Lots of rain, no lasting effects - Legislature takes a break - Leadership Florence underway

And the rains came down…

Flood warnings for the Siuslaw River have been cancelled, but the risk of flooding in other rivers and streams in the are still real say forecasters. The Siuslaw crested just inches below flood stage yesterday afternoon. It’s been falling steadily since then. North Fork Road was closed for a time yesterday because of high water. There have been several slides as well. Highway 101, 16-miles north of Florence, was closed for about three hours last night. Crews began work around five to remove the 120-yards of debris that covered both lanes. Two-way traffic was restored by about 8:30. Several roads in Lincoln and Benton County remain closed today. The Wilson River Highway east of Tillamook saw several slides yesterday. Further north, Highway 101 just south of Seaside has been restricted off an on since Friday because of high water. Forecasters are saying the rains are expected to begin tapering off today and we may even have a little sunshine by Wednesday. But, rain is in the forecast again by Friday.

Lawmakers in Salem wrapped up their first week of the new session and headed home Friday. They won’t be back in the Capitol until February First. That’s because of a voter approved constitutional amendment last year that allowed annual sessions while limiting the length. In odd number years, lawmakers are restricted to only five months so this year, instead of heading into a full session on the second Monday in January, they opted to handle administrative and organizational duties that week, then take the rest of the month off. That’ll save money, about $140-thousand in legislative salaries this month. Solons will spend the next two weeks reading proposed legislation, organizing committees and meeting with other lawmakers and constituents. They’ll converge on Salem again next month.

Part of the organizing that took place last week in Salem was confirmation of the unique power sharing arrangement between Republicans and Democrats. With an even 30-30 split in the House, lawmakers could have battled it out to see who would be in control, or they could come up with a compromise. Compromise won the day with Coos Bay Democrat Arnie Roblan and Roseburg Republican Bruce Hanna succeeding Democrat Dave Hunt as co-Speakers of the House.

After nearly cancelling the program because of a lack of participants, the Ford Institute Leadership Program is kicking off its third class in Florence. 27 area residents gathered at the Siuslaw Public Library last week for the initial session. Beginning next month, they’ll commit one weekend each month through May to becoming familiar with leadership styles, volunteer recruitment, conflict resolution and fundraising.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

JASPER, Ore. (AP) - Oregon state police are investigating a
crash that killed an Oakridge man and critically injured his wife
Saturday. Troopers say the wife was driving east on Jasper-Lowell
Road when she drove off the right side of the road at the Parkway
Road intersection and into a guard rail.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - An administrative law judge has ruled
that a downtown Springfield strip club should be allowed to keep
its liquor license. Judge Alison Greene Webster says the operators
of the Silver Lace Club aren't to blame for problems that brought
police out to the establishment multiple times over the past two
years. The Register-Guard reports the Oregon Liquor Control
Commission has the final say in renewing the license.

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State University researchers have a
$4.8 million grant to research rural childhood obesity. The Albany
Democrat-Herald says the five-year program will conduct
community-based research with extension offices in six Western
states to study environmental causes of obesity. It also will
develop programs in three rural Oregon counties.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - New census data shows a spike in the
number of Oregon homes without complete plumbing facilities. The
Oregonian newspaper reports that Oregon's five most populous
counties make up the entire 33 percent increase in the number of
homes without plumbing from 2000 to 2009. States and local
officials can't explain the increase.

JORDAN VALLEY, Ore. (AP) - About 20 stolen cows have returned to
their Oregon herd this winter, four years after they were snatched
by horseback rustlers. Malheur County deputies believe thieves are
releasing branded mother cows that might be used as evidence
against them, and those cows are finding their way back to their
ranches.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Japanese Garden wants to
expand with a public teahouse, more room for classes, a new gift
shop and improved ways of experiencing Japanese culture. A
spokeswoman tells the Oregonian that the expansion plan includes
some new garden spaces but the focus will be on enhancing cultural
experience.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Water Bureau temporarily shut
off its Bull Run water supply yesterday because of sediments
stirred up by recent rains. The Bull Run water is not filtered. The
Oregonian reports the bureau started pumping from the Columbia
South Shore Well Field.

CHICAGO (AP) - A week after knocking off the defending Super
Bowl champs, Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle Seahawks played more
like a team with a losing record than a division winner. The
Chicago Bears took control early and sent first-year coach Pete
Carroll and the NFC West champs home by a 35-24 score.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
There was a lot of action on the prep basketball court over the weekend… first for the boys. Siuslaw fell to number three ranked Newport Friday night, 67-40. Jake Thompson led scoring for the Vikings with 19. Saturday, Reedsport lost to Glide 72-34. Mapleton had two games, downing Alsea Friday night 79-32, then falling Saturday to McKenzie 73 – 33. For the girls, Siuslaw ended their three game win streak at home Friday night, losing to Newport 42-28; Reedsport lost to Glide 53 – 23 Saturday; and, the Mapleton Sailors with a pair of losses, 63-53 to Alsea Friday night, then Saturday to McKenzie, 71 – 28.

The Brookings-Harbor Bruins won two individual titles and scored well across the board to come away with the team title at Saturday’s Nick Lutz Wrestling Invitational in Florence. Siuslaw was third behind Cottage Grove. The Vikings also had two individual champions, Jason Graber at 125 pounds, and, wrestling at 215 for the first time this season, Sonny Tupua.

On the college hardwood… the UCLA Bruins handed the Oregon Ducks their first loss in the new Matthew Knight Arena Saturday afternoon, beating Oregon 67-59. In Corvallis, Oregon State earned their third straight win over USC Saturday night, holding on for an 80-76 victory at Gill Colliseum.