Coast Radio News

Handy and Sorenson found at fault in Lane County Suit…

Two Lane County Commissioners were determined to have willfully violated Oregon open meeting regulations and are now on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses. Rob Handy and Peter Sorenson say they will likely appeal the decision announced yesterday by Coos County Judge Michael Gillespie. Gillespie said the two privately orchestrated a vote on a supplemental budget decision in December of 2009 and made a – quote – “sham” of the public process by meeting privately and limiting public debate on whether or not personal assistants for commissioners should be funded by the county. Former West Lane Commissioner Bill Fleenor, originally named in the suit, was dismissed by Gillespie because there was no proof he participated. But, Gillespie said Fleenor’s testimony that he had no knowledge of Handy and Sorenson’s private meetings as being – quote – “not credible”. The decision in the suit, brought by former commissioner Ellie Dumdi and retired Eugene Businessman Ed Anderson, could have ramifications on other public bodies, but is unlikely to impact agencies outside Lane County unless it’s appealed to a higher court.

Tyler Clayton Davis will spend nearly 17 years in prison for the death of two friends in a drunken crash last year. A jury in December said the Florence man was at the wheel and responsible for the deaths of Joshua Thornton and Nicholas Schneider, both of Reedsport, in a crash on Canary Road September 18th. Florence police had warned Davis not to drive before the crash, but the three men opted to not wait for a cab that had been called. The mother of one victim, LaRee Thornton, told Davis in court that what he did was “unforgiveable”. Davis apologized to relatives, but did not admit to being behind the wheel. He was convicted of two counts of manslaughter and his second DUII.

A former physician who spent ten years in private practice, but has also seven years as a department chair and instructional dean at Central Oregon Community College in Bend will take over as the new Dean of the Florence Center of Lane Community College. Jeanne Kuhar will replace former director Bob Purscelley who retired at the end of last year after a decade. Kuhar has a doctorate in medicine from the University of Pittsburgh. She’ll take over a facility that, over the past few years, has expanded offerings several times over for medical and health care related fields. She will be on the job February 23rd.

The Winter Folk Festival is gearing up and, in the decade since the first one some things have changed… but many have not. One main focus… high quality folk music by accomplished and experienced performers. One of this year’s headliners… the British folk duo Chad and Jeremy, will take the stage Saturday night. Chad Stuart says he and Jeremy Clyde have been performing off and on together for nearly 50-years and their show reflects that.
205 --"I like that old wedding thing, you know. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. That sort of works because, you know. It' like this big old pizza but it's not all the same flavor."

The show will include a lot of stories about the British Invasion of the 60s, along with what he calls a “big slice of nostalgia”. But, he admits, the duo and their audience have grown a little older.
207 -- "I mean everybody in the audience, and us up there, we've all got a lot of miles on our odometers and I think it's a shared experience, there's a lot of humor in that. And if you can get that laughter going, everyone deserves a good time, especially nowadays."

Their early hits, Yesterday’s Gone; Summer Song; and Willow Weep For Me still endure on many playlists, but the pair have also been involved in many other projects as well. The Folk Festival begins Friday evening with Weavermania, continues Saturday and and wraps up with the Trail Band Sunday afternoon.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - One of the highest-ranking CIA officers
ever convicted of espionage has been sentenced to eight more years
in prison after pleading guilty to betraying his country a second
time. Harold "Jim" Nicholson used his son, Nathan, to collect a
"pension" from Russian agents beginning in 2006 while serving
prison time for selling classified documents.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Defense attorneys for an Ashland man
convicted of plotting to send money to aid Chechen fighters in
Russia say the top federal prosecutor in Oregon rejected a request
to pay a witness after the trial. Defense lawyers for Pete Seda are
seeking a new trial. Seda's request to be freed will be heard today
in Eugene. The U.S. Attorney did not comment.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Forecasters say the risk of floods is
lessened in Washington and Oregon as rainfall eases and crews clear
debris from highways hit by landslides and high water over the
weekend. Three homes were destroyed and about 75 families were
evacuated after the Sandy River washed over its banks and swept
away a section of a road on Mount Hood.

MOLALLA, Ore. (AP) - Fire crews are trying to determine how a
car wound up on its top, submerged in the fast-moving Molalla
River. Authorities say it's possible someone is in the vehicle
spotted yesterday but no active missing persons cases match the
vehicle. They tell KGW-TV the car was too submerged to read the
license plate.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A longtime critic of the Eugene School
District's alternative schools has filed a federal complaint
alleging intentional discrimination by sparing those schools from
closure. The Register-Guard reports that Nancy Willard claims it is
discriminatory to recommend closing five neighborhood schools over
the next two years while leaving the district's six alternative
elementary schools untouched.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Grants Pass police say they're looking
for a man believed to have stolen $200,000 worth of diamonds from a
jewelry store. KDRV reports the thief was seen leaving the area in
a white minivan. Officers later found the minivan, which turned out
to be stolen.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon state Rep. Jefferson Smith of
Portland has proposed playing classical music to reduce crime at
troubled MAX light rail stops. His bill would require TriMet to
identify high-crime stations and play opera and full orchestra
pieces thought to have a calming effect.


(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Viking Girls fell to the number three ranked team, the Brookings-Harbor Bruins last night, 73 – 41 at home. Kasey Strenke had 17 for the Viks, Leigh Aurich 13. In other Far West action Douglas beat South Umpqua 46 – 38; North Bend edged Sutherlin 36-35. In the Sunset League, Myrtle Point downed Reedsport 42-25; and in the Mountain West, it was Mapleton over Eddyville 40-31. For the Boys… Siuslaw made a couple comeback bids but fell short against Brookings-Harbor 49-43. North Bend slipped by Sutherlin 44-41 and South Umpqua beat Douglas 59-50 to round out things in the Far West. In the Sunset, Reedsport lost to Myrtle Point 52-47.