Lane County Says they’re bringing transparency to government…
Opening up the inner workings of government to let residents see what’s going on inside can go a long way. Lane County is taking that sentiment to heart and will now make public virtually all of the transactions made by the county budget office. It’s called the Transparency Spending and Revenue Receipt Report and it will be posted on the county’s website each month and will detail almost every transaction… outgoing or incoming… more than $100. It’s about transparency says Lane County Commission Chair Bill Fleenor. By making as much information available as possible, he says, it will increase the “level of trust and comfort” people will have with government decisions. State law already requires certain financial data to be made available, but the new reports posted online go above and beyond those requirements according to financial officials. The report does not include internal transfers, nor does it provide confidential information such as payroll, taxes paid by employees, nor investment purchases made via payroll deductions. To access the reports, go to the main Lane County website, click on the tab marked “For Residents” and then select ‘transparency reports’.
Former Lane County Commissioner Jerry Rust appears to have made up his mind on whether or not to try to regain a seat on that panel. Rust will make a formal announcement tomorrow morning at 9:30 at the Old Town Gazebo on Bay Street. Following that, he will lead a caravan to Eugene with brief stops in Mapleton, Walton and Veneta before wrapping up at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in Eugene.
It’s already painful enough to pay taxes, but if you rely on someone else to prepare and calculate them and it turns out they’re just running a scam… well that just makes it worse. Oregon Attorney General John Kroger says each year scammers prey on unsuspecting Oregon taxpayers, stealing their refunds and leaving them with significant tax liabilities. There are some red flags to be aware of… be wary of preparers who claim they can obtain larger than normal refunds; those who may base their fee on the size of your refund.
An Oregon State University study shows maximum coastal wave heights in the Pacific Northwest have grown significantly. According to the study, completed by OSU scientists in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, maximum wave heights could reach as much as 46 feet. That’s an increase from 33 foot wave heights estimated in 1996. Scientists say that might mean in increase in damage, erosion, flooding or changing shorelines on the coast. The likely cause of the increase is related to changing climate, but different storm tracks, higher winds and more intense winter storms could also be to blame.
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Athlete of the Week:
Mapleton Basketball standout Kenny Smith is Coast Radio Sports Athlete of the week. The 6’1” senior forward scored 20 points in last week’s Sailor Victory over Alsea. Honorable mention is given to his teammate, Chad Walker who put up 15 in the same game.
On The Schedule Tonight:
Plenty of Prep Basketball as the Siuslaw Vikings are in Myrtle Creek where they’ll take on the South Umpqua Lancers. The pregame show on KCST is at 5:45 with the girls set to tip off at six… the boys immediately following. In the Sunset it’s Reedsport at home against Myrtle Point and the Mapleton Sailors are in Marcola where they’ll face the Mohawk Indians in the Mountain West.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Voting is in its final hours in Oregon's
tax referendums. The two campaigns are down to working the phones
to get people to turn in their ballots. Results will be released
tonight. The only independent poll results that have been made
public show both measures ahead, but by narrowing margins. Measure
66 would raise taxes on the earnings of the wealthiest Oregonians,
while Measure 67 would raise taxes on businesses.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A 36-year-old Salem woman has been charged
with murder in the death of her newborn baby girl whose body was
found in a park 20 years ago. The Marion County district attorney's
office says Stacey Quintero would face a life sentence with a
minimum 10 years in prison under 1990 statutes, if convicted. The
Oregon state medical examiner's office says the infant known as
"Jane Doe" was born alive and was asphyxiated.
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - The first defense witness for two
parents who reject doctors in favor of faith healing has testified
the symptoms they saw in their 16-year-old son were cause for
concern, but gave no indication death was imminent. Jeff and Marci
Beagley are standing trial in Clackamas County for criminally
negligent homicide in the June 2008 death of their only son, Neil,
who died from an untreated urinary blockage.
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Medford police say a man climbed over a
fence and tried to break into the Jackson County Jail. Medford
Police Lt. Bob Hansen says that early yesterday, jail officials
spotted a man scaling the fence around an area where officers
unload potential prisoners and take them inside. The officials
called police. Officers say 28-year-old James Merrill DeVore was
distraught and said he'd been drinking alcohol and smoking
marijuana.
COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - Coos County authorities have created a
cold case squad to investigate the killing 10 years ago of
15-year-old Leah Freeman. Her body was found near Coquille in 2000,
five weeks after she disappeared. The Register-Guard reports
officials announced yesterday the renewed investigation has been
under way for 15 months and as many as two dozen people are working
to find the killer.
(Register Guard)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - About 120 Oregon Army National Guard soldiers
returned yesterday from a year in Iraq. The members of the 158th
Aviation Regiment flew more than 800 patients to medical care. The
Statesman Journal reports Gov. Ted Kulongoski was among the
officials who welcomed the soldiers at a hangar at the Salem
Airport.
(Statesman Journal)
HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - Hillsboro police say an officer would
have been justified in shooting a suicidal man who threw a firebomb
at him. The man repeatedly asked the officer to shoot him Sunday
night. The Oregonian reports Officer Stephen Beaver had previous
encounters with the 46-year-old veteran and knew he suffered post
traumatic stress disorder from a career that included time in Iraq.
He was handcuffed and taken to the Portland Veterans Administration
hospital.
(The Oregonian)
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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