Chainsaw Carving - Backyard Burning Ban & Butterflies

The chips they are aflyin’

44 pro and semi-pro chainsaw carvers are in the midst of showing off their work in the 11th annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championships in downtown Reedsport this weekend. The chips actually began to fly yesterday as the artists began working with a blank log on their main sculpture. A panel of judges will evaluate that work Sunday afternoon. Daily ‘quick-carve’ sculptures are produced between 10:30 and noon, then auctioned off each day. Most of the artists are from Oregon and Washington, but the event draws from across the country… Tennessee, Missouri, and California are represented. It’s an international event as well, with one contestant from Denmark; another from Australia. The weekend is not all saws, chips and art… there is also a craft and vendor fair, as well as a food court and beer garden. Evening ceremonies are at 5:30 tonight and tomorrow… with Sunday’s set for 2:30.

Believe it or not, the wet season is coming to an end. Backyard burning in areas outside the city limits of Florence were halted Wednesday evening by the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency. LRAPA spokesperson Sally Markos said rather than burn, property owners should consider recycling yard debris. The City of Florence accepts yard and woody debris the third Saturday of each month at the north end of the airport. Access is available through 27th street at Kingwood. The cost is only $5 per pickup load. Burning out of season can cost a lot more than that… Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Sean Barrett said fines can range from $50 to $2,500… with the average being around $300.

A project to help restore habitat for an endangered butterfly is set to begin along the coast north of Florence this month. Contractors working for the Nature Conservancy will begin removing trees and brush along Big Creek, just north of Washburne State Park to create open meadow habitat. The Oregon Silverspot Butterfly is a federally protected species that thrives only in a few remaining Oregon coastal grasslands. Nature Conservancy Ecologist Debbie Pickering said they’re ‘excited’ to be expanding the native prairie in that area. It will be based on historic aerial photos from 1943 that show about 100 acres of meadow have been lost due to encroachment by trees and shrubs. The Nature Conservancy purchased the 193 acre preserve two years ago. Much of the work is being funded by grants from the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

TAKING A LOOK IN TO ASSOCIATED PRESS REGIONAL NEWS…

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - The Linn County sheriff says a fourth man has been arrested in the death of a Eugene man found fatally beaten in a sleeping bag off Interstate 5 near Harrisburg. Sheriff Tim Mueller said 37-year-old Abiu Antonio Padilla was arrested yesterday in Salem. The sheriff says the man is charged with murder in the death of Jose Felipe Hernandez Leiva on April 30 or May 1. The sheriff says Padilla and three other men arrested earlier had worked with Leiva at area farms.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - A fire official says a 12-year-old boy in Beaverton who was using gasoline to light plastic army figurines on fire was seriously burned when he was engulfed by fuel vapors last night. Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue spokesman Brian Barker says a police officer driving past a home saw the boy on fire outside. He was taken to Portland's Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Dozens of teens milled around last night in the Southridge High School parking lot in Beaverton and others drove by, but it never developed into a game of fugitive - an extreme form of tag said to be an end-of-year tradition. The Oregonian reports attention from the media and police who were at the scene apparently squelched the game that had been promoted on Facebook. In the game, drivers chase runners who are typically given a five-minute head start to reach a destination several miles away.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say they've been unable to locate a Crescent City, Calif., man missing after he tried to swim across the Rogue River near Grants Pass. Josephine County authorities say they were alerted Wednesday that 26-year-old Robert Allen Grevious Jr. went under while trying to swim the river with two juveniles. Crews searched late Wednesday and again yesterday.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - A defense lawyer has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of an Oregon woman accused of fatally strangling her 11-year-old daughter. Kristina Buckley of the Portland suburb of Sherwood was arraigned yesterday in

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A 30-year-old Medford man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's toddler in
a brutal wrestling match. A judge yesterday sentenced Benjamin James George for murder by abuse and first-degree assault in the death of Kacy Sue Lunsford. Prosecutors say previous incidents of abuse ended in one night of "ultimate wrestling moves" by the 230-pound man that left the 30-pound child with collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, internal bleeding and massive head wounds.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say the wife of a former Astoria city councilman has died of injuries she suffered when a pickup truck driven by her husband was hit by a loaded log truck in Astoria. Lt. Gregg Hastings says 83-year-old Anna Morden died yesterday at a Portland hospital where her husband, Donald Morden, remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Kyle Singler, the Oregon native who helped Duke to a national title in 2010, has worked out for the Portland Trail Blazers in advance of next week's NBA draft. Singler says the Blazers are the 10th team he's worked out for, with two more to go. He is expected by many to go late in the first round of next Thursday's draft. Singler previously played for South Medford High School.

SEATTLE (AP) - Prized Seattle prospect Dustin Ackley will likely make his big league debut today as the Mariners host Philadelphia, the top team in the majors. For Seattle fans, the matchup will initially take a back seat to his debut, which has been anticipated since the sweet-swinging second baseman was snagged No. 2 overall in the 2009 baseball draft. Ackley was added to Seattle's roster yesterday.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Three Rivers split games on the opening day of the Grant Smith Baseball tournament in Eugene. The Blasters opened the day with a 3 run shut out of the Mid-Valley Albany Rockets. Casee Case was 2 for 3 with a run scored. Mike Bennett was 2 for 3 with a double, Josh Iabichello was 2 for 2 with a run scored and Ricky Ballentine was 2 for 3 with 2 rbi and 2 doubles. Mike Bennett tossed a complete game with a six hit shutout with 7 k's…. The Sandblasters fell in their second game of the day to North Eugene who combined for 16 stikeouts in six innings. Sandblasters gave up just 5 hits but struggled defensively and had 4 errors – Mid-Valley Rockets 9 /1 over the Blasters. Tournament action continues through Sunday at North Eugene High School.

The Eugene Emeralds open the Northwest League short season this evening with the first of five games against the Boise Hawks. Game time at PK Park is set for 7:05, Sunday’s game is a 1:05 matinee.