Tsunami Advisory followed South Pacific Quake; gas prices drop; LCC Enrollment up; and Helicopters improve salmon habitat

Tsunami Advisory followed South Pacific Quake…

Despite advice to the contrary, several people headed for the beach last night. They wanted to see just exactly what a 15-centimeter high wave might look like. It turns out it didn’t look much different than the thousands of other waves that wash up along the Oregon Coast. But the estimated five and a half foot wall of water that washed up on beaches in American Samoa were a different story. A strong earthquake, estimated between eight and 8.6 magnitude, caused a wave that swamped many areas in the region, killing more than 100 people and leaving destruction in its wake. That prompted a ‘tsunami advisory’ for California and Oregon. The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska issued it yesterday a little after four pm. They told people to stay out of the water and away from low lying areas as a precaution. The advisory said strong currents and a series of waves less than a foot high were possible over a several hour period beginning at nine pm. Emergency officials in the area took note of the situation but did not take any specific action.

Students at colleges and universities headed back to class this week. And as expected, there are more of them than last year. Lane Community College President Mary Spilde says “enrollment has risen with the unemployment rate”. Not only are credit registrations up 23-percent, but there’s been another increase as well. Financial aid applications have increased by a whopping 49-percent. Spilde says despite reduced state funding, LCC is prepared for the increased demand. The college added more than 20 credit classes on main campus, 15 extra in the downtown Eugene center. The Florence Center also has openings available.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline dropped by nine cents this week in Florence to $2.70. That compares with a drop of only four cents a gallon to $2.84 for the statewide average as measured by Triple-A of Oregon. Marie Dodds with Triple-A says pump prices are down across the country as well as the west coast with the national average down to $2.49… about a four cent reduction from last week. Three states have averages for regular unleaded above the three dollar mark… Alaska, Hawaii and California. Washington, at $2.92 a gallon on average is the fourth highest with Oregon falling fifth.

For the 13th year in a row, crews working with helicopters will place large logs in streams in the Siuslaw National Forest in order to help improve fish habitat. John Sanchez, a US Forest Service fish biologist, says the large wood forms pools and slows the current, allowing juvenile salmon a refuge. Sanchez says monitoring of previous projects has shown an increase in winter survival of coho salmon. Five of the streams targeted are in Lincoln County, one is in Douglas County… that’s Harvey Creek on the lower Umpqua drainage. The seventh is Upper Knowles Creek on the Siuslaw.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Prep Volleyball:
The Siuslaw Vikings had an easy time of it last night, downing Sutherlin in three games, 25-20; 25-18; and 25-17, for their first Far West League victory of the season. Seabre Church led the way with 14 kills for the Vikings; Briana DeSantis had ten kills. In other Far West Action, Brookings Harbor downed Douglas in three games; North Bend took South Umpqua in three.

College Football:
Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond III will miss the rest of his senior season. He injured his knee on the opening kickoff of Oregon’s 42-3 victory over Cal on Saturday. Thurmond had surgery on his knee yesterday. He had been included on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. Thurmond had two touchdowns in Oregon’s first three games, returning a punt against Utah and an interception against Purdue.