understanding as we continue the good work for you into 2026. Featured News by Coos County Sheriff
Wrapping it up… By Captain Sean Sanborn It’s funny isn’t it, how fast a year seems to go by. But when one sits and contemplates just how busy the year was it suddenly begins to slow down with perspective. It has been quite a year for your Coos County Sheriff’s Office. There have been successes and failures, ups and downs as is typical with life in general. As we roll into the new year, we celebrate the successes and continue to work on the things which need improvement. I want to introduce to you the fine men and women of my division, the Criminal Division of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. In 2025, Deputies handled 21,449 calls for service throughout the county. We have handled 3 homicides, one of which is still being investigated, 111 unattended death investigations as well as many other calls for service. We are proud to say that as of October of 2025 we had seen a significant drop in fatal and serious injury crashes in the county. The work of our traffic safety deputy has saved the tax payers nearly $50,000 in guardrail damage alone which is a 77% decrease over 2024, something we can celebrate. Deputy Michael Smith serves in our traffic safety position which is half grant funded and half funded from transportation dollars from the Coos County Public Works Department. Deputy John Owens is our School Resource Deputy at the Coquille School District. John is great with the kids and teaches in his own right. John has taught drivers education to 23 kids over the past year. John was trained to teach this class and has the hair-raising duty of riding in the passenger seat while these young drivers learn. Additionally, he ensures the safety of kids and staff at the Coquille School District. John’s position is fully funded by the Coquille School District. We have trained two new deputies who transferred from the Correction Division and we welcome Deputies Jimmy Lay and John Anderson to the Criminal Division. While they have both been employed with the Coos County Jail for some time, they are learning a new job and got to go the academy (again) to learn the ins and outs of their new jobs as patrol deputies. Our civil division is small, but mighty. Deputy Brison Vitek has been out and about serving legal documents for the courts, DA’s Office, private entities and anyone else who has a need to file documents. In the past year our civil section has served about 5900 documents around the county and served 59 writs of execution (court ordered evictions). The Civil Department is overseen by Chief Civil Deputy Tyrone Hansen and is really ran by our professional staff member attached to civil; Civil Clerk Cindi Cade. Our Emergency Manager Don “Chip” Delyria has been kept very busy. He is assisted by Emergency Coordinator Debbie Mueller and part time professional staff member Tarynne Lay. Chip is very active in our Search and Rescue (SAR) program as a Search Manager but also handles the myriad of other responsibilities associated with his position. In the past year we had a disaster declaration following flooding in March. Chip coordinated people, state and federal agencies to bring assistance to Coos County. The hard work by Chip and Deb ensured that some federal dollars will be returning to Coos County to assist us in the cost of mitigating the damages and repairs which were sustained by that event. Debbie is a miracle of a person, we finally got a grant which pays her part time for some fire mitigation, but she does so much more than that. Debbie largely volunteers her time on a FULL-TIME basis because she loves the work that she does and she loves Coos County, her home. We are blessed to have such an amazing volunteer working at our side for the safety of her neighbors. Our contract deputies have been busy at it. In Dunes we have Deputies Brian Kent, Allen Churchill and Shawn Starr. These poor guys ride around on ATV’s in the dunes every day working to keep the recreating public safe. I say that jokingly, but having worked in that position I can tell you that there is plenty of work to be done out there. These positions are paid for out of a grant by the State of Oregon largely funded through ATV gas sales and off-road permits. In a county where timber operations are a large part of our economy, we have three positions funded, one by BLM, various timber operators and land owners throughout Coos County “TOPS” and a position funded by Weyerhauser Corporation. All of these timber positions ensure that the resources, people and equipment operating on those lands remains safe and un-molested. All three positions are fully funded and independent from the general fund of Coos County. Laura McRee, Kris Mong and Adam Burgo work these woods to fulfill those missions. This past year the Oregon State Marine Board cut our Marine Division funding by 30% across the state of Oregon. This dealt a huge blow to the marine programs across the state and we were no exception. We had to cut one patrol position in order to maintain one Marine deputy where at one point, we had two. Deputy Robert Baker fulfills that role and is responsible for patrolling 190 miles of waterways inside of Coos County. A daunting task. Also, a dangerous task. Deputy Baker has often placed himself in harms way for the people of our county. At the beginning of last year, he conducted a swift water rescue over raging flood waters high in the mountains to attempt to save a person who was stuck in the middle of it. During the course of this rescue attempt, Deputy Baker seriously injured his hand. During the March floods Deputy Baker was in boats and jet skis in the flood waters working to save livestock and check on stranded citizens along with several other citizens. All these folks are overseen by the Swiss Army Knife of Sergeants; Matt Smith. Sergeant Smith has cross trained these deputies to assist in all other areas he oversees. This ensures that if an event which requires two boats is needed, we have trained operators to go out and get the job done. Sergeant Smith is also proficient in the use of this equipment and geography to be able to assist wherever is needed. SCINT, which is largely made up of Coos County Detectives is led by Sergeant Aaron Whittenburg. Sergeant Whittenburg has kept SCINT alive through a vigorous pursuit of grants in addition to the civil forfeiture of various money and items from drug dealers across the county. Also in our detective division is Detective David Ritz. Detective Ritz is an individual who deserves so much credit. He is responsible for the investigation of crimes of abuse against our most vulnerable citizens, children and the elderly. In the past year SCINT has seized, in round numbers, nearly 100 pounds of illegal narcotics from the street as well as 60 or more firearms. Detective Sergeant Whittenburg leads a dynamic team with our very own Detective BradLee Davis and assisted by members of Coos County Parole and Probation, Oregon State Police, and Coquille Tribal Police. The work these men and women may not be directly seen, but it is directly felt throughout the county and beyond. Our professional staff who works in the front office keep this place running and help out everyone who walks through our doors in Coquille. We would like to welcome Ellen Knudsen who started with us in September and hit the ground running! Tarynne Lay and Ellen move all police reports and documents to their final destinations. These ladies help out with concealed handgun license processing and help sort and move evidence. Dede Clements takes care of all court ordered expungements, public records requests, grants and is an analyst for SCINT and the list goes on. Dede is always smiling and has a great attitude. Heather Sanborn has the difficult task of taking care of our evidence room. We recently moved our evidence room to another location which is a monumental task which she oversaw. Heather also has the job of reporting criminal statistics to state and federal agencies. Melissa Hager handles the finances and payroll of the Sheriff’s Office and is integral in all things budget. All of these wonderful folks help each other out and are cross trained against each other’s jobs. We could use at least two more folks to help them out, but sadly, it is not in the budget. Your patrol staff are the deputies who come out to the calls for service, are the first responders. Sadly, we have seen our ranks cut due to budgetary restraints. However, the crime which occurs in this county has not slowed down. These teams are led by Sergeants Adam Slater, Jon Boswell, Justin Gray and Justin Clayburn. They lead Deputies Hannah Francis, Zac Smith, Seven Converse, John Anderson and Jimmy Lay. These positions are paid for out of the general fund of Coos County and are subject the budgetary limitations of the county. Our Search and Rescue Team is staffed by a group of hardy folks led by Sergeant Gray and assisted by Emergency Manager Chip Delyria. These men are assisted by Deputies Starr and Baker. In the past year our Search and Rescue team have found and recovered 6 individuals. They train monthly to ensure they are proficient in their craft and as a team have logged 1881 hours of training in the past year. The Coos County Sheriff’s Office hosts the Coos County Emergency Response Team (ERT), a multi-agency special tactics team which is led by Sergeants Matt Smith and Aaron Whittenburg. In the past year this team was deployed about 20 times and brought a safe resolution to each event they deployed to. I am proud to lead and serve beside these extraordinary men and women who work very hard and do so much for this county. It would be easy to tout the hard work of these folks as a success on my part, but I cannot in good faith do it. This amazing team serves the citizens of Coos County with an energy and diligence that is un-paralleled. Their successes are all theirs, the failures are mine. Our response times have gone down due to lack of staffing. Our ability to protect you is hampered by a lack of resources. The Sheriff and I continue to work hard to find solutions in these difficult economic times. In the meantime, we continue to appreciate your support and understanding as we continue the good work for you into 2026.
Wrapping it up By Captain Sean Sanborn Its funny isnt it how fast a year seems to go b... More

01/21/2026

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