Flocking to see a rare bird
Coos Bay got a bit of a tourism boost over the last several days, as 200 or so birders came to the bay to see a rare brown booby that is hanging out near Charleston. People came to scope out the tropical bird from places including Eugene, Portland, B...
 0.6K - Nov. 2, 2009; scored 78.0 Column: New group lobbies for community sports funding
If the high school and youth sports programs in your town aren t already having trouble paying their bills, they will soon. And if that doesn t sound like headline-worthy news in this battered economy, just wait. You ll have your pick of headlines fr...
6.0K - Oct. 21, 2009; scored 78.0 Tourism officials share grant
If it s good for one South Coast city, it s good for all. That s the strategy behind an advertising campaign designed to jump-start tourism throughout the winter months. Travel Oregon is giving $10,000 to the Bandon Chamber of Commerce. The ...
2.6K - Sep. 26, 2009; scored 157.0 CB area sees increase in jobless rate
Coos County s jobless rate rose from 13.2 percent in July to 13.7 percent in August, adding 110 more people to the unemployment ranks. That s 1.5 percent above than the state s current figure. But it s still better than May, when unemployment reache...
1.7K - Sep. 22, 2009; scored 117.0 Festival Season isn't all merrymaking
We ve celebrated cranberries, blackberries, seafood, chain saws and sand dunes. And just before festival fatigue settles in, we ve got another weekend of fun ahead of us. Today s Bay Area Fun Festival represents the last big hoorah before the tourism...
5.8K - Sep. 21, 2009; scored 78.0 Gold rush
Gold Beach promoters hope the prospect of winning genuine American Eagle coins will hike occupancy rates at local hotels and resorts. Yep, we re talking gold. Ten thousand dollars of it. In an economy that calls for extreme fiscal responsibility, Gol...
4.2K - Sep. 5, 2009; scored 140.0 Local tourism reps to attend exclusive events
Two Coos County tourism officials have been selected to attend national conventions to share knowledge with industry peers and discuss Bay Area travel opportunities. Katherine Hoppe, of the Coos Bay/North Bend Visitor Convention Bureau, will leave ...
1.9K - Aug. 29, 2009; scored 78.0 Can you feel the momentum shift?
Slowly, timidly, tentatively, news is trickling in to suggest the economic free-fall may be ending. Check out the roundup of positive economic news over the past few days. Oregon s jobless rate has stabilized, and Coos County s has dropped for the se...
1.8K - Aug. 28, 2009; scored 78.0 Cheers and Jeers
Shiver me timbers Cheers for creative approaches to building our economic future. A boat building center in Empire can become a magnet for a quirky, hands-on variety of cultural tourism. Good hustle by Coos Bay s Urban Renewal Agency. Hey, batter ba...
1.7K - Aug. 22, 2009; scored 78.0 Australia outback includes world's longest golf course
BRISBANE, Australia Hit a few loose shots or three-putt the first green at Nullarbor Links and you ll have plenty of time to think about your errant ways before teeing off at the second. That s because No. 2 is 42 miles down the highway. Billed as ...
5.9K - Jul. 21, 2009; scored 152.0 California sprouts marijuana green rush
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A drug deal plays out, California-style: A conservatively dressed courier drives a company-leased Smart Car to an apartment on a weekday afternoon. Erick Alvaro hands over a white paper bag to his 58-year-old customer, who inspec...
15.8K - Jul. 19, 2009; scored 149.0 Coquille Tribe: Going strong at 20
Twenty years in, the reinstated Coquille Indian Tribe s momentum continues to build. The tribe and its business ventures are a key local employer. Its landmark casino is a tourism hub and an engine of tribal prosperity. As its fortunes have risen, th...
2.1K - Jun. 26, 2009; scored 101.0 Can golf build prosperity? It helps
The World Editorial Board Whenever Bandon Dunes comes up in conversation, the sourpuss element of our local population inevitably gripes that the resort contributes little to the local economy. Golfers, according to the sourpusses, fly into our airpo...
2.1K - Jun. 24, 2009; scored 129.0 Ike's memories weigh on Galveston
GALVESTON, Texas Another hurricane season is the last thing Galveston wants to think about after last year s devastation from Hurricane Ike. Hurricane season got here a lot quicker than I thought it would. I m still busy working on my own house, tr...
4.2K - Jun. 5, 2009; scored 78.0 Oregon Outdoor Report: ODFW tag system back online
Column by Richard DeChambeau The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife seems to have its controlled hunt tags and licenses computer vending system back in operation. It s still not fast, but with persistence and patience you can make your purchase. ...
4.5K - May. 23, 2009; scored 78.0 Local tourism gets national attention
This has been my secret dream, to make it into USA Today! trumpeted Katherine Hoppe in an e-mail sent round the community. No, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor Convention Bureau promotions director didn t exactly make it into the nationwide newspa...
1.8K - May. 9, 2009; scored 314.0 'Charlie' returns to Charleston
The return of Charlie the Tuna to the South Slough Bridge may get more hoopla than a former president who visited town almost exactly a year ago. Even Bill Clinton can't say he got a parade with a real live kazoo band. Although he's not the original ...
5.8K - May. 1, 2009; scored 78.0 Cheers and jeers
Openness eases the pain Cheers for local school districts - notably Coquille and Coos Bay - that are involving community members in budget-cutting discussions. Difficult decisions go better when they're shared openly. Still barking at age 93 Cheers f...
1.6K - Apr. 27, 2009; scored 101.0 Stufflebean wastes taxpayers' money
As of March 31, our Coos County Board of Commissioners had not provided citizens time to ask questions or give input for four weeks. Additionally, Commissioner Stufflebean left at 11 a.m. on four other meeting days moving the total to two-thirds of t...
2.5K - Apr. 23, 2009; scored 78.0 Jobless rate 13.7 percent
Sixty area residents lost their jobs in March, but state officials say job listings are consistent. Coos County's seasonably adjusted unemployment rate rose more than a percentage point in March to 13.7 percent, up from 12.2 percent in February. Guy ...
3.3K - Apr. 21, 2009; scored 169.0 | 
