Dialing for museum dollars; daylight savings time begins; Urban Renewal issues two grants

Dialing for museum dollars…

A telephone fund-raising drive is underway to raise money for the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum Backers say they need approximately $300-thousand to complete construction. Residents in the Florence, Mapleton and eventually Reedsport areas will be called over the next few weeks and solicited for donations. Meanwhile the organizers will continue their “Kilroy Corps” and “Century Corps” drives. Museum president Sam Spayd says the facility will be a – quote – “tribute to the men and women of past, present and future generations of citizen-soldiers.” Previous fund-raising efforts have provided enough to pay for securing a metal frame building and initial engineering and planning work. Spayd says the goal is to break ground this summer and have the building up by Veteran’s Day of this year and then the official opening a year later. The museum completed a long-term low-cost lease with the City of Florence earlier this year for a parcel of land on Kingwood Street near the airport entrance.

Two commercials buildings in Historic Old Town Florence will be getting a spruce-up courtesy of the Florence Urban Renewal Agency. Ron Hogeland and Stuart and Joann Henderson were awarded a $3,200 grant this week to paint the 109-year old Kyle Building and pressure wash the roof. The Humane Society Thrift Store at 1193 Bay Street will get three paved parking spaces and a stormwater drain valued at just under $5-thousand. Both projects are expected to be completed this spring. Earlier this year the Urban Renewal Agency announced the grant program that provides an outright gift of up to $5,000 to improve the appearance of buildings in the urban renewal district. Larger amounts are available on a matching basis.

Daylight savings time begins tomorrow night. That means people will be getting up an hour earlier than they normally would. It also means there’s a potential for some “drowsy drivers” early in the week. Walt McAllister with the Oregon Department of Transportation Safety Division advises drivers to get ready now.
212 – “Well, the best thing to do is start making the adjustments early, on, say, Friday night, and ramping up, so that when you hit work on Monday morning, you’re all ready to go. Most people tend to just make the adjustment in one day and that’s a bit of a shocker to your system.”

McAllister says being well rested before getting behind the wheel could save your life.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Former Oregon Treasurer Jim Hill's bid to
reclaim his old job lasted less than 48 hours.
The Oregonian newspaper reports the Democrat withdrew from the
race Thursday -- two days after he beat a 5 p.m. deadline to enter
the field.
The seat opened when state Treasurer Ben Westlund died Sunday of
lung cancer.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski (koo-luhn-GAH'-skee) chose Multnomah County
Chairman Ted Wheeler to fill the vacancy, but the appointment only
lasts until voters this fall select someone to finish the last two
years of Westlund's term.
Hill's exit leaves two Democrats in the race: Wheeler and state
Sen. Rick Metsger of Mt. Hood.
The only Republican to file was state Sen. Chris Telfer of Bend.
A Memorial service is set for two pm tomorrow for the 60-year old Westlund.
---
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A judge says prosecutors can seek the death
penalty in the aggravated murder trial of a father and son accused
of a 2008 bank bombing in Woodburn that killed two police officers.
Marion County Circuit Judge Thomas Hart yesterday denied a request
to declare the death penalty unconstitutional before the trial of
Bruce and Joshua Turnidge begins next fall. The judge called
pretrial testimony by experts arguing against the death penalty
"unpersuasive" and "unsupported."

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say a ring of juveniles
and young men has stolen thousands of dollars worth of designer
jeans from upscale stores in the area, often reselling the items
for profit. In court documents, prosecutors say the thieves calling
themselves the "Mini Boys" would hit the stores at closing time.
Crews of three or four would grab stacks of jeans and sprint to a
waiting car. Six juveniles aged 16 and 17 and five young men aged
18 to 20 were arraigned yesterday.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Three people including an 8-year-old boy have
been found dead at their home south of Sunriver. The Deschutes
County Sheriff's Office says a 40-year-old man was found hanging
outside the home yesterday and the boy and a 50-year-old woman were
found killed inside.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon residents will be able to drop off
unused or expired prescription drugs tomorrow at dozens of
locations across the state. Sponsors say the disposal will keep
drugs out of the hands of people who might abuse them and also keep
drugs from polluting the environment. The list of sites is
available on the Oregon Medical Association's Web site.
---
On the Net:
http://www.theoma.org/
(The Oregonian)

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Deschutes County sheriff's deputies and other
rescuers went to the aid last night of a snowmobiler who was
injured after crashing into a tree in the Pauline Peak area. Medics
treated the man at the scene, then he was airlifted to Saint
Charles Medical Center. His injuries are described as non-life
threatening.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Southern Oregon University athletic
department is exploring a move from the NAIA level to NCAA Division
II. The Mail Tribune newspaper reports the move would not occur for
another five to seven years. SOU President Mary Cullinan says the
short-term goal is to strive for "excellence" at the NAIA level
before attempting a jump in classification.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A 20-year-old Medford has been sentenced to
more than six years in prison for sexually abusing and attempting
to rape a 14-year-old girl at a party last year. Ricardo
Martinez-Uribe had been convicted Feb. 26. His cousin was accused
of raping the girl, but a jury acquitted him last fall.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The wife of a Eugene man who died in a
kitchen accident is suing his life insurance company. Michele
Vinson says the company is refusing to pay because David Vinson had
been drinking that day. She is seeking $1.3 million from Hartford
Life and Accident Insurance Co. Her husband was home alone last
April when he apparently dropped a domed glass cake cover. A sharp
edge severed a main artery in his foot and the 68-year-old man bled
to death.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Tournament…

Washington’s Isaiah Thomas scored 15 points and number three seed Washington roared back from a big second-half deficit to end the Oregon State season 59 – 52 last night. Roeland Schaftenaar (ROO-lonn SHOFF-teh-narr) had 17 points for the Beavers. // Earlier in the afternoon, Cal cruised to a 90-74 victory over the Oregon Ducks.

Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament:

Julia Futch had 17 points as Oregon State rallied to upset Washington 52-42 in the first round yesterday. Talisa Rhea (tuh-LEE-suh REE-uh) hit a pair of 3-pointers midway through the second half that gave the Beavers the lead. Oregon State, who had lost 17 of their previous 18 games, will face UCLA this evening. The Oregon women open up their first game of the tournament also today. They’ll face USC.

College Baseball:

Oregon will host Seattle University at PK Park today for the first of a weekend four-game series. Oregon State opens up a three-way tournament this afternoon that includes Utah and the University of Portland.

Community:

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Lane County will hold their first ever Shamrock Fun Run and 5K race tomorrow morning. Race day registration opens at 7:45 at Bridgeport Market in Old Town Florence. The Fun Run is at 9am, the 5K race takes off at 9:30. Proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club.