Beachcomber reward extended; noisy bridge renovations; don't drink and boat; and possession of a sparkler can cost big bucks.

Reward Extended for Beachcomber Robbery

In February 2008 an unidentified gunman terrorized the owner and employees of the Beachcomber Pub and Grille, getting away with an unknown amount of money. Within days, Siuslaw Stop Crime had posted a $1,000 reward.
210 – “Shortly after the robbery I was contacted by an individual who wanted to donate $9-thousand in addition to the thousand that Siuslaw Stop Crime put up.”

Stop Crime spokesman Jim Sievers says there were a couple of conditions… first that the reward would only be paid following an indictment of the person or people responsible. The second… the reward would only be available for a year.
211 – “As of a week ago I contacted them and they asked that we keep the money and run other articles… more publicity and see if could bring this thing to a head.”

Sievers said police have no clues in the case. He’s hoping that the promise of $10,000 might prompt someone to come forward… but so far nobody has.

Renovation work on the Siuslaw River Bridge is moving into a noisy stage. Oregon Department of Transportation project manager Chuck Lemos (LEE-mose) says workers will be removing weakened rivets using air-impact wrenches and replacing them with high-strength bolts. Lemos acknowledged the noise will be distracting. But, he says, crews will work as quickly as possible. The 101 bridge is in the beginning stages of a two-year $5.3-million electrical and mechanical renovation.

Operating a boat while intoxicated can cost you up to a year in jail and a fine up to $6,250. Lane County Sheriff’s Marine Deputy Harold Clifton says just as it’s illegal to drink and drive a car… it’s against the law to operate a boat in the same way. Now’s a good time to make that reminder Clifton adds. With hot weather and the holiday weekend coming there will be a lot of people on lakes and waterways over the next few days. Clifton says there are several ‘stressors’ common to the boating environment that can intensify the effects of alcohol… thinks like sun, wind, noise and vibration… as well as fatigue. He cited US Coast Guard Statistics from 2007 that show one in five boating fatalities are alcohol related.

It’s not just illegal to use any type of fireworks on National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands, but it’s against the law to have them in your possession while visiting. A reminder issued this week by a Siuslaw National Forest spokesperson points out that the penalty for just having a sparkler in your possession while on National Forest land can be as high as $5-thousand.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

American Legion Baseball:
Fresh off the injured list, Travis Iverson pitched eight strikeouts in seven innings for the win as the Three Rivers Sandblasters defeated the Mid Valley Rockets 5-3 in Albany last night. Trevor Roberts earned a save in the effort, coming in for relief in the eighth inning. At 7 – 4, the ‘Blasters are two-and-a-half games out of the lead in third place. The Withnell Dodgers moved into the number one spot last night with a 22-12 win over the Corvallis Richies. Three Rivers has a non-conference game set for tonight against Beaverton here in Florence.

Northwest League Baseball:
Eugene leadoff hitter Bo Davis was four-for-four at the plate, scored five runs, picked up two RBI and stole three bases as the Emeralds knocked holes in the Everett Aqua-Sox 15-5 last night at Civic Stadium. Eugene hitters batted around in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie, then followed that up with the same in the seventh inning to put the game away. Eugene and Everett meet again tonight at Civic…