Three fires intentionally set over two months…
Officials are investigating a series of three intentional fires that have been set in the area over the past two months. Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Sean Barrett didn’t say whether or not they were connected, but there were similarities. The first was set January 24th in two trash cans at Miller Park. The next came in a bale of cardboard behind Bi-Mart on February 19th. Barrett said the third fire set was the same morning just a half-block away in a dumpster at J&J Automotive. The fires are not a cause for alarm at this point, but Barrett says people who set trash and recycling fires are often known to escalate to setting more destructive blazes. All three were set in early morning hours and the causes are still under investigation. If caught, the person or people responsible could face arson charges. Barrett says anyone with information about the three fire sets or any other related activity should call him at the fire station, or notify police.
An $8.3-million federal grant will strengthen wireless and broadband connections in much of Western and Southern Oregon, some of it will spill into the Florence area. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was awarded to the Lane Council of Governments. L-COG Telecommunications Manager Dan Mulholland says it will enhance an existing fiber-optic backbone with 124 miles of additional fiber. A quarter-million dollars will be spent to connect eight public facilities in Florence to the network, including city hall; the Justice Center, the Events Center and other state and county facilities. Mulholland says the installations will be made in a way that will allow other companies to take advantage of the local network.
Visitors to the Florence Home and Garden Show over the weekend saw a shiny new green transit bus parked out front. It’s the new “Rhody Express” and will replace the existing bus that’s been in service for a decade. Florence Advisory Committee staffer Darby Conner says the new unit comes at no direct local cost…
210 – “In 2008 we partnered up with Lane Transit District. And they applied for a grant through the Obama stimulus money that was out there and we got the funding so this bus didn’t cost our community anything.”
The new Rhody Express also has an easier to operate wheel chair lift making it safer and more convenient for the driver and passengers. It is slated to go into service this month.
Today’s the last day to make any changes to the ballot title associated with Florence City Council resolution number 8. It was approved last month and calls for an election on the question of annexing property within the city into the Siuslaw Valley Fire district. The council has received comments on the ballot title and will take final action during a special meeting this afternoon at City Hall. That’s at four o’clock. Voters will make the final decision on the question in May.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - State officials say Oregon state treasurer
Ben Westlund has died after a long battle with lung cancer. He was
60. Westlund campaign manager Stacey Dycus said from the family's
home in Bend that he died yesterday morning. He served 12 years in
the Legislature, and took office as treasurer last year. Gov. Ted
Kulongoski says Oregon has lost a leader.
BLACKFOOT, Idaho (AP) - A 4-year-old girl whose parents are in
custody for what police say is their involvement in a double
homicide in Oregon has been returned to Idaho by her grandparents.
Bill and Rita Pope say they traveled to Virginia to get custody of
Kalea Morris and brought her back to Blackfoot last week. The
girl's father, Gabriel, is charged with aggravated murder in the
Feb. 8 shooting deaths of his mother, 62-year-old Robin Anstey, and
48-year-old Robert Kennelly Jr., in Bandon.
TALENT, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a 60-year-old Talent
man has been stabbed in a restroom at the Suncrest Rest Area off
Interstate 5 near north of Talent. Police Sgt. Mark Byrd says the
man is being treated at a hospital for non-life threatening
injuries. Police say he was stabbed in the men's bathroom at about
8 p.m. Saturday. The Oregonian reports that the victim told
investigators that the suspect rode away from the rest stop on a
mountain bicycle. Authorities have no motive.
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (AP) - Jackson County sheriff's deputies say
a 4-year-old boy lost part of his right leg after falling beneath a
riding lawn mower. Sheriff's Sgt. Nate Sickler tells the Mail
Tribune that the mower severed the boy's leg at about the knee in
the Saturday evening accident in rural Central Point. Sickler says
the injury does not appear to be life-threatening.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Democrat Bill Bradbury has been endorsed
by the major Oregon education unions in his campaign for governor.
The Oregon Education Association and the American Federation of
Teachers gave him their backing today, breaking a series of union
endorsements for his Democratic opponent, John Kitzhaber.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Marion County grand jury has ruled that
Salem police officer Vince Dawson was justified to shoot a man who
was running from a traffic stop. Prosecutors say Dawson wounded
22-year-old Joshua Bruce on Feb. 12 when Bruce ran from the vehicle
and would not show his hands when Dawson ordered him to.
GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - Boeing plans to invest up to $120 million
in its Gresham plant, adding about 150 jobs in the next three
years. The Oregonian reports the aerospace company will replace a
30-year-old chemical processing plant with a new facility to treat
metals such as titanium and stainless steel.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Secretary of State's office says
there hasn't been much progress in fixing serious gaps in the
state's data security systems. An audit released Friday warns that
the weaknesses could jeopardize the security of residents' personal
data, such as tax returns, Social Security numbers and confidential
medical records.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say a man dressed in
camouflage clothing was posing as a police officer when he
approached two women leaving a Snoop Dogg concert. He said he'd
been sent to escort them from the area so they wouldn't be stopped
for driving drunk. Both women managed to escape. Police say they
are looking for a 42-year-old registered sex offender.
COLTON, Ore. (AP) - Three horses are dead after an unloaded log
truck struck the animals on a rural Clackamas County highway after
eight horses ran onto the road early yesterday. State police are
investigating how the horses escaped and made their way onto the
road. They were owned by Marge Smith, who lives a quarter mile from
the accident scene. She later reclaimed the other five horses.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Jurors have convicted a former Comcast
employee in an attack on a clerk at a Portland check-cashing store.
Michael Hagen was found guilty yesterday of attempted murder,
robbery, burglary and assault in the beating of Nicole Loundree at
Ace Checks Cashing last summer. Hagen wore his Comcast uniform
during the robbery and fled in a company van. Sentencing is April
15.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon AFL-CIO and Teamsters Joint
Council 37 have endorsed John Kitzhaber's campaign for governor.
The two unions represent more than 255,000 Oregonians combined.
Kitzhaber is a former two-term governor. He has won every union
endorsement so far in his race against Bill Bradbury for the
Democratic nomination in the May primary election.
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon City faith-healing couple
convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their
16-year-old son are scheduled to be sentenced this morning. Jeff
and Marci Beagley could be sentenced to a year-and-a-half in
prison. Their son, Neil, suffered from a urinary tract blockage
that led to kidney and heart failure.
STEVENSON, Wash. (AP) - With daylight, the search is resuming
for a 24-year-old Portland woman missing near the Bonneville Dam in
Skamania County. Katherine Huether texted a friend Thursday
afternoon that she was at a trailhead and going for a hike. The
search began Friday after she failed to return home.
SHERWOOD, Wash. (AP) - Firefighters prevented flames from a
blazing house from spreading to a nearby senior center in Sherwood.
The house was vacant and had recently been purchased by the city of
Sherwood. Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue says the house was
destroyed yesterday but there was no damage to the Sherwood Senior
Center.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Students who attend the Grant High School
prom this May will be asked to take a Breathalyzer test before they
enter the Tiffany Center in downtown Portland. Principal Joseph
Malone says school resource officers will not admit those who have
had alcohol. Malone told The Oregonian he hopes the breath tests
deter students from even thinking about drinking.
(The Oregonian)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon Republicans at the party's annual
gathering at Seaside have picked businessman Allen Alley over
former NBA player Chris Dudley in a straw vote for Oregon governor.
The vote taken Sunday doesn't have any formal impact. Voters in the
state primary election on May 18 will choose the party's nominee in
the race to succeed Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (AP) - Jackson County sheriff's officials
say no criminal charges will be filled in a weekend accident in
which a lawn mower severed part of the right leg of a 4-year-old
bow in rural Central Point. Deputies say it appears the boy slipped
and fell underneath the riding mower on Saturday.
(Mail Tribune)
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Men’s College Basketball:
The Oregon Ducks ended the regular season at Mac Court with a 74 – 66 win over Washington State Saturday night. Before the game was even over, however, the word was out that it would likely be head coach Ernie Kent’s final appearance there. KVAL TV was reporting that Kent had already been informed by Athletic Director Mike Bellotti that he would be fired at the end of the season. Neither would comment over the weekend. Oregon and Washington State will have a rematch this week… they’ll open the Pac-10 tournament Wednesday with a ‘play-in’ game. // In Corvallis, Oregon State lost to Washington 82 – 70. Those two teams will also meet in their tournament opening games… Washington as the number three seed; Oregon State as the number six… that game Thursday evening.
Women’s Basketball:
The Oregon State women ended the regular season with a rare win, 50-45 over Washington State in Pullman. Friday the Beavers lost to Washington 67-49. Oregon State ended up 2-16 in last place. The Oregon women had two losses over the weekend… Friday to Washington State 67-53 then yesterday afternoon to the Huskies 62 – 52. Oregon ended the regular season 7-11 in sixth place.
College Baseball:
Oregon swept a four game series at Fresno State over the weekend; Oregon State split their final two games at the Coca Cola Classic in Surpise, AZ.
Prep Basketball:
Two Far West League girls’ teams are still in action at the OSAA 4A playoffs. North Bend beat Astoria Friday night 53 – 42; Sutherlin edged Molalla 46 – 44. Both remaining boys’ teams were eliminated Saturday… North Bend lost to Newport; Tillamook defeated Brookings-Harbor.
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