Coast Radio News

Water and annexation on the agenda for city fathers…

The Florence City Council resumes efforts this evening to establish a plan for providing water service to areas within the Urban Growth Boundary as they are annexed into the city. The draft resolution, the subject of a public hearing tonight, will also spell out just how the city will process annexations in the future. Previous plans would have allowed most of the areas to continue to be served by Heceta Water District, but concerns about whether or not Heceta could provide adequate water to commercial and industrial areas in the event of a large fire prompted staff to propose withdrawing those areas from consideration. Future residential annexations, currently served by Heceta Water would continue to be as they are brought into the city. Another component of the hearing is how the city would process future annexations themselves. The council will refine their policy of ‘no forced annexations’, but are also expected to process those through a public hearings process, rather than an election of affected property owners. That change is being suggested as a way to control costs.

A state program aimed at keeping seniors and people with disabilities in their homes will be curtailed beginning August First. Already more than 24-hundred Oregonians have received notices telling them that in-home health care offered as part of “Oregon Project Independence” will end on August First. Another 12-to-15-hundred who receive some personal services will see those go away as well. Rick Bennett, with A-A-R-P Oregon, says the reductions are part of the across-the-board state budget cuts ordered last month by Governor Kulongoski.
201 – “We’re still hopeful that there’s a better way. But right now, the state has no alternative but to start sending out these notices to people, to let them know that these services are gonna be eliminated. And these are just the first of a number of notices that will be going out.”

An additional round of service cuts is slated for October. He adds there is a chance that some federal funding may come through. But, Bennett adds, it’s not a sure thing and likely wouldn’t be enough to restore everything.

Are you ready for a large scale disaster? The kind that would possibly leave the Florence and Dunes City areas cut off from meaningful assistance for as many as two weeks? A series of classes, set to begin this weekend, will provide plenty of information on how residents can prepare themselves. The classes will include information on how to prepare a ‘disaster kit’; gathering necessary documents you’ll need; drinking water and sanitation; and even how to get your pets ready. It’s called “Are You Ready?” and the classes will be offered from 9:30 to 12:30 on the second Saturday of each month. Classes are held at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, but registration can be made by calling Western Lane Ambulance District.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The biological parents of a missing Oregon
boy say the child's stepmother hasn't responded to their public
pleas to fully cooperate with investigators. Kyron Horman's father,
mother and stepfather said in an e-mail statement last night that
they believe Terri Moulton Horman still hasn't resumed speaking to
police. Terri Horman is the last person known to have seen Kyron
before he vanished on June 4. Investigators haven't named her as a
suspect or a person of interest.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - Investigators believe arson caused a fire
that destroyed bleachers at the Ashland High School football
stadium last week. The school district plans to have 24-hour
security guards on campus during the week. Firefighters say a
sprinkler system likely saved the structure from complete
destruction. The fire reached part of the locker rooms underneath
the stadium.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Senate president says Gov. Ted
Kulongoski would likely veto lawmakers' attempts to tap reserves
during a proposed special session of the Legislature. State Senate
president Peter Courtney says he doesn't expect Congress to pass
measures that would send federal money for education and Medicaid,
meaning Oregon must deal with a gaping budget deficit on its own.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A 2007 law requiring Oregon state workers to
write in plain language hasn't been so simple. The Statesman
Journal reports that workers are still struggling to communicate
with the public using everyday words and short, simple sentences.
Some 750 employees have been trained, dozens of documents have been
rewritten, and hundreds of websites have been edited for clarity.
But budget cuts have slashed most of the training planned to help
bureaucrats use plain language.

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - Three 11-year-old boys who were trapped on
a 120-foot cliff near Lincoln City have been rescued. A Coast Guard
helicopter crew was able to airlift two of the boys from the cliff
at Road's End State Park last night and a Lincoln City firefighter
carried the third boy down the cliff with the help of other rescue
workers after the hoist equipment on the helicopter malfunctioned.

YAMHILL, Ore. (AP) - An 80-year-old Salem man has been found
safe on Highway 47 south of Yamhill after he was reported missing
for nine hours. Sheriff Jack Crabtree says relatives reported the
man missing from a family member's home yesterday morning.
Searchers scoured the area near Yamhill and found him hours later
walking on the road. He was treated for minor cuts and scrapes.

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (AP) - State troopers stopped four drivers
for exceeding 100 mph between Ashland and Central Point during the
holiday weekend. Driving at more than 100 mph brings a fine of
$1,148 and an automatic 30-day driver's license suspension. Police
say the motorists ranged in age from 18 to 62. One of them was
jailed after a trooper found a small amount of methamphetamine in
the vehicle.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Washington County authorities are
investigating a dog attack that put a 2-year-old girl in a Portland
hospital. Witnesses told deputies the adult Labrador retriever
lifted the girl by the head during an Independence Day gathering
Sunday just outside Portland. Officials say the girl had deep
lacerations to her face, head, neck and ears. The dog was taken to
an animal shelter.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:
The Eugene Emeralds fell short in a comeback bid last night, losing 7-6 to the Everett Aqua Sox. Everett led by six runs by the fourth inning, but Eugene chipped away and trailed by only one going into the bottom of the ninth. Pinch runner Chris Bisson was in scoring position with one out, but was cut down when he tried to score on a ground ball in the infielder. Rymer Liriano, who hit that ground ball, was then left stranded on second when the final batter struck out. The two teams meet again tonight for the final of their three-game series at P-K Park.

American Legion Baseball:
The Three Rivers Sandblasters, still looking for their first league victory, will be in Corvallis this evening for a double header against Corvallis’ Richey’s Market. The first game is at five, both will air on Coast Radio Sports. Airtime is set for 4:45.