DuneFest draws a crowd - Death Penalty still on the table - Bear Lady a year later - Tide pools.

DuneFest 2010 celebrating sand…

The view from the Umpqua Lighthouse was altered dramatically over the weekend. A city of about 8-thousand people magically appeared on a one-by-four mile stretch of sand just down the hill. It was DuneFest 2010 and it was all about celebrating sand and having fun as a family says coordinator Joe Murvis.
211 – “With over 8,000 people in Winchester Bay that more than doubles the size of Reedsport. So you can imagine what the boost to the south coast economy for all the gas stations, motels, restaurants, all our stores I think, feel the effects of DuneFest.”

Through the cooperation of Douglas County Parks and the Oregon Dunes NRA, hundreds of volunteers worked on behalf of the Reedsport-Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce to put together five days of moto-cross; sand-drag races; equipment vendor displays; free-style demonstrations; and even live music. Murvis said the sluggish economy means the bottom line of the festival won’t show much of a profit, but that’s not the point anyway.
212 – “DuneFest is going to be a success in the way that everybody is here enjoying the activities. We’re not in the business of making money, we’re in the business of bringing commerce to the south coast.”

That’s exactly what happened, said Murvis. The festival began wrapping up yesterday morning.

Lane County prosecutors say they are not planning to seek the death penalty for a Eugene man charged with murder in the death of his stepdaughter. But, says Deputy D-A Erik Hasselman, capital punishment is – quote – “still on the table” for the mother of 15-year old Jeanette Maples who died last December from alleged abuse that included starvation and torture. A February trial has been set for 42-year old Angela Darlene McAnulty, charged with aggravated murder and evidence tampering. She’s pleaded not-guilty. Maples’ 41-year old step-father, Richard Anthony McAnulty is also charged with aggravated murder and has pleaded not guilty.

It’s been a year since former Yachats resident Karen Noyes was kicked out of her home by a Lincoln County judge for continually feeding black bears. In that time, the 62-year old woman says she’s doing “OK”; she has a new home, a court appeal in process and is due to appear on a reality show on the network Animal Planet. Noyes was convicted last year on charges of harassing wildlife for feeding black bears at her house on the Yachats River despite warnings to stop. She still feels it was right to care for the bears and says she wants people to be more tolerant.

The Cape Perpetua Visitors Center will be hosting three days of “Life on the Rocks” beginning Wednesday morning. Timed to coincide with low tides, staff and volunteers at the center will be stationed at tidepools to help visitors see and understand a close-up view of the creatures and plants that live in the inter-tidal zone. Center Director Lori Robertson says Cape Perpetua is regarded by many as having “some of the best tidepools” on the Oregon Coast.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Several Portland-area families say they've
been trailed in stores, questioned by security guards and even
reported to the authorities. The reason: Their sons look like Kyron
Horman. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has received at least
four reports of children who resemble the 7-year-old who has been
missing since June 4.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Multnomah County authorities ramped up the
search for 7-year-old Kyron Horman over the weekend. A spokeswoman
would not say what prompted the renewed search in a rural area of
northwest Portland, but said they were following up on leads and
tips. Kyron vanished June 4 after attending a science fair at
Skyline Elementary School.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Medford firefighters say no one was injured
when a gasoline container exploded in a van as a family was riding
inside yesterday morning. The explosion blew off the top of the
van. Battalion Chief Erin Sawall says the gas container exploded in
the rear of the van as the van was moving. Sawall says the van was
being driven by a family moving from California to McMinnville.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A police review has found that a Portland
officer's actions were "inconsistent" with his training when he
chased and knocked down a mentally ill man who died in police
custody in 2006. The review of Officer Chris Humphreys' actions
found that there was no evidence that James Chasse committed a
crime or was a danger to himself or others.

SISTERS, Ore. (AP) - Firefighters expect to have a wildfire in
Central Oregon fully under control by Tuesday. KTVZ-TV quotes a
fire official as saying there was little smoke yesterday from the
Rooster Rock fire south of Sisters. A force of nearly a thousand
firefighters has drawn containment lines around half the area.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Federal biologists say they're looking at
steps to reduce the damage hatchery fish do to wild runs of salmon
and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. The Oregonian newspaper
reports that the toughest step under consideration would reduce
hatchery operations so much that the number of salmon and steelhead
taken from the Columbia basin would drop by half.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A private equity group has closed a deal to
put up $1.2 billion and buy much of the holdings of Sunwest
Management, an Oregon company that had a spectacular rise and fall
in the retirement home business. The announcement means investors
can look forward to getting at least some money back - about 35
cents on the dollar, minus interest they've already been paid.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:
The Eugene Emeralds wrapped up their five game series in Yakima against the Bears with a 10-3 loss Friday night, giving Yakima the 3-2 advantage in that five game series. Saturday, the Ems went home to PK Park where they strung a pair of wins together against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Saturday, it was a 3-2 win in 12-innings over the Vols. Yesterday, Eugene jumped out to a 3-nothing lead early, then allowed only one run down the stretch, cruising to a 9-1 victory. The two teams meet in Eugene again tonight before moving their six-game series to Keizer tomorrow.

College Football:
The Oregon Ducks begin fall camp today ranked number 11 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll, the same spot they occupied when the season ended last year. Oregon State opens up practice ranked in the top 25 as well. They occupy the number 22 spots. Both teams open the regular season September Fourth against non-conference opponents. Oregon State in Arlington, Texas against TCU; the Ducks at home against New Mexico.