Ballot deadline nearing - Quality Child Care facing deadline - Heating assistance available

Just under half of Oregon voters have dropped off ballots…

By the time polls close tonight at eight pm nearly three-quarters of Oregon’s two-million registered voters likely will have checked in with their choices for the mid-term general election. Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown says she expects a turnout of about 72-percent. As of yesterday afternoon about 49-percent had been recorded statewide with slightly more in Lane County where the return is just over 50-percent. State election officials say a higher percentage of Republicans have voted with 52-percent of those registered having already returned ballots… that’s to 48-percent of Democrats. But, since there are more Democrats in the state, they still hold a 75-thousand vote advantage. Voters of all affiliation have until eight pm to return ballots to drop-off sites around the state.

With vote by mail and computerized tabulation, initial election results can be available almost immediately once the polls close. Workers have been verifying signatures and registration information on ballots and preparing them for counting as they have been received. They’re then counted prior to the closing, but results aren’t released until just after eight pm. Results will be updated approximately every hour through the evening on Lane County’s website until all ballots are counted.

Almost exactly three years ago a group of concerned residents met for the first time to talk about the shortage of organized child care options for parents in the area. While they found many high quality ‘in-home’ options available, there was an extreme shortage of space for infants and children under the age of three. “Quality Child Care of Florence” has been working since that time to develop a center to fill that need. Their efforts have stalled recently and they’re trying to get back on track. Members of the group will be on KCST’s Our Town tomorrow afternoon.

Partial funding has been released for this winter’s “Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program”. It helps income-qualified households with their winter energy bills. In order to qualify, a household’s income must be at or below 60-percent of Oregon’s median income level. That ranges from $1,860 for a single person or up to $3,577 for a family of four. Senior citizens, age 60 or over can seek help at Florence Senior Connections. All ages can get help at Siuslaw Outreach Services.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon's two political parties have a lot
to lose, and to gain, in the vote-counting that gets under way
later today. For Democrats, there's much to lose. They have most
statewide and congressional offices, and they control the
Legislature. The big prize is governor, an office Democrats have
held for 24 years.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say they've spoken with a
25-year-old woman who had been reported missing and she's fine. Lt.
Kelli Sheffer said detectives determined yesterday that Laudan
Taiby (TAY'-bee) chose to be out of contact with her family. Her
mother reported last seeing her on Oct. 25 as she went to catch a
bus.

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller says a
passenger van plunged down a steep embankment in the southeast part
of his county, killing one person and injuring four others. No
names were immediately available after yesterday's crash, but
Mueller says the passengers reportedly were reforestation company
crew members who'd been staying in Sweet Home.


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Chris Dudley greeted commuters catching
the train in Beaverton and coffee sippers at a shop in Hillsboro.
John Kitzhaber knocked on doors and strolled through downtown
Portland. For once, both candidates for Oregon governor had the
same message: Get your ballots in.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Four Oregon adults accused of encouraging
two 9-year-old boys to fight in a video that wound up on Facebook
have been arraigned on criminal charges. The two men and two women
are charged with third-degree assault and other counts. Police in
McMinnville learned of the video on Oct. 17 in a call from someone
in Pennsylvania who saw it.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A Sheldon High School cross-country coach
accused of having sex with a 15-year-old female student at the
Eugene school has been arraigned on six counts of second-degree
sexual abuse. The Register-Guard reports that 40-year-old Chad
Schacht did not enter a plea in court yesterday. He also works as a
middle school teacher in Springfield.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal court jury in Portland has
decided that a Washington County deputy did not use excessive force
in killing an unarmed 20-year-old man in 2006. Yesterday's verdict
came in a lawsuit brought by the family of Jordan Case, who was
fatally shot by Deputy Glenn Howard.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Athlete of the Week:
Siuslaw Cross Country standout Brad Greenburg is Coast Radio Sports’ Athlete of the Week. The senior harrier finished third overall at last week’s Far West District Cross Country finals, helping his team for their third straight league title. Greenburg capped a Far West career that included three top ten finishes at district.

Prep Volleyball:
Mountain West League champions, the Mapleton Sailors will host Umpqua Valley Christian tomorrow night at six in the opening round of the OSAA 1A volleyball playoffs. The winner of tomorrow’s match will advance to the second round Saturday evening against St. Paul.

The Siuslaw Vikings won’t find out where or who their first round playoff match will be against until sometime tomorrow. There is still one ‘play-in’ match to be played tonight, once that’s complete, the OSAA will set the pairings. The Vikings will have a match Saturday, but location and exact time haven’t been set.


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