Keep your eyes and ears open on the road; Mind those parking limits in Old Town; Financial literacy and support for Extension

04-29-10 7,8,9 AM; Noon; 5,6 PM
RBS

Keep your eyes and ears open…

Local emergency responders have to deal with a lot of dangerous situations. But, according to Senior Paramedic Al Kreitz with Western Lane Ambulance, one of the riskiest parts of their job can be just getting there. Kreitz said one day last week, an ambulance was approaching an intersection with a green light with their lights and siren on when all of a sudden a car blew the adjacent red light, narrowly missing a devastating crash. Then, a few days later, another crew was responding to a man with a possible heart attack.
211 – “A vehicle in front of them was driving approximately 40-45 miles per hour on Highway 101.”

Oncoming traffic was heavy and, Kreitz said, the crew couldn’t safely pass the car that refused to pull over, delaying care to the critically ill patient.
212 – “So they had to, for about four or five minutes slowly drive behind this vehicle while the cardiac patient, the information that dispatch was sending to the responding paramedic crew was that the condition was deteriorating rapidly.”

Kreitz said drivers need to be aware of their surroundings and their responsibilities. Oregon law requires motorists to slow down, safely pull to the right and come to a complete stop when approached from either direction by an emergency vehicle with lights and siren.

04-29-10 7,8,9 AM; Noon; 5,6 PM
RBS

A recent survey shows 70-percent of Lane County residents feel it’s important to keep a county-based Extension office. It also shows 60 percent of county residents have accessed those services by phone, and 55 percent have done so in person. Lane County Extension Chair Steve Dodrill says the survey confirms the community support of the youth development, personal health, self-sufficiency and sustainability programs offered up by the agency. Lane County is asking for a special operating tax levy on the May 18th ballot to support Extension. If approved by voters it would increase property tax rates in the county by five cents per thousand… or about five dollars a year for a home assessed at $100-thousand.

Annual parking restrictions in the Historic Old Town area go into effect this Saturday. That’s when a strict three-hour parking limit will begin being enforced. Florence Police Chief Maury Sanders says businesses in the area are encouraged to remind employees and customers that compliance with the three-hour limit will help provide ample parking for visitors. Sanders said there won’t be any grace periods. Officers will be writing citations beginning May First when the restriction takes effect. The first offense carries a $15 fine… those fines can ratchet up to $50 for repeat offenders.

Finding the path to prosperity can be difficult. But, accoring to Colleen Stewart, the basics can set you on the correct way. Stewart and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County are offering a four-part ten-hour financial literacy class beginning next week in Florence. The class runs each Thursday beginning May 6th at the Oak Terrace Apartments from six to 8:30 PM. Information can be had by calling Stewart at 541-682-5920.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - State and local health officials are
investigating seven cases of salmonella illness that appear linked
to a Mexican restaurant in Roseburg, Ore. Douglas County Public
Health says the seven people ate at the Los Dos Amigos restaurant
earlier this month. Officials say the restaurant is cooperating
fully.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland woman accused of teaming with
her husband to swindle an 86-year-old man out of more than $300,000
has been sentenced to more than a year in prison. Cheryl Knight
apologized for her actions during a hearing that had been delayed
for months because of her health problems. She and her husband had
both pleaded guilty to criminal mistreatment and theft.

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - A 13-year-old Oregon boy has been
charged with arson in a March 15 shed burning and detectives are
investigating the Sandy teen in the illegal cutting of 20 trees and
power poles. The tree fellings caused at least two highway crashes
and a power outage.

GASTON, Ore. (AP) - A Washington County, Ore., sheriff's
spokesman says phone service in the town of Gaston was temporarily
disrupted yesterday after a garbage truck driver snagged some
cables as he drove down a road with his rear hatch open. The
spokesman says with the wires down, people couldn't call outside of
the town.
PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) - A car-semi crash on I-84 near Pendleton
has critically injured a woman and the driver of the auto is in
jail. Oregon State police say three pounds of marijuana were found
in the car after yesterday's crash, and they arrested Joshua
McDonald of Newport, Wash. His passenger -- Stacia Lynn Thune of
Spokane -- is hospitalized in critical condition.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A fire official says an incandescent clamp
light started a fire that tore through a Portland church earlier
this week, causing $850,000 in damage. Lt. Rich Tyler said
yesterday the light ignited items stored in a second-floor room at
the Eastside Foursquare Church.

UNDATED (AP) - A lawyer for the Vatican says the former
archbishop of the Diocese of Portland followed the norms of the 1990s and
properly handled a priest who had molested a 13-year-old boy. Cardinal
William Levada (leh-VAY'-duh) did nothing as the archbishop of San
Francisco to restrict the priest after learning of the abuse in
1995.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A two-alarm fire at a north Portland home
early today has sent one resident to the hospital. Fire officials
tell The Oregonian firefighters carried the man out of the house.
No one else was inside when the fire broke out about 4 a.m.
Firefighters saw flames in the second-floor windows as they
arrived.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 61-year-old Portland woman accused of
teaming with her husband to swindle an 86-year-old man out of more
than $300,000 has been sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Cheryl Knight and her husband both pleaded guilty to criminal
mistreatment and theft. Jerry Lee Knight was sentenced to more than
two years in prison at his sentencing last month.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A blast-right-by-them style has served the
Suns well against the Trail Blazers. And tempo will likely be a
deciding factor tonight when Phoenix takes its 3-2 advantage to
Portland in hopes of advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
The Blazers have two things going for them. They are at home, and
All-Star guard Brandon Roy says he's going to be in the starting
lineup.


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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Prep Sports:
Yesterday’s makeup baseball and softball games between Siuslaw and South Umpqua were rained out once again. Games will likely be made up Tuesday.

The 4A Baseball Coaches poll lists the Astoria Fisherman as the top team in the state. The Siuslaw Vikings, at 6-and-oh in league play and 10-2 overall, are edging closer to the top ten at number 11. The South Umpqua Lancers, 5-1 in Far West play and 13-3 overall are ranked just behind the Vikings at number 12.

Looking ahead to tomorrow and the weekend: select members of the Siuslaw Track and Field squad will be competing at Hayward Field’s Oregon Relays in Eugene. Viking Softball will be on the road tomorrow to face the Douglas Trojans for two games. The Trojans will be in Florence for double-header baseball.