Curry County residents voice concerns over lack of warming centers

GOLD BEACH, Ore. – Investigators are looking into the death of a woman in Gold Beach.

Now, some local residents are speaking out about the lack of a warming center in the area.

Brookings resident Jan Miller said she went to Curry County concerned about their lack of a warming center just last week.

Gold Beach Police were called to Ellensburg Avenue near Harbor View Lane Tuesday morning for a person laying in the bushes.

Police and medics determined that 62-year-old Portland woman Dana Neville was deceased.

Investigators said she likely died of exposure to the rain and cold.

Miller said she cried when she heard the news because the death was completely preventable.

“I know how it is to be cold all night long and shiver, shiver, shiver, and the long-term ramifications that can have on your body,” Miller explained. “I expressed my deep concern that somebody was going to die on our streets and it’s preventable and I didn’t want that to happen.”

Miller said she plans to speak more with the county about what a warming shelter would look like.

We reached out to the City of Gold Beach and Curry County for comment and have not heard back.