Florence residents asked for fire service input…
One of the top goals of the Florence City Council this coming year is going to be developing a long term solution on how they pay for fire services. Ten years ago the city disbanded its fire department and began contracting with the Siuslaw Rural Fire District.
200 – “That contract, by its terms hasn’t covered all of their costs for providing those services and they’ve put us on notice they can’t keep doing that.”
Florence city manager Bob Willoughby says that initial contract was only supposed to be temporary and last no more than three or four years. The council heard from a fire services consultant earlier this year who laid out three different options… either increase the rate being paid under the temporary agreement; make it permanent with the annexation of the city into the district or the city could be faced with rebuilding its own department. Willoughby says the council is now turning to residents.
201 – “To assist them in doing that they’ll be sending out a survey the first ten days of January so people should expect to find in their mail a survey with questions about some of those options and what people are and aren’t willing to do about paying for fire services.”
Mayor Phil Brubaker says while costs will be a definite concern as they explore their options, providing for public safety will be a top priority.
Home sales in the Florence area continue to outpace totals from a year ago, but prices have dropped dramatically. Steve Earnshaw compiled the sales figures for November of this year and says they’re nearly two-thirds higher than sales in the past two Novembers. 26 sales were closed in November this year, compared to 16 a year ago and only 18 in 2007. But the average price has fallen by more than 21 percent. Two years ago the average price was $231-thousand, it grew to nearly $245-thousand last year but plummeted to less than $180-thousand this year. Earnshaw’s figures were compiled for the region’s Multiple Listing Service.
Florence Police Chief Maury Sanders says his officers will be enforcing some new and amended laws that become effective this Friday. Two of the most prominent changes involve the use of cell phones while driving and moving over if there is an emergency vehicle alongside the roadway. Oregon’s “Move Over” law already requires motorists to slow down or change lanes when a police, fire or emergency medical vehicle is parked with it’s emergency lights on. Now they must do the same for a roadside assistance or tow vehicle. The mobile communications law prohibits most drivers from texting or speaking on a cell phone while driving unless the driver meets a specific exemption or they’re using an allowed ‘hands free’ device.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police are investigating the
death of a 15-year-old boy who fell from a downtown parking garage.
Crowds of shoppers filled the sidewalks yesterday afternoon when
the boy fell. Police Detective Mary Wheat says it's too early to
tell whether the death was an accident or a suicide.
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - A 41-year-old Sandy man has been
charged with murder in the Christmas Day shooting of his mother at
her home. Clackamas County deputies said Vivian Bighaus was shot
with a high-powered rifle. A sheriff's spokesman says a family
member reported that Michael Bighaus suffered from a mental
disorder but was not taking his prescribed medication.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon attorney general's office says an
investigator's search has failed to turn up missing evidence in the
triple murder case of Philip Cannon, a finding that makes it
doubtful prosecutors will seek a retrial. Cannon had said he was
wrongly convicted of the 1998 killing three people in a mobile home
near Salem, claiming evidence was flawed.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An equipment malfunction led about 4,000
Oregon state employees to get more than the usual information in
their enrollment packet from Providence Health Plans this month.
Information about other members of the insurance pool was printed
on the back of reverse side of their letters from the company. The
company says it will give out thousands of new insurance cards to
make up for the problem.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Marion County Sheriff's office says a
traffic stop near a Salem middle school led to the seizure of more
than $5,000 worth of methamphetamine from a 38-year-old felon.
Deputies say they found a half-ounce of meth in the man's jacket
pocket and 11 small bags in his pants.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The state is starting to mail more than 1.7
million Oregon voters' pamphlets. The 92-page booklet contains
arguments for and against Measure 66 and Measure 67. Measure 66
raises the taxes on wealthy Oregonians while Measure 67 raises the
state's corporate minimum tax. Ballots for the Jan. 26 election go
in the mail Jan. 8.
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - The National Weather Service says a storm
will sweep across southern Oregon today. A winter weather advisory
is in effect from noon today until tomorrow morning. It warns that
snow could make travel difficult, particularly on highways 62 and
230 through the Cascades. The forecast calls for 3 to 9 inches of
snow to fall in the Cascades and Siskiyous by Wednesday morning.
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Starting New Year's Day, Oregonians using
disabled parking permits must provide the Driver and Motor Vehicles
Division with a medical professional's certification of their
disability each time they renew their licenses. Drivers previously
needed medical confirmation only when they first applied for a
placard. Some drivers, however, abused the rule by continuing to
use the permit after their health improved.
ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - A teddy bear placed at the front door of the
Oregon State Police office in Albany proved to be as harmless as a
teddy bear. Employees arriving for work yesterday thought it might
be a bomb. They evacuated the building, cleared the front parking
lot of cars and called in the agency's bomb unit. An X-ray image
showed there were nothing dangerous inside the bear.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Michael Dunigan had 26 points and five rebounds last night as Oregon overcame a sluggish start to down winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73 – 53 at Mac Court in Eugene. Last night’s game also marked the return of senior guard Tajuan Porter, coming off an ankle injury that caused him to miss six games. Porter scored 15 points helping the Ducks to their fourth straight win. Oregon opens the Pac-10 schedule Thursday in Pullman against Washington State. Oregon State will be in Seattle against the Washington Huskies.
Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor revealed yesterday he’s been playing on a bad knee, but he didn’t say which one. The Sophomore said he partially tore a knee ligament earlier this year but it didn’t slow him down much as he led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title. Ohio State and Oregon meet in the Rose Bowl New Year’s Day.
Coming up on the schedule today…. The Oregon State women are in Portland this evening where they’ll face the Portland State Vikings. Viking Wrestlers are on the mat in the Myrtle Point Invitational.
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