Coast Radio News

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2011-08-23T08:37:00.001-07:00

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2011-08-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

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Oregon News and NW Sports

2011-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted an Oregon man
on aggravated murder and other charges in last month's killing of
his wife and four children. Jackson County Chief Deputy District
Attorney Beth Heckert says the grand jury in Medford handed up the
indictments against 51-year-old Jordan Adam Criado after hearing
from 13 witnesses, including police and fire investigators, a
medical examiner and two friends of his wife.

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - A prosecutor has told a judge in Coos
County, Ore., that evidence will show that a man accused of killing
his mother and her boyfriend in their Oregon coast home is
responsible for the deaths. County District Attorney Paul Frasier
says the issue is the mental state of 34-year-old Gabriel Morris at
the time and whether an insanity defense applies. Frasier told
Judge Martin Stone he believes that it does not apply.

NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) - Police say a 70-year-old woman ended a
dispute with her husband by firing five shots from a .38-caliber
handgun into the floor of their home. The Newberg-Dundee Police
Department says officers responded Monday to a 911 call from a man
who said his wife had fired a gun inside their home. Officers later
arrested Patricia Jean Hunter-Gross of Newberg for investigation of
unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.

CARVER, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a 22-year-old
Newberg woman tells them she was trying to avoid hitting a possum
on Oregon Highway 224 when she lost control of her car and struck a
power pole, cutting electrical power to about 75 nearby residences.
The woman was cited for failing to maintain a lane of travel.
Police don't know what happened to the possum.

NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) - Police say a 70-year-old woman ended a
dispute with her husband by firing five shots from a .38-caliber
handgun into the floor of their home. The Newberg-Dundee Police
Department says officers responded Monday to a 911 call from a man
who said his wife had fired a gun inside their home. Officers later
arrested Patricia Jean Hunter-Gross of Newberg for investigation of
unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Josh Hamilton drove in the winning run
with a single in the ninth inning and the American League
West-leading Texas Rangers rallied from a three-run deficit for a
7-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners last night. Ian Kinsler and
Endy Chavez homered for the Rangers, whose division lead over
second-place Los Angeles remained at 1 1/2 games with the Angels
beating the Yankees.

DIAMOND LAKE, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Public Health Division has
lifted the toxic algae advisory for Diamond Lake, the popular trout
fishing lake in the Cascades north of Crater Lake National Park.
The agency says testing has confirmed reduced levels of blue-green
algae that can produce toxins harmful to people and pets in and
around the water.

LOWELL, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say thousands of jars of
spaghetti sauce broke open on Highway 58 near Lowell when a
semi-truck rolled over. KVAL reports no one was hurt in last
night's crash.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Lottery reports a 2 percent
increase in sales, the first increase in three years. Numbers
released yesterday show gamblers spent $1.04 billion on
state-sponsored gambling in fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30.
That compares with $1.02 billion in 2010. The Oregonian reports
about half the money goes to schools, parks, business development
and other parts of the state budget.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Cappie Pondexter scored 19 points, including
the go-ahead layup with 41 seconds remaining, to lift the New York
Liberty to a 58-56 victory over the Seattle Storm last night.
Plenette Pierson had nine points and eight rebounds to help New
York (13-9) win for the third time in four games. Sue Bird scored
17 points and Tanisha Wright and Katie Smith had 11 apiece for
Seattle (12-10), which had won five of their previous seven.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Josh Portis has navigated a long, winding
road in his attempt to get to the NFL. But he's already made an
impression during the first two weeks of the Seattle Seahawks'
training camp. Portis, the cousin of running back Clinton Portis,
originally signed with the University of Florida, where he spent
his freshman season. He then transferred to Maryland, where he had
to sit out a season, then was suspended for a violation of the
school's academic code. He later transferred to California - and
led Cal to a 10-1 record in his senior season.

Late senator a friend to Florence

2011-08-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hatfield had local impact…

The news of the passing earlier this week of former Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield was met with sadness on the part of many who knew him. One of those, Florence resident Wilbur Ternyik, developed a close friendship with Hatfield.

Ternyik – “I got tremendous help from him. It’s not just for me for crying out loud, it’s for the whole coast.”

Ternyik, a former Florence Mayor and long time Port of Siuslaw Commissioner recalls working with Hatfield through the 70s and into the early 80s, trying to secure funding for a crucial extension of the Siuslaw River Jetties. Work that would not have been done had it not been for Hatfield’s influence.

Ternyik – “And after Mark got to be the chairman of the appropriations committee the writing was on the wall. We were going to be funded.”

Hatfield was effective in providing money for federal projects, not just along the coast, but in all of Oregon. He was proud of the fact that they were projects that were worthwhile to the rest of the nation. Hatfield, who was 89 when he passed away Sunday in Portland, worked closely with Ternyik over the years.

Ternyik – “There’s no man that I respect any more in all the 85 years of living… Mark Hatfield. Super good man for Oregon.”

He retired from the Senate in 1996 after a 46 year career in public life.

Florence man facing explosives charges

2011-08-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

An 18-year old Florence man was arrested last week and faces several misdemeanor charges after the destruction of a public restroom toilet at Miller Park. Police say there were called to the park late last Thursday afternoon to a report of an explosion. Witnesses said Brandon Douglas Luna ignited a small explosive device known as a “Seal Bomb” and threw it in the toilet where it detonated. He’s facing several charges in Florence Municipal Court.

Fire Restrictions Posted

2011-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

It’s been a quiet fire season so far, but conditions are expected to change. Oregon Department of Forestry spokesperson Phil Hunter says warmer weather is expected inland later this week and with it will come stepped up fire safety rules. Effective Friday “regulated use closure” will be implemented on public lands, as well as private lands protected by Western Lane Forestry. That means restrictions on smoking, campfires and industrial uses such as mowing and chainsaws. Specific questions about what is and is not allowed should be directed to the Western Lane District office in Veneta at 541-935-2283.

Services today for fallen soldier

2011-08-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

Funeral services will be held this morning, 11 o’clock, at the Florence Events Center for Pfc. Brice Scott, the Eugene soldier who was shot and killed ten days ago in Afghanistan. His body was returned to Florence, where his father was raised and his grandparents still live, earlier this week. He leaves behind a wife and two small children. A private burial service will be held later at Fir Grove Cemetery in Ada.

Coast Radio Sports

2011-08-10T08:03:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…
The Eugene Emeralds spanked the Salem Keizer Volcanoes with their bats last night… putting up 13 hits in a 13-7 win to capture the two teams’ three game series. Zach Kometani started the scoring for the Ems with a two-run home run in the second inning. The win leaves Eugene, at 8-and-6, a game behind Everett in second place in the West Division. The Emeralds are in Boise this evening where they’ll open up a five game series against the Hawks.

Typical of low-key coach Mike Riley, the Oregon State Beavers opened up fall practice in a ‘workmanlike’ manner this week. There was no big “media day” with speeches and prognostication about the upcoming season. Instead, the Beavers just got to work. All eyes are on senior flanker James Rodgers, who is coming off two surgeries. He was cleared to practice in “limited fashion”. Instead of his usual jersey number eight… he was on the field Monday wearing #1… the former number of his younger brother Jacquizz, who left the Beavers a year early and is now with the Atlanta Falcons. The Beavers open the season at home September 3rd against Sacramento State.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

2011-08-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - Prosecutors say they won't seek the death
penalty for a man accused of killing his mother and her boyfriend
in their home near Bandon, Ore., in February 2010. Gabriel Morris
has waived his right to a jury trial and stipulated to certain
evidence so witnesses did not have to be brought from the East
Coast to testify. Testimony before Judge Martin Stone is expected
to begin today in a Coos County courtroom in Coquille (Co-KEEL')
Ore.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - First lady Michelle Obama is in Oregon
visiting her brother, Oregon State University basketball coach
Craig Robinson. OSU athletics spokesman Shawn Schoeffler says she
flew in yesterday and is spending some vacation time with her
brother, who lives in Corvallis. Schoeffler says this is a private
vacation, and there will be no public appearances.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An autopsy has found that a Salem couple
found dead in a hot tub died of overheating and drowning and their
deaths were believed to be accidental. Dr. Larry Lewman of the
state medical examiner's office says 56-year-old Terry Kent and
57-year-old Melinda Sweeten died of "immersion hyperthermia," and
said heat was the primary factor in their deaths. The bodies of the
couple were found yesterday morning by a relative.

UNDATED (AP) - State health authorities say one person has died
and at least nine others were made ill from an E. coli outbreak
traced to fresh strawberries picked from a farm in Oregon's
Washington county and sold at farm stands and farmers markets. The
Oregon Public Health Authority yesterday identified the source of
the outbreak as the Jaquith Strawberry Farm in Newberg. The
fatality was a woman who died from kidney failure.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Matt Harrison pitched seven strong
innings for his career-high 10th victory, Nelson Cruz homered, and
the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 last night.
Harrison allowed two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and no
walks in 104-degree heat, surpassing his nine-win rookie season in
2008.

THE DALLES, Ore. (AP) - Five more women have accused a hospital
anesthesiologist at The Dalles of sexual abuse while they were
incapacitated. The Oregonian reports Dr. Frederick George Field was
charged with rape and felony sexual abuse in an arraignment
yesterday. He was indicted by a Wasco County grand jury last week
and accused of sexually abusing two other women.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - About 550 Washington County residents may
file claims with the county for damage done to yards by a road crew
overspraying herbicide. KGW reports the county sent letters to
residents saying the spraying done by a contractor in June and July
may have damaged landscaping close to roads northwest of Portland.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Josephine County sheriff's officers say
a 45-year-old woman died in an apparent drowning at a swimming
hole in Grants Pass. Deputies responded Saturday and found two
people administering CPR to Jo Ann Woods, who was unconscious. She
was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead on
Sunday.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The Seattle Mariners placed shortstop
Brendan Ryan on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder
injury before last night's game against the Texas Rangers.
Infielder Luis Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A Tacoma. Ryan,
who is hitting .263 with two homers and 34 RBIs, missed the
previous three games after being injured Aug. 3 against Oakland.

RAINIER, Ore. (AP) - An anteater named Sweatpea is back home
with its owner after an adventure in Rainier. The 20-pound South American anteater was spotted by a driver Sunday alongside a road, slurping up ants. Abram Dreyer took it home and started calling veterinarians and the Humane Society to find the owner. A tip finally led to the owner. Kellie Caron is licensed to breed exotic animals. She picked up her wandering anteater. This fall, Sweatpea is headed for a zoo in Texas.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A prosecutor's review has found no
improper conduct by Portland police in the cardiac arrest death of
a man who ran from police last month. After reviewing police
reports in the death of Darris Eugene Johnson, prosecutor Bob
Leineweber of the Multnomah County district attorney's office
concludes the two arresting officers "showed professional
diligence and care." The 26-year-old Johnson died after fleeing on
July 10.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Alan Branch was looking for a chance to
start. The Seahawks were happy to oblige. Seattle targeted Branch
as someone they wanted to acquire as early as the draft in April.
When the lockout was lifted, the Seahawks followed through by
signing Branch during the free agency frenzy of a week ago. Branch
was quickly tabbed the starter at the pass rushing defensive tackle
position alongside the re-signed Brandon Mebane.

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

Dunes City to consider Septic Ordinances

2011-08-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

The second reading of a pair of competing ordinances will be held Thursday evening at Dunes City Hall. Both would change an existing law that requires all septic systems in the small community be inspected and evaluated on a regular interval. One would repeal it outright. The other would require completion of the initial round of inspections but additional evaluations would not be on any given timeline. Both have been the target of critics who say the current Dunes City Council is undoing environmental protections that have been years in the making. Backers of both plans say Lane County and the State of Oregon offer adequate water quality protections and the added layer of regulation is unnecessary. The Dunes City Council meets Thursday at seven P.M.

Fallen Soldier Returns Home

2011-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Escorted by an honor guard of volunteers, police and firefighters, Brice Scott came home yesterday afternoon. The 22-year old soldier, husband and father of two was killed a week ago in Afghanistan when his unit was ambushed.

Scott, who was promoted to specialist-4 and awarded the Bronze Star for his actions posthumously, will be laid to rest following a funeral service tomorrow morning in Florence. He had numerous ties to Florence where his father, Steven Scott, resides along with two sets of grandparents.

One of those grandparents, Tim Robins, told the Register Guard last week that Scott met his wife, Dell, in Florence and he joined the Army to help support her and their two daughters, aged three and one.

Tomorrow’s service begins at 11-A.M. at the Florence Events Center.

About three-dozen motorcycles escorted the procession bringing the body of Brice Scott from the North Bend Airport yesterday afternoon. They were with the Patriot Guard Riders, a nationwide volunteer group dedicated to honoring fallen veterans.

Johnston: “It shows them that the country cares for what has happened.”

Dana Johnston of Jefferson, Oregon led the advance group that was waiting at Burns’ Riverside Chapel with several American Flags.

Johnston: “I’m not a veteran, I did not serve, I was unable to serve and I serve now.”

Johnston says the organization has more than a quarter-million members. They escort funeral processions and attend funerals only at the request of family members.

Ems Lose, Ducks get back to practice

2011-08-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene offense sputtered last night, managing one hit and only two baserunners in the first three innings… and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes cruised to a 5-run shutout win over the Emeralds. The Volcanoes only had five hits, but really didn’t need them as five Eugene pitchers combined for ten walks in the game. The two teams wrap up their three-game series this evening in Keizer…

While questions swirled about his recruitment to Oregon, running back Lache Seastrunk set about preparing for the upcoming season with the Ducks. Seastrunk reported to fall football practice yesterday with his teammates, who are hoping to build on last season's success. But hanging over the Ducks is the NCAA probe into a $25,000 payment Oregon made last year to Willie Lyles and a Houston-based recruiting service. The Ducks are ranked number three in the pre-season polls… they open up in Arlington, Texas against LSU September 3rd.

News from around the state

2011-08-08T08:59:00.001-07:00

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Oregon prosecutors say they haven't yet
decided whether to seek the death penalty against a man accused of
killing his wife and four young children last month. Jordan Adam
Criado was arraigned Friday. He appeared via video slumped in a
wheelchair as he recovers from the fire authorities say he set
after stabbing his family. He was released this week from a
hospital where he spent three weeks being treated for smoke
inhalation. He hasn't entered a plea.

WATERVILLE, Ore. (AP) - A pilot escaped injury after his biplane
flipped in the McKenzie River in Oregon after making an emergency
landing. The Register-Guard reported says 65-year-old John Proctor
was flying a biplane equipped with floats when he landed on the
river Saturday. He was headed for Detroit Lake but had to look for
an alternate landing site because of fog. He landed in the river
but flipped after striking submerged debris.

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - A man has been arrested in Gresham on
suspicion of killing a 1-year-old girl. The Oregonian reports that
22-year-old Jeffrey Locker was arrested Friday in connection with
the death of Brooklyn Saechao. Gresham Police Sgt. Wallace Coon
says paramedics responded to the home Tuesday when Locker called to
say the girl had hit her head on an object in the house. She was
taken to a hospital but died Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - Police in Springfield are trying to
figure out how a man was injured before he was found lying on the
ground near railroad tracks. Police say they don't know if the man
fell, jumped or was hit by a train. The man was in a hospital's
intensive care unit on Friday, and police say his injuries are
life-threatening.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -Lane County veterans sometimes have to make
the long trip to the VA's Roseburg Medical Center because of
limited services at the Veterans Affairs medical offices in Eugene.
The Register-Guard says Lane County veterans made nearly 40,000
trips last year in a van or by private car to get health care at
Roseburg.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Ervin Santana pitched into the ninth
inning of his fourth consecutive phenomenal start, and Mark Trumbo
homered off Felix Hernandez in the Los Angeles Angels' 2-1 victory
over the Seattle Mariners yesterday. Santana held the Mariners to
seven hits and won his duel with Hernandez, whose 12 strikeouts
were one shy of his career high. Santana lost his shutout bid on
Mike Carp's one-out homer in the ninth inning.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - One casualty of the coming federal budget
crunch could be a new $3 billion bridge carrying Interstate 5
across the Columbia River. The project's sponsors acknowledge that
the bridge project is going to take another whack. At worst,
though, the cutback in federal spending could force officials to
shelve $130 million worth of plans, or to scale back the project.
Its backers say they're not ready to consider either option.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - A group of western pond turtles raised
at the Oregon Zoo will be released into the Columbia River Gorge in
Washington this week. The Columbian reports the release is part of
a recovery plan, started in 1991 by Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo and
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Oregon Zoo

VERONIA, Ore. (AP) - After narrowly losing his bid to become
Oregon's first Republican governor in 24 years, Chris Dudley has
returned to running his charitable foundation. Dudley told the
Oregonian that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of another
campaign. But for now, the former Trailblazer wants to focus on his
family.

ATLANTA (AP) - Angel McCoughtry scored 17 points, Erika de Souza
added 13 and the Atlanta Dream snapped a two-game losing streak
with a 70-53 win over the Seattle Storm yesterday. In a rematch of
last year's WNBA finals, the defending champion Storm committed 29
turnovers, tying the league's single-game high this season. Swin
Cash scored 16 points and Katie Smith had 11, but Seattle's
three-game winning streak ended.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Washington County sheriff's deputy is
recovering after being stabbed with a pencil by a jail inmate.
Authorities told The Oregonian the deputy was treated for multiple
puncture wounds to his face and has been released from a hospital.
Authorities say other inmates came to the deputy's aid during the
attack.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Tens of thousands of workers represented by
Oregon's top two state employees' unions are preparing to vote this
month on a proposed union contract. The Statesman Journal reports
the unions say that an analysis of the deals finds the contracts
would protect workers' current pay levels.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks haven't completely
revamped their secondary from last season, but as their training
camp gears up the depth of Seattle's defensive backs is younger and
bigger. John Schneider has opted to stick with the young defensive
backs that he and head coach Pete Carroll drafted in the last two
years, passing on several high-talent cornerbacks who hit the free
agent market. The Seahawks play their first pre-season game
Thursday against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

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

Local sports...

2011-08-08T08:58:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…
The Eugene Emeralds are back on top in the West Division after taking two of three games over the weekend. Eugene started off with a 10-8 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils at home Friday night, then concluded their five-game series with a one-run shutout loss Saturday. Yesterday, they belted out 13 hits and capitalized on a half-dozen Salem-Keizer errors to down the Volcanoes 9-5 in Keizer. At 7-5 in the second half of the season, the Emeralds share the division lead with Everett.

Mo Vaughn wrapped up her summer season with a six-stroke victory at the Oregon Women’s Stroke Play championship yesterday in Creswell. The Reedsport teen shot an even-par round yesterday and was the only golfer in the field to finish under par for the tournament… at one-under overall. She’ll be trading in her clubs this week for a volleyball in preparation for a return to classes at Reedsport High School next month.

Longtime Oregon Senator passes awy

2011-08-08T08:57:00.001-07:00

Flags in Oregon will be flown at half-staff in memory of former Senator Mark Hatfield, an outspoken critic of war whose liberal views often put him at odds with fellow Republicans. Hatfield passed away yesterday in Portland, he was 89. Also a former Oregon governor, Hatfield was the longest serving U.S. senator in Oregon history, serving five terms from 1967 to 1997. He gained fame for key efforts against American involvement in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf war. Hatfield and his wife, Antoinette, had four children.

Relay for Life set for this week

2011-08-08T08:54:00.001-07:00

There’ll be some new wrinkles at this week’s Florence Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Relay chair John Bartlett says they’re adding two new events, a celebrity walk and a pie contest; as well as bringing back a popular late night firefighter midnight walk to go along with the several other activities. The relay kicks off with the traditional survivor walk at noon Friday. The celebrity walk has been added, says Bartlett, in an effort to boost attendance on Saturday morning. 14 celebrities, including an Emmy award winning director and producer; a nationally syndicated humor columnist and a star of the upcoming History Channel program “Top Shot” will walk between ten and 11:30 A.M. Saturday. The pie contest will feature just one baker… Relay Rosie the cow. She’ll begin her efforts at 8:30 Saturday morning. Bartlett says the usual favorites will be on the schedule as well, including the emotionally moving Luminaria lighting just after sunset.

Woodbury Cancer fund exceeds goals…

2011-08-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

All together, nearly $70-thousand has been collected in the past week for the Glenna Woodbury Cancer fund. In addition to the cash, anonymous donors are providing lodging and ground transportation in San Diego, as well as a charter flight direct from Florence. Glenna Woodbury has been suffering from colorectal cancer for two years, recently her situation worsened with a tumor wrapping itself around the nerves of her spine. Family friend Cindy Wobbe says the innovative Cyberknife radiation therapy won’t cure the cancer, but it will improve Woodbury’s quality of life and decrease the pain. Her insurance company said the $60-thousand treatment wasn’t covered, prompting an outpouring in the past week. Donations direct to an account in her name at Oregon Pacific Bank reached $13-thousand, but just over $40-thousand was collected at Mon Amis Gourmet Deli and Antiques. Aero-Legends Bi-Plane Rides raised $2-thousand Saturday, then diners and donors at the World Market Buffett at Three Rivers Casino raised $17-500. Wobbe said Woodbury is schedule for her first treatment early next week and fund-raising efforts will continue.

4.5 quake registered off Oregon Coast

2011-08-05T08:37:00.001-07:00

There were no reports that anyone felt it, but a magnitude 4.5 earthquake was recorded just after six this morning off the Oregon Coast. The U.S. Geological Survey earthquake information center reported the quake as being at a depth of 23 miles about 220 miles west of Florence.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

2011-08-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon man accused of killing his
wife and four children and setting their house on fire has
recovered enough to leave the hospital, and was immediately jailed
on aggravated murder allegations. Police say 51-year-old Jordan
Adam Criado was able to walk yesterday when he left the Rogue
Valley Medical Center in Medford and was taken to jail. He suffered
smoke inhalation in the July 18 blaze.

OAKRIDGE, Ore. (AP) - The Oakridge City Council has voted to
borrow $500,000 to help pay city bills. The council last night also
decided not to immediately fire City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman
over the financial problems. The council also voted for an outside
review of the city's finances during an emotional meeting at a hot
Oakridge High School auditorium. There were sporadic catcalls and
burst of applause from the audience of more than 100.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 12-year-old girl who was struck by a car
while crossing the street to check the family mailbox has died at a
Portland hospital. The Oregon State Police say Kayla Campos died at
Oregon Health and Science University yesterday morning. The girl
was trying to cross Oregon Route 211 on Tuesday afternoon when she
was struck by a car. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

GARIBALDI, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say an 81-year-old
Vancouver, Wash., bicyclist has been killed in a collision with a
loaded log trailer on U.S. Highway 101 on the Oregon coast north of
Garibaldi. Sgt. Greg Plummer says the victim in yesterday's crash
was described as an experienced cyclist who was riding with his
47-year-old son. The victim was identified last night as Dale
Delane Beacock.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Police found nearly 500 stolen commemorative
coins hidden in a boat when they served a search warrant at a home
in Eugene yesterday. The Register Guard reports the coins were part
of nearly 3,000 coins that were in a trailer stolen July 28 from
outside a medical clinic in Eugene. The whereabouts of the
remaining coins is unknown. Police say each coin is worth about $3.
Police arrested a 42-year-old man on charges of theft,
methamphetamine possession and being a felon in possession of a
firearm.

SEATTLE (AP) - The Seattle Mariners have released Jack Cust
after he was designated for assignment late last week. The
designated hitter never developed into the left-handed power hitter
Seattle hoped when they signed him to a one-year deal in the
offseason. Cust hit just .213 with three homers in 67 games,
eventually being relegated to the bench. The Mariners also optioned
outfielder Greg Halman to Triple-A Tacoma yesterday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Department of Transportation is
testing half-mile markers along state Highway 217 and U.S. 26 in
the Portland area. The Oregonian reports that posting signs every
half-mile should help drivers give specific information in an
emergency and improve accident statistics.

SWEET HOME, Ore. (AP) - Police in Sweet Home are wearing video
cameras. The portable cameras are about the size of a pager and
clip onto shirts. The police cams record officer actions, and the
video could be used as evidence. KVAL reports officers say the
visible camera on uniforms has helped control several situations
that could have escalated out of control.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - A collision near Beaverton, Ore.,
involving a minivan and an ambulance has left the van driver
hospitalized in critical condition. However, the ambulance
paramedics and their 90-year-old patient fared much better.
Washington County sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson says 51-year-old
Beth Caulfield of Beaverton was reported in critical condition last
night at a Portland-area hospital. The crash happened yesterday
afternoon.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A Klamath Falls man has been sentenced to
more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally
negligent homicide in a March 16 fatal crash on Oregon's Willamette
Pass. Prosecutors say 27-year-old Sean O'Kelly was driving too fast
in icy conditions, lacked required traction devices and was under
the influence of drugs when his van slid into the path of an
oncoming tanker truck. Passenger Leah Kentta was killed in the
crash.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State University has been named
one of the greenest universities in the nation. OSU says it was the
only university in Oregon to be named to the Princeton Review's
2012 Green Rating Honor Roll. OSU was one of 16 universities
nationwide to get the highest score possible on the review's rating
for commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

NEW YORK (AP) - Oklahoma is the preseason No. 1 in the USA Today
football coaches' poll. The Sooners received 42 of 59 first-place
votes to easily top No. 2 Alabama, which received 13 first-place
votes. Oregon, which lost last season's BCS championship game, is
third and LSU is fourth. The Ducks and Tigers will open the season
against each other at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 3 in Arlington,
Texas. They each received two first-place votes in the coaches'
poll. Florida State is fifth, then Stanford, Boise State, Oklahoma
State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

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

Charge your car at the coast

2011-08-05T08:24:00.001-07:00

It won’t be officially announced until next week, but Florence’s first, and only electric vehicle charging station went online last month at Driftwood Shores Resort. The station can charge two vehicles at once and will take up to three hours to provide a full charge. Initially, charges will be provided at no cost. There will be a fee eventually. The station itself was paid for by Driftwood Shores. General Manager Martin Alletson says many of the resort’s guests come from the Eugene Springfield area where the use of electric vehicles is on the rise.

Cancery surgery scheduled

2011-08-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

All day Wednesday, a steady stream of people came and went at Mon Amis Gourmet Deli and Antiques…. And they all dropped off checks or cash for the Glenna Woodbury Cancer Fund. Cindy Wobbe said on Wednesday alone they collected $16,500, then added another $2500 by midday yesterday.

Woodbury is suffering from colorectal cancer and doctors say her only hope right now is a specialized “cyberknife” treatment that will pinpoint radiation therapy on the tumor surrounding her spine. The only problem is that her insurance company says the procedure is not covered, leaving her and her husband Woody to find the $60-thousand to pay for it.

The good news is… Wobbe says they will make it. With the money collected just in the past few days, along with cash expected from other fund raisers this weekend they’re confident enough to have booked an appointment for Woodbury August 15th in San Diego, California.

By the way, you can still help out this weekend. Aero-Legends Bi Plane Rides will be giving 15-minute rides tomorrow for $100 each with 100-percent going to the fund. Three Rivers Casino will donate all of their sales at the World Market Buffett on Sunday.

Five days of fun in the sand…

2011-08-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

Day three of DuneFest 2011 will wrap up this evening in Winchester Bay with “Rock the Dunes”… music on the main stage and dancing in the sand. But, it’s all the other activities, says Joe Mirvis, that have drawn about 8-thousand off-road enthusiasts.

Mirvis – “Got the moto-cross and drag racing are in full speed. And, uh, we’re having a show and shine, treasure hunt, poker run and freestyle shows throughout the day and Saturday. A great selection of vendors, vendor row is free to the public.”

Mirvis, along with a host of volunteers with the Reedsport Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce have built a small city on the sand beneath the Umpqua Lighthouse. The festival runs through Sunday, but most events will wrap up tomorrow with sand drag racing and the annual “king of the dunes” race.

Sports and Weather

2011-08-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Four Eugene pitchers combined to allow only three hits and the Emeralds posted their first shutout win in more than a month, downing the Tri-City Dust Devils 2-nothing last night. The game was scoreless until the seventh inning. Kyle Gaedele struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch third strike. He later scored on an infield single by Jace Peterson. Dan Killian wrapped up the scoring with a pinch-hit solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. The two teams meet tonight and tomorrow at PK Park. The Emeralds will be in Keizer against the Volcanoes Sunday.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Partly sunny and a high near 63 today, along with a north northwest wind six to 14 miles an hour.

Tonight, mostly cloudy and a low around 52.

For the weekend… Partly sunny Saturday and Sunday, mostly cloudy skies overnight… highs in the lower 60s, lows around 48.

Partly sunny skies Monday and through the rest of the week.

The marine forecast shows a northwest marine wind ten to 15 knots gusting to 20 knots this afternoon…. Low tide… 11:38 this morning. High tide at 5:59 this evening.

Oregon News

2011-08-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon inmate and white separatist has
been sentenced to four years in federal prison for mailing a letter
from the Oregon State Penitentiary in which he threatened to kill
President Barack Obama. Federal prosecutors say 28-year-old David
Earl Anderson mailed several letters from prison in which he
threatened Obama. Anderson had pleaded guilty last October to one
count of threatening the president.

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - The Coos County sheriff's office says a
Myrtle Point man has died in a logging accident near Coquille.
Deputies say they were told that 27-year-old Justin Tyler was
sitting on the log deck Tuesday with another employee when one log
struck an alder tree that was already down, then flipped up and
struck him in the head.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Meat giant Cargill is recalling 36 million
pounds of ground turkey linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak
that has killed one person in California and sickened at least 76
others. Illnesses in the outbreak date back to March and have been
reported in 26 states coast to coast. Only a few illnesses were
reported in Oregon.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Gov. John Kitzhaber has scheduled a special
election to replace Democratic Congressman David Wu, who resigned
last night. Party members will choose their candidates in a Nov. 8
primary election, and the nominees will face off in a general
election Jan. 31. Wu already had announced his intention to resign
after The Oregonian published allegations that he had an unwanted
sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman.

SEATTLE (AP) - Newly acquired Charlie Furbush retired the first
13 batters in five strong innings and the Seattle Mariners swept
past the Oakland Athletics 7-4 yesterday. Furbush kept the damage
minimal within his pitch-count framework. He matched his longest
career outing and allowed two hits with three strikeouts and no
walks. It was the third series sweep for the Mariners this season,
the first since taking three from San Diego in May.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A jury in Portland has convicted Tyson
Wilcher of murder, assault and burglary charges in the 2010 beating
death of 55-year-old Jesus Rodriguez Garcia during a home invasion.
The 29-year-old faces at least 25 years in prison when he is
sentenced Sept. 15. Garcia is the first of four defendants to be
tried.

THE DALLES, Ore. (AP) - A hospital anesthesiologist accused of
sexual contact with two incapacitated patients has been indicted by
a Wasco County grand jury on sexual abuse charges. Mid-Columbia
Medical Center in The Dalles notified police in May after one of
the women reported abuse. Dr. Frederick Geroge Field was arrested
July 28.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Census figures analyzed by Portland State
University show the number of same-sex households in Oregon rose
nearly 68 percent from 2000 to 2010. They grew from about 9,000
households to about 15,000. The Oregonian reports they account for
less than 1 percent of the households statewide. About 60 percent
of the gay and lesbian couples reside in the Portland metro area.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State flanker James Rodgers has
been cleared to practice in a "limited fashion" after two knee
surgeries. Rodgers' status was announced by coach Mike Riley
yesterday. The Beavers will start fall practice on Monday. Riley
says Rodgers will practice on a limited basis for an undetermined
time. More information is expected next week after Riley meets with
the team physician and trainer.

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (AP) - The Greenbrier Cos. said today it has
received orders for 3,700 new railcars valued at about $285
million. The orders are primarily for double-stack intermodal cars,
boxcars, covered hopper cars and tank cars for North America and
various car types for the European market. The platforms are
expected to be delivered next year.

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) - Longview, Wash., police say two people
were hurt when someone hurled a rock through the window of a
shuttle bus taking workers from Longview to a fish processing plant
near Astoria, Ore. Detective Sgt. John Reeves tells The Daily News
that one passenger was hit by the rock and another got glass in an
eye early yesterday morning. Both were treated at a hospital.
Police did not immediately identify a suspect.

CAMAS, Wash. (AP) - The Clark County sheriff's office says an
84-year-old pilot has died in the crash of a single-engine plane
near the southwest Washington town of Camas. Sgt. Tony Barnes said
Wilbert "Skeet" Mehrer of Camas was alone in the four-passenger
1960 Piper Cherokee when it crashed late yesterday afternoon.
Barnes says it appears Mehrer was on a flight from Pendleton, Ore.,
to Grove Field Airport near Camas when he crashed.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms
with free agent kicker Jeff Reed. Reed finished last season with
the San Francisco 49ers after playing most of his first 10 seasons
with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reed was released by the Steelers
after nine games in which he converted 15 field goals in 22
attempts. Undrafted free agent kicker Wes Byrum tweeted that
Seattle had released him to make roster room for Reed.

SEATTLE (AP) - As many as 14 unlimited hydroplanes are expected
for this weekend's racing on Lake Washington in Seattle. The Air
National Guard unlimited hydroplane series is making its annual
Seafair stop for the Albert Lee Cup. Dave Villwock, driver of
Spirit of Qatar, won last weekend on the Columbia River at the
Tri-Cities and is favored to add to his 64 career wins. His closest
rival is Steve David in Oh Boy! Oberto.

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

Lane County facing another fiscal challenge

2011-08-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Lane County facing another revenue crisis

Another cash-flow hit is facing Lane County. A requirement to set aside an additional $950-thousand for self-insurance reserves could force the closure of another 35 jail beds and result in more layoffs. Already faced with a $7.8-million shortfall in June, services were cut and 50 jobs were eliminated at the county.

Now, County Commissioners say they’ll be talking later this month about how to handle the state requirement that they increase a reserve fund for worker’s compensation claims from $1.5-million to $2.4-million… by the end of this month. County Administrator Liane Richardson told the Board yesterday one solution could be a ten-percent funding cut to all departments. But, she added, that would likely only be the starting point for the discussion.

The results of an ‘across-the-board’ reduction would include the loss of two more patrol deputies as well as the jail bed closures. It could also cost three more positions in the county’s Department of Youth Services; and mean the possible elimination of the county medical examiners office. Commissioners are set to continue the discussion August 24th.

Verger reelection decision due soon

2011-08-04T08:37:00.001-07:00

Joanne Verger says she hasn’t yet made up her mind, but will make an announcement soon on whether or not to seek a fourth term in the Oregon Senate.

Verger– “I’ve given myself two more weeks and then I’ve got to decide. Can I service the large district as well as I want to service it? Not anyone else’s standards, but mine.”

Verger was essentially retired when she was first elected as Mayor of Coos Bay in 1988. She went on to serve two terms in the Oregon House, and then was elected to the Fifth District senate seat a decade ago. With 22-years in office and more than a half-dozen political campaigns under her belt, the self described moderate Democrat isn’t concerned about the physical challenges of another race..

Verger– “I’m not afraid, obviously this many years in public life, of a campaign. So, it really doesn’t have anything to do with that. So, it just has to do with what do I want to do on my second retirement around?”

Verger says if she opts not to run, she wants to give other Democrats plenty of time to prepare for the campaign.

Different hat, same message

2011-08-04T08:32:00.001-07:00

The Prophet of Doom may be changing organizations, but he’ll still be preaching the same message. James Roddey has been vocal about the importance of disaster preparedness as Earth Sciences Information Officer with the Oregon Department of Geology. He will be assuming a newly created and similar position at the Oregon Red Cross at the end of this month. As Director of Communications he says his position is part of a restructuring at the Red Cross aimed at increasing preparedness and resiliency of all Oregon Communities to withstand large-scale disasters such as a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

Hall of Fame coach looks back at first season

2011-08-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Athletic opportunities for girls in high school were limited 47-years ago. There was only P.E. and intramural sports, with occasional ‘play days’ with neighboring schools. Liz McCain was the Girls PE teacher at Siuslaw High School in 1964 and saw a gifted group of girl athletes.
McCain– “Those girls had so much talent that it was time for them to compete with other schools.”

McCain nervously asked the school board for permission to put together a team that would compete in the fledgling Emerald Empire Sports Association. The board said yes and the girls were off an running.
McCain– “They won every single track meet that they were in, plus District, for four years. And then when OSAA took over, District was in Hillsboro and Hillsboro beat us.”

McCain only coached for six seasons, but she continued to teach P.E. until her retirement in 1986. It was a special moment, she said, when she was notified that she would be among the initial class of inductees into the Siuslaw Athletic Hall of Fame.
McCain– “It was more than overwhelming, and it was an honor, and it was very emotional.”

McCain; one other coach; 11 athletes and one state championship team will be honored at a special ceremony Saturday afternoon, 3:30 at the Florence Events Center. The event will precede the Siuslaw Athletic Booster Club dinner and auction at 5:30.

Local sports and the weather

2011-08-04T07:57:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

An error plagued fifth-inning and offense cost the Eugene Emeralds last night, as they fell 2-nothing to the Tri-City Dust Devils in Eugene. It was only the third shutout loss this season for the Ems. Game three of five between the two teams will be tonight at PK Park.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

A chance of morning drizzle, otherwise mostly cloudy skies today and a high near 62.
Mostly cloudy overnight, a low around 53.
Partly sunny and 63 for a high tomorrow.

For the weekend… mostly cloudy Saturday, partly sunny Sunday… then partly sunny skies continuing through the week.

The marine forecast is showing a north marine wind ten to 15 knots becoming northwest and gusting to 20 knots overnight. Low tide… 10:52. High tide at 5:11.

News from around Oregon and the Northwest

2011-08-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

MADRAS, Ore. (AP) - A central Oregon wildfire sparked by
lightning has expanded quickly in windy conditions, sweeping across
nearly 5 1/2 square miles - or 3,500 acres - of juniper, sagebrush and
grass east of U.S. Highway 97. A fire spokeswoman tells KTVZ that
structural protection crews have been called in to protect one home
threatened by the fire. It's thought to have started after some 800
lightning strikes hit the state on Monday.

WAKARUSA, Ind. (AP) - Navistar International Corp. plans to
shift some production work for its Monaco RV subsidiary from an
Oregon factory to northern Indiana, where it will hire up to 400
workers in the coming year. Navistar says 450 Monaco jobs will be
cut in Coburg. In the restructuring, some executive functions from
Monaco's Coburg headquarters also will move to Navistar's corporate
office in Illinois.

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon woman has been found in the
Umpqua National Forest east of Roseburg after she was reported
missing last weekend. Douglas County sheriff's deputies say they
found 59-year-old Linda Lonie of Roseburg near Hemlock Lake. Lonie
was reported missing Sunday night by her husband, who said they
were walking on a trail to check a game camera. When the trail
became too rough, he told her to wait. When he returned, she was
gone. Her condition was not immediately known.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon public health official says a
baby girl from Multnomah County was among the 77 people nationwide
infected with a strain of salmonella apparently linked to ground
turkey. Dr. William Keene says the child was hospitalized for eight
days in June, and has now recovered.

SEATTLE (AP) - Casper Wells hit a two-run homer in his third
game with Seattle and Felix Hernandez pitched into the seventh
inning to help the Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 last
night. Wells connected on a full-count pitch from Rich Harden in
the sixth inning. The drive to left was his first homer since he
went deep on June 24 for the Tigers against Arizona. Hernandez
allowed two runs and five hits, struck out nine and walked three in
6-and-a-third innings.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Prosecutors say an Oregon woman has
pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $850,000 in
government money during a 26-year theft of her missing father's
retirement benefits. Sixty-three-year-old Martha McCrae of Cottage
Grove yesterday admitted theft of benefits paid by the Social
Security Administration and two government agencies. Her case came
to light thanks to the agency's program of contacting beneficiaries
over age 100 to confirm they're still alive.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - More than 300 military veterans are
gathering in Portland this week for the annual conventions of
Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War, two groups
that oppose the nation's wars. The Oregonian reports that the vets
will discuss post-traumatic stress disorder and efforts to free
Bradley Manning, a former military intelligence analyst who was
imprisoned following accusations by the government that he provided
secret military and diplomatic documents to Wikileaks.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A woman who spent three nights in the
Mount Hood National Forest after tumbling off a cliff says she ate
berries, drank from a creek and tried to scoot to safety on her
bottom because she couldn't walk. Hood River County sheriff's
Detective Matt English says 28-year-old Pamela Salant of Portland
was in serious condition late Tuesday with a possible broken left
leg after an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter rescued her.

SEATTLE (AP) - Sue Bird scored 17 points and Swin Cash added 16
to help the Seattle Storm beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 78-64
last night. Tanisha Wright added 12 points and seven assists for
Seattle, which has won four of five and moved into a tie for third
place in the Western Conference with Phoenix.

WARREN, Ore. (AP) - Fire officials say children playing with a
lighter started the barn fire that killed a 3-year-old boy at
Warren. KATU reports Scappoose Fire Department investigators found
bits of the lighter in the debris. Oregon State Police identified
the boy who was killed Monday as Nathan Hines. Firefighters say he
was with three other children, ages 4 to 8, who made it out of the
burning barn.

WILSONVILL, Ore. (AP) - Some Wilsonville city councilors say
they'd like to review the city's relationship with former transit
director Cynthia Thompson whose consulting firm has won nearly $1.4
million in no-bid contracts in the past four years. No councilors
are challenging the quality of Thompson's work but Steve Hurst and
Richard Goddard say they'd like to know more about the contracts.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Bowmer
Theatre has reopened after six weeks of structural repairs. KDRV
reports (http://bit.ly/nJlhIf ) the first play Tuesday was
"Measure for Measure." Since a cracked beam was discovered in
June at the 600-seat theater, 62 performances were moved to a tent
in Lithia Park and other locations.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms
with free agent tight end Zach Miller and defensive end Jimmy
Wilkerson. Miller's signing reunites him with former Oakland coach
Tom Cable, now Seattle's offensive line coach. Miller was a Pro
Bowl selection last season after catching 60 passes and five
touchdowns. Wilkerson was the second defensive free agent to reach
a deal with Seattle in as many days.

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

Spontaneous fund raiser to benefit local benefactor

2011-08-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Time is running out for Glenna Woodbury… literally.

For the past two years she’s been dealing with colo-rectal cancer, seeking treatments that provide some brief respite, but so far, she’s been unable to beat it. Now Glenna is facing what could be her final battle, but her insurance company has declined to pay for it. Doctors at the Cyberknife Clinic in San Diego say the tumor has wrapped itself around the nerves of her spine and an innovative treatment that uses robotics to pinpoint radiation treatment is her only hope. She and her husband, Woody Woodbury, have just a short time to find the nearly $60-thousand for the treatment.

Just in the past few days they’ve been able to raise about $15-thousand, but still have far to go and, says one family friend, not much time to get Glenna to San Diego while she can still travel.

Cindy Wobbe has known both Woody and Glenna for several years. Glenna used to work for her and Woody operates Florence Grocery Outlet. She says the Woodburys have supported and given to hundreds of causes over the past few years, never saying no to a request for a donation or support.

Wobbe says now is the time to repay that support. She’s spearheading a fund drive at her restaurant, Mon Ami Gourmet Deli and Antiques, an account has also been set up at Oregon Pacific Bank in Glenna’s name.

Soldier with local ties dies in Afghanistan

2011-08-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Flags in the Florence area are being displayed at half-staff today in memory of a young soldier killed in Afghanistan earlier this week. 22-year old Pfc Brice Scott was shot and killed during a firefight in Kandahar Province Sunday. While he was raised in Eugene, he has a strong Florence connection. Both his parents were raised here and his grandparents are in the area… plus he reportedly met his wife here. Friends of the family say a memorial service will be held at Ada Grange, but no date has yet been set.

Bay to Brooklyn ride to commemorate 9/11

2011-08-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

The tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks is coming up next month and Darrell Sales wanted to do something to honor the memory of the 343 fellow firefighters who lost their lives when the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed that day. He and his son Darrell Dean Sales, along with David Lmbardo and Fred Belligan… all firefighters in the San Francisco Bay area decided to ride their bicycles cross-country, ending up in Brooklyn on 9-11. They left Santa Clara, California earlier this week and are due to come through Florence this evening. Volunteers with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue will meet them south of town and escort them into Florence where they’ll spend the night. Firefighters will lead them out of town, east on Highway 126 again tomorrow morning.

Local sports and the weather

2011-08-03T08:17:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Tickets are still available for Saturday night’s Siuslaw Athletic Booster Club auction at the Florence Events Center. Money raised at the annual dinner and auction is used to support athletics at Siuslaw High School and Middle School. Dinner is $40 and tickets are available at Coastal Fitness. The fund-raiser follows the first-ever Siuslaw Athletic Hall of Fame induction at 3:30 that afternoon… tickets for the induction are $10 and available at the door.

The Eugene Emeralds used a big sixth inning to break a two-game losing streak and bested the Tri-City Dust Devils 9-4 yesterday at PK Park. An early Dust Devil lead put the Ems in a hole, but they got back on top in the middle innings, only to see Tri-City tie it up in the top of the sixth. Three Eugene runs in the bottom of that inning gave the Ems the lead for good. Game two of three in the series is tonight in Eugene.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast:

The forecast called for mostly cloudy skies today with a 20- percent chance of rain or drizzle early and patches of fog. Today’s high near 63 degrees and calm conditions early with a northwest wind eight to 11 miles an hour developing.
A chance of drizzle again late tonight, mostly cloudy skies and overnight lows around 54.
Tomorrow morning we’ll see a chance of more drizzle, then mostly cloudy skies and a high near 62.

Partly sunny Friday, mostly cloudy Saturday, then partly sunny again on Sunday.

The marine forecast shows a southwest marine wind five knots veering to the northwest this afternoon… then increasing to ten or 15 knots overnight. Low tide… 10:11 this morning. High tide at 4:29 this afternoon.

Vigilance gets strength in numbers…

2011-08-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

A new neighborhood watch program for Florence will be introduced this evening. Florence Police Auxiliary volunteer Andi Belk says they’re taking a different approach.
Belk– “Instead of forming each individual little group in the neighborhood we’re going to use all the neighborhoods together. We’re going to meet together, learn together and support each other. It’s going to be marvelous.”

Belk is the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator for Florence. She says under the old method, each neighborhood would form an autonomous group with little outside assistance.
Belk – “But not anymore. We realize that, hey, you know what happens is they, the group gets tired, you know, and they lose the support and the enthusiasm.”

She’s already shown that by forming under an umbrella organization, they can provide support and services by combining requests.
Belk – “Got a grant from the Western Lane Community Foundation, so we can actually supply some signs and all of the materials for each group now.”

Belk and other police volunteers, along with Police Chief Maury Sanders, will be kicking off the new neighborhood watch program during National Night Out observances in Florence, six pm, at the Florence Events Center.

Teen cell phone photo contest announced

2011-08-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Before classes get under way, older students will have a chance to learn some of the secrets of taking good photos with their cell phones. Rob Welles with the Siuslaw Viewfinders Camera Club will be sharing those secrets a week from tonight at the Siuslaw Public Library. Assistant Library Director Gayle Waiss says the program runs from six to eight pm, next Tuesday, and is open to all teens. Welles will give tips on how to compose a shot that just might win a special contest the club is running for cell phone photos.

Don't buy school supplies just yet...

2011-08-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

Five weeks from today students will begin their return to classrooms and that means parents are already beginning to think about shopping for supplies. Siuslaw Elementary Principal Mike Harklerode says you shouldn’t get in too big a hurry.
Harklerode – “In our primary grades, Kindergarten, first and second grades, they’re…. we’re asking parents to bring in a supply fee so we can order bulk supplies. One of the things that happens, teachers accumulate supplies over the years and next year they might not need the same things they had on last year’s list and the supply fee allows us to do that.”

The supply lists are posted on the school’s website, Harklerode says parents of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders should wait until class lists are posted on August 16th before investing in specifics. The first day of classes will be Tuesday, September 6th.

http://siuslaw.k12.or.us/siuslaw/

Local sports and the weather

2011-08-02T06:58:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

For only the third time in the past 25-years the Eugene Emeralds are getting ready for post season play. Yes, the season is only half over, but the Ems clinched the playoff spot because they had the best record in the West Division of the Northwest League at the midpoint. They’ll continue play in the regular season but are already assured of facing the second-half winner beginning September 5th in a ‘best-of-three” series. The Ems had yesterday off… they’ll be at home this evening where they’ll open up a series against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Partly sunny today after patchy morning fog… and a high near 63 along with a light breeze from the west northwest.

Mostly cloudy skies tonight along with a 20-percent chance of rain or drizzle late. Overnight low around 50 degrees.

Patchy fog tomorrow morning, and a 20-percent chance of rain or drizzle, then mostly cloudy skies with a high near 63.

Mostly cloudy with drizzle Thursday, partly sunny Friday and then mostly cloudy again on Saturday.

The marine forecast is showing a northwest marine wind five to ten knots backing to the southwest in the afternoon… becoming west at five knots overnight. Low tide… (-0.8) at 9:31 this morning… high tide at 3:49 this afternoon.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

2011-08-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE (AP) - The FBI says it has a "credible" lead in the
D.B. Cooper case, which involved the 1971 hijacking of a passenger
jet over Washington state and the suspect's legendary parachute
escape. The bureau tells The Seattle Times that a law enforcement
member directed investigators to a person who might have helpful
information on the suspect. Agents say an item belonging to the man
is undergoing forensic testing. A hijacker dubbed "D.B. Cooper"
parachuted from a flight with $200,000 dollars in ransom.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - Friends, family and others turned out
for the funeral of a former Southern California woman and her four
children who were found stabbed in their burning Medford home last month. The caskets of Tabasha Paige-Criado and her children - three
boys and a girl between two to seven-years old - lay side-by-side
as hundreds paid their final respects Saturday in Bakersfield, California.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Attendance at Oregon's public universities is
expected to reach a record 100,000 students this fall. Enrollment
at the state's seven public universities has grown 40 percent in 10
years. The Statesman Journal reports there's pressure on core
courses, classrooms and dormitories. It's also harder to get into
some schools, such as the University of Oregon.

OAKRIDGE, Ore. (AP) - Highway 58 has reopened after a fiery
crash east of Oakridge. State Trooper Nicholas Hagedorn says
emergency personnel responded to a motor vehicle fire on Highway 58
just east of the Salt Creek Tunnel around 9 p.m. Saturday. KVAL-TV
reports authorities believe the multi-vehicle accident started when
the engine of a motor home towing a car overheated just inside the
tunnel. Because of heavy smoke, several other vehicles got involved
and then caught on fire. Highway 58 was completely blocked by the
incident.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A campaign to recall Oakridge's mayor and
four of its city council members has hit a snag. But proponents say
the campaign should be up and running again soon. Recall proponents
say they had no problem gathering signatures they needed. But they
were unable to officially file their petitions directly with the
Lane County Elections Division. State law requires them to go
through the Oakridge City Recorder's office first.

SEATTLE (AP) - Jeremy Hellickson held the Seattle Mariners to
five hits and a run over seven-plus innings, becoming the first
American League rookie with 10 wins as the Tampa Bay Rays rolled to
an 8-1 victory yesterday. Hellickson carried a no-hitter into the
sixth but Chone (shahn) Figgins opened with a single to center and
Franklin Gutierrez followed with another single. Hellickson retired
the next three batters on a flyout and two foulouts.

MILTON-FREEWATER, Ore. (AP) - The levee system along the Walla
Walla River is badly in need of repair in one Eastern Oregon town.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped certifying the system near
Milton-Freewater, Ore., in 2007. The corps said it discovered
damage that rendered it unusable. Voters approved a $2.85 million
bond in November to pay for improvement. The work is expected by
next summer.

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - A blue-green algae bloom in a popular
Oregon tourist destination has put watersports on hold. The bloom
at Diamond Lake and the South Umpqua River has led health officials
to warn visitors not to drink the water, swim in the lake or inhale
droplets while boating or water skiing. The toxins in blue-green
algae can't be filtered out by boiling water, and most private
water treatment systems aren't capable of removing the toxins.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - An Eagle Point man has been accused of
stealing nearly 400 books from libraries and apparently had no
plans to sell them. Christopher Storrer has been banned from all
Rogue Valley libraries while he awaits trial. The 24-year-old faces
theft, robbery and criminal-mischief charges.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Former University of Oregon and NFL
quarterback Joey Harrington was hit by a vehicle while riding a
bicycle last night in Portland. Police say he was taken to a
hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Police
say Harrington was hit from behind by an SUV driven by a man who
remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. He was
cited for following too close. KGW reports the 33-year-old
Harrington led the Ducks to three bowl wins and played for four
teams in eight years in the NFL.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon Congressman David Wu has about
$343,000 in his campaign coffers. He plans to resign, but he can't
pocket the cash. The nonprofit watchdog group Common Cause says Wu
can give the campaign money to other political campaigns, give it
to charity or return it to donors. He is restricted only from
spending it on himself. A Wu spokesman says he knew of no plans for
the campaign treasury.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The board that oversees Oregon's Public
Employees Retirement System has voted 4-1 to maintain the system's
assumed rate of return at 8 percent. A majority of the board says
they doubt the pension fund investments will generate returns
averaging 8 percent annually over the long run. The Oregonian says
actual returns over the last five years have averaged only 5
percent.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks and starting middle
linebacker Lofa Tatupu (LOH'-fuh tah-TOO'-poo) have "mutually
parted ways" after the Seahawks defensive captain reportedly
declined to restructure his contract. A team spokesman confirmed
the decision yesterday morning. Tatupu noticeably was just a
spectator during the first few days of training camp. He was
scheduled to make $4.35 million in base salary in 2011.

SEATTLE (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have added a much-needed
starter after an earlier trade fell through, acquiring oft-injured
left-hander Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners in a three-team
trade. The Red Sox also got right-hander Josh Fields, a 2008
first-round draft pick. Boston sent catcher Tim Federowicz and
right-handers Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fife to the Los Angeles
Dodgers, who dealt outfielders Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien
Chiang to the Red Sox. The Red Sox then sent those two prospects to
Seattle.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A stolen trumpet has been found and
returned to an Oregon jazz musician who needed a custom-made
instrument in order to play. KOIN-TV reports the trumpet was stolen
from Portland jazz player and music teacher Thara Memory when he
was moving into a new condo near downtown. Partial amputations made
necessary by complications from diabetes make it impossible for
Memory to play without the custom design.

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

Local sports and the weather..

2011-08-01T08:52:00.001-07:00

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Spokane Indians claimed the rubber match of their five game series against the Eugene Emeralds yesterday, 8-6 over the Ems in Spokane. The Indians and the Emeralds split the previous two games, Eugene coming out on top Friday night 8-4, Spokane winning Saturday 4-3. Today is a day of rest in the Northwest League… the Ems will be back at home in Eugene tomorrow when they open up a series against the Tri City Dust Devils.

Salem’s Withnell Dodgers claimed the American Legion Triple-A baseball state title yesterday with 9-5 victory over the Medford Mustangs. Ryan Thompson went the distance on the mound for the win. Withnell’s Jordan Giza was named the tournament’s MVP going 10-for-20 at the plate with 14 RBI. The Dodgers will play at the Northwest regional tournament beginning later this week in Billings, Montana.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Patchy fog this morning, otherwise mostly sunny with a high near 65 degrees… breezy as well with a north wind eight to 16 miles an hour gusting to 20.
Mostly cloudy overnight, some patchy fog after 11, and a low around 48. Breezy conditions continuing with a north, northwest wind six to 15 miles an hour gusing to 24.
Tomorrow… some patchy fog in the morning, partly sunny and a high near 63.

Morning clouds and mostly cloudy skies Wednesday, partly sunny Thursday and partly sunny Friday.

The marine forecast is showing a north marine wind 15 knots, continuing overnight and easing to ten knots after midnight… Low tide this morning… 8:53 (-1.1). High tide at 3:12 this afternoon.

Siuslaw Athetic Hall of Fame

2011-08-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

A retired Air Force Brigadier General will be among the first class of inductees in the Siuslaw Athletic Hall of Fame. Curtis “Tooey” Emery II graduated from Siuslaw High School in 1964. While at Siuslaw he excelled on the football field as well as the track. He went on to graduate from the Air Force Academy and served until his retirement in 1997. Emery will be joined by ten other former student athletes, two coaches and the members of Siuslaw’s first ever state champion ship team, the 1960 Boys Track and Field team… five members who outscored all other comers. The Hall of Fame induction will be at the Florence Events Center this Saturday beginning at 3:30. The cost of admission is $10. The ceremony will be followed by the Siuslaw Athletic Booster Club fund-raising auction and dinner at the FEC. Tickets for that are $40 and are still available at Coastal Fitness, The Wind Drift Gallery, Coast Insurance and All About Olives.

The entire list of inductees:

The 1960 State Champion Track Team (Gary Conley, Lee Hazen, John LaDuke, Jerry Scott and Bob Woodard)

Kevin Anderson (1975)
Bob Duncan (1967)
Curtis Emery (1964)
Lee Hazen (1960)
Joe Hill (1979)
Wes Hines (1971)
Mary Jacobson (1970)
Shannon Gates McClellan (1983)
Mike Roe (1979)
Steve Savage (1966)
Kelli Stonelake (1989)

Len Lutero (Football Coach 1967-1996)
Lix McCain (Girls Track 1964-1969)

DuneFest 2011 set for Western Douglas County.

2011-08-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

You could call it “Brigadunes”… instead of the mystical village that appears every 100 years on the Scottish Highlands, a small city of several thousand off-road enthusiasts will appear on the Oregon Dunes near Winchester Bay beginning this Thursday. For five days there’ll be a campground with several hundred spaces, moto-cross and sand drag racing for all manner of off road vehicles, a car show, live music and even a drive-in movie night. DuneFest 2011 organizer Joe Mirvis with the Reedsport-Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce says the event is aimed at families… and can prove to be an economic boon to the area.

Mirvis:“They say that the tourist brings in over a hundred dollars a day when they, when they’re visiting an area. If we get 8,000 people that’s probably close to 800-thousand to a million dollars maybe? That it helps bring into the economy.”

Mirvis says volunteers staff nearly all of the venues. He also stresses that it’s a “family friendly” environment with a special “kid’s safe ATV riding area”. The festival is operated under special use permits from the Siuslaw National Forest and Douglas County Parks.

For additional information go to www.dunefest.com or call the Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce (541) 271-3495 or (800) 247-2155.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

2011-07-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The state of Oregon has the cash to
weather a showdown on the nation's debt limit beyond a potential
August federal-fund cutoff, but the looming deadline has some
social service providers worried. Gov. John Kitzhaber and state
fiscal analysts have expressed confidence in a resolution. But if
the deadline should pass without an increase in the nation's
borrowing authority, the pain won't be spread equally - the state
must wait to see which programs get funding priority. The rest
would face cuts.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A natural gas pipeline that links Wyoming to
Oregon is up and running after three years of construction. Oregon
Public Broadcasting reports the $3.5 billion Ruby Pipeline went
online yesterday. A company spokesman says the 680-mile pipeline
provides Rocky Mountain natural gas producers a pathway to move
their gas to California and the Pacific Northwest.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The board the oversees Oregon's Public
Employees Retirement System is scheduled to take a vote today that
could affect pension benefits and rates paid by cities and school
districts. The decision involves the assumed rate of return on the
state's $59 billion pension fund. Oregon's rate currently stands at
8 percent, but the actual returns over the last five years have
averaged only 5 percent.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - Fire officials in the Portland suburb of
Hillsboro say a 65-year-old man has suffered life-threatening
injuries after walking in front of a light rail train as it
approached a station yesterday afternoon. Authorities say the
unidentified man was taken to a hospital after being struck and
thrown to the sidewalk.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - For one day at least, Pete Carroll wasn't
hopping around with the vigor and excitement that was so apparent a
season ago. The Seahawks opened camp yesterday with a pair of
walkthrough practices. But along with Carroll's reserved demeanor,
two other voices were noticeably absent: those of former
quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and safety Lawyer Milloy. Hasselbeck is
now in Tennessee. And Milloy is a free agent who has yet to sign
with a team.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A new University of Oregon website offers
online access to articles from 18 Oregon newspapers published from
1846 to 1922. KEZI says the website -- "Historic Oregon
Newspapers" -- enables unprecedented access to original historical
texts, all published by Oregon journalists. Newspapers published on
the site include Portland Oregonian, Salem Capital Journal, Sumpter
Miner, The Jacksonville Oregon Sentinel, Portland New Age, The New
Northwest, and Abigail Scott Duniway's Suffragist Journal.

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a barn used by
Evergreen International Aviation to store helicopter parts has been
destroyed by fire. McMinnville Fire investigators say crews battled
the blaze last night but it's expected to be a total loss. KGW
reports that two 55-gallon drums containing an undermined substance
exploded but no one was injured.

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - Police in a Portland suburb say a young man
punched an 84-year-old woman at least 20 times and also hit a
second woman in an unprovoked attack at a transit station. The
Oregonian says responding police arrested the 19-year-old attacker
after subduing him with a stun gun.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks have signed six of
their nine picks from the 2011 draft, including fourth-round pick
wide receiver Kris Durham. Three Seattle draft picks remain
unsigned, including first-round pick James Carpenter out of Alabama
and third-round pick John Moffitt out of Wisconsin, who are both
expected to contend for starting jobs on the right side of
Seattle's offensive line.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Columbia River treaty fishing tribes are
urging Oregon and Washington state officials to apply for new
permits to kill sea lions that eat salmon bottled up at the fish
ladders over Bonneville Dam. The tribes say the science is clear --
sea lions eat about 20 percent of the spring chinook run on the
lower Columbia. NOAA Fisheries Service this month lifted the
permits while a challenge from the Humane Society works its way
through court, but urged Oregon and Washington to apply for new
permits. Oregon has already said it will.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Police say a 1-year-old boy is hospitalized
with a critical head injury after a fall from a second-story
apartment window in Salem. The boy was knocked unconscious last
evening when he landed on hard-backed dirt next to a sidewalk. He
was taken to Salem Hospital and later flown to a hospital in
Portland.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Firefighters putting out a fire in a Salem
duplex discovered snakes inside. Willamette Valley Fire and Rescue
says a Salem-area animal rescue group helped remove the snakes
yesterday afternoon as well as a turtle and a variety of fish.
Investigators said the fire was likely caused by a cigarette.
Damage to the building is estimated at $150,000.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Linebacker and special teams standout Matt
McCoy is returning to the Seattle Seahawks after agreeing to a
one-year deal. Also, fullback Michael Robinson appears headed back
to the Seahawks after posting on Twitter yesterday that he had
reached agreement on a deal with Seattle.

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

Three arrested in Elliott State Forest

2011-07-29T08:01:00.001-07:00

It took 30 police officers, a back hoe, a cherry picker and several forest workers several hours yesterday to convince three protesters to surrender at a remote logging site in the Elliott State Forest southeast of Reedsport.

The three, 23-year old Grace Warner Pettygrove of Eugene, 26-year old Emmalynn Lorraine Garrett from Bandon, and 18-year old Robert Petersmeyer Oliver from Seattle, Washington had suspended themselves on platforms 70 to 90 feet off the ground in second growth timber. They’re with about two-dozen protesters, members of Cascadia Forest Defenders, who have blockaded roads and climbed trees to protest what they say amounts to a clear-cut at the Elkhorn Ranch timber sale site.

The three had been informed the day before they were trespassing and given until noon Thursday to leave the area. Authorities spent 3 ½ hours yesterday afternoon convincing the protesters to come down, which they eventually did. The backhoe was needed to clear debris and repair a three foot deep trench that had been dug across the roadway.

Specific comments on dunes trails encouraged

2011-07-29T07:56:00.003-07:00

The process of identifying which trails on the dunes will remain open to off-road enthusiasts is far from complete. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Recreation Planner Angie Morris says they’ve received a lot of input so far, and they’re hoping for more.
Morris: “This is not a decision at this point, it’s merely a proposal. So what we’re asking is for people to take a look at what we’ve proposed and give us their specific input. You know, I agree with this because… I disagree with this because… I’d like to see this specific trail opened because, you know specifics are real important.”

Morris says the decision will be based on economic as well as environmental concerns.
Morris: “Yeah, absolutely, I’m, we’re getting a lot of comments about economic impacts. So, yeah, that definitely is a specific comment and again, the more specific the better.”

Originally the target date for wrapping up input was earlier this month. That was extended to this week, then moved yet again.
Morris: “We’re hoping to get input by September First just because we plan on going through our comments and developing a preferred alternative, is what it’s called? Basically what we think we want to do? So those comments are really important to that process.”

Once Forest Service officials develop the ‘preferred alternative’ the environmental impact statement process will begin. Morris says a final decision by Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor is likely several months away.

Please see http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/siuslaw/projects for more information.

Written comments should be sent to Angie Morris, Recreation Planner, Siuslaw National Forest, 855 Highway 101, Reedsport, OR 97467; or e-mail to comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@fs.fed.us

Local sports and the weather...

2011-07-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

A pair of Ruben Sierra Home runs in the final two innings, including a walk off grand slam, led the Spokane Indians to an 11-7 victory over the Eugene Emeralds last night in Spokane. Sierra hit a two-run home run in the eighth to tie the game at seven-seven, then with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, unloaded one over the left field fence off Eugene reliever Chris Wilkes to end the game. The Ems led 6-1 early in the game, but couldn’t hang on as five Eugene pitchers combined to give up 18 hits. The loss also knocked the Emeralds out of first place in the West Division of the Northwest League for the first time this season. The two teams meet again tonight and through the weekend in Spokane.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Patchy fog this morning, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 63… along with a north northwest wind 11 to 16 miles an hour gusting to 24.
Partly cloudy tonight, a low around 48 degrees and a north wind seven to 17 miles an hour gusting to 26.
For the weekend… mostly sunny and 63 on Saturday, along with north northwest winds gusting as high as 20 miles an hour… clouds moving in overnight Saturday and then areas of drizzle and patchy fog on Sunday morning… otherwise partly sunny and 63.

Mostly sunny Monday, partly sunny Tuesday and Wednesday.

Small Craft Advisories are posted through this evening for north marine winds 20 to 25 knots. Low tide was at 6:58 (-1.0). High tide at 1:24 this afternoon. (low 6:46).

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

2011-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon Republicans are saying that Rep.
David Wu should sign a resignation letter immediately. But the
Democrat said Tuesday he would quit, as he put it: "upon the
resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis." Days earlier, a published
report described claims of an aggressive sexual act by Wu against
the teenage daughter of a friend.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon tax critic Bill Sizemore has lost
several pretrial motions he had hoped to use to defend himself
against charges he failed to file state income tax returns for
three years. The Statesman Journal of Salem reports that Sizemore
is expecting a ruling on one more motion before a tentative trial
date of August 9. Sizemore has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (AP) - Federal prosecutors have charged a
member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs with
second-degree murder in the shooting death of another tribal member
on the reservation. The FBI and Warm Springs police say Delmer
Davis was fatally shot Tuesday while he was sitting in a vehicle
holding his young son outside a home. The child was not hurt. The
U.S. Attorney said Ted Barney is charged with second-degree murder
and use of a firearm in a violent crime.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A house built for a Portland lumber baron
in 1937 that helped establish the modern Northwest Style has been
designated a national historic landmark. The Aubrey Watzek House --
which is now part of the University of Oregon's John Yeon Center
for Architecture -- was added to the list of historical landmarks
yesterday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police say a man was holding a loaded
handgun when he was arrested at Mt. Tabor Park in Portland after
holding his 6-year-old daughter as a shield. Police say the man had
spit on a park volunteer Tuesday and threatened the volunteer with
a gun. When officers arrived they say the 32-year-old man grabbed
the girl and held her across his body. When more officers arrived,
he put down the girl and was arrested.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A man convicted of murder in a notorious
1988 Oregon hate crime has died from complications of hepatitis C.
Prison officials say Kenneth Mieske fell ill at the Oregon State
Penitientiary and died Tuesday night at Salem Hospital at age 45.
Mieske was sentenced to life in prison for using a baseball bat to
fatally beat an Ethiopian student on a Portland street corner.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Seattle Mariners snapped their 17-game
losing streak yesterday, riding a 17-hit attack to a 9-2 victory
over the New York Yankees. Felix Hernandez pitched seven innings
for his third straight win in the Bronx. The Mariners took 21 days
of frustration out on three Yankees relievers, scoring five runs in
the seventh inning - highlighted by Mike Carp's bases-loaded
triple

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Police in Beaverton say they arrested a
licensed day care provider after she told them she locked a
15-month-old toddler outdoors for a "timeout." Officers had
responded to a neighbor's call about a little girl heard crying for
more than an hour outside a home. 58-year-old Susanne Pounds was arrested yesterday for investigation of endangering the welfare of a minor. Officers say they found Pounds' daughter and the daughter's boyfriend at the home with heroin. They were arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) - Klamath County needs more doctors,
even with a local residency program that trains its graduates to
work in small towns. The Herald and News reports that only one in
four doctors trained through the Cascades East Rural Family
Medicine Residency Program stay in the area after graduation.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - A man who was called a gay slur and then
injured in a fight says he feels relieved by the assault conviction
against a Gresham man. Thirty-five-year-old Chris Churilla says the
slur last spring led to a fight that left him with a cracked skull.
The jury on Tuesday convicted 21-year-old Garrett Max Strasburg of
misdemeanor assault and attempted felony assault.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge is
deliberating the case of a Gresham woman charged with murder and
manslaughter in the 2009 death of her granddaughter. Prosecutors
said yesterday that Carolyn Bellamy shook 23-month-old Ariana
Magathan so severely she was brain dead. Bellamy maintains the
toddler crawled off a bed and hit her head on the floor.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland police officer who pleaded
guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving and reckless driving avoided
jail time. John Shadron was sentenced Friday in Multnomah County
Circuit Court to two years' probation and 120 hours of community
service. He'll also have his license suspended for a year and 90
days, but his lawyer says he's seeking a hardship permit to drive
to work.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon state economist Tom Potiowsky
(puh-TOW'-skee) is stepping down to return to Portland State
University as chairman of its economics department. The next
quarterly revenue forecast will be presented Aug. 26 by Mark
McMullen, senior economist in the Office of Economic Analysis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Titans have reached a deal with former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The 35-year-old Hasselbeck has spent the past 10 years with Seattle. Meanwhile, Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, leaving an opening for former Oregon Quarterback Kellen Clemens.

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

Ems win, Pac-12 announces networks, and plenty of sunshine

2011-07-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Eugene Emeralds scrapped for a 3-2 win over the Spokane Indians last night on the road. Down one-nothing going into the top of the third inning, the Emeralds tied the score on an RBI single by Donovan Tate. Then, with runners at first and third a double steal allowed Jace Peterson to make the final 90-feet for the go-ahead run. Eugene made it a two-run lead in the fifth on an RBI double off the bat of Peterson. The Indians’ Giullermo Pimentel picked up a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth for the final run. The two teams meet again tonight in game two of the five-game series.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott made what he called a ‘monumental’ announcement yesterday in New York… the formation of a series of TV networks. The national deal with ESPN and Fox Sports had been announced earlier this year, but a new agreement with four of the largest cable operators will provide six regional networks, one each for Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern California, Arizona and the Rocky Mountains.
Larry Scott – “But these regional feeds will allow us to super serve our fans by tailoring for them that which they care most about, their rivalry games, their Olympic sports where they excel, as well as every football and men’s basketball game.”

Once the networks launch in August 2012, they’ll broadcast about 850 sporting events a year. Subscribers will also be able to watch games on mobile devices.

Weather for Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Mostly sunny today with a high near 62 and a north northwest wind eight to 18 miles an hour gusting to 22.
Partly cloudy and a low around 52 tonight… those winds continuing.
Mostly sunny and 64 tomorrow…. North northwest winds ten to 18 miles an hour gusting to 22.

For the weekend… mostly sunny skies and breezy. Some clouds expected to move back into the area by Monday.

Small craft advisories are in effect through tomorrow afternoon for north marine winds 20 to 25 knots, then gusting to 30 knots overnight. Low tide was at 6:17… high tide at 12:47 this afternoon. (low 5:57PM).

Bonneville rate hike won't effect PUD customers

2011-07-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

A wholesale rate increase for Bonneville Power Administration announced earlier this week will not impact Central Lincoln PUD residential customers. PUD spokesperson Chris Chandler says long range planning had already anticipated the 7.8-percent rate hike. While there’s no increase this year, she did say there is a possibility of an increase a year from now. But cost-cutting measures are being implemented to prepare for that and possibly avoid the increases.

Florence man arrested in Douglas County

2011-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Authorities say it was just a “routine traffic stop”, but it wound up with the arrest of a Florence man early Tuesday morning. A Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 26-year old Samuel Ferguson on Highway 101 in Gardiner, just north of Reedsport. Ferguson ultimately wound up arrested for Driving Under the Influence, but a search of his car found methamphetamine as well as material usually associated with the sale and distribution of the drug. Police also recovered property that they say had been stolen in a residential burglary in Lane County.

Heceta Lighthouse Wayside closure delayed two weeks

2011-07-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

You have two extra weeks to get to Heceta Lighthouse State Wayside before an extended closure kicks in. State Park and Forest Service officials had planned on closing the park, 12 miles north of Florence, for extensive renovations beginning August First. They didn’t say why, but have moved that date back two weeks. Work on reshaping and repaving the older west parking lot to improve drainage and repair erosion damage is expected to begin August 15th. During the closure a new sidewalk to the beach will also be installed. Trail rehab work will include installing culverts and shifting parts of the trail that leads to the historic lighthouse keeper’s house and the light itself. The wayside is expected to reopen by September 30th, but a longer and more extensive renovation of the lighthouse itself is also to begin next month and could take up to two years to complete. Officials say the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, operated by a private contractor will remain open through the work.

Comment period extended for Dunes Designated Routes Proposal

2011-07-28T06:57:00.001-07:00

The comment period on a proposal that would re-shape the way the U.S. Forest Service regulates off-road riding on the Oregon Dunes has been extended for a second time. Public input on the designation of specific off-highway vehicle routes will now be accepted through September First. Forest Service spokesperson Viva Worthington says they are at the beginning of the process with “no decision made yet”. Opponents of the proposal, mainly off-road riders and area businesses, claim that nearly two-thirds of the trails currently used by ATVers would be off limits. Worthington says the proposed action would increase riding areas. Comments and questions can be posed on the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area website, or at the ODNRA office in Reedsport. The link to the website can be found at coastradionews-dot-blogspot-dot-com.

www.coastradionews.blogspot.com

Please see http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/siuslaw/projects for more information.

Written comments should be sent to Angie Morris, Recreation Planner, Siuslaw National Forest, 855 Highway 101, Reedsport, OR 97467; or e-mail to comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@fs.fed.us

List of Oregon post offices targeted for closure

2011-07-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

ADEL1 ADEL OREGON 97620
AGNESS1 AGNESS OREGON 97406
ANTELOPE1 ANTELOPE OREGON 97001
AROCK1 AROCK OREGON 97902
BEND1 SUNRIVER OREGON 97707
BROADBENT1 BROADBENT OREGON 97414
BROTHERS1 BROTHERS OREGON 97712
CASCADIA1 CASCADIA OREGON 97329
CRANE1 CRANE OREGON 97732
DEADWOOD1 DEADWOOD OREGON 97430
DREWSEY1 DREWSEY OREGON 97904
DURKEE1 DURKEE OREGON 97905
EDDYVILLE1 EDDYVILLE OREGON 97343
FORT KLAMATH1 FORT KLAMATH OREGON 97626
FORT ROCK1 FORT ROCK OREGON 97735
GARDINER1 GARDINER OREGON 97441
GRASS VALLEY1 GRASS VALLEY OREGON 97029
HARPER1 HARPER OREGON 97906
HELIX1 HELIX OREGON 97835
HEREFORD1 HEREFORD OREGON 97837
IDANHA1 IDANHA OREGON 97350
IMNAHA1 IMNAHA OREGON 97842
JAMIESON1 JAMIESON OREGON 97909
JUNTURA1 JUNTURA OREGON 97911
KENT1 KENT OREGON 97033
KIMBERLY1 KIMBERLY OREGON 97848
NEW PINE CREEK1 NEW PINE CREEK OREGON 97635
OXBOW1 OXBOW OREGON 97840
PAULINA1 PAULINA OREGON 97751
POST1 POST OREGON 97752
RILEY1 RILEY OREGON 97758
RUFUS1 RUFUS OREGON 97050
SENECA1 SENECA OREGON 97873
SHANIKO1 SHANIKO OREGON 97057
SUMMER LAKE1 SUMMER LAKE OREGON 97640
SWISSHOME1 SWISSHOME OREGON 97480
TILLER1 TILLER OREGON 97484
UKIAH1 UKIAH OREGON 97880
UNITY1 UNITY OREGON 97884
WALTON1 WALTON OREGON 97490
WESTFALL1 WESTFALL OREGON 97920

Bears breaking out... breaking in - Post Office closures announced; Gas goes up; Emergency prep stresses 'post-disaster recovery'.

2011-07-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Bear conflicts warming up…

Wildlife biologists say so far it’s been a mellow year as far as black bears go… well, at least up until now. One bear made an awful mess in the garage of Marilyn Loser’s (LO-sirr) home on Heceta Beach Road yesterday morning. Loser noticed her garage door was open …
Loser – “And, it was all the way up and I says that’s not right and I went to look and I says ‘oh my God’.”

What she found wasn’t a human burglar, but evidence of a four-legged and furry intruder.
Loser – “The freezer door was wide open. He ate all the Freschetta pizzas. Whipped butter: He loved that, and all the yogurt from the new yogurt shop? He ate about six pints.”

The bear destroyed her freezer, peeling the metal off the door and crushing shelves. That wasn’t the first neighborhood visit for this bear however. Loser says she helped her neighbor clean up her kitchen after the bear came in through a screen door for a snack sometime overnight.
Loser – “She slept through the whole thing but he had himself a ball. He ate three pounds of unshelled walnuts, some brownie mix, some flour, cranberries, some fudge, some candy bars and he just went to town and messed up her kitchen real bad.”

Still, Loser doesn’t blame the bear.
Loser – “I feel sorry for them. The berries are not ripe and it seems like every year it gets later and later so they don’t have anything to eat.”

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Doug Cottam called the incidents “alarming”. He said for a bear to actually enter a home or garage is very disturbing.

Over the past several months, disaster preparedness officials have been talking about getting ready for a possible large earthquake and/or tsunami. In monthly sessions at the fire station they’ve been explaining tsunami inundation zones, evacuation routes and the importance of having a cache of emergency supplies. Outreach coordinator Frank Nulty says the next class put on by the Western Lane Emergency Operations Group will focus on what you need to make the post disaster recovery more manageable.
Nulty – “Second Saturday, August 13th, we have Frank Souza who is a FEMA representative who has been dispatched to a number of disasters, including Katrina, and knows exactly what happens when FEMA comes in and what you have to have on hand.”

Nulty says Souza will be joined by an insurance expert.
Nulty – “The other side of the equation, we have Mike Streets coming in to talk about insurance. He’s going to be able to go ahead and give people some direct information about what’s going on with the insurance industry and what they can do to be prepared.”

In addition to talking about documentation and paperwork, the August 13th session will provide information about pet stress reactions. Information and registration can be had by calling Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue. There’s no cost for the two-hour “improve your surviveability” class.

Retail gas prices are up slightly this week with both the national and Oregon averages, as measured by Triple-A, gaining a penny. This week’s national average price is at $3.63 for regular unleaded, Oregon’s is $3.76. Locally, the average increased by two cents a gallon but is still the lowest in the state… at $3.67.

The U.S. Postal Service has released a list of more than 36-hundred post offices targeted for closure. 41 of them are in Oregon including rural post offices in Walton, Swisshome, Deadwood and Gardiner.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

MADRAS, Ore. (AP) - The FBI says a 24-year-old member of the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs was fatally shot on the Oregon
reservation as he sat in a vehicle outside a home, holding his son.
The child was not hurt. FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele says a
suspect turned himself in to Warm Springs police yesterday and was
being interviewed.

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
says the Roseburg veterans' hospital will stay open and expand.
The Register Guard reports veterans in the Roseburg area feared
the VA would reduce the facility to a clinic.
The VA said Tuesday it plans to keep the hospital open with a
$55 million renovation and the addition of cardiology and
ophthalmology services.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - The man accused of kidnapping a
teenage girl from a parking garage earlier this month in Lincoln
City on the Oregon coast was arraigned yesterday in Lincoln County. 28-year-old Shawn Griep is facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, assault, attempted sodomy and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was arrested last
Friday. His attorney declined comment Tuesday.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Eugene police say a handcuffed man ran from
officers and jumped in the Willamette River, swimming away for
about 15 minutes before police used a fire department boat to catch
up with him on a downstream island. The Register-Guard says Beau
Walker Hodge is jailed on at least three charges and also had
outstanding warrants. Officers ordered Hodge out of the river but
they said he refused, saying he would rather die than go to jail.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Democratic friend of David Wu says the
Oregon congressman didn't seem able to deal with the problems that
confronted him publicly - and perhaps privately. Former Oregon Gov.
Barbara Roberts tells the Associated Press that politicians who
can't answer questions about themselves or change their behavior
eventually run out of room for "bad stories." Reflecting on the
end of Wu's congressional tenure, Roberts said a teenager's
accusation of an "unwanted sexual encounter" was that final bad
story.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Seattle Mariners flailed away helplessly
against CC Sabathia in their 17th straight loss, managing only one
hit and striking out 18 times overall in a 4-1 loss to the New York
Yankees on a rain-soaked night. Sabathia did not allow a baserunner
yesterday until Brendan Ryan singled with one out in the seventh
inning - a batter after a 30 minute rain delay - in beating Seattle
for the seventh consecutive start.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Two biofuels producers in Oregon are
getting help in developing new sources of feedstock from a federal
program designed to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said yesterday that subsidies
will be offered for five years to farmers in Oregon wheat country
to grow camelina, an oil seed that will be turned into jet fuel by
Beaver Biodiesel, LLC, in Albany.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) - A police dog trying to help officers
chase down a suspect in Klamath Falls ended up biting an Oregon
State Police trooper on the arm. The Oregonian reports that Gunner,
the police dog, was unleashed by his handler at the end of a chase
that began with a routine traffic stop by the trooper for a
speeding violation, but the Belgian Malinois (mahl-IN-wah) bit
Trooper Patrick Irish on the arm as Irish ran after the fleeing
suspect.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - A man who was called a "faggot" and
injured in a fight says he feels relieved by the assault conviction
returned by a jury yesterday in Corvallis against a Gresham man.
Chris Churilla says he was walking home in May of last year when a
group of five men yelled the slur at him and he fought with one.
Churilla suffered a skull fracture in the fight. Garrett Strasburg
was convicted of misdemeanor assault and attempted felony assault.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Charlie Whitehurst didn't get to his
Seattle-area apartment until about 1 a.m. after catching a late
flight back to the Northwest. He was among the first Seahawks
players at the team's practice facility Tuesday, arriving shortly
after 8 a.m. as team headquarters reopened to players following the
resolution of the NFL lockout. As of now, Whitehurst is the only
Seattle quarterback under contract.

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - One man was stabbed during a fight that
involved as many as 30 people last night at a skate park in
Gresham. Police say the 21-year-old man went to Legacy Mt. Hood
Medical Center where he head stitches for a wound near his right
armpit. He said he did not know his attacker. The man said there
had been an argument between two groups of young men that turned
into a fight.

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Facebook is expanding its data center at
Prineville. Data Center Manager Ken Patchett told the city council
last night that the company is adding a second building to its
campus. It will hold more computer servers to handle growth in the
social networking service.

PHOENIX (AP) - Sue Bird had 18 points, seven assists, five
rebounds and three steals as the Seattle Storm held off the Phoenix
Mercury 83-77 on last night. Phoenix went on a 17-6 run to get
within a point with 1 minute remaining, but Camille Little took the
ball away from Diana Taurasi and made a breakaway layup with 24
seconds left to help secure the win.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds opened up the second half of the Northwest League Season with a 6-2 win last night at PK Park over the Everett Aqua Sox. The win continued their string of being in first place every day of the season. The Ems went up 1-nothing in the fourth inning, but their offensive spark came in the fifth off the bat of Jose Dore when the left fielder stroked a three-run homer. The Emeralds are on the road beginning today… they head off to Spokane for the first of a five game series.

Oregon Football Coach Chip Kelly’s statements were predictable yesterday during the Pac-12 Football media day… He’s unable to talk about any NCAA investigation, but he’s more than happy to talk football. The Ducks have been picked to ‘three-peat’ as conference champions this season. Oregon State was picked by sports writers to finish fourth in the North Division, the Beavers open at home September 3rd against Sacramento State… the Ducks face LSU in Arlington Texas that same day. Both teams hit the field for fall practices in ten days.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Partly sunny today with a high near 62 degrees and a north northwest wind ten to 18 miles an hour gusting to 22.

Those winds continuing overnight along with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 50.

Mostly sunny again tomorrow… Thursday’s high near 63… and a north northwest wind eight to 18 miles an hour gusting to 22.

Mostly sunny Friday and through the weekend… a few clouds expected to move back into the area by Monday.

Small craft advisories are in effect through this evening for north marine winds rising to 20 or 25 knots. The tide is incoming, it was low at 5:34 this morning. High tide at 12:06 this afternoon. (Low 5:04 pm).

1st District Congressman resigns... ties it to debt agreement

2011-07-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

By KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon has
announced that he is resigning in the wake of allegations that he
had a sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman.
Democratic leaders had called for a House Ethics investigation
after the initial reports of the allegation. Wu had said that
whatever occurred was consensual.
Wu said Tuesday the well-being of his children should come
first, so he will resign after Congress resolves the debate over
the debt ceiling.
Wu, 56, has won seven terms. In 2004, he won despite
acknowledging a decades-old college incident in which he tried to
force a former girlfriend to have sex. Voters said they disliked an
opponent's attempt to use that against Wu as part of a political
campaign.

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

Bear conflicts have been limited - Alleged burglars to remain behind bars - Federal debt ceiling debate could cost Florence cash.

2011-07-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Wildlife conflicts have been rare so far this summer…

In 18 years of dealing with coastal black bears and their interactions with human residents, Doug Cottam has seen a lot. This year, says the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, he’s seen little.
200 – “This year we had virtually no problems in May and June, which is very unusual. And we are, you know, in the latter parts of July and our problems are still pretty rare. But they are picking up.”

One incident two weeks ago occurred at a neighborhood park in Florence when a young girl came face to face with a bear. Her father scared the bear away. That particular neighborhood, near 35th street, has been a problem area because the bear there has become habituated, or accustomed to getting an easy meal.
201 – “Be vigilant and not having bird feeders available, not feeding their pets outside, and making sure their garbage is secured so that bears can’t get it.”

Cottam says bears are about 90-percent vegetarian, but they’re also opportunistic feeders which means they’ll go for an easy meal left out by humans rather than forage for berries and plants.

The two men arrested last week in connection with the ransacking and burglary of a 24th street home are currently in the Lane County Jail awaiting trial. But, when Lane County Sheriff Tom Turner closed one wing of the jail earlier this month because of funding restrictions, that caused a return to an ‘early release’ program. That means those accused of simple property crimes and several other non-violent offenses may not be held in custody, but simply released on their own recognizance. Police Chief Maury Sanders says he’s talked to the Sheriff about this particular case.
202 – “It’s very likely they will not be able to retain these two young men in the jail. That’s why I’ve talked to sheriff Turner and I’ve made it very clear I needed his help. But, we get notified that they’re going to release them, we’re going to pick them up and we’ll bring them back and put them in our jail and we’ll hold them here.”

21-year old George McKenzie and 20-year old George Woodworth each face several charges, many of them felonies. They were arrested early Thursday morning and property from more than one burglary was impounded.

The City of Florence has plans to install an emergency generator at the water plant. Officials say water fees are more than adequate to pay for the $120-thousand project. But, a bond sale is scheduled for next week to provide the up-front cash. City Manager Bob Willoughby says the ongoing arguments over raising the federal debt limit could mean higher costs.
203 – “Our timing is not good for selling some bonds to do some really important infrastructure projects.”

That’s because, he says, investors could decrease the Federal Government’s bond rating… thereby increasing interest rates.
204 – “The Federal Government’s always been a triple-a rated, but they’ve always had the best rating. If their rate goes up, then those of us that are a-rated, they’ll go up as well.”

Right now he has no plans to reschedule the bond sale. Willoughby is hoping Congress and the President will get a deal worked out this week.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Democrat David Wu's decision not to seek
re-election turns the U.S. House race next year into a political
prize: A race for what's known as an open seat. So, Oregonians can
expect more candidates, more money and more national attention in
Wu's congressional district. Even before allegations that Wu attacked the teenage daughter of a friend last year, two Democrats were in the race against him and a third is expected to join them. At least seven Republicans are potential candidates.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - A new study finds that court-ordered
logging cutbacks to save spotted owls and salmon from extinction
have also helped the climate by storing more carbon. Researchers
from the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State University found that
reducing timber production by more than 80 percent on national
forests in Oregon, western Washington and Northern California since
1994 turned those forests into a carbon sink for the first time in
decades.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is
blasting a Republican bill that would open up more than 50 million
acres of public lands to logging and other development. The former Interior Secretary under President Bill Clinton says the bill would virtually repeal the 1964 Wilderness Act. Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy of California says it would increase access to public lands and create jobs.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say a Key Bank branch
employee spotted a man walking toward the bank and told a security
guard that it appeared to be the same man who had robbed the bank
three times recently. The guard detained the man shortly before
noon Saturday and called police. Police say Darrel Lawrence was
booked into jail and bank robbery charges are pending.

LINCOLN CITY, Ore – The suspect in the kidnapping of an 18-year old woman from the Tanger Outlet Mall in Lincoln City earlier this month was taken into custody at his home in Otis last week. Police found 28-year old Shawn William Griep hiding in a closet. He allegedly used a knife to carjack the victim in the parking lot of the mall July 3rd. She was able to escape with only minor injuries.

NEW YORK (AP) - Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira each homered and
drove in three runs, Freddy Garcia stifled his former team and the
New York Yankees handed the snakebit Seattle Mariners their 16th
straight loss with a 10-3 victory last night.A rain delay of 1
hour, 57 minutes was the only thing that slowed this loss for
Seattle.

TILLAMOOK, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a 20-year-old
Hermiston, Oregon man died after struggling in the surf during a youth group outing at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook. Members of a Nazarene Church Youth Group were playing about 70-yards offshore when Zane Thomas Gaulke began to struggle. He was pulled from the surf a short time later and taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Yashanee Vaughn's funeral will be held
Saturday in Portland at City Bible Church - Rocky Butte Campus. The
14-year-old girl went missing in March. Her remains were found
earlier this month, and Portland police say she was shot in the
head. Her 16-year-old boyfriend is charged with murder.

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - The Multnomah County sheriff's office says
a man cooking methamphetamine in his apartment splashed chemicals
into his eyes during a police raid last night near Gresham. The
53-year-old man was treated with an emergency eye wash and
evaluated at a hospital before he was booked into jail on charges
of possessing and manufacturing meth. Two other men had to be
decontaminated before their arrests.

UNDATED (AP) - Questions about how Oregon and coach Chip Kelly
expect to build on recent success will no doubt be replaced today
at Pac-12 media day in Los Angeles by questions about the Ducks'
relationship with Willie Lyles. The Ducks paid Lyles and his Houston-based scouting company $25,000 last year, purportedly for information about prep athletes for the 2010 recruiting class. But when Oregon released Lyles' scouting report, it mostly included players who had already signed their letters of intent a year earlier. The NCAA is investigating Lyles links to a high-profile recruit that signed with the Ducks just before that payment.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - It's getting even harder for smokers on
Oregon college campuses to find a place to light up. The Oregonian
reports the University of Oregon, Western Oregon University and
Southern Oregon University plan to ban all tobacco, including
chewing, on campus in the fall of 2012. Oregon State University
will ban smoking. The state's other three public universities will
still allow smoking outside in restricted areas.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A 16-year-old boy riding a bike was struck by
a pickup truck and killed last night in Bend. Police say the boy
was on the shoulder near an intersection when the truck braked and
went to the side. Witnesses told KTVZ the teen was crushed between
the pickup and a wall. A nurse in a nearby car performed CPR but
the boy could not be saved.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State athletic director Bob De
Carolis has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease but he plans to
fulfill his contract with the Beavers. The Portland Tribune
newspaper first reported De Carolis' diagnosis. The university
confirmed it late yesterday. De Carolis signed a five-year contract
extension with Oregon State that keeps him in the AD's office
through June 2016.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Despite a disappointing 4-2 loss last night at home to the Everett Aqua Sox, the Eugene Emeralds had something to celebrate. For the first time in 11 seasons they’ll be in the Northwest League Championship Series in September. Despite losing ten of the last 13 games the Emeralds tied with Vancouver for the best record in the league at the season’s midpoint. Eugene had the better head to head record against the Canadians so will play the second half winner for the league title after Labor Day. Eugene and Everett meet again tonight at PK Park.

Single game tickets for home Oregon State football games are now on sale. Tickets for the Beavers home opener September 3rd against Sacramento State are $35 each. They’re $60 for the other home non-conference game, October 15th against BYU. Pac-12 games against UCLA, Arizona and Stanford are $45; $75 for the Washington game.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…
The forecast is showing mostly cloudy skies today with a chance of morning drizzle… today’s high near 62 degrees and a north northwest wind five to 14 miles an hour.
Mostly cloudy tonight with a low around 51…
Tomorrow… partly sunny and 63 for a high.

Mostly sunny Thursday and Friday… and expected clear through the weekend.

Small craft advisories are in effect beginning this afternoon and through this evening for north marine winds rising to ten or 15 knots and gusting to 25. The tide is incoming, it’ll be high at 11:16 this morning… low tide at 4:04 this afternoon.

Quick return of stolen goods

2011-07-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

When Steve Angal (angle) and his wife Ethel Graham returned from being away for 2 ½ weeks to discover their home had been ransacked and burglarized they didn’t think they would ever see their stuff again. But, within nine hours Florence police had rounded up two suspects and recovered the vast majority of Angal and Graham’s stolen guns, jewelry, cameras, tools and even dirty laundry. Along with items stolen from the 24th Street home, police also recovered goods they believe was likely taken in other area burglaries. 20-year old George Woodworth and 21-year old George McKenzie each face dozens of charges in the one case Florence police know about. The victims, Angal and Graham, said they returned home Wednesday afternoon about three pm to find the garage door askew and a car missing from the driveway. Angal said he told his wife “uh-oh, we’ve got trouble” and told her and his elderly mother to wait in the car while he checked the home to make sure it was safe. Graham said she felt ‘violated’ as she discovered the burglars had taken their time going through drawers, closets and even a camper in the side yard. She said they not only helped themselves to their property but also ate snacks while they did their work. She was thrilled to see most, if not all, of their property had been recovered by police who, after a very quick investigation, arrested the alleged burglars shortly after midnight that night.

August 2nd is being touted as “National Night Out”, a special evening of awareness of crime and crime prevention in residential neighborhoods around the country. The night is being observed in several coastal communities, including Reedsport and Florence. In Reedsport there’ll be a picnic at Lion’s Park with special programs and safety information. In Florence the new Neighborhood Watch Program will be rolled out. An effort is being made to coordinate several individual ‘watch’ programs and coordinate them into a city-wide effort to prevent crime.

Work on restoring the Coos Bay Rail Link between Coos County and the Willamette Valley is continuing, but officials say they’re not going to have the trains running this summer as they had hoped. They do hope to have the short line between Veneta and the Danebo connector in West Eugene operable by October, but it is possible that rail cars could be carrying freight for Roseburg Forest Products in Coquille by the end of the year. The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay used state and federal subsidies to purchase the line after the former owners embargoed it in September 2007.

If you’ve ever tasted home-canned tuna you know how much better it can be than what you’ll find in stores. But canning your own at home can be pretty intimidating and hazardous if you don’t handle the fish properly and process it correctly. The OSU Extension Service in Lane County is offering a series of workshops next month, each aimed at giving ‘hands-on’ instruction… and some of the finished product for participants. 11 different dates are available, but there’s only space for five home-canners at a time. The cost is $25, plus the cost of the fish that you’ll take home with you says Master Food Preserver Nellie Oehler (AY-lurr). Information on how to register is available at the OSU/Lane County Extension website.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/food_safety

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon newspaper is reporting that
Democratic Congressman David Wu will not resign in the wake of a
young woman's claims that he engaged in "aggressive and unwanted
sexual behavior." The Oregonian newspaper reported on its website
late Sunday that a senior Democrat official, who wasn't further
identified, confirmed to the paper that Wu said he would not resign
but would complete his term and retire in 2012.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Negotiators for Oregon's largest state
workers union have struck a contract deal, ending months of
uncertainty and speculation about a possible strike. The Salem
Statesman Journal reports the deal struck Friday by the Service
Employees International Union requires workers to pay 5 percent of
their health insurance premiums by 2012. The deal still needs to be
ratified by the union's rank-and-file membership.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Officials at Lane Community College are
trying again this summer to find out what is causing health
problems for people who work in one of its buildings. The
Register-Guard reports that for years, some people who work in
Building 4 have reported upper respiratory, skin and other problems
from being in the building. The college has spent several million
dollars on renovations and upgrades but the source of the problem
has never been identified. LCC's human resources director says
officials want to completely fix the building.

TANGENT, Ore. (AP) - Farmers in the Pacific Northwest could use
a bit of the oppressive heat that's crippling much of the United
States right now. Farmers in parts of Oregon and Washington are
struggling with cold, wet weather that's slowing the growth of
their crops. Cherries aren't ripe. The region's world-class grass
seed won't dry out. There's time for the situation to improve, but
farmers say they desperately need some warmth and a break from
above-normal rainfall.

BOSTON (AP) - Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in four runs, Kevin
Youkilis hit a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox extended the
Seattle Mariners' franchise-worst losing streak to 15 games with a
12-8 win yesterday. Tim Wakefield joined Roger Clemens as the only
pitchers to strike out 2,000 batters with Boston and moved one win
away from his 200th victory. Michael Pineda allowed five runs in
the first after Seattle took a 2-0 lead and gave up seven runs in
4-and-a-third innings.

STEVENSON, Wash. (AP) - A 30-year-old Portland man has been
killed at a popular rock climbing spot in southwestern Washington.
Skamania County sheriff's officials say the man fell more than 100
feet from Beacon Rock late yesterday afternoon while rappelling
down the south route. The man's name was being withheld as
authorities tried to notify his family.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has
requested an ethics panel investigation of Congressman David Wu
over a woman's reported accusation that she had an "unwanted
sexual encounter" with the Oregon Democrat last year. Pelosi
issued a statement last night calling on the House Ethics Committee
to begin looking into the allegations against Wu.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Eddie Gaven scored in the 79th minute to
lift the Columbus Crew to a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers
on Saturday night. Columbus improved to 8-6-7 and moved into a tie
with Philadelphia for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Portland fell to 6-10-3 overall and remained in eighth place in the
West.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A new report says Oregon State Hospital has
been making significant improvements in management and patient care
this year. The Statesman Journal reports a consulting firm hired by
the state said the 128-year-old Salem psychiatric facility is
making a dramatic turnaround from revolving-door leadership and
other problems such as obsolete facilities, understaffing and
high-profile cases of patient abuse.

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (AP) - A man wanted by the FBI and the
85-year-old mother he allegedly kidnapped from her home in Oregon
have been found in Southern California. Kern County deputies said
when they arrested 55-year-old Marshall Goldberg northwest of Los
Angeles, his mother Doris Goldberg -- who has Alzheimer's disease
-- was found with him. Since May 24 she has been missing from the
Ashland home she shares with another adult son.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Katie Douglas hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with
56.7 seconds left, and the East All-Stars hung on to beat the West
118-113 on Saturday in one of the closest WNBA midseason showcases
ever. Cappie Pondexter led the East with 17 points, and Douglas and
Tina Charles added 15 apiece. It was only the third All-Star game
victory for the East in 10 tries. Seattle's Swin Cash led the West
with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

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

Taking a look at coast radio sports…

It was a weekend of ups and downs for the Three Rivers Sandblasters as their season came to an end at the Corvallis Super Regional of American Legion Baseball. The ‘Blasters started off Friday night with a 6-1 loss at the hands of the Grants Pass Nuggets. Saturday, they turned around and eliminated the Liberty Falcons out of Hillsboro 17-3, jumping out to a ten-nothing lead in the first inning, ending the game after seven innings because of the ‘mercy rule’. Three Rivers was back on the diamond later that evening against the Grants Pass Nuggets once again and got in a hole early… battling back but falling short 9-8. The Nuggets went on to defeat Corvallis twice Sunday to advance to the state tournament this weekend in Eugene.

The Eugene Emeralds started the Northwest League season in first place and they remain there this morning… but today, with one game remaining in the first half of the season, they’re sharing the space with the Vancouver Canadians. The Ems lost a chance to clinch the first-half title and secure a spot in the Northwest League Playoffs in September with a 3-nothing loss at home to the Everett Aqua Sox yesterday. The Emeralds opened the weekend with a 7-1 loss to Vancouver in Eugene Friday; then downed the Canadians 2-1 Saturday night. Eugene and Everett meet again tonight at PK Park.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

There’s a chance of rain or drizzle this morning, then cloudy skies through the day with a high near 62 degrees.
Mostly cloudy overnight with a low around 52 degrees… and a 20-percent chance of rain or drizzle.
Tomorrow… a 20-percent chance of showers before 11 AM, then mostly cloudy with a high near 62.

Partly sunny skies Wednesday, mostly sunny Thursday and Friday.

The marine forecast shows a northwest marine wind five to ten knots continuing through tonight. High tide will be at 10:10 this morning… low tide at 2:56 this afternoon.

Burglary suspects arrested

2011-07-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

Two men have been arrested and police say they recovered a large amount of stolen property and several firearms.

21-year old George Reagan McKenzie (bottom left)and 20-year old George Woodworth, both of Florence, are accused of breaking into a 24th Street home while the occupants were away on vacation. The victims returned home Wednesday after being gone for 2 ½ weeks to find their home had been forcibly entered and ransacked. In addition to missing firearms, TVs, jewelry and other household items, one of the family cars was gone.

Police officers canvassed the neighborhood and were able to glean some suspect information that ultimately led them to two other residences… one in Coast Village near the victims home; the other on Oak Street near 35th. The stolen car was also recovered where it had been abandoned near the North Jetty. Florence police say additional information gathered at the two homes led them to more property they believe may have been stolen from homes outside the Florence city limits. Oregon State Police and the Lane County Sherriff’s office have been notified and investigation will continue. McKenzie and Woodworth are on their way to the Lane County Jail where they await charges… McKenzie is facing 32; Woodworth 19. Bail has not been set.

Yesterday’s burglary arrests were the result of some good old fashioned investigation according to public officials. Assistant Florence City Manager Jacque Betz said after taking the initial report, police immediately began working leads on the case. Three officers, Sergeant Harry Johnson, Shawn Morgan and Gabe Glowacki, were able to get descriptions and plate numbers of the suspects vehicles. Armed with that information, communications officer Angie Brog (brogue) was able to track down registered owner information, including addresses of the suspects.

Owners of a dozen Florence businesses were recognized yesterday for completing a small business development program. James Burke with the Lane Community College Small Business Development program organized and coordinated the monthly classes that also featured several hours of individual counseling. Chad Bogart with Absolute Bookkeeping Service said the class changed his ideas on how to market his business. Another Chad, Clements, said dental school taught him how to be a clinician but didn’t really equip him to operate his own practice. He called the experience – quote – “invaluable”. Burke says they’re currently seeking applicants for the next series of classes. Information is available at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

AZALEA, Ore. (AP) - The Douglas County sheriff's office has
identified two Middletown, Calif., men killed in a small plane
crash near the southern Oregon town of Azalea. KDRV says the men
killed Sunday evening were 66-year-old Thomas Bradley and
64-year-old Bernd Steffan. They were in a lightweight,
single-engine plane that crashed into a blackberry patch near a
private airstrip.

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - Buildings burned on Astoria's historic
waterfront have drawn the attention of thieves who pilfer from the
charred remains of a landmark local café while pieces of the
buildings fall into the river. The Daily Astorian reports demolition of the properties have been held up since the fires in December due to foreclosure proceedings, but the property manager has scheduled demolition work to begin in August. Authorities labeled the fire suspicious, but no arrests have been made.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A pair of Salem teenagers entered guilty
pleas to charges of murder, attempted murder and robbery stemming
from an August stabbing at a convenience store. Nineteen-year-old
Andy Huerta and 16-year-old Martin Covarrubias-Rivera made their
pleas yesterday in Marion County Circuit Court. Police say the two
teenagers robbed a Circle K convenience store of beer on Aug. 29,
then stabbed 68-year-old Austreberto Morales and Robert Marsh.
Morales died of his injuries.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland City Council has approved an
ordinance banning most plastic shopping bags at major grocery
stores and certain big-box stores. The rule approved Thursday will
take effect Oct. 15 and is designed to curb pollution. Mayor Sam
Adams proposed the ban after this year's legislative session did
not enact statewide restrictions.

TORONTO (AP) - Rajai Davis hit a tiebreaking double in the
eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Seattle Mariners
their 12th consecutive loss, 7-5 yesterday. Miguel Olivo erased a
5-1 deficit by hitting Seattle's first grand slam of the season in
the top of the eighth inning, but the Mariners couldn't add on.
It's Seattle longest losing streak since dropping 12 in a row from
Sept. 11-22, 2008.

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) - A 23-year-old Northern California
man who pleaded guilty to searching women's Facebook pages for
clues that allowed him to take over their email accounts and then
made nude pictures of them public is expected to be sentenced
today. Prosecutors say George Bronk violated the online privacy of
women in Oregon and 16 other states.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A financing plan for the proposed new
Columbia River bridge between Oregon and Washington took a hit this
week when the Oregon treasurer's office suggested the expected
revenue from tolls was overestimated by some 15 percent to 25
percent. The project is a 50-50 venture between Oregon and
Washington.

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota authorities say an Oregon man is
one of two motorcyclists killed when they were struck by a pickup
truck. The State Patrol says 61-year-old Robert Austin of Canby
died in the Crash Wednesday on Highway 14 west of North Mankato.
Troopers say the teenage driver of the pickup fell asleep at the
wheel and drifted over the center line. The State Patrol says he
may face criminal charges.

TORONTO (AP) - The Mariners recalled right-hander Josh Lueke
from Triple-A Tacoma before yesterday's 7-5 loss to the Toronto Blue
Jays and optioned infielder Kyle Seager to Triple-A. Lueke made his
major league debut with the Mariners in April, going 1-1 with a
17.05 in eight relief appearances. Seager also debuted this month.
He appeared in seven games for Seattle, hitting .136.
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) - U.S. Open qualifier Beau Hossler of
Mission Viejo, Calif., beat Connor Black of Katy, Texas, 5 and 4 on
Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of U.S. Junior Amateur
Golf Championship. Jordan Spieth of Dallas, who won the 2009 title,
also advanced with a 2 and 1 victory against Canada's Wilson
Bateman. Spieth will take on Andrew Whalen of Ephrata, Wash., who
beat Taylor Moore of Edmond, Okla., 1 up.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds chances of winning the first half of the Northwest League and nailing down an automatic spot in a league playoff at the end of the season are growing slimmer. The Ems fell to the Vancouver Canadians 2-1 last night in Eugene. It was Eugene’s seventh loss in the last nine games and leaves them just one game ahead of Vancouver with four games remaining until the midpoint. Neither team had a stellar night as they combined for just seven hits between them. Canucks pitcher Justin Nicolino struck out nine and walked one in five innings of work for the win.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters hit the diamond in Corvallis this afternoon at two against the Grants Pass Nuggets. The winner plays tomorrow at three in Corvallis; the loser at 11, in the Corvallis Super Regional. The double-elimination, four-team tournament runs through Sunday in Corvallis.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Partly sunny today with a high near 63 degrees, along with a north northeast wind seven to 17 miles an hour gusting to 30 miles an hour.
Partly cloudy tonight, with some patchy fog late, and a low around 47.
For the weekend… mostly sunny and 67 tomorrow after some patch morning fog. More of the same Sunday.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers Monday, mostly cloudy Tuesday and then partly sunny by Wednesday.

The marine forecast is showing a north marine wind ten to 15 knots gusting to 25 knots later in the day… High tide was at 6:17 this morning… low tide at 12:09 this afternoon.

Local man injured in Lincoln Country crash - Emergency Ops presents in Dunes City - Martindale not ready to retire- Dentistry from the Heart

2011-07-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Local man injured in Lincoln County crash

A crash on Highway 20, four miles west of Newport earlier this week, injured a Florence area man and blocked traffic on the heavily travelled route for about ten hours. Police say 25-year old William T. Gates of Westlake was westbound just after three o’clock Monday afternoon when his Toyota pickup crossed the centerline and struck a large commercial truck hauling a crane. Gates’ truck spun off the highway and came to rest at the bottom of an embankment, while the crane came to rest on the side of the road and partially over the bank. Gates, who suffered only minor injuries, had to be extricated by firefighters. He was transported to the hospital in Newport and released. The commercial truck driver, 36-year old Sara Sweider of Coos Bay, was not injured. The crash closed all traffic for about four hours as responders cleaned up what was described as a “major debris field”. Traffic was restricted to one-lane for another six hours while the crane was righted and removed. Gates was cited for failing to maintain his travel lane and not wearing a seat belt.

Disaster and emergency response officials will be in Dunes City this evening for a presentation about the Western Lane Emergency Operations Group. Agency chiefs from Western Lane Ambulance, Siuslaw Valley Fire, and Florence Police, along with Lane County Emergency Management will be on hand to talk about how the local consortium is prepared to respond in the event of a wide-spread disaster. Dunes City Recorder Fred Hilden says the group’s message is an important one.
Hilden -- "The Florence area seemed to escape the throes of the tsunami that came from Japan's earthquake. That may not be the case if we have a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake."

The presentation begins at six this evening at Dunes City Hall in Westlake.

When he entered his seventh year as principal at Siuslaw High School last fall Larry Martindale was looking forward to retirement at the end of the year. But, by the time springtime arrived, the 58-year old Martindale admitted he wasn’t quite ready to hang it up. He’ll begin work in two weeks as the principal at Brookings-Harbor High School. Martindale has been in education for 31-years, 22 years as an administrator.

For the second year in a row a local dentist will be providing free dental care to as many patients as he can see in one day. Dr. Charles Korando and his team of dentists, hygienists and volunteers will provide free coverage on a ‘first come first served’ basis from seven am to four pm August 18th. He’s teamed up with the organization “Dentistry From the Heart” for the second year in a row. Registration begins at six AM that morning and they’ll do cleanings, extractions, fillings and other corrective care as they can. “Dentristry From the Heart” is a national organization that has treated more than 50-thousand patients… for free… in the past ten years.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Medford man suspected by police of
stabbing his wife and four children to death and setting fire to
their house on Monday has been unconscious since being taken to the
hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Nurse practitioner
Tamara Dixon said yesterday that 51-year-old Jordan Adam Criado is
in guarded but stable condition and on a mechanical respirator to
be sure he has no breathing problems while he is in what is called
an unresponsive state.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland man has been sentenced to life
in prison for the murder of his wife, whom he strangled and stuffed
in a duffel bag, then dumped off on a remote forest road south of
Portland. The Oregonian reports Multnomah County judge Janice
Wilson handed down the sentence yesterday. Brian Cole must serve at
least 25 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Syracuse, N.Y., man remains on a
respirator at an Oregon hospital after falling 300 feet into the
remains of a volcano that forms the nation's deepest and clearest
lake. Rogue Medical Center spokesman Grant Walker says 27-year-old
Eric Brimlow remains in critical condition. Rescuers plucked him
from the caldera at Crater Lake last week after a tree stopped his
fall.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Eugene city manager has cited budget
concerns and the uncertain economy as he turned down a nearly
$8,700 pay raise from the City Council. Along with other Eugene
city employees, Jon Ruiz will collect a 2 percent cost-of-living
pay raise. That will bring his annual salary to nearly $174,000.

TORONTO (AP) - Travis Snider hit a three-run homer, Brandon
Morrow won his fifth consecutive decision and the Toronto Blue Jays
beat the Mariners 11-6 on Wednesday night, extending Seattle's
losing streak to 11 games. Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion also
homered for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of nine. The
Mariners' losing streak is their longest since a 12-game skid in
2008.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon death-row inmate who wants to
fast-track his execution was due back in a Salem courtroom today. A
Marion County Circuit Court is holding a hearing that's likely to focus
on psychological evaluations of 49-year-old inmate Gary Haugen and
a timeframe for determining whether he is competent to waive his
remaining appeals. Haugen has been convicted twice of murder. His
execution was scheduled for next month, but it was canceled after
his lawyers said they believed he was delusional and incompetent to
decide not to appeal.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police are investigating the shooting
death of a man in southeast Portland. Officers responding late last
night to a report of shots fired located the wounded man. Police
said early today that he died of his wounds at a hospital. Police
set up a perimeter of several blocks in each direction in a search
for a suspect but there's no word of an arrest.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Federal prosecutors in Portland say
they've cracked a multi-state diamond theft ring that netted more
than $1.4 million in gems from various jewelers. Five people
indicted in Portland are charged with interstate transportation of
stolen property and conspiracy. The FBI says a man would walk into
a jewelry store and pretend to shop for a diamond ring. After
asking to see large gems, the phony customer would grab them and
race to a getaway car. The thefts were in Oregon and several other
states.

SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller will
attend the MLS All-Star game in Harrison, N.J. on July 27 after a
deal was worked out between the team, the league and All-Star coach
Hans Backe. MLS spokesman Will Kuhns said a deal was finalized
yesterday allowing Keller to attend the game and serve as the third
goalkeeper for the MLS team against Manchester United.

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) - U.S. Open qualifier Beau Hossler
overcame a rough start to the match-play portion of the U.S. Junior
Amateur championships on Wednesday before advancing to the second
round in Bremerton, Wash. Hossler, a 16-year-old U.S. Open
qualifier from Mission Viejo, Calif., beat Miller Capps of Denver,
N.C., 3 and 2, bouncing back after losing the first four holes.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds snapped a four-game losing streak last night in Vancouver with an 11-6 win over the Canadians. Much of the Emeralds offense came off the bat of left-fielder Jose Dore who amassed eight RBI in the game. Hitting just .159 going into the game with four RBI on the season Dore had two doubles for four runs, and added a grand slam in the fifth inning. The Emeralds and Canadians will be at PK Park in Eugene this evening.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters will be in Corvallis tomorrow afternoon for a game against the Grants Pass Nuggets as they open the Corvallis Super Regional. They’ll play through the weekend in the double-elimination four-team playoff. The winner of the regional advances to the state tournament in Eugene beginning July 28th.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Mostly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain this morning… today’s high near 62 degrees.

More cloudy skies overnight with a lwo around 53.

Tomorrow… partly sunny skies, a high near 63, and a north northeast wind between seven and 17 miles an hour gusting as high as 30 miles an hour.

For the weekend… mostly sunny Saturday with a high near 67 degrees… partly sunny and 64 for a high on Sunday. There is a slight chance of showers on Monday.

The marine forecast shows a northwest marine wind five to ten knots gusting to 15 knots becoming north by tonight. Low tide will be at 11:32 this morning… high tide at 5:58 this evening.

Early releases from jail; Ponzi schemer gets 9 years; Marine reserves funded

2011-07-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Lane County Jail releases 78 prisoners early…

Ten prisoners characterized as “high risk” walked free from the Lane County Jail during a six-day period earlier this month. It wasn’t a mass breakout, but instead an early release of a total of 78 prisoners as Sheriff Tom Turner is trying to make ends meet. Turner ordered the 84-bed jail “annex” closed at the first of this month and laid off 52 department employees in an effort to close a $3.2-million funding shortfall. Of the prisoners released last week 48 were considered to be ‘low risk’ and another 20 were ‘medium risk’. The other ten may include, say officials, people charged with violent crimes. Names of the prisoners weren’t released. It’s estimated that as many as 750 Lane County prisoners will see their sentences shortened over the next 12-months because of the funding shortfall. The closure of the ‘annex’ reduces the jail capacity from 410 to 326… 110 of those beds are reserved for state and federal corrections inmates. That leaves just 216 jail beds funded by Lane County.

A 69-year-old California man who swindled more than 100 people out of nearly $19 million has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Most of the victims were elderly and retired residents of the Florence area. U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan sentenced Louis J. Borstelmann of Thousand Oaks, California Tuesday, ordering him to repay his victims upon his release at a minimum rate of $200 per month. Borstelmann previously forfeited $100,000 and a Lexus SUV. He pleaded guilty in March to mail fraud and money laundering. Through his company, Sunburst Associates, he falsely promised high rates of return and a security interest in property. He has admitted the alleged investments never existed and it was all a Ponzi scheme, in which he used new investor money to pay older investment obligations.

Funding for implementation of a series of five marine reserves off the Oregon Coast is in place thanks to the 2011 Oregon Legislature. The reserves, one of which will be just offshore Cape Perpetua north of Florence, have been in planning for several years and now will move to the implementation stage. The Governor will now coordinate a process with lawmakers and government agencies to draw up the actual guidelines for administering the reserves. The other four reserves will be near Port Orford on the south coast; Otter Rock near Newport and Cascade Head on the Central Coast; as well as Cape Falcon in the north. A sixth reserve had been proposed for near Cape Arago, southwest of Coos Bay, but there was no local support.

For the third week in a row the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded has risen… this week it’s up four cents to $3.68 according to Triple-A. Meanwhile, Oregon’s average price held steady this week at $3.75 a gallon. In Florence, the average also held steady… it’s ten cents less than the statewide average at $3.65.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Surveillance video from an Oregon
convenience store shows a woman calmly talking on the phone and
buying cigar wrappers hours before she and her four children were
found stabbed in their home. Tabasha Paige-Criado was reported
missing Monday by her husband, Jordan Adam Criado. He's now
suspected of killing her and their children and setting the house
ablaze.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - One of Oregon's largest public employee
unions has reached an agreement for a contract with the state. The
AFSCME (AFS' me) union says the agreement reached yesterday calls
for workers to pay 5 percent of their medical, dental and life
insurance premiums and to take 14 unpaid days off work. Bargaining
with the Service Employees International Union will resume on
Friday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland Fire Bureau spokesman says two
men installing gutters on the third floor of an apartment building
were shocked, burned and knocked to the ground when a gutter
section made contact with an overhead power line. A bureau
spokesman says the men were knocked off their ladders yesterday.
They suffered life-threatening injuries and were rushed to area
hospitals.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Environmentalists and Portland General
Electric have settled a lawsuit over the utility's coal-fired
electricity plant in Eastern Oregon. The deal announced yesterday
includes additional limits on sulfur dioxide emissions during the
Boardman plant's final years. The plant is the only one of its kind
in Oregon and a major source of greenhouse gases and regional haze
pollutants.

TORONTO (AP) - Rajai Davis stole two bases before scoring on
John McDonald's sacrifice fly in the 14th inning and the Toronto
Blue Jays beat Seattle 6-5 last night, extending the Mariners'
losing streak to 10 games. It's their longest slide since a 12-game
skid in 2008. Davis hit a one-out single off Jamey Wright in the
14th and stole second and third before scoring on McDonald's fly to
center.

RITZVILLE, Wash. (AP) - The head volleyball coach at Eastern
Oregon University has been killed in a two-vehicle crash near
Ritzville, Wash. Troopers believe 25-year-old Hailey Pearce of
LaGrande didn't see a pickup truck ahead of her Monday on Highway
395. The trooper says the pickup was a rear escort for a farming
combine. Pearce joined Eastern Oregon's coaching staff in 2010.

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The BLM is starting a roundup of more than
1,700 wild mustangs in Nevada now that a federal appeals court has
lifted a temporary injunction. The federal agency said the roundup
that had been scheduled to begin last week would start today in
northeast Nevada near the Utah line, weather permitting.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) - All-Stars Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny
Prince combined for 47 points to lead the Chicago Sky to a 78-69
win over the Seattle Storm. Fowles, the WNBA scoring leader, had 24
points and nine boards, and Prince had 23 points for Chicago. Both
players were announced as All-Star reserves at halftime. Sue Bird
scored 26 points for the Storm, who dropped their third game in a
row.

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) - U.S. Open qualifier Beau Hossler shot a
5-under 67, the low round of the tournament, yesterday and earned
medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain Golf
Club in Bremerton, Wash. Hossler, from Mission Viejo, Calif., was
at 9-under 135 through 36 holes. Will Starke of Cary, S.C., the
first-round co-leader, shot a 71 and was in second with a 139.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Nic Canaday had quite the day at the plate yesterday, as did Kyle Davis on the mound. The Three Rivers Sandblasters swept the Springfield Titans in a double header to wrap up the regular season. Davis earned the win on the mound in both games, coming in for relief of Ryan Smith in the eighth inning of game one as the ‘Blasters fought back, coming from behind for the 7-6 victory. He then went the distance in game two, throwing a complete 7-inning game for the 5-4 win. Canaday posted three home runs on the day, a solo shot in the opener and a pair of two-run dingers in the nightcap. The Sandblasters have done their part, now must await the outcome of a double header today between Albany and Corvallis to see if they’ll make the regional playoffs.

The Eugene Emeralds slide continues on the road. They were virtually untouchable just a couple-weeks ago, but gave up four runs in the seventh inning last night and the Vancouver Canadians rallied for a 4-run victory in Vancouver. It was the fourth straight loss for Eugene, and the sixth in the last seven games. At one point Eugene held an 8-game advantage in the West Division of the Northwest League but are now only one game ahead of the Canucks… the two teams wrap up the first half of a six-game split series tonight at Scotiabank Field in Vancouver before heading to PK Park in Eugene tomorrow.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

The Forecast says cloudy skies this morning… but we can’t all be right. Today’s high near 62 degrees and calm conditions early, with a north northwest wind developing to around seven to ten miles an hour.

Mostly cloudy overnight with a low around 51 degrees… along with a 40-percent chance of rain late.

Tomorrow… a chance of morning showers, mostly cloudy skies and a high near 62.

Partly sunny Friday, mostly sunny Saturday, then mostly cloudy on Sunday…

The marine forecast shows a west marine wind five to ten knots becoming northwest at ten to 15 knots by this afternoon. Low tide will be at 10:58; high tide at 5:22.

Real Estate Market mixed; Former LC Commissioner testifies in DC; Current LC Commission seeking comments

2011-07-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mixed news in real estate market…

A recent uptick in real estate sales has brought some optimism to industry watchers, but things still have a long ways to go according to local property appraiser Tawfik Ahdab.
Ahdab – “The current bright spot is that our market activity in the second quarter was relatively decent which really took us out of our funk. But I don’t know how sustained it is, because things remain quite low.”

Ahdab, with Pacific Valuation Group, says one bright spot in an otherwise gloomy picture is the percentage of local sales attributed to foreclosures. In many areas, they account for a large percentage of sales.
Ahdab – “But here in Florence they are not dominant. We have only 19 closed sales in the last, uh, year to date, and only four short sales out of 103 closed sales. So, really, they don’t amount to much of a percentage, maybe 20-percent or so.”

Foreclosures also account for a very small share of homes listed for sale. But, that could also be because of the large number of homes currently on the market in Western Lane County. At the current rate of sale it would take well over two years to exhaust the supply.
Ahdab – “A normal balanced market is six months, an over supplied market is 12-months so when we’re sitting at 26.85 months it means we have a vast inventory compared with what is able to sell.”

With 528 active listings on the market at the end of June, and only 103 sales so far this year, the inventory is at it’s highest level in three years.

Former Lane County Commissioner Anna Morrison, five years out of office, is still stumping in Washington D.C. in an effort to try to stabilize funding for Oregon counties with a high percentage of federal lands. Morrison testified at a congressional subcommittee hearing last week on behalf of the group “Women in Timber” against renewal of the Secure Rural Schools act.
Morrison – “It was always meant to be a six-year funding stopgap until the forests were reopened to harvest levels sustaining rural schools and roads. It was never intended to become the entitlement program it has become.”

The original bill took effect 11-years ago and was extended several times. She told lawmakers last Thursday the original intention was never to permanently replace the jobs and revenue created by logging. Morrison told lawmakers that sustainable timber sales are the key.
Morrison – “These in turn provide jobs and socio-economic benefits, in addition to the timber receipts that are shared with the local communities. In the late 1980s increased timber harvests from the federal lands generated eight times the economic benefit that is currently being provided by Secure Rural Schools.”

Lane County is looking at receiving the last payment in the program later this year.

Along those lines, Current West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich will be in Florence for two “community conversations” tomorrow afternoon. His primary concern is in hearing from residents about how best to handle a $1.2-million shortfall that appeared in the current year’s revenue when the Bureau of Land Management announced two weeks ago they weren’t going to be providing the full amount of funding Lane County expected.
Bozievich – “Looking forward to hearing from the community and their concerns in particularly with us having to do some rearranging of the deck chairs here on the Titanic.”

Bozievich will be at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue tomorrow afternoon from two to four pm; Then again at 5:30.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - A Coos County prosecutor has told jurors
in Nicholas McGuffin's murder trial that the defendant is an
arrogant killer whose relationship with 15-year-old Leah Freeman
led him to take her life in the summer of 2000. In its closing
argument yesterday, the defense said the state has no evidence
against McGuffin and pursued him rather than finding the real
killer. Now 29, McGuffin was 18 at the time of Freeman's death.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Court documents in the case of a Portland
man accused of choking and stabbing his pregnant wife, then
stabbing himself allege he attacked when she told him she was
leaving because of his drug use. Both are expected to survive. A
probable cause affidavit filed yesterday says 33-year-old Brian
Shaun Nickel had used the drug Ketamine on Saturday before calling
his wife "the devil" and saying he had to kill her. Ketamine is
an animal tranquilizer known to cause hallucinations.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Police have identified the man suspected of
killing his wife and four children and setting fire to their home
in Southern Oregon. He is 51-year-old Jordan Adam Criado of
Medford. Police say they believe Criado stabbed his wife,
30-year-old Tabasha Paige-Criado, and their four children, three
boys aged 5-7, and a two-year-old girl. The children have not yet
been identified.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon judge says a 75-year-old
federal magistrate judge died Monday while working in a community
garden in the Portland suburb of Beaverton. The Oregonian says the
cause of death of Magistrate Judge Donald Ashmanskas was not
immediately known. He became a federal judge in 1992 after serving
as a district judge and circuit court judge in Washington County.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Investigators were trying to determine what
happened in the hours before a Medford mother and her four children
were pulled from a burning home and rescuers discovered they each
had been stabbed. Police believe 51-year-old Jordan Adam Criado
stabbed them and set fire to the house, staying inside as it filled
with smoke. Criado, who has not been charged, was sedated in stable
condition and under police guard after surviving the fire.

SEATTLE (AP) - For weeks, manager Eric Wedge's daily briefing
has turned into a psychological examination of why the Seattle
Mariners offense is so bad. Their start to the second half of the
season didn't dissuade any of the conversation after the Mariners
scored two runs in four games while being swept by Texas. Seattle
has also dropped nine straight and fallen to 11 1/2 games back in the
AL West.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Energy companies see renewed hope for
putting liquefied natural gas terminals on the Oregon coast - this
time to export the new supplies drillers have uncovered by
"fracking" shale formations. That raises fears among some that
exporting domestic natural gas is a step toward making the market
global and raising prices in the United States for a resource
that's abundant.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - An October jury trial has been set for a man
suspected of dumping his wife's body into the North Santiam River.
The Bend Bulletin reports Steven Blaylock will appear on charges of
murder and manslaughter in the presumed death of his wife,
48-year-old Lori Blaylock of Bend.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The family of a 14-year-old Portland girl
missing since March has scheduled a July 30 funeral, confident that
human remains found on a Portland hill are indeed Yashanee Vaughn.
The state medical examiner's office has not yet identified the
remains found last Friday on Rocky Butte. Prosecutors say the
discovery resulted from information provided by the girl's
16-year-old boyfriend Parrish Bennette Jr., who's charged with
murder in the girl's death.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland Timbers defender Kevin
Goldthwaite will miss the rest of the season because of ruptured
ligaments in his left knee. Goldthwaite hurt his knee in the
Timbers' 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday. The 28-year-old
veteran of six Major League Soccer seasons underwent an MRI
yesterday that revealed ruptured anterior cruciate and medial
collateral ligaments.

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) - U.S. Open qualifier Beau Hossler and
Will Starke shot 4-under 68s to share a one-stroke lead at the U.S.
Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. The
16-year-old Hossler, from Mission Viejo, Calif., is coming off a
win at last week's Callaway World Junior Tournament in San Diego.
Starke is 17 from Chapin, S.C. He had the only bogey-free round on
the 7,133-yard Olympic Course. The field of 156 players will be
trimmed to 64 after today's second round of stroke play.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds lead in the West Division of the Northwest League has been pared to just two games. The Emeralds fell to the Vancouver Canadians last night, 6-5, in 13-innings. It was only the Canadians second win in six tries this season against Eugene. The Ems held a one run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but allowed one run to tie it. Vancouver’s Steven McQuail popped a solo homer in the 13th inning for the walk-off win. The two teams meet again tonight in Vancouver.

Nic Canaday went 2-for-3 with two doubles, Ryan Smith was 2-for-4 with a double and Josh Iabichello (YAH-buh-KELL-uh) was 2-for-2 with two RBI and the Three Rivers Sandblasters picked off the Corvallis Marketmen 5-3 at home yesterday afternoon. Mike Bennett started on the mound and picked up the win; Jake Thompson threw the final four innings to seal the deal, giving up only one run. The ‘Blasters are due on the diamond this afternoon in Springfield for the final two games of the regular season… game one will air on Coast Radio Sports beginning at 1:45… first pitch at two.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast:

A 20-percent chance of rain this morning, along with cloudy skies and gradual clearing… with mostly sunny conditions expected by this afternoon. Today’s high near 62 degrees and a north northwest wind six to eight miles an hour.
Tonight the clouds return, along with a 20-percent chance of rain or drizzle and a low around 52.
More rain or drizzle possible in the morning… along with cloudy skies and a high near 63.

Morning showers and cloudy skies Thursday, morning drizzle and sunny skies Friday, then a change… for the weekend…

The marine forecast is showing a northwest marine wind ten to 15 knots gusting to 20 knots… becoming west at five to ten knots overnight. Low tide… 10:25 this morning. High tide at 4:48 this afternoon.

Power of Florence pulls it off; Dunes City tentatively agrees to waive building permit fees

2011-07-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Power of Florence pulls it off…

Weeds were pulled, hot dogs were sold, pets were groomed, and a lot of cars were washed. The first ever Power of Florence, a day in which everyone was encouraged to volunteer to do something for someone, was a huge success. The day was the brain-child of 11-year old Kaylee Graham who suggested it earlier this year, then embarked on a several months-long mission to spread the word and get as many people as possible involved. Two of the events involved sprucing up city parks. City officials and volunteers converged on the 18th Street Pocket Park and the Rolling Dunes park on 35th street to pull weeds and spread bark. Similar activities were conducted along 9th street where volunteers pulled scotch broom; and weeds were pulled at Siuslaw Elementary School. Nearly a dozen events took place at the Grocery Outlet Parking lot including five separate activities on behalf of the Florence Area Humane Society. One of the physically largest projects was organized by Citizens Democracy Watch of Florence… they conducted a cleanup of a six-mile long stretch of Highway 126. In the ‘small but mighty’ category, five-year old Mo Wondra sold lemonade for about two hours on Bay Street and despite the cool and cloudy weather raised nearly $900 dollars for the Trevor Denning Fund. Denning is the Florence teen who was paralyzed following an ATV crash last month.

Dunes City officials agreed last week to forego collection of building permit fees for a remodel and construction project aimed at making the home of Trevor Denning wheel chair accessible. The approval was tentative and informal however, because the matter wasn’t on the official agenda for the meeting. Denning was injured in an ATV crash last month, suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A group of volunteers want to remodel his family’s home and build an addition to accommodate his life in a wheel chair. They asked Dunes City to waive building permit fees for the project. The Dunes City Council met Thursday night and a majority of the council supported the plan. They’ll have it on their agenda in August for final and formal approval.

The Florence City Council will evaluate the job performance of the municipal judge this evening. A special executive session of the council is set for 6:30 this evening when they’ll hold the annual assessment of Judge Rick Brissendon. Later, during the public portion of the meeting they’ll decide any possible changes to his employment contract. Also on tap for the council this evening, awarding a contract for the second phase of a sewer extension project from 22nd street to 43rd along Oak.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A 20-year-old Eugene man has surrendered
after a 4-hour standoff with police. The Eugene Register-Guard
reports Derek Chin was arrested Saturday following the standoff
which began after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. Police
spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin says Chin had access to a shotgun
inside his apartment and had threatened to harm himself.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon State Medical Examiner's office
says it will study Monday the human remains found in a heavily
forested Portland butte over the weekend. The remains are thought
to be that of missing Portland girl Yashanee Vaughn, who was last
seen March 19. A 16-year-old boyfriend has been charged with murder
in her death. Authorities allege Parrish Bennette Jr. fatally shot
14-year-old Vaughn and then hid her body. She was reported missing
by her mother in March.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The two top state workers' unions in Oregon
are set to hold a second joint bargaining session Monday with
representatives of Gov. John Kitzhaber. They're hoping to break a
deadlock about furloughs, health care and pay increases. The
Statesman Journal says Kitzhaber wants state employees to pay 5
percent of their health care premiums as part of the new contract
for the 2011-13 biennium.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The ousted attorneys of an Oregon death row
inmate have asked the state Supreme Court to overrule a judge's
order that they no longer represent their client. Twice-convicted
murderer Gary Haugen tells The Salem Statesman Journal that his
attorneys lied to the presiding judge during Thursday's hearing
when they said they wouldn't issue more filings in the case. Haugen
has asked to die, but his attorneys have so far prevented his
execution.

AZALEA, Ore. (AP) - Federal authorities are investigating a
fatal plane crash in Douglas County. Sheriff's deputies say the
crash last night killed two men from California who were in a
lightweight, single-engine plane that left a private airstrip in
Azalea. The plane crashed about 200 yards from the runway, shortly
after takeoff. The cause of the crash is under investigation by
federal officials

SEATTLE (AP) - Matt Harrison continued Texas' nearly perfect
pitching, allowing just one run in 7-and-two-thirds innings, Mitch
Moreland hit a three-run homer and the Rangers won their 11th game
in a row with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners yesterday.
The Rangers' winning streak is the longest in baseball since
Philadelphia's 11-game streak last September. The Mariners have
lost nine in a row.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say an Ashland man found on the
roof of a police substation was trying to break in. The Medford
Mail Tribune reports 32-year-old Michael Martin faces burglary,
trespassing and criminal mischief charges after police found him
early Saturday morning. Deputy Medford Police Chief Corey Falls
says the office has nothing of value inside.

WASHINGTON (AP) - An Oregon congressman is among 10 Democrats up for re-election in 2012 who are targeted by ads paid for by a conservative group linked with Republican strategist Karl Rove. The Crossroads GPS ads target Kurt Schrader and the other Democrats on tax and spending issues.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A Bend veterinarian has performed life-saving
CPR on an injured bald eagle that was under anesthesia during
physical therapy. The eagle nicknamed "Patriot" was found in June
suffering, among other injuries, a dislocated shoulder and
paralyzed right leg. If the bird's foot doesn't improve in the next
three weeks, veterinarian Jeff Cooney says he could be forced to
euthanize him

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - The number of staffed forest fire lookouts
keeps dwindling in Oregon, Washington and California as technology
replaces human eyes. The Medford Mail Tribune reports that of
Oregon's 1,000 lookout sites, fewer than 20 percent have structures
and 106 are staffed. The number is smaller in Washington state
where only 30 lookouts are staffed. California has 50 staffed
lookouts out of nearly 200 buildings available.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Japan's victory over the USA in the
Women's World Cup final yesterday certainly didn't dampen the pride
that the University of Portland has for the women's national team
-- particularly former Pilots Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox. Both
were on the Pilots team that won the NCAA championship in 2005.
About 100 people joined the Pilots on campus to watch the match,
while another booster viewing party was held at a pub in Portland.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

After dominating the first 30-days of play in the Northwest League the Eugene Emeralds have fallen on hard times. But they still hold the best record in the league at 22-8; three games ahead of the Vancouver Canadians. The Ems have lost four of their last five games. They started the weekend with a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils, but then fell twice more, 1-3 Saturday, and 1-4 Sunday afternoon. The Ems continue their road trip today when they begin the first half of a split series against Vancouver.

Post season play for the Three Rivers Sandblasters is in doubt once again despite winning two of three games over the weekend. It appeared last week that they would finish no lower than 5th place in Zone III play because of roster enrollment violations by Salem’s Post 9. The Highwaymen appealed to the national American Legion Baseball authorities and were successful in reversing an earlier ruling at the state level. That means Post-9 is back in the hunt. The ‘Blasters were on the diamond at home Friday where they downed the Albany Rockets 9-6. Three Rivers then split a pair of games against the Withnell Dodgers Saturday, winning the opener 14-8 and losing the nightcap 9-5.

The Sandblasters had four victories taken away from them last week because they used an ineligible player. They’re now at two-and-ten on the season in sixth place. They’re scheduled for a makeup game at home this afternoon against Corvallis.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast

Mostly cloudy skies again today, along with a chance of showers and a high near 65 degrees.

Cloudy skies continue overnight along with a 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms… tonight’s low around 53.

Tomorrow… a 20-percent chance of morning showers along with cloudy skies and gradual clearing through the day… a high near 62 degrees.

Mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain or drizzle on Wednesday, partly sunny with a chance of showers Thursday, then partly sunny with a chance of drizzle on Friday.

The marine forecast is calling for a north marine wind five to ten knots rising to ten or 15 knots and gusting to 20 today…. Then becoming north at ten to 15 knots after midnight. Low tide… 9:51 this morning. High tide at 4:14 this afternoon.

Dunes City debates competing septic ordinances - Party in the Park - Tidepool in the Morning - and Gabe gets a badge.

2011-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Step back… it could hit the fan.

It promises to be a contentious meeting the next time the Dunes City Council gets together. It was clear last night there were several differences of opinion regarding two competing septic tank ordinances; both of which would repeal an existing law that has been requiring an inventory and inspection of all septic systems in the city. Dunes City held public hearings on the two ordinances. Ordinance 210 would revise the current code and was submitted by the city’s Ordinance Review Committee. It was given the task of easing some of the regulatory requirements in the current code. Planning Commissioner and Ordinance Review Committee member George Burke spoke in favor, saying the current code was originally intended to govern a five year process that is coming to an end next year. A competing ordinance; labeled as number 211 was written by Councilor Duke Wells. It was openly supported by at least one other councilor and would get Dunes City out of septic regulation entirely, leaving it all to the State of Oregon and Lane County. One Councilor, Richard Koehler, stated his opposition to both ordinances. He was one of the authors of the current plan and he said it needs to be retained. Several residents testified on both sides of the issues last night. No final action was taken, Dunes City Councilors will resume hearings on both proposals next month.

One thing’s for sure… there’s a lot going on in the Florence Area tomorrow. The first ever “Power of Florence” will officially begin tomorrow morning with a pancake feed at the Methodist Church and a power walk at Florence Christian Church. From there, it will be a day of dog grooming, car washing, weed pulling and lemonade selling. Proposed earlier this year by 11-year old Kaylee Graham the Power of Florence is intended to be a day when everyone… no matter the age or physical limitation… does something for someone else. Groups and individuals have registered their events online at the Power of Florence-dot-com. It all wraps up from four to seven pm at Miller Park with the “Party in the Park” to thank all the volunteers. It’s open to everyone, and in addition to free hot dogs, will include the music of Marty Adams followed by Green Hits recording artist Frankie Hernandez from 5:30 to seven.

He hasn’t officially received his detective’s badge, but Florence Police officer Gabe Glowacki will be recognized Monday night for his work in recovering stolen property and arresting a suspect in a series of recent burglaries. Glowacki joined the department in 2007 as a patrol officer. He’ll formally assume detective duties September 1st, replacing John Brejska who retired earlier this year. Police Chief Maury Sanders will present Glowacki with his badge Monday night during the Florence City Council meeting.

Naturalists at the Cape Perpetua Scenic area will be out early for the next three days. A series of exceptionally low tides in the early morning hours means visitors to tidepools will get great access and viewing according to visitor center director Lori Robertson. She and her staff are inviting visitors to explore the intertidal zone tomorrow between eight and 11 am; then again Sunday and Monday between nine and noon.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a plane with engine problems
overturned when it tried to land in a grass field near Albany, and
the pilot has been taken to the hospital. There was no immediate
report on his condition. Tammy Robbins, a spokeswoman for the
Jefferson Fire District, says he was from Reno, Nev., and was the
only person aboard. The flight from California was headed for
Salem.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - An arsonist who avoided federal prison five
years ago by helping lock up Earth Liberation Front activists has
been sentenced in Eugene to 27 months in prison for violating terms
of his probation. A federal judge said the sentence will be served
at the same time Jake Ferguson serves his recent five-year state
prison sentence for selling heroin.

NESKOWIN, Ore. (AP) - Tillamook County sheriff's officers say
they're looking for a man who tried to rob the Neskowin Market and
may have ended up with a broken nose. Lt. Andy Long says store
owner Anthony Briggs told deputies that when a would-be robber
pointed a gun at him Wednesday night, Briggs grabbed the handgun
and wrestled the man for it, then hit the robber in the face.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Central Oregon detectives say a flood of
fraudulent credit and debit card charges continues to plague area
residents. In the past week, more than 200 people have reported
being victims. Deschutes County sheriff's Lt. Kevin Dizney said
yesterday his office is still taking several cases each day. Bend
police are contacting other agencies around Oregon but tell KTVZ
the activity seems to be focused on central Oregon card holders.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal court will hear an appeal from
the U.S. attorney general regarding a ruling on an Ashland, Ore.,
church's use of a hallucinogenic tea. The Church of the Holy Light
of the Queen, a Brazilian-based Christian church, is permitted to
import, distribute and brew the sacramental tea known as ayahuasca
(aye-yah-WAS-ka), which contains the hallucinogenic drug DMT.

SEATTLE (AP) - Derek Holland was perfect through five innings
and finished with a five-hitter as the Texas Rangers rolled 5-0
over the Seattle Mariners last night. It was Holland's fourth
career complete game - all shutouts - his third this season and
second in a row. Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz each
homered for Texas. Jason Vargas went six innings for Seattle,
allowing five runs, a season-high 12 hits.

DENVER (AP) - A Denver judge has ordered a Portland man accused
of sexually assaulting a woman at Denver International Airport to
stand trial. Twenty-six-year-old Noel Bertrand is charged with
sexual assault and kidnapping. Bertrand's defense attorney said
yesterday the sex was consensual. Bertrand was accused of
assaulting a woman just early on April 12 after she missed a
flight. Authorities say they struck up a conversation at an airport
restaurant before he attacked her at a nearby gate. They say
airline workers saw the assault and intervened.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A suburban Portland man who pleaded guilty
to criminally negligent homicide in a bicyclist's death has agreed
to pay for six members of the victim's family to travel from the
East Coast to attend his sentencing. Caleb Pruitt of Lake Oswego
also pleaded guilty yesterday in Circuit Court to driving while
intoxicated. He was taken into custody immediately and his $20,000
bail will be used to pay for airfare, rental cars and hotels so
Angela Burke's family can come to Portland.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Plastic shopping bags could be banned at
Portland's larger grocery store and other retailers as soon as Oct.
15. Mayor Sam Adams proposed an ordinance yesterday that is
expected to easily win city council approval. Portland's ordinance
would exempt plastic grocery bags used for produce, bulk food and
meat.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - LSU has given the NCAA copies of
material it received from recruiting service owner Willie Lyles and
his Complete Scouting Services. The NCAA is also looking into
Oregon's $25,000 payment to Lyles' firm and his involvement in the
recruitment of a Texas running back, Lache Seastrunk. The probe is
focused on what exactly Oregon obtained from Lyles. Lyles has said
that he and the Ducks both knew he was selling access and influence
with highly recruited players.

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) - A Umatilla man accused of a shooting more
than a year ago in Hermiston is now in custody. The East Oregonian
reports Guadalupe Aviana was arrested Wednesday by federal agents
when he attempted to cross from Mexico at a port of entry south of
San Diego.

NEW YORK (AP) - Phoenix's Diana Taurasi (tohr-AH'-see),
Seattle's Sue Bird and Indiana's Tamika Catchings have been voted
starters for the WNBA All-Star game again. Minnesota's Maya Moore,
the Storm's Swin Cash and injured Los Angeles center Candace Parker
join Taurasi and Bird as starters for the Western Conference
announced last night. Reserves will be announced next week.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds are having a devil of a time in Eastern Washington… For the first time this season the Emeralds have fallen in two straight games… last night it was 3-2 to the Tri-City Dust Devils. Eugene broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning when Jace Peterson drew a ‘bases-loaded’ walk, scoring Mike Gallic. But, in the bottom of the frame, the Devils took the lead for good, with two runs. They then added the final winning margin in the sixth. Eugene mounted a one-run rally in the eighth, but were shut down by the Dust Devil defense. The two teams continue their five game series tonight and through the weekend.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters get back to the diamond this evening for nine against the Mid-Valley Rockets at home. Airtime for the broadcast is at 4:45… first pitch at five. Three Rivers will be in Salem tomorrow afternoon for two against Withnell…

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Mostly cloudy today with a high near 64 degrees and a southwest wind 11 miles an hour becoming west northwest and gusting to 18.

Mostly cloudy overnight with a 50-50 chance of showers… southwest winds seven to nine miles an hour.

For the weekend… showers likely tomorrow morning, then mostly cloudy skies… partly sunny on Sunday. Highs this weekend around 64 degrees… lows around 53.

Partly sunny Monday, mostly sunny Tuesday and Wednesday.

The marine forecast is showing a south marine wind ten to 15 knots gusting to 20 knots then becoming southwest by this evening. Low tide… a minus 1.3… at eight o’clock straight up… high tide at 2:28 this afternoon.

Lane County comes up short again - Dunes City reconsidering septic - Car seat safety

2011-07-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Lane County hit with last minute revenue drop

Lane County Commissioners are scrambling this week to find a way to deal with a last minute budget shortfall. The 2011-12 budget was already bare-bones, with service reductions and employee concessions required to make it balance. Then, at the last minute the Bureau of Land Management informed the county they would be receiving $1.2-million less in the coming year than initially planned. West Lane Commissioner Jay Bozievich said the BLM gave no explanation as to why the shortfall. Lane County is seeking help from Oregon’s Congressional Delegation, but with the financial climate in Washington D.C. right now, that’s not likely to yield satisfactory results. Bozievich said the funding reductions came in the federal “Secure Rural Schools” funding, money that was to have been phased out over the next five years. The initial schedule showed the county was to receive 85% of the 2007 level of funding, or $6.1-million dollars. Instead, the BLM informed them last week that they would only be receiving $4.9-million. Bozievich will be in Florence next Tuesday for a pair of “community conversations” with residents to get input on what to do about the shortfall.

Dunes City Councilors will hear the first reading tonight of a pair of ordinances, either one of which would undo considerable work on the part of previous officials and volunteers. The small incorporated city, nestled between Siltcoos and Woahink Lakes south of Florence approved an ordinance last year that included tight controls on maintenance and monitoring of septic systems. There’s been a change on the council in the past year though and some of the new members are outspoken opponents of the previous action. Duke Wells is one of those, he says Lane County already has sufficient regulations governing septics and the city has no need to add another layer of expense and regulation to property owners. The two ordinances being considered this evening are similar. One submitted by the city’s ordinance review committee would repeal the current ordinance, but keep many of the controls. The second, submitted by Wells, would repeal the ordinance completely, leaving regulation of septic systems to Lane County.

You’ll see them in many cars… child safety seats. Aimed at preventing injury to infants and children in the event of a car crash. But, says Western Lane Ambulance Paramedic Al Kreitz, most of the time they’re not installed properly.
Kreitz – “Over 90-percent of car seats have at least one issue. That’s according to AXE Oregon.”

Western Lane medics, along with firefighters from Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue have been specially trained in how to install the seats properly. They’ll holding a special car seat safety clinic Saturday.
Kreitz – “Our goal obviously is to reduce injuries and death and teach people how to install car seats correctly so they can avoid those pitfalls.”

The car seat safety clinic will be at Fred Meyer, this Saturday from ten to three… it’s one of dozens of volunteer events being held around the community as part of the Power of Florence.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - An Aloha, Ore., couple have been
sentenced to 42 years each for sexual abuse of the woman's
6-year-old daughter and 14-year-old disabled son as the adults
produced child pornography. Washington County Circuit Judge Kirsten
Thompson sentenced the 35-year-old woman and 43-year-old man
yesterday to the maximum time allowed under their plea agreements.

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - An Oregon man has filed suit in federal
court against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima, Wash., alleging
he was abused as a 17-year-old by a former Catholic deacon who
later became an Episcopal priest in Mexico. The lawsuit filed in
Yakima contends that Aaron Ramirez plied the plaintiff with alcohol
in 1999 and sexually abused him. The lawsuit seeks at least
$75,000.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Sharing alcohol with minors could be more
costly in Lane County, where commissioners have approved changes to
the county's year-old "social host" ordinance. The Register Guard
reports those who host or allow any gathering where people younger
than 21 drink or use illegal drugs can be fined as much as $1,000.
They also can be held liable for the cost of law enforcement.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed some of
the claims in a lawsuit brought by a Medford school bus driver
fired for refusing to take a Confederate battle flag off his pickup
while on school property. But Ken Webber's central claim that he
should get his job back because the firing violated his First
Amendment right to free speech is going forward in U.S. District
Court.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon death row inmate who wants to waive
his appeals heads back to court today. A Marion County judge is
holding a status conference on the request by inmate Gary Haugen,
who has been convicted twice of brutal murders. The judge had
scheduled Haugen's execution for next month. It was canceled after
the state Supreme Court ruled that Haugen should be more thoroughly
evaluated to determine whether he is competent to waive his
appeals.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - An Aloha, Ore., couple have been
sentenced to 42 years each for sexual abuse of the woman's
6-year-old daughter and 14-year-old disabled son as the adults
produced child pornography. Washington County Circuit Judge Kirsten
Thompson sentenced the 35-year-old woman and 43-year-old man
yesterday to the maximum time allowed under their plea agreements.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Sharing alcohol with minors could be more
costly in Lane County, where commissioners have approved changes to
the county's year-old "social host" ordinance. The Register Guard
reports those who host or allow any gathering where people younger
than 21 drink or use illegal drugs can be fined as much as $1,000.
They also can be held liable for the cost of law enforcement.

SEATTLE (AP) - An underperforming offense, mixed with dominating
pitching, has left the Seattle Mariners at the All-Star break with
a surprising record, along with a tinge of missed opportunity. It's
created a murky definition for the 43-48 Mariners. As the second
half begins tonight at home against American League West-leading
Texas, Seattle faces a balance between taking advantage of its
pitching staff and attempting to be a contender, or continuing its
youth movement toward 2012.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon crops hurt by troubles in real
estate are recovering but are still worth far less than before the
Great Recession. New state figures show greenhouse and nursery
products remain the state's most valuable sector. They brought in
$667 million last year. But, the department says, the sector was
worth more than $1 billion in 2007. Grass seed used to be the
second-most valuable crop, but now it ranks 6th. Another notable
change: Cherries replaced pears in the top ten.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A study for the Oregon wine industry finds
its economic impact has nearly doubled since 2005 and now stands at
$2.7 billion. The study released today finds that Oregon's 419
wineries and 849 vineyards accounted for over 13,000 jobs in 2010
with wages of $382 million. Oregon wineries produced 1.7 million
cases of wine valued at $252 million, with about half of that being
sold out of state.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A 7-year-old Salem boy is in a Portland
hospital with injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident. Marion
County deputies say he was riding on his grandparents' property
yesterday afternoon and swerved onto a road into the path of a
pickup truck. His injuries are described as serious. He was wearing
a helmet.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has
voted to reprimand three investment officers at the Oregon State
Treasury. The Oregonian newspaper reports a majority of the
commission members agreed there were violations of state ethics law
involving travel expenses and reimbursements while the officers
were overseeing Wall Street money managers who invest public
pension money.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Police Review Board says an
officer followed policy and had reason to use deadly force when he
fatally shot a man in March at Hoyt Arboretum. Jason Walters had
responded to a report of a disturbance. He shot Jack Dale Collins
when he emerged from a restroom holding a knife, refused to drop it
and moved toward the officer. A grand jury previously cleared the
officer of criminal wrongdoing.

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Come Monday, the Ochoco National Forest
of central Oregon will have a new forest supervisor. Kate Klein is
moving from the Umatilla National Forest office in Pendleton, where
she has been the operations staff officer since 2009. Klein has
worked for the Forest Service for 31 years.

TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) - Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero scored in the
first half, and Lamar Neagle added an insurance goal in the second,
giving the Seattle Sounders a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles
Galaxy in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal game last night. Adam
Cristman scored for the MLS-leading Galaxy, eliminated in the
quarterfinals by Seattle for the second season in a row.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds were held to only five hits, and suffered their first shutout loss of the season, falling 4-nothing on the road last night to the Tri-City Dust Devils. Devil’s pitcher Christian Bergman set the tone by striking out the first three batters and the Ems seemed to never recover, scattering five hits over nine innings in the loss. The two teams are on the diamond again this evening in Pasco, Washington for game two of the five game series.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters picked up a pair of non-league wins yesterday with a sweep of the Single-A Salem Senators in Stayton, winning game one 11-nothing, the nightcap 14-9. Jimmy Mack was 3-4 with three runs and three stolen bases in the opener. Nic Canaday was 4-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI in the nightcap.

Two teams in American Legion Zone 3, including the Sandblasters were stripped of their league wins this week because of inadvertent roster errors. The Sandblasters were found to have been playing with an ineligible player and forfeited six games. The other team, the Post 9 Highwaymen out of Salem, were found to have too many players on their roster. They’ve not only been stripped of their wins, have been disqualified from post-season play. The Sandblasters will be eligible to play in the playoffs. Both teams will continue to play their schedule.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

The forecast is silent regarding rain… just says to expect mostly skies today with a high near 61 degrees… and a south wind eight to ten miles an hour becoming west.
More cloudy skies overnight, a low around 51 and a west wind six to nine miles an hour becoming calm overnight.
Partly sunny and 63 for a high tomorrow…

For the weekend… showers likely Saturday morning, then mostly cloudy skies, partly sunny Sunday and Monday.

The marine forecast shows a south marine wind five to ten knots gusting to 15… then becoming southwest this afternoon. Low tide… 7:18 this morning, a minus 1.3. High tide at 1:49 this afternoon.

School Board facing full load - Food share shelves empty - gas prices steady in Florence - OSU turning the ocean green

2011-07-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

School may be out, but administrators still have work to do…

When the Siuslaw School District Board of Directors meet tonight, they’ll have plenty on their plate. Superintendent Jeff Davis says they’ll deal with curriculum, personnel and…
Davis – “We’ll be talking about facilities and we’ll be talking progress on the Elementary roof. It’s a huge project actually, so, we’re monitoring that.

The goal is to have the bulk of the work done by the time classes begin in September, although, says Davis, the rain has slowed progress. The board will also hear an update on a new program started this past year in the high school: Advanced Placement classes offering college credit to successful participants.
Davis – “Advance placement literature… evidently 11 out of the 15 that took the test got college credit for doing the coursework, so, that’s pretty neat.”

There are plans to add more A-P classes this year and in subsequent years. But that’s not all…
Davis – “Maybe of significance to me is that I hope they approve my contract. I’ve asked for a reduced contract this year, and I don’t think that’s controversial so…”

A sub-committee has been working out the details of reducing Davis’ schedule to four-days a week… he’ll take a commensurate 20-percent pay cut in the process. The board meets tonight, 6:30 PM at district offices.

The Power of Florence, this Saturday, will feature dozens and dozens of volunteer events. Anyone can help out with the “Ducks vs. Beavers food drive” organized by Courtney King and her friend Siarrah Rain. They’ll be standing by at Grocery Outlet, in front of the Florence Food Share truck with the scales, duly weighing and logging all donations. Food Share director Karen Lyn says last month her agency served an unprecedented 617 households leaving the shelves:
Lyn – “Pretty empty… unfortunately. Summertime is the time when people forget. I mean, it’s really popular to donate during the holidays and we welcome those donations… any time.”

The Ducks vs. Beavers food drive is just for pride… and is one of several events based in the Grocery Outlet parking lot on Saturday. But, there’ll be Power of Florence activities all over the area.

For the second week in a row the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has moved up, while Oregon’s average price shows a slight decline. Locally, the average price held steady at $3.65 a gallon. Oregon’s average, as measured by Triple-A fell a penny to $3.75 and the national average jumped up seven cents… it’s now at $3.64.

Scientists from Oregon State University will be ‘going green’ for a short time tomorrow when they study near-shore water movement at Yaquina Head in Newport. A dye called Flourescein will be used to turn the water a bright green as part of the study. Oceanographer Kipp Shearman says it’s pretty spectacular looking, but dissipates quickly, leaving no environmental impact. Shearman says it’s just part of a complex study.
Shearman – “So in addition to the dye we’re also putting in some ‘drifters’ which have GPS’ attached to them, so we will get information almost right away from this. So we will get a track of where the drifters went and we will also get images of where the dye went from cameras that are up on Yaquina Head.”

Shearman says the study will help scientists gauge the impacts of pollution and oil spills on inter-tidal areas and how best to help nature recover from those impacts.
(thanks to KNPT for the audio http://oregoncoastdailynews.wordpress.com/ )

AP-OR--1st NewsMinute,269
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon Death Row inmate who has said he
wants to proceed with his execution says he plans to ask a Marion
County judge to give him a new lawyer. In a phone interview with
The Oregonian, Gary Haugen said yesterday that his current lawyers
are working against him as they attempt to prevent his death.
Haugen was convicted in 1981 of killing a former girlfriend's
mother and in 2003 for killing another inmate.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Transportation Department says
the McKenzie Pass Highway will officially open to all traffic at 8
a.m. Friday. Also known as Oregon Highway 242, the road is closed
each fall due to winter snows. It closed for the season last Oct.
25. The Register-Guard says Friday's scheduled opening will mark
one of the later openings but not the latest, which occurred on
July 29, 1999.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Negotiations between the state and unions
representing government workers are heating up over the state's
demand that employees chip in part of their health care premiums.
The issue is perhaps the biggest hurdle separating the parties as
they negotiate a labor contract for at least the next two years.
Gov. John Kitzhaber's administration wants workers to pay 5 percent
of premiums.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A Springfield man and his son who pleaded
guilty to poaching will spend the next four deer seasons in jail.
Under a plea agreement with Lane County prosecutors, hunting season
is "jail season." On the first day of deer season, Oct. 1, Rory
and Shane Donoho will start serving the first of four annual
90-days jail terms.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Talks between the state and unions
representing government workers are heating up over the state's
demand that employees chip in part of their health care premiums.
The issue is perhaps the biggest hurdle separating the parties as
they negotiate a labor contract for at least the next two years. A
mediator stepped in to help about a month ago and officials say
talks have been advancing slowly. But the parties remain at odds
over health care premiums, wage hikes and the number of unpaid days
off that workers will be required to take.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Transportation Department says
the McKenzie Pass Highway will officially open to all traffic at 8
a.m. Friday. Also known as Oregon Highway 242, the road is closed
each fall due to winter snows. It closed for the season last Oct.
25. The Register-Guard says Friday's scheduled opening will mark
one of the later openings but not the latest, which occurred on
July 29, 1999.

PHOENIX (AP) - Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer, Roy
Halladay and his relief stayed in control and the National League
beat the American League 5-1 in the All-Star game last night in
Phoenix for the NL's first two-game winning streak since the
mid-1990s. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners was one of six
pitchers overall who didn't get a chance to play because they
started Sunday.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon apparel company cites inflation and
quality control problems as two of the reasons it's moving its
manufacturing out of China and back to the U.S. Nine 1 One Gear of
Portland previously had its line of outerwear for firefighters and
emergency responders made in China. Now it'll rely on skilled
workers in Salem. Nine 1 One Gear has also joined WaterShed Inc. in
a merger.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Grants Pass police say they've made an
arrest in a street fight that left a 60-year-old man fatally
stabbed. Officers found Gary Michael Salomon of Grants Pass lying
on the side of a street Monday night. He was pronounced dead at a
local hospital. Police arrested 41-year-old Kiley Christopher
Hudson at the scene for investigation of murder and assault.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A freight train severed the leg of a
transient walking through Portland on his way from the recent
Rainbow Family gathering. The 23-year-old man, James Piles, told
reporters that he enjoys walking beside trains, but this time a car
caught his backpack and spun him around. Piles says he wound up
beneath the train, and knew the instant it happened that he'd lost
his leg.

SEATTLE (AP) - Sue Bird scored 22 points and Swin Cash added 20
in the Seattle Storm's 79-71 victory over the Washington Mystics
yesterday. Seattle has won three of four, a stretch that started at
Washington on July 3. The Mystics have dropped four in a row.
Camille Little had 12 points for Seattle. Washington was led by
Marissa Coleman's 16 points, while Matee Ajavon contributed 13.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - An Aloha couple convicted of sexually
abusing their children is to be sentenced today by a Washington
County judge in Hillsboro. Michael Marceau and Lisa Ford were
arrested in February and pleaded guilty to multiple charges of
abuse and child pornography. They've already been sentenced in
federal court. Ford received a 45-year sentence and Marceau 50
years.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Some cabbies in Portland say they're
losing fares to other cabbies who tip hotel doormen. The city's
Private For-Hire Transportation Board of Review votes today on
whether to ban the practice. If it passes it would go to the city
council for a vote in September. Violators could face a $1,500
fine.

SILVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Investigators determined the fire that
burned a Silverton home and displaced a family of five was started
by a grease fire in a barbecue. Silverton fire officials say the
buildup of grease started the Monday night fire that spread up the
side of the house, causing $145,000 damage.

SEATTLE (AP) - Sue Bird scored 22 points and Swin Cash added 20
in the Seattle Storm's 79-71 victory over the Washington Mystics
yesterday. Seattle has won three of four, a stretch that started at
Washington on July 3. The Mystics have dropped four in a row.
Camille Little had 12 points for Seattle. Washington was led by
Marissa Coleman's 16 points, while Matee Ajavon contributed 13.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

No baseball yesterday… at least not locally… the Three Rivers Sandblasters had two games rained out. They’ll be back on the diamond this afternoon for a nonleague double-header in Stayton against the Salem Senators.

The Eugene Emeralds had the day off for the All-Star Break. They’ll be back in action tonight in Pasco, Washington where they’ll begin a five game series against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…
There’s a 30-percent chance of showers this morning… then mostly cloudy skies through the day with a high near 61 degrees.
More cloudy skies overnight tonight with a 20-percent chance of showers and a low around 50.
Tomorrow… mostly cloudy again, though no precipitation expected… and a high near 61 degrees.

Partly sunny skies on Friday, along with a slight chance of rain or drizzle… mostly cloudy with a chance of showers on Saturday and then partly sunny Sunday.

The marine forecast shows a west marine wind five to ten knots gusting to 15 knots backing to the southwest in the afternoon… Low tide… a minus 1.2… was at 6:33 this morning. It’ll be high at 1:05 this afternoon.

American Legion AAA Oregon Zone III Standings

2011-07-12T10:07:00.001-07:00

2011 AREA III STANDINGS – AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL
Through Monday, July 11

W L Pct. GB
Corvallis 6 4 .600 ---
Salem Post Nine 6 4 .600 ---
Salem Withnell 6 4 .600 ---
Springfield 7 5 .583 ---
Florence 4 5 .444 1.5
Mid-Valley 1 8 .111 4.5

Tuesday, June 14
at Salem Withnell 4, Mid-Valley 3
Wednesday, June 15
Springfield 17, at Mid-Valley 2
Monday, June 20
at Salem Post Nine 14, Salem Withnell 4
Tuesday, June 21
at Corvallis 10, Springfield 1 (1st game)
Springfield 4, at Corvallis 3 (2nd game)
at Florence 7, Salem Post Nine 1 (1st game)
Salem Post Nine 9, at Florence 6 (2nd game)
Salem Withnell 11, at Mid-Valley 10 (1st game)
at Mid-Valley 4, Salem Withnell 3 (2nd game)
Thursday, June 23
Springfield 16, at Florence 1
Tuesday, June 28
Corvallis 13, at Post Nine 2 (1st game)
at Salem Post Nine 3, Corvallis 1 (2nd game)
at Springfield 11, Mid-Valley 3 (1st game)
at Springfield 15, Mid-Valley 5 (2nd game)
Salem Withnell at Florence; postponed, rain, until July 9
Wednesday, June 29
Corvallis 7, at Mid-Valley 5
Thursday, June 30
at Salem Post Nine 11, Florence 3
Tuesday, July 5
at Corvallis 6, Salem Withnell 5 (1st game)
at Corvallis 5, Salem Withnell 4 (2nd game)
Springfield 12, at Salem Post Nine 2 (1st game)
at Salem Post Nine 11, Springfield 1 (2nd game)
Florence 17, at Mid-Valley 4 (1st game)
Florence 20 at Mid-Valley 9 (2nd game)
Wednesday, July 6
at Salem Withnell 15, Springfield 9
Thursday, July 7
Salem Post Nine 9, at Corvallis 6

Friday, July 8
at Corvallis 6, Florence 1 (1st game)
Florence 5, at Corvallis 3 (2nd game)
Saturday, July 9
Salem Withnell 18, at Florence 6 (makeup game from June 28)
Sunday, July 10
at Springfield 5, Salem Post Nine 4
Monday, July 11
Salem Withnell 14, at Springfield 2 (1st game)
Salem Withnell 4, atSpringfield 1 (2nd game)
Tuesday, July 12
Corvallis at Florence
Salem Post Nine at Mid-Valley (2)
Thursday, July 14
Corvallis at Springfield
Mid-Valley at Salem Post Nine
Friday, July 15
Corvallis at Salem Withnell
Mid-Valley at Florence
Saturday, July 16
Florence at Salem Withnell (2)
Sunday, July 17
Mid-Valley at Corvallis (2)
Salem Post Nine at Salem Withnell (2)
Tuesday, July 19
Florence at Springfield (2)

POSTSEASON FORMAT
* Area III #1 advances directly to State Tournament, July 27-31 at Eugene
* Area III #2 hosts 4-team Super Regional B, July 22-23; winner advances to state tournament July 27-31 at Eugene
* Area III #3 plays at 4-team Super Regional A, July 22-23 at Area II #2; winner advances to state tournament July 27-31 at Eugene
* Area III #4 plays at 4-team Super Regional C, July 22-23 at Area IV #2; winner advances to state tournament July 27-31 at Eugene
* Area III #5 plays at 4-team Super Regional B, July 22-23 at Area III #2; winner advances to state tournament July 27-31 at Eugene

radioray@kgal.com; steve.gress@lee.net; kevin.hampton@lee.net; brad.fuqua@lee.net; aaron.yost@lee.net; les.gehrett@lee.net; jesse.sowa@lee.net; sports@statesmanjournal.com; sports@registerguard.com; sports@oregonian.com; wsharpe@kcst.com; news@kcst.com;

Power of Florence; Honeyman idiot vandals; trans plan, Eugene pledge

2011-07-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Get charged up with the Power of Florence…

It’s just a few days away... an area-wide day of volunteering and giving back. It’s called the Power of Florence and everyone, young and old, is being encouraged to get out and make a difference. It’s all the brain-child of 11-year old Kaylee Graham who says she wants everyone to experience the feeling of volunteering. Dozens of events are scheduled for Saturday, and already nearly 200 people have registered events on behalf of themselves or groups. Volunteer events are small… like a lemonade stand on Bay Street staffed by 5-year old Mo Wondra to help raise money for his older brother’s best friend… to car washes, bake sales, food drives and pet adoptions. The day begins with a 7 AM pancake feed at the Florence Methodist Church. There’s a “power” walk at eight, just a short hike up Second Street at the Florence Christian Church; and several different events are scheduled for the Grocery Outlet Parking Lot. The day will wrap up with a “party in the park”. At Miller Park, from four to seven pm there’ll be free hot dogs, while they last, and Green Hit Records recording artist Frankie Hernandez, from Austin, Texas, will perform for all the volunteers… and anyone else that comes out… Marty Adams will open the show at four… the party runs through seven pm. There’s still time to register your event at the Power of Florence website… powerofflorence.com.

Oregon State Police are seeking information about who may have been responsible for what one trooper described as – quote – “idiotic”. Trooper Daryl Sheets says around two AM yesterday morning, vandals broke into the nature center at Honeyman State Park and stole fire extinguishers. It’s what they did with those fire extinguishers that Sheets was referring to when he said idiotic. The vandals went from camp to camp, spraying the dry chemical extinguishers into tents, covering the occupants with the fine powder. Witnesses said in one instance they unzipped a tent, stepped in and blasted some young children directly in the face, causing one young child breathing problems. Medics checked everyone at the scene and didn’t transport any patients; park officials sent the campers to an area hotel; and authorities continue to investigate. Trooper Sheets said they only information they had was that the suspects were two males.

The second in a series of meetings aimed at updating Florence’s Transportation System Plan is set for Thursday morning, 9:30 at City Hall. The process will evaluate the current plan that was adopted in 2002 and make recommendations about possible changes to reflect current and future needs.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Pledge of Allegiance continues to divide
the Eugene City Council. Yesterday Councilor George Brown declined
to join his seven colleagues and the mayor in saying the oath at
the council meeting. It was the council's first recitation since
voting last month to say the pledge at meetings closest to four
patriotic holidays annually. National coverage of the issue put
Eugene in the spotlight. The Register-Guard reports that lots of
largely angry e-mails and phone calls poured in.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - SeaPort Airlines is dropping service to
Newport and Salem. The Portland-based airline blames market trends
and high fuel costs. The Oregonian reports $4.5 million in
government subsidies enabled SeaPort to start flying out of Astoria
and Newport to Portland in 2009. Flights out of Astoria ended in
March when the subsidies ran out.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Salem police say two men posed as U.S.
marshals to stage a home invasion robbery at a northeast Salem
home. Lt. Steve Birr says two men in black dress clothes showed
badges and handguns and claimed to be U.S. marshals serving a
search warrant for drugs early Sunday. They tied up two men in the
home with zip ties and left with an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

MADRAS, Ore. (AP) - Railroad officials and central Oregon
sheriff's detectives are trying to figure out who pushed large
boulders onto railroad tracks near a Madras, Ore., trestle twice in
recent weeks. A freight train locomotive hit the first boulder and
suffered damage. Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas
says conductors spotted the second boulder last week and stopped in
time.

SEATTLE (AP) - The Seattle Mariners have sent three players to
today's All-Star game in Phoenix. Pitcher Michael Pineda was added
to the American League roster Sunday, replacing Detroit's Justin
Verlander, who pitched Sunday. Pineda joins Seattle ace Felix
Hernandez and reliever Brandon League. But Hernandez won't play in
the All-Star game since he pitched Sunday against the Angels.

SILVERTON, Ore. (AP) - Firefighters called a second alarm for
help battling a house fire last night in Silverton. It took more
than 30 firefighters to control the fire that caused heavy damage
to the three-story house. The Silverton Fire District says five
residents got out safely and no one was hurt. Investigators say a
barbecue grill may have caused the fire.

ENTERPRISE, Ore. (AP) - Oregon fisheries managers say the large
snowpack in Eastern Oregon has made for high water and tough
fishing on the Wallowa and Imnaha rivers, so they're raising bag
limits for adult hatchery spring chinook salmon. The department
says anglers can keep up to four.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - It took about 50 Crater Lake National Park
rangers and others about six hours to complete a complex rescue of
a man who fell about 300 feet from the rim of the mountain into the
caldera. The park says the 27-year-old man from New York was with
friends yesterday when he went beyond a barrier onto a snow bank at
an outlook. The man was airlifted to Rogue Valley Medical Center in
Medford with serious injuries.

SEATTLE (AP) - The Seattle Storm's Sue Bird has been named the
WNBA Western Conference player of the week. The veteran guard
averaged 19 points and nearly seven assists in two games last week
- a loss at Indiana and win at home over Los Angeles. Bird is
averaging nearly 16 points and 6 assists a game. The Storm says
Bird stepped up her scoring in the absence of injured Lauren
Jackson.

DALLAS, Ore. (AP) - The Polk County sheriff's office says a
19-year-old Salem woman who was killed in a crash was not wearing a
seat belt. Adair Kapple was a passenger in a car that collided
head-on with another car last night on a rural road. The drivers
were not seriously injured.

HEPPNER, Ore. (AP) - Don't go in the water at the Willow Creek
Reservoir near Heppner. The Oregon Health Authority and Morrow
County Health Department say toxic blue - green algae has made the
water unsafe for swimming or boating. The East Oregonian reports
the algae toxin can cause numbness, dizziness and trouble
breathing.

SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero has been
voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North
American Soccer Reporters. Montero scored two goals to help Seattle
came from behind twice to beat the Timbers 3-2 on Sunday in
Portland. He also won player of the week awards in 2009 and 2010.
Seattle defender Jeff Parke won the award earlier this season.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

With the score tied at 2-all after five innings the Eugene Emeralds popped things open with three runs in the sixth, adding one more run in the seventh and coasted to a 6-2 win over the Yakima Bears last night at PK Park. The Emeralds are at 21-4 on the season, and have won three straight. They have today off for the All Star break and then will resume action tomorrow on the road against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters are scheduled for two games today at home… game one is at noon against the Corvallis Marketmen. Then at five they’ll face the semi-pro Alaska Gold Panners in an exhibition game. The second game is slated for air on Coast Radio Sports with a 4:45 airtime.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Mostly cloudy skies today with scattered showers and a high near 61 degrees…
Mostly cloudy overnight, a 40-percent chance of showers and a low around 52.
Tomorrow… mostly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of morning showers… Wednesday’s high near 60 degrees.

Mostly cloudy with patchy morning fog on Thursday, mostly cloudy Friday and then we’re looking at the possibility of partly sunny skies for the weekend.

The marine forecast is showing a west marine wind five knots today… Low tide was at 5:42… it’s incoming now and will be high at 12:14 this afternoon. (low 5:18PM).

Fishermen rescued - Mom wants mental health help for son - Volunteers sought for DuneFest

2011-07-11T13:11:00.001-07:00

Tuna Fishermen rescued near Florence…

After an extensive air search that lasted four days, two fishermen were rescued Friday morning by crews from the Siuslaw River Coast Guard Station. The men, 54-year old Jim Clayholt of Eugene, and his 23-year old son, Tom Clayholt of Marina, California left Astoria Monday morning on the 40-foot Dahlia looking for tuna. They slept on the boat Monday night, then awoke Tuesday morning to find their battery dead and no way to start their engine. The two were able to send a text message, saying they were adrift about 35-miles offshore Astoria and family members notified the The Coast Guard, who launched a search that included aircraft from Sacramento, California; North Bend and Astoria. The cutter Fir joined the search later in the week. The men made contact with searchers Friday morning about eight AM and a lifeboat from Siuslaw River Station was able to take them under two and bring them into the Port of Siuslaw. Neither men were injured and both were in good health after their 135-mile voyage.

The mother of the Florence man who has twice walked away from jail and twice been arrested, says police keep treating him as if he knows what he’s doing.
Farmer – “He’s recently been diagnosed bi-polar paranoid schizophrenic. I’ve given these guys every bit of information. They don’t want to recognize my son has mental health issues.”

Cindy Farmer says that’s why her son, 24-year old Keith Brown, struggled with officers last week, damaging a patrol car and injuring one officer. Because he doesn’t process information the way most people do, rather than submit, he tries to get away.
Farmer – “That’s where the damage to the new police car happened because they was slammed him into the car and that slammed his head into there and then they started pounding him in the head.”

She doesn’t deny that her son has used methamphetamine, and she says she’s tried to keep him from evading the law. Her main goal right now, though she says, is to get help.
Farmer – “I’m not stopping now, I’m so upset with what’s happening, It’s spiraled so out of control. It’s ridiculous ok?. It shouldn’t be like this.”

Brown is in the Lane County Jail where he faces a multitude of charges including unauthorized departure, parole violation, contempt of court, driving while suspended, possession of Methamphetamine, resisting arrest and two counts of assault on public safety officers.

The 14th edition of DuneFest is gearing up just outside of Winchester Bay in Western Douglas County and organizers have put the call out for additional volunteers. Organizer Joe Mirvis says the festival is aimed at off-road enthusiasts who like to ride the Oregon Dunes… but volunteers don’t need any sand experience.
Mirvis – We have several opportunities. Our registration booth is open 24 hours. And we look for volunteers to help man that booth, to greet the people that are coming into DuneFest, and to get them assigned with their camping and their wristbands from eight until ten at night.”

The five-day DuneFest runs August 3rd through the 7th and draws more than 8-thousand people for sand drag races; moto cross; poker runs; and manufacturer’s displays. Mirvis says there’s a lot going on and volunteers get free access.
Mirvis – “They get a t-shirt and they get a wrist band to come and experience DuneFest.”

Prospective volunteers can contact the Reedsport Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce for details.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska State Troopers say five people
survived after a small plane crashed at Alaska's Point MacKenzie,
causing minor injuries to one person. A troopers spokeswoman says
the pilot was taking four Oregon and Washington passengers back to
Anchorage from a lodge on Saturday when he had to make an emergency
landing after the engine of the Cessna 206 operated by Great
Northern Air cut out. The Anchorage Daily News says the plane
flipped when it hit the ground.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - The Lane County Sheriff's office says
one man was shot after fight erupted during a home invasion in
Springfield. KVAL reports that two men forced their way into a
residence early yesterday and fought with two people inside. Sgt.
Spence Slater says the suspects then fled the area on bicycles. He
says the 30-year-old man shot sustained life-threatening injuries.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 25-year-old Tigard man has been
sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty in a hit-and-run
crash. The Oregonian says Wesley Adam Lacambra pleaded guilty to
failing to perform the duties of a driver and driving under the
influence. Authorities say 19-year-old Andrea Munsterman of
Sherwood sustained minor injuries in the April crash.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - As it stands, groundbreaking for a new
Columbia River bridge between Oregon and Washington is not set to
begin for another 18 months. But six years since the project began,
both states have already spent $130 million without picking up a
shovel. The project spends about $60,000 a day. The project is a
50-50 venture between Oregon and Washington.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Alberto Callaspo hit a tiebreaking
two-run double in the eighth inning, Dan Haren pitched five-hit
ball before falling one out short of his second complete game in a
row, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2
yesterday. Seattle manager Eric Wedge was ejected during the third
inning. The Angels rolled into the All-Star break with their 14th
victory in 17 games.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - An 81-year-old Hillsboro man is
recovering from injuries suffered when he was pinned under the
bulldozer he was operating yesterday afternoon. Hillsboro Fire and
Rescue says firefighters dug underneath the bulldozer to rescue the
man. He was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover. His
bulldozer rolled off a 15-foot embankment.

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - A barge has broken away from its mooring
yesterday near The Dalles Dam and went aground in the Columbia
River east of the Hood River Bridge near Lyle, Wash. The Coast
Guard says the barge was recently inspected and is free of
hazardous material. There is no pollution threat. The barge has
been secured and the Coast Guard plans to have it towed away from
the navigation channel.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Medford man is suing a chain of car
dealerships over promotional texts. The Mail Tribune reports that
Dan McLaren filed a class action lawsuit in a Portland federal
court against Lithia Motors this past week. McLaren worked at
Lithia Motors for three years before departing in March. He alleges
that after his departure he tried to stop promotion texts, but that
those kept coming.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - For the second time in nine days, a
batter mistakenly walked on a three-ball count against the Seattle
Mariners. Angels designated hitter Bobby Abreu was allowed to take
first base after a 3-1 count in the third inning of Los Angeles'
game against the Mariners. Home plate umpire Gerry Davis apparently
lost track of the count, and the Seattle dugout didn't protest.
Cameron Maybin of San Diego took first on a 2-2 pitch July 2 and
eventually scored the only run in the Mariners' 1-0 loss.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police believe a man who died after
running from officers in Portland suffered a heart attack. The man
was riding in a car that was pulled over early yesterday because a
tail light wasn't working. He was wanted on a parole violation in a
drug case. Police say the man gave an officer false information and
took off, jumping over three fences. He gave up when he was
cornered behind a house and arrested without a struggle. He stopped
breathing in a police car and was taken to a hospital where he died
about two hours later.

CORBETT, Ore. (AP) -- Multnomah County fire officials say the
fire that damaged the historic View Point Inn at Corbett yesterday
was accidental. Chief Tom Layton says it was started on the roof by
sparks from the chimney. The inn overlooking the Columbia River
Gorge is a frequent wedding site and was featured in a "Twilight"
movie.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Fredy Montero scored two goals and Osvaldo
Alonso added another on a penalty kick to give the Seattle Sounders
FC a 3-2 victory over the Portland Timbers yesterday in the second
match between the Major League Soccer rivals. The teams played to a
1-1 draw at Qwest Field back in May when they met in the season's
first game of the so-called Cascadia Cup rivalry.

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Five games in three days… and the Three Rivers Sandblasters came away with just one win. Friday in Corvallis, the ‘Blasters split with the Marketmen, losing game one 6-1, then coming back in the nightcap for a 5-3 victory. Saturday, the Withnell Dodgers came to town and thoroughly dominated the Sandblasters with an 18-6 win. Yesterday, in two games in Florence, North Eugene contributed to the skid, defeating the Sandblasters in two games 8-3 and 13-8.

The Eugene Emeralds started the weekend with a loss… only their fourth of the season, 3-2 to the Yakima Bears, but came back and clinched a series win with two straight victories… 7-6; 8-1. The two teams wrap up their five game series in Eugene tonight… and have tomorrow off.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…
Mostly cloudy skies today with a chance of drizzle or rain this morning… then a slight chance of showers by this afternoon… today’s high near 60 degrees.
Mostly cloudy overnight tonight… with a 20-percent chance of showers… and a low around 53.
Tomorrow… mostly cloudy again, a 30-percent chance of showers with some patchy morning fog… and a high near 61.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers Wednesday, more of the same Thursday and Friday with cloudy skies likely through the weekend.

The marine forecast is showing a southwest marine wind five knots… becoming west overnight. High tide will be at 11:12 thi smorning… then low tide at 4:13 this afternoon.

Sheriff announces jail and patrol cuts - Comment period extended for dune trail closure plan

2011-07-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sheriff patrols… and jail beds… cut

Lane County Sheriff Tom Turner announced layoffs and jail bed closures yesterday that will cut the jail capacity by 20-percent, and eliminate 24 hour patrols. He was facing a need to immediately trim $3.2-million dollars from his department budget for the coming year. Turner is closing 84 jail beds and laying off employees in 52 positions. Most of those jobs were in the jail, but others were in the patrol division. The move will prevent him from staffing around-the-clock patrol coverage, but will also, says Turner, make his agency unable to respond to “any but the most serious property and financial crimes”. More crime victims will be in the position of ‘self-reporting’; filling out a form and mailing it to the Sheriff’s Office; rather than handing it directly to a responding Deputy. Turner said deputies still be able respond to emergency calls, but the reductions will likely increase the amount of time it takes. Turner’s announcement came in response to the budget approved last month by the Lane County Commission.

A July 8th deadline for comment on a controversial U.S. Forest Service plan that would likely limit access to off-road vehicle trails on the northern portion of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area has been extended for two weeks. That gives opponents more time for riders to let Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor Jerry Ingersoll know what they think about a plan that would close 64 of 103 miles through the sand. “Save the Riders Dunes” is a group of ATV and off-road riders circulating a petition asking Ingersoll to forego the closures. Already, says spokesperson Barb Rowland, they’ve collected at least 35-hundred signatures and the extra two weeks will allow push that number higher.
Rowland – “We’re asking to keep all 103 miles open, of trails. In return they are trying to give us 287 acres of open dunes. But that open dune is totally covered with beach grass and trees, and also scotch broom.”

The “Designated Routes Program”, says Forest Service officials, will help them manage the recreation area. Rowland says it will decrease rider safety and might harm the coastal economy.

Author, filmmaker and musician James Twyman will appear in concert next week at the Florence Events Center. Based in Southern Oregon, Twyman has been called the “peace troubadour” because of his message of peace through music and prayer. Twyman has performed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., the Pentagon and the United Nations. The concert will benefit the newly formed Homeless Coalition in Florence. The group hopes to expand a day-center providing services to area homeless residents. Tickets are $25 for general admission; $50 for reserved seating that also includes a VIP reception. Tickets can be purchased at the FEC Box Office.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) - The mother of an Oregon teen found slain
11 years ago has testified that the last time she saw her daughter,
the 15-year-old said she was going to take her mom's advice and
spend less time with her boyfriend. That boyfriend, now-29-year-old
Nicholas McGuffin, is on trial for first-degree murder in Leah
Freeman's death. Police had investigated McGuffin, but no charges
were filed until last year when a grand jury considering new
evidence

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (AP) - A fast-moving wildfire that raced
across about 3 square miles of a central Oregon Indian reservation
has burned two homes - one of them vacant - threatened dozens of
others and prompted the evacuation of two neighborhoods. Fire
information officer Juanita Majel says the Upper Dry Creek fire
broke out yesterday afternoon at a subdivision of the same name
located northwest of the town of Warm Springs on the Warm Springs
Reservation. The cause is not yet known.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
is positively giddy about the volume of returning Chinook salmon to
the Sandy River this summer. The department reports the salmon
returns are good and the fishing conditions excellent. There are
approximately 6,000 Chinook salmon expected to return to the river
basin this year, and 4,000 of those are hatchery fish.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say an elderly Port
Townsend, Wash., woman has died of injuries suffered in a
single-car rollover accident on Interstate 5 in southern Oregon.
Both 79-year-old Christine Holme and her 80-year-old husband Daniel
Holme were pulled from the wreckage yesterday by firefighters and
taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center, where she died after arrival.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Jered Weaver pitched a six-hitter for his
11th victory, and fellow All-Star selection Howie Kendrick extended
his hitting streak to 16 games with a run-scoring double in the Los
Angeles Angels' 11th win in 14 games, 5-1 over the Seattle Mariners
last night. Weaver tuned up for a possible start in the All-Star
game with his eighth career complete game and his fifth consecutive
win.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal bankruptcy judge in Portland has
approved plans for the Chapter 11 reorganization of Jesuit priests
in the Northwest. The Oregonian reports that paves the way for more
than 500 creditors to begin receiving payments this summer for past
sex abuse by Jesuit clergy. The Society of Jesus Oregon Province
oversees Catholic priests in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and
Alaska.

FOREST GROVE, Ore. (AP) - A mobile home park resident in a
Portland-area suburb set out to mow the grass last night and wound
up clipping a natural gas line - prompting a temporary evacuation
of 10 homes. The gas line was originally capped off and sticking up just a
few inches above the ground, but grass and weeds had hidden it from
view at the Rose Grove Mobile Home Park.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A former manager of a bank in Bend has
struck a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office and admitted he
funneled money out of customers' accounts to pay personal expenses.
The deal given 32-year-old Shawn Jewett of Medford includes eight
months in prison for a theft charge. Jewett took $91,000 out of
U.S. Bank customers' bank accounts between May 2008 and November
2009.

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Reedsport golfer Monica Vaughn hung on to win the 14th Oregon Junior Stroke Play Championship yesterday in Woodburn with a two-over-par 74 in the final round. That gave her an even-par over the 54 hole, three day tournament and secured her spot on the Junior America’s Cup team that will compete later this month.

Eugene Right Fielder Lee Orr homered for the third time in four games last night, lifting the Emeralds to a 6-3 win at home to open a five game series against the Yakima Bears. Orr’s 3-RBI home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning gave the Ems the lead for good, then he accounted for the final run of the game in the sixth after a lead-off double, advancing to third on a sacrifice and scoring on a wild pitch. The Emeralds and the Bears continue their series through the weekend at PK Park.

It’s a busy weekend for the Three Rivers Sandblasters who will play five games in three days… two of them are this evening in Corvallis, with game one of the double header against Richey’s Market airing on Coast Radio Sports at 3:45. A makeup game tomorrow afternoon against Withnell in Florence will also air on KCST at 2:45. Another double header, this one a non-league matchup against North Eugene, is set for Florence on Sunday afternoon at three. The pregame show here on Coast Radio Sports starts at 2:45.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

The forecast is showing a chance of drizzle this morning, along with mostly cloudy skies and gradual clearing through the day… mostly sunny by this afternoon with a high near 62 and a north northeast wind ten to 17 miles an hour gusting to 25.
Breezy conditions lasting into tonight, along with increasing clouds and some patchy fog late tonight… and an overnight low around 46.
For the weekend… mostly cloudy Saturday morning, with gradual clearing… then a chance of morning showers and cloudy skies on Sunday. Weekend highs near 63, lows in the upper 40s.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of morning drizzle on Monday and Tuesday, a chance of showers on Wednesday.

Small craft advisories will fly this afternoon and through late tonight for north marine winds 15 to 20 knots gusting to 25 knots. High tide… 7:05 this morning… low tide at 12:56 this afternoon.

A new type of computer scam; escapee arrested with a fight; Life is a cabaret old chum

2011-07-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Authorities say they’ve noted a new type of computer scam…

More than a dozen complaints about a new type of computer scam have been reported recently to the Oregon Department of Justice. Attorney General’s Spokesman Tony Green says computer owners get a phone call from someone purporting to be from their internet service provider, warning them about a possible scam.
Green – “Unfortunately they are in fact the scammer that they warn you against. And they want to do is get you to download software that will allow them remote access to your computer where they can steal your credit card numbers, your bank account numbers, in general cause you a lot of trouble.”

Green says at least one Lane County resident has fallen victim.
Green – “What they do is they talk you into it and they say, ‘here, come to our website, download this on your computer, that’ll protect you.’ In reality what you’re downloading is a virus.”

He said the best way for computer users to protect themselves is by following some simple guidelines. If you receive an unsolicited phone call or email claiming your computer is at risk, hang up or delete the mail. Make sure your computer has up to date anti-virus software. Green says ‘pop up’ ads also frequently carry malware or spyware and you should never provide any personal information through one.

A man who has walked away from the Florence jail twice in the past year is in custody once again, but not without a fight. Police had located 24-year old Keith Brown at a location just south of South Loftus Road on Highway 101 just after midnight Tuesday night. They served an arrest warrant, handcuffed Brown and were walking him to the car when he tried to break free. Brown was brought under control and forced into the back of the patrol car, but not before one officer suffered a minor knee injury. Police say the patrol car also sustained some minor damage. Brown had been wanted since he failed to return to the jail after a dental appointment in March. He was transported to the Lane County Jail where he faces several additional charges. The March ‘walk away’ isn’t the first time he’s escaped from custody… while serving time last year in the Florence jail he failed to return following a doctor’s appointment and was taken into custody a few weeks later.

The Last Resort Players, just off their recent run with Angry Housewives is now looking to stage a classic. Auditions will be held this weekend at the Florence United Methodist Church for Cabaret.
Lauria -- "It's about the rise of NAZI Germany and the people in the cabaret are trying to go on with life while ignoring the realities of what's going on around them."

Director David Lauria says he was attracted to Cabaret because of it’s technical challenges, and the dancing.
Lauria -- "There's six principal people in the cast, six principal singers, and of course we all know about Sally Bowles and the Master of Ceremonies, But there are also an American novelist that are actually the focus of the play."

Auditions will be at the Methodist Church, at 2nd and Kingwood, Saturday from ten to two, then again Monday evening from seven to nine pm.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

CANYONVILLE, Ore. (AP) - A spokesman for firefighters battling a
wildfire that charred 88 acres in southwestern Oregon says the fire
was fully contained by 6:00 last night. Douglas Forest Protective
Association spokesman Tom Fields says fire crews spent early
yesterday evening putting out so-called hot spots. No serious
injuries were reported. Beals Creek is about 25 miles southeast of
Roseburg.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Marion County judge has invalidated his own
execution warrant for an Oregon inmate after the state Supreme
Court demanded he show more proof of the inmate's mental
competence. The Oregon Supreme Court gave Judge Joseph Guimond a
choice: either defend his decision in arguments before the court,
or invalidate the death warrant and hold a competency hearing.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A 33-year-old woman is being held in
Oregon on attempted murder charges, awaiting extradition to Utah
where she's accused of spiking her roommate's peach smoothie with
antifreeze three years ago. Selena Irene York was arrested this
week in Eugene, Ore. Police say 78-year-old Ed Zurbuchen of Venal,
Utah, nearly died after York bought the smoothie from a nearby
store, dumped out half of it and poured in antifreeze before he
drank it. The man eventually recovered.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The case of the man who urinated in an
open-air reservoir in Portland has drawn attention, and the
government is taking action to cover such reservoirs. But Josh
Seater's actions last month that prompted the city to drain the
basin isn't the reason. The fear is that a terrorist could get a
toxic chemical into a reservoir and sicken people. Security was
improved after the Sept. 11 attacks and opinions about the extent
of the risk that remains are divided. Rules in place since 2006 are
putting an end to such open-air reservoirs.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Guillermo Moscoso allowed two hits in
seven innings and Scott Sizemore homered and drove in two runs to
help the Oakland Athletics salvage the finale of a three-game
series with a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners yesterday.
Sizemore homered in the second inning and added an RBI single in
the fifth against Jason Vargas to give Moscoso more than enough
support to win for the first time since May 29. Moscoso won his
first two starts before going 0-4 in June.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Seattle Mariners' struggling offense
is turning to hot-hitting young infielder Kyle Seager as a possible
solution. The Mariners selected the 23-year-old Seager from
Triple-A Tacoma yesterday following their 2-0 loss in Oakland.
Seager was a third-round pick of the Mariners in 2009 and sprinted
through the minors. The team designated catcher Jose Yepez for
assignment.

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a registered sex
offender posed as a woman to enter a women's locker room and hot
tub at the Clackamas Aquatic Park where he talked with children.
Clackamas County deputies say a chaperone spotted Thomas Lee Benson
and chased and held him Friday until deputies arrived. KGW reports
the 39-year-old Gresham man was convicted in 1994 for child sexual
abuse and was directed to have no contact with children.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Firefighters and a Marion County sheriff's
deputy responded to a smoke-filled home in Salem yesterday
afternoon and found a woman dead. The sheriff's office says there
was no one else in the home at the time. Neighbors told the
Statesman Journal a married couple lived in the rental home.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Authorities are looking for an Oregon
State Hospital patient who escaped custody yesterday while in
Portland for a visit to a pain clinic. Officials say Danny Stebbins
walked out of the clinic when the staff member watching him took a
restroom break. Stebbins was committed in 2008 after a robbery
conviction in Jackson County.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A 50-pound pit bull attacked and killed a
small dog in an unfenced back yard last night in Salem. Police say
the small dog's owner suffered a bite wound on her hand, trying to
save her pet. She said the pit bull ran into her back yard, bit the
small dog on the head and began shaking it. The pit bull was later
captured and taken to Marion County Dog Control. Officers went
door-to-door in the area but they did not find the owner.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Nine former students of a shuttered
boarding school in Central Oregon charge in a lawsuit that they
were deprived of sleep, water, food and medical care at a place
where parents paid more than $6,000 a month to straighten out
troubled teenagers. The $14 million suit filed Wednesday in state
court says one girl was forced to disclose to her classmates that
her father sexually abused her and to act out sexual propositions
with classmates and adult staff members.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Highway Patrol says a
motorcycle collided with a pickup truck turning left off of U.S.
Highway 2 in northwestern Montana, killing the two Oregon residents
on the motorcycle. The Missoulian newspaper reports 59-year-old
Randy Burningham and 55-year-old Brenda Burningham, both of Salem,
were killed in the Tuesday afternoon crash. The patrol is still
investigating the crash, including whether the signals on the truck
and trailer were working.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds 14-game winning streak came to an end last night at PK Park as the Vancouver Canadians downed the Ems 11-1. Four Canuck pitchers allowed only four hits and combined to strike out seven in a game that was close until the top of the sixth inning when Vancouver batted around and put seven runs on the board. The Emeralds will stay at home, they’ll host Yakima this evening in Eugene for the first of five.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Forecasters say there’s a slight chance of rain or drizzle early this morning… then a slight chance of showers this afternoon along with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 60 degrees. Expect a north northwest wind six to nine miles an hour increasing to between 14 and 17… with gusts as high as 25 miles an hour.
Tonight… mostly cloudy skies with a low around 49 degrees and a north northwest wind continuing at nine to 18 miles an hour gusting to 28.
Some patchy fog and a 20-percent chance of showers tomorrow morning… otherwise mostly sunny and a high near 62. that north northeast wind is expected between seven and 16 miles an hour gusting as high as 23.

For the weekend… morning patchy fog and partly sunny skies with highs in the mid 60s… lows in the upper 40s. A chance of drizzle and mostly cloudy skies to start the week off on Monday.

The marine forecast is showing a north marine wind 15 to 20 knots shifting to the northwest by this afternoon…

Fires on the 4th; Sea Turtle habitat; Our Town; and gas prices dip

2011-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Two blazes Monday found to be ‘man caused’

Firefighters dealt with a pair of fires on the Fourth of July, one causing damage to an Old Town home and filling it with smoke; the other ripping through a quarter acre of beach grass in just a few minutes. The first blaze was reported at 4:15 Monday afternoon when bystanders discovered and extinguished a small fire in a planter box outside a home at 264 Nopal Street. Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Sean Barrett said the fire had burned into the exterior wall of the home and broke a window, filling the home with smoke. Barrett said had it not been discovered, instead of only $500 in damage, it could have been much worse. The cause was determined to be a discarded cigarette. Later in the evening, just after the public fireworks display got under way on the Siuslaw River, firefighters were dispatched to the beach just south of Driftwood Shores for a fast moving blaze in dry beach grass. Barrett said the fire was only about 20-by-20 feet when the first engine arrived, but quickly tripled in size. It eventually consumed approximately a quarter-acre. An investigation yesterday morning determined the cause of the fire to be improper use of legal fireworks. It’s surprising how fast fires can start and spread in the dry beach grass Barrett said, calling the combination of strong north winds and fine, dry fuels as “explosive”. Barrett said those responsible for Monday night’s blaze could be held accountable for the cost of fighting the blaze… in this case, several engines and 14 firefighters spent about an hour mopping up. Fines can also be assessed… and in some cases even jail time.

Conservation groups and federal fisheries managers have settled a lawsuit seeking to spur the government to finalize its plan for creating a large protection zone for endangered leatherback sea turtles off the U.S. Pacific coast. The settlement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court requires the National Marine Fisheries Service to finalize its critical habitat plans for the turtles by November 15. The Center for Biological Diversity and other groups sued after the service missed a deadline to designate 70,600 square miles off the coast of the western U.S. as a safe zone. The large turtles have an immense range, swimming from Indonesia, where they lay eggs, to U.S. waters where they feed on jellyfish. The newly protected areas are meant to protect their migratory routes and food supply.

Prices at the pump dropped slightly in Oregon and Florence in the past week, while the national average, as measured by Triple-A, moved slightly higher. The local average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline fell by two cents this week, it’s at $3.65. Oregon’s average price fell by three cents, but is still a dime higher at $3.75 a gallon. Meanwhile, the national average price went up a penny… and is now at $3.55 a gallon.

Surfing elephants; folk music; an unsolved murder; and the power of one 11 year old girl, those are the main topics on this afternoon’s Our Town on KCST. James Roddey has been called the Prophet of Doom because of his passion for warning Oregonians about the risk of a strong earthquake and the need to be prepared. He’s in the middle of a three-city coastal sweep this week bringing that message and will start off this afternoon’s show at 4:05 with some simple tips on how to get ready. Carl Allen is one part of the folk-duo The Wanderers. He’s also considered to be an expert on Woody Guthrie and the 30-days he spent in Portland writing songs about the Bonneville Power Administration… 75 years ago this past spring. Some of those songs had never been performed publicly until just recently. Later in the program, Oregon Author Rick Steber will talk about one of the few unsolved murders in Oregon… the 1994 shooting death of cowboy Phil Brooks in the Ochoco Mountains of Central Oregon. Wrapping up the program will be 11-year old Kaylee Graham and her mother, Shannon. Kaylee has been promoting a day… July 16th… for doing something for someone else… it’s called the Power of Florence. You can call in and tell what you’re planning on doing, or just get a suggestion. Our Town is on KCST from four to six pm this afternoon.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon man has been arrested on charges
of threatening to kill President Barack Obama and his family.
Forty-five-year-old Darryl James Swanson of Portland made his first
court appearance yesterday and was detained for a mental health
evaluation. He did not enter a plea. The Secret Service arrested
him Friday in connection with the threats. Court documents show
Swanson admitted calling The Associated Press on May 2 and leaving
a message threatening Obama.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted a 17-year-old on
aggravated murder, assault and theft charges in the Oregon coast
death of a suburban Portland man. The Oregonian reports that a
Lincoln County panel brought the new charges yesterday against
Joseph Marsala, also of the Portland area. He is held on $2 million
bail in last month's death of 49-year-old Darrin Dow of Tigard.

NEHALEM, Ore. (AP) - Tillamook County sheriff's officers say a
nearly year-old Oregon City boy was fatally mauled by his family
dog while he and his parents were visiting relatives over the
Fourth of July weekend in the north coast town of Nehalem. James
and Michele Naglee had brought their young son, Michael, and their
135-pound American Bulldog named Duncan to visit James Naglee's
parents. A grandparent placed the boy on the floor and the bulldog lunged at him.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A Deschutes (duh-SHOOTS') County sheriff's
spokesman says a 17-year-old boy who had just reached the summit of
Oregon's South Sister peak with several other juveniles and two
adults wandered off trail and fell 20 feet into a crevasse during
the descent. Deputy Rhett Hemphill says the youth was able to crawl
out on his own yesterday and had only minor injuries.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - A Tigard man accused of killing an
11-week-old son has pleaded not guilty to murder by abuse. Kaliq
Mansor was arrested June 24 and indicted last week in the June 13
death of the boy. The Oregonian reports detectives investigated
after St. Vincent Medical Center reported injuries to the baby. The
sheriff's office says the baby's twin brother was taken into state
custody.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 21-year-old Portland man has received an
18-year prison sentence for the beating death of his baby son.
Gabriel Phelps pleaded guilty to manslaughter in an agreement with
Multnomah County prosecutors. Phelps was caring for the newborn
while his wife was at work last year when the baby was fatally
injured. He told police he noticed the baby was having trouble
breathing. He later admitted hitting the baby in the stomach.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Franklin Gutierrez scored the go-ahead
run on a throwing error by Athletics shortstop Cliff Pennington in
the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners held on to beat Oakland
4-2 last night after wasting a stellar performance by All-Star
Felix Hernandez. Brandon League got the win despite blowing a save
opportunity in the ninth. Kurt Suzuki homered for the A's.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - Former University of Oregon quarterback
Nate Costa has been sworn in as a Springfield police officer, which
he calls his "dream job." Near the end of his football career
with the Ducks, Costa began job-shadowing Springfield detectives.
He has completed a yearlong internship with the department and was
sworn in yesterday.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Salem city council is facing a numbers
problem: Its West Salem district grew too fast, and now has more
people than the other seven wards. The Salem Journal Statesman
reports the solution could be to cut a portion of the West Salem
ward and put it in another district. That could pose problems when
a district is in parts of two counties. The city's urban planning
manager tells the newspaper the process is still preliminary and
the city is not yet "drawing lines on a map."

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - A former Albany resident is suing a family
counselor and accusing him of planting false memories during
counseling sessions. The Albany Democrat-Herald reports the suit
seeks $1.5 million in relief for Stephan Skotko, who sued counselor
Marion Knox and his wife in August. Skotko says in the suit that
Knox coaxed him and his children to recall sexual abuse that Skotko
says never happened.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A former Lane Community College student has
sued the college over a pothole. Carla Redding is disabled with a
bone disease and had a handicapped parking space. She says she was
walking next to her car in July 2009 when she tripped on a pothole
about 6-inches wide and 1-inch deep. The Register Guard reports she
suffered a concussion and other injuries that cost her nearly
$14,000 in medical bills. The lawsuit seeks compensation and
damages totaling more than $375,000. College officials had no
comment.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Jessica Davenport had 15 points, seven
rebounds and four blocks to lead the Indiana Fever over the Seattle
Storm 78-61 last night. Tamika Catchings added 11 points, six
rebounds and four steals for the Fever, who won their fifth game in
a row. Indiana's Shannon Bobbitt and Shavonte Zellous had eight
points each. Sue Bird scored 21 and Swin Cash had 13 for the Storm.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Three Rivers Sandblasters shook off the doldrums at the plate last night and shot through the Mid Valley Rockets, sweeping both halves of a double-header in Albany. Jake Thompson and Ryan Smith were each three-for-five at the plate; Nic Canaday was two-for-three with three RBI; Logan Goins was also two-for-three but had four RBI as the ‘Blasters cruised to a 17-3 win in game one. In the nightcap, Three Rivers scored 20 runs on 21 hits in a 20-9 victory. Smith added three doubles to his box score… Goins was four-for-five.

Call it number 14 for the Eugene Emeralds… The Ems put up 15 hits last night in a 9-3 win at home over the Vancouver Canadians to keep their win streak alive. Jace Peterson was three-for-five at the plate with two RBI, Kyle Gaedaele was three-for four with one RBI. The two teams wrap up their six-game split series tonight in Eugene…

07-06-19 7.8.9 AM; Noon; 5,6 PM
RBS

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Partly sunny today after patchy morning fog and a high near 65. A light wind becoming north between 15 and 18 miles an hour… with some gusts to 25 miles an hour.
Mostly cloudy tonight… patchy fog late… and a low around 52. North northwest wind 15 to 18 miles an hour decreasing to between five and eight miles an hour.
There’s a 30-percent chance of rain or drizzle by midday tomorrow… some patchy fog early, otherwise mostly cloudy with a high neaer 62.

Partly sunny skies on Friday, more of the same through the weekend…

Small craft advisories are in effect through late tonight for north marine winds 20 to 25 knots… gusting to 30 knots by tonight. The tide is outgoing, it’ll be low at 11:20 this morning. High tide at 5:50 this evening.

Council gets back to work - County suspends eco dev grant program - Roddy Road Show - Lincoln City abduction

2011-07-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

City Council gets back to work…

The Florence City Council has several items on their agenda for tonight’s meeting, including a land swap; new regulations concerning bicycles and motorized wheelchairs; and a ‘cleanup’ of the open burning prohibition. They’ll conduct a public hearing on a proposed land swap with the Parkinson Living Trust, which currently possesses a building lot just south of the airport. It’s in an area zoned “Public Use Airport” and that’s contributed to the inability to sell the property says realtor Jim Hoberg. He initially asked the city to consider changing the zoning, but instead, city officials have offered to trade it for one of two publicly owned parcels in the Rhodo-View Dunes gated subdivision near Munsel Lake Road. The city has owned those for several years and pays homeowners association dues on the land each year. City Manager Bob Willoughby says that would be much simpler than pursuing a possible zone change. Also up for action, revisions to the city code provisions regulating use of motorized wheel chairs and bicycles on city rights of way. The council will also consider changes to the open burning ordinance to clean up language. Also up for consideration: a temporary street closure request to facilitate the annual Rods and Rhodies classic car show scheduled for September. Florence City Council meets this evening, seven pm at City Hall.

The Lane County office that helps support job growth has suspended a key program amid an investigation into questionable activities. The Lane County Community and Economic Development Department says a grant program that has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to growing businesses will be shut down for as long as 12-months. A new department official, interim Economic Development Coordinator Glenda Poling, says spending had gone unchecked in a division that saw the resignation of its manager in April. The department administers Oregon Lottery funds that are distributed to counties for job creation. The program recently awarded a $100-thousand grant to Quality Child Care of Florence for a community child care facility.

Police in Lincoln City are looking for a man they say abducted an 18-year old woman at knifepoint Sunday afternoon. The woman’s name has not been released, but she was able to escape after being driven a mile east of Lincoln City. She was able to run away and call for help, but did suffer some ‘non-life threatening’ knife wounds in the process. Police say she was kidnapped from the parking lot at the Tanger Factory Outlet Center about 4:30 in the afternoon. They also say the man, who is described only as missing several teeth, may have been involved in an attempted abduction of two women earlier in the day.

He’s been called the Prophet of Doom because of the message that he repeats at every available opportunity about getting ready for the “big one”. James Roddey, award winning author and educator, is the Earth Sciences Information Officer with the Oregon Department of Geology. His message: get ready for a possible devastating earthquake and tsunami along the Oregon Coast. He’s teamed up with several partners to bring his message of preparedness to three central coast communities this week. Roddey and the Earthquake Road Show will be at the Yachats Commons this evening at 6:30; the Florence Events Center tomorrow at seven; then the Pacific Auditorium in Reedsport Thursday at 6:30. Roddey will also be on tomorrow afternoon’s July edition of KCST’s Our Town, airing from four to six pm.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The federal lands office has proposed using
high-powered toxic chemicals to kill acres of weeds in Eugene. The
BLM hasn't used herbicides in the Eugene area since a conservation
group's 1984 lawsuit spurred a court injunction that stopped the
practice. But the Eugene Register-Guard reports the bureau has
finalized an environmental-impact study and weed management plan,
and is inviting public comment. Conservation groups oppose the use
of any herbicides.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Fire Department investigators say illegal
fireworks are to blame for a 2-alarm fire in northeast Portland
that caused $100,000 damage to a building housing two businesses.
No one was injured in the fire last night that started when
fireworks landed on the roof. The Oregonian reports the fire caused
extensive damage to a coffee shop and a restaurant.

GASTON, Ore. (AP) - A borrowed barbecue is blamed for starting a
fire that destroyed a Yamhill County home where a church group
planned a Fourth of July picnic for at-risk kids. Fire officials
say the barbecue ignited the siding of the house between Gaston and
Yamhill. The family tried to put it out with a garden hose, but the
flames spread quickly and the house was destroyed. No one was
injured.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Searchers have found the body of an
Oregon-based firefighter who failed to show up at an out-of-state
blaze last week. The Oregonian reports that 32-year-old Steven
Dickerson, a U.S. Forest Service firefighter, was found dead Sunday
northeast of Oakridge in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon.
His body was found after a three-day search.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Dry grass and brush burned east of Bend and
north of Terrebonne on a busy of Fourth of July for central Oregon
firefighters. KTVZ reports a slash-pile burn got out of control and
burned across a field east of Bend. Neighbors slowed it down before
firefighters arrived. Later, four small fires broke out along a
four-mile stretch of Highway 97 north of Terrebonne. They may have
been started by a car with mechanical problems. The largest fire
burned about 12 acres before it was controlled by Jefferson County
firefighters.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Michael Pineda and three relievers
combined on a three-hitter and Josh Bard hit his first home run of
the season to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 2-1 victory over the
Oakland Athletics yesterday. Justin Smoak added a tiebreaking RBI
double in the seventh inning for Seattle, which opened a key
seven-game road trip against division rivals with its third win in
four games.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 20-year-old Bremerton, Wash., man
remains in fair condition, days after a Portland, Ore., police
officer who believed his gun was loaded with beanbags shot the man
with live rounds. The Oregonian newspaper reported yesterday that
William Monroe has been upgraded to fair condition at a Portland
hospital after being critically injured last Thursday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Investigators say a fire early yesterday
morning at a Portland church was deliberately set. The arson fire
at Sekhet-Maat Lodge caused about $6,000 in damage. Investigators
have not yet identified suspects.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - When firefighters responded to a
Beaverton house fire last night they found two vehicles burning in
the driveway and the front of the home in flames. The fire
department says the home was lost but firefighters prevented flames
from spreading to a neighboring home. No one was injured in the
fire. The cause remains under investigation but fireworks were
being discharged in the area.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Swin Cash scored 19 points and Sue Bird added
17 as the Seattle Storm won in Washington for the first time since
2006, topping the Mystics 73-63 on Sunday. Tanisha Wright also
scored 17 points for the Storm, who took the lead for good late in
the first quarter and were ahead 35-26 at halftime. Seattle
improved to 5-3 on the season while the Mystics fell to 2-6
overall.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds extended their win streak to 13 last night with a 7-3 win at home over the Vancouver Canadians. The Ems put up six hits on one Error and improved their overall record to 16-and-2 on the year. Vancouver will be in Eugene again tonight and tomorrow… then the Ems will play host to Yakima through the weekend for a five game series.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters will be on the diamond today for two games in Albany against the Mid Valley Rockets.

Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Sunny skies today and a high near 65 degrees. A light wind early, becoming north 17 to 20 miles an hour and gusting as high as 28.
Mostly cloudy overnight… a low around 53… and some patchy fog after 11. That north northwest wind 15 to 18 miles an hour decreasing to between five and eight…
Partly sunny tomorrow after some patchy morning fog… and a high near 64.

Mostly cloudy Thursday with a chance of rain or drizzle… partly sunny Friday and through the weekend.

Small Craft Advisories are posted through late tonight for north marine winds 15 to 20 knots rising to 20 to 25 knots this afternoon… and continuing through this evening. The tide is outgoing, it’ll be low at 10:37… high tide at 5:07 this evening.

All men are created equal... free to explore coastal trails... celebrate with illumination...

2011-07-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

We hold these truths to be self evident… all men are created equal.

John Adams said July Second would likely be celebrated by succeeding generations as Independence Day; that Americans would – quote – “solemnize the day with pomp and parade; shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illumination” He was correct on how we would spend the day… but was off by 48 hours. Of course we all recognize July 4th now as Independence Day… the anniversary of the day the document was officially adopted by the Continental Congress. It was two days earlier that the congress voted 12-nothing to approve the final wording. Then the signatures were affixed throughout the summer of that year before it was sent on to King George in the fall. The 13th colony to vote for approval of the Declaration was New York… that state’s representative actually abstained from voting July 2nd because New York hadn’t voted to join the independence movement yet. They did that on July 19th . Oh, one other thing… there’s no historical proof that John Hancock justified his bold signature by saying he wanted to make it large enough for King George to read it without his spectacles. It has been suggested that his signature is the largest because he was the president of Congress.

Have you had a hankering to get out and explore some of the coastal trails, but you’ve never done it before and may be just a little timid about it? Beginning tomorrow afternoon, and continuing every Tuesday at one pm through the end of August the Cape Perpetua Scenic area is offering “EcoTreks”; guided hikes along the area’s trails. Field ranger Carol Daviscourt says it’s a “more in-depth nature experience” than just hiking alone and can open up whole new dimensions of exploration in the coastal rain forest. All of the hikes are about two hours in length and are of easy to moderate difficulty. Tomorrow’s destination, the Giant Spruce Trail… about two miles. It was closed for much of last year…
Daviscourt-- "It was actually closed off for several months this last year, going right on through February, I think, of this year. However, it is entirely open now."

Daviscourt says the main topic of tomorrow’s hike will be Ethnobotany… an indepth discussion of how the native people along the coast lived off the plants of the forest. There’s no cost for the EkoTreks themselves, but visitors to the center do need a valid federal recreation pass.

Looking for something to do tonight… well the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating the Independence Holiday with the traditional fireworks display fired from a barge in the middle of the Siuslaw River. HDB Marine provides the use of the barge, along with the crew to position it just offshore of the Port of Siuslaw Marina. The show will be preceded by two hours of patriotic music beginning at eight pm on KCST. The display itself will also be accompanied by the music… that gets underway at ten.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The state is closing
a stretch of the Willamette River for the summer because the area
of the Interstate 5 bridge is too dangerous for boaters. The river
is flowing faster than usual and debris is getting caught on
temporary pilings. Officials say it's dangerous even for boaters
familiar with the river, let alone novices.

SEATTLE (AP) - Many conservationists welcome the return of gray
wolves into the Pacific Northwest, but ranchers want to shoot them
if they harm their livestock. The conflicts that marked wolf
debates in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are now focused on the
animals that have moved to Oregon and Washington. Wildlife
officials are working on management plans to try to resolve heated
feelings.

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (AP) - Jeff Mellinger didn't join the Army
willingly, but he's grateful he found his calling. The command
sergeant major received a draft notice at his Eugene, Ore., home 39
years ago to fight the Vietnam War, and the Army believes he's now
the last draftee to retire. Most did their two years and left, but
Mellinger says he loves being a soldier.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - The 25-year-old Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area Act appears to have largely succeeded in
containing sprawl. More houses have been built, but spectacular
Gorge vistas remain largely pristine, and new commercial and
industrial development is concentrated in the 13 urban areas
designated for economic growth.

SEATTLE (AP) - Manager Eric Wedge made a point of calling his
Seattle Mariners together yesterday morning to apologize for not
catching a mistake in the count that helped cost his team a game.
San Diego's Cameron Maybin drew a walk Saturday night on what
really was a 2-2 pitch. The count on the stadium scoreboard read
3-2 when Doug Fister's pitch missed high. Maybin eventually scored
the only run in San Diego's 1-0 win.

SEATTLE (AP) - Blake Beavan pitched seven impressive innings of
one-run ball in his major league debut, Ichiro Suzuki had two hits
and scored twice and the Seattle Mariners beat the San Diego Padres
3-1 yesterday. Seattle took five of six against San Diego in
interleague play and the Mariners pitching staff was at their best
versus the Padres.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - When Oregon lawmakers return to the Capitol
in February, they'll have to pick up the cans they kicked down the
road. They face tough decisions on the major education and health
care changes that they halfway adopted this year. And they'll have
to do it in just 35 days while also keeping at least one eye on the
November election. Lawmakers adjourned the 2011 legislative session
after making mostly modest changes to state law.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - A 28-year-old Grand Ronde woman has begun
serving a four-month sentence on charges filed after she drove her
SUV with three children into a creek. In November 2009, rescuers
pulled Amber Gandy and her youngsters aged 3, 2 and 6 months from
Widow Creek east of Lincoln City. The Oregonian newspaper reported
that an hour after the crash, blood alcohol test results were three
times the legal limit.

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) - In Eastern Oregon, bicyclists in
Pendleton report they're getting dive-bombed.
It's a male hawk, they say, who's guarding a nest in an old
cottonwood tree. And the bicyclists are getting too close for his
comfort.
One rider tells the East Oregonian the bird came in from behind
like a fighter plane and whacked his helmet. Another, also hit on
the helmet, said it felt like a baseball bat.
The raptor is identified as a Swainson's hawk. The riders say
he's been vigilant for a few nesting seasons, but not so aggressive
as this year.
Birders say the hawk will ease up on the bicyclists once the
brood his mate has hatched learns to fly.

UNDATED (AP) - The owner of a Texas-based scouting service tells
Yahoo! Sports that Oregon coach Chip Kelly personally approved a
$25,000 payment to him that's the focus of an NCAA investigation.
The payment to Will Lyles in February 2010 has been questioned
because of his relationship with running backs Lache Seastrunk and
LaMichael James. Lyles was paid soon after Seastrunk signed a
letter of intent. The school maintains it has done nothing wrong.

Looking at Coast Radio Sports…
The Three Rivers Sandblasters broke an extended losing streak in the bottom half of a non-league double header against the Nuggets in Grants Pass yesterday. Grants Pass came out on top 11-4 in the opener… then in the nightcap the ‘Blasters jumped out to an early 17-nothing start… and ended up winning 19-11. Tristan Metcalf had a homerun in game one, then went 3-for-4 at the plate in game two.

The steak has been extended for the Eugene Emeralds… they won their 12th straight yesterday afternoon, but it took them 12 innings to do it, tying the Vancouver Canadians in the 9th inning then picking up four runs in the top of the 12th for a 6-2 win. The Ems started the Vancouver road trip with a 5-2 win Friday night; then won again 10-8 Saturday. The two teams are in Eugene tonight where they’ll play the first of three at PK Park.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Some patchy fog early this morning, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 65 degrees… look for a north northwest wind seven to ten miles an hour increasing to between 17 and 20… and gusting as high as 26.
For tonight… mostly clear skies with a low around 50 degrees… expect some patches of fog after 11 pm. The north northwest wind eight to 19 miles an hour gusting as high as 25.
Patchy fog early tomorrow… otherwise sunny and a high near 64.

Looking down the week… mostly sunny Wednesday, a slight chance or rain or drizzle Thursday, then partly sunny for next weekend again.

The marine forecast shows a north marine wind 15 to 20 knots gusting to 25 knots today. Low tide… a minus 1.1… at 9:57 this morning. High tide at 4:27.

Plenty of things to do this weekend; a list of fireworks displays; personal fireworks prohibition literally changes atmosphere

2011-07-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Don’t tell me there’s nothing to do….

It’s the eve of the Fourth of July weekend on the Central Oregon Coast and as always, there are plenty of things to do to stay busy. Tomorrow morning will be the third annual “Wings and Wheels” at the Florence Municipal Airport. Lion’s Club organizers say if the weather holds, dozens of aircraft from outside the area are expected to converge on Florence. They’ll join up with as many as 300 classic and collectible cars from inside the area. The show opens to the public at ten AM, there’s a $2 per car charge for parking. On Monday, there are several activities planned for Old Town Florence… at one will be the 14th annual Kiwanis Duck Race on the river. This year around two-thousand rubber ducks will be competing on behalf of ticket-holders. At the same time down the street at the gazebo, the 4th of July watermelon eating contest will be going on. The entire weekend will be capped with a public fireworks display organized by the Chamber of Commerce… that traditionally begins at ten.

If one fireworks display on the Siuslaw River isn’t enough for you, or you can’t be in Florence Monday night, there are plenty of other options. Sunday evening, the 3rd, there are at least three fireworks displays to choose from. They’ll be lighting up the sky over Boiler Bay just south of Depoe Bay; a little closer, in Waldport there’ll be a display; and in North Bend, the Mill Casino will offer fireworks. On the Fourth, in addition to the Florence display there’ll be fireworks in Newport, Yachats, Winchester Bay, Coos Bay and Bandon. There’ll also be Fireworks at PK Park in Eugene following the Emeralds game.

Last year’s prohibition of personal fireworks on public property in Old Town Florence literally changed the atmosphere for the Independence Day Holiday. Port of Siuslaw Manager Mark Freeman says the Boardwalk was not only a more ‘family friendly’ and safer area; but the public display was actually easier to see without all the smoke rising from the shore. Freeman wanted to remind visitors to Old Town Florence that personal fireworks are prohibited in the Port parking lots and along the boardwalk.

The Oregon Legislature has finished its work for the year. The House and Senate simultaneously adjourned the 2011 legislative session just before 3 p.m. Thursday. They capped a five-month marathon marked by tough budget choices and substantial overhauls of education and health care. The adjournment came moments after lawmakers approved the final bills, including remaining pieces of the budget and a congressional redistricting plan. The 150-day session is the shortest since 1969. Lawmakers voted to crack down on child prostitution. They updated the bottle deposit system. But not everyone's goals made it through. Environmentalists lost out on their efforts to ban bisphenol-A from baby bottles and to prohibit plastic grocery bags. Immigrant-rights activists couldn't get a House vote on allowing some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Democrats in the Oregon House have ousted
Dave Hunt of Gladstone as their leader. House Democrats chose Tina
Kotek of Portland as their new leader yesterday, hours after the
Legislature adjourned its 2011 session. Hunt was the House Speaker
in the 2009 legislative session and helped push major initiatives
through the Legislature. The outgoing leader declined to comment.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say an officer who thought
he was firing beanbag shotgun rounds mistakenly hit a man with real
ammunition. Lt. Robert King says the man was hit in the hip
yesterday by five shotgun pellets. He was taken to a hospital for
treatment of non-life-threatening wounds. King says such a mistake
has never happened before. The officer has been put on paid leave.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A 19-year-old hit-and-run driver who killed a
Salem pedestrian in January has been sentenced to five years in
prison. Jake Montano was texting as he drove and struck 37-year-old
Morales Singer. A defense attorney says Montano got scared and
fled. Singer died at the scene. Montano turned himself in about a
week later. He asked for forgiveness at his sentencing yesterday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Federal biologists have released the first
of more than 1,000 bull trout into Oregon's upper Clackamas River.
It's the start of a 20-year effort to reintroduce the threatened
fish nearly 50 years after they disappeared due to overfishing,
habitat degradation and fish passage barriers.

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Western state governors dealt with
difficulties in building transmission lines to get the West's
abundant power generation resources to the rest of the nation at a
meeting yesterday in Coeur d'Alene (kohr duh-LAYN'), Idaho. Montana
Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer said "We've got to do something
to get transmission lines built in this country." He said major
barriers include getting permits to build on government lands and
public opposition to power lines in residential areas.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Commissioner Larry Scott will finally see
his vision realized. Or at least the first part of it. A year after
rocking the college sports world with expansion plans, Scott will
today officially welcome new members Colorado and Utah to the new
Pac-12 Conference. The two schools join Oregon, Oregon State,
Washington and Washington State and six others in making up the
Pac-12.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A man convicted of choking a Eugene woman
unconscious has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Dustin Fletcher pleaded guilty to attempted murder and four other charges in a deal with prosecutors. The woman said she broke up with Fletcher in 2008 when he went to prison for attempted robbery. She tried to help him after he was released in February and sometimes allowed him to stay at her
apartment. She was attacked on April 17 after she rejected
a sexual advance.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Department of Agriculture is
dropping its energy and climate change program just as more and
more farmers are turning to alternative energy projects to reduce costs, or even earn money. The Oregonian reports that budget cuts led to the decision. The program helped farmers develop projects ranging from more efficient
irrigation systems to bio-digesters that convert cow manure gas into electricity.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - The Washington County sheriff's office
says DNA evidence led to the arrest of a contractor on arson
charges for a fire at a home under construction. Deputies say the homeowner claimed that work performed by contractor William Bunch was not done correctly, and the dispute went to arbitration. The homeowner's son was sleeping at the home at the time someone tried to burn it down. A DNA sample from Bunch matched DNA evidence at the scene.

BANDON, Ore. (AP) - Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods,
has advanced to the quarterfinals in the Women's U.S. Amateur
Public Links, winning two matches yesterday at Bandon Dunes' Bandon
Trails course in Bandon, Ore. Woods beat 14-year-old Bethany Wu of
Diamond Bar, Calif., 2-up in Round 2, and routed 19-year-old Alex
Stewart of Peoria, Ariz., 8 and 7 in the third.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 25-year-old Portland woman faces up to
30 years in prison when she is sentenced for her role in the armed,
takeover-style robberies of two banks. Pamela McGowan pleaded
guilty yesterday to conspiracy and robbery charges. Federal
prosecutors say she purchased getaway cars, bought body armor and
drove two men who carried out robberies in September and October
that netted more than $22,000.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Former quarterback Joey Harrington of Oregon
has been inducted into the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame. Harrington
and the Ducks defeated Texas 35-30 in the 2000 Holiday Bowl.
Harrington threw for 273 yards and two TDs, ran for a score and
caught a touchdown pass. Harrington played seven years in the NFL.
He now works as a radio analyst for Fox Sports in Portland, Ore.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The skid continues for the Three Rivers Sandblasters. They fell on the road last night in Salem to the Post 9 Highwaymen 11-3. It was their fifth straight loss. The ‘Blasters managed six hits; three of those for Centerfielder Tristan Metcalf who was three-for-four at the plate. They’ll be back on the diamond Sunday in Grants Pass for a double-header against the Nuggets… The first game will air on Coast Radio Sports beginning at 2:45.

The Eugene Emeralds extended their win streak to nine last night with a 6-3 victory at home over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. The win also clinched the Ems third straight three-game series sweep. They begin a six-game split series tonight in Vancouver, BC against the Canadians. After wrapping up the international portion of the series Sunday, the two teams will be in Eugene beginning Monday for the final three games.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast

Some patchy fog in areas this morning, otherwise mostly sunny with a high near 63 today… along with a north northwest wind six to nine miles an hour increasing to 14 to 17… winds could gust to 30 miles an hour by this afternoon.
Partly cloudy overnight, some patchy fog after 11, and a low around 48. North northwest wind nine to 17 miles an hour gusting to 30.

For the weekend… mostly sunny and gusty north northwest wind tomorrow… a chance of early morning showers Sunday… then mostly cloudy skies. Back to mostly sunny on the Fourth of July. Weekend highs in the lower to mid 60s… lows in the upper 40s.

Mostly sunny Tuesday and through the middle part of the week…

Small craft advisories are posted from two this afternoon through late tonight for northeast marine wind ten to 15 knots becoming north at 15 to 20 knots and gusting to 25. Low tide… 8:02. High tide at 2:33 this afternoon.

QCCF set to proceed - Fire on bridge disrupts travel plans - Go Coastal with Cape Perpetua

2011-06-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Quality Child Care ready to take the plunge…

Another long term project in the Florence area appears to be close to fruition. The board of Quality Child Care of Florence is set to meet tonight. When they get together, the main topic will be laying out a time schedule for completion of the center that’s been in the works for nearly three years.
Alberty -- "It's really cool. It's such a dream, and I am so thrilled, I can't even tell you. I just still think about my little kids. And now the babies are going to have an option… the moms… and the dads are going to have an option. I'm so excited."

Jenny Alberty (AL-berd-ee), the Vice President of QCCF says she was excited and nearly cried last month when she learned they had won a second grant worth $100,000 that will enable them to proceed with a modular building. The grant, from the Meyer Memorial Trust, will be paired with another $100,000 in video lottery funds they’re getting from Lane County… and $78-thousand raised locally. That’s about $70-thousand short of thir original goal, but Alberty says they believe they have enough to make it work. When completed, they’ll have space for between 28 and 48 children and will provide a handful of jobs.
Alberty -- "I think, you know, to start, it will be conservative, but I think it could potentially have, you know, four to eight employees so it's just is going to depend on our… how many children."

The non-profit center will rely on volunteers as well. They already have preliminary approval to place the center next to the middle school and hope to be up and running by the end of this year.

Nobody was injured, but a complete restoration of a 1979 Volkswagen Bus went up in smoke last night. Battalion Chief John Carnahan with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue said the four adult occupants and three dogs in the van got out safely, but the van was destroyed by a fire that started in the engine compartment. The four, all from the Midwest, were headed to Washington along Highway 101 and had just started across the Siuslaw River Bridge a few minutes before nine pm when the flames appeared in the rear view mirror. Fire crews had to deal with a fairly rare challenge… they couldn’t use water on the magnesium engine block, and had to allow it to burn itself out. Traffic was halted for just over an hour while fire crews finished their work and the Oregon Department of Transportation checked to make sure there was no damage to the span. A local motel, the Lighthouse Inn, put the travelers up for the night.

There’s no reason to stay at home this holiday weekend and Carol Daviscourt wants you to join her. Saturday, Sunday and Monday she and other field rangers at the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area have scheduled a number of activities and presentations to get visitors in touch with history and the natural world.
Daviscourt -- "Gosh, whaling, the Civilian Conservation Corps, bats, a pretty wide variety of programs are running this weekend."

One highlight, she says, will be daily activities aimed at helping visitors spot some of the more elusive residents of tidepools below the visitor center… they’re called Nudibranch (NOO-di-BRONC)… commonly called sea slugs.
Daviscourt -- "Although they're a little bit more challenging to find, they're probably the most interesting creatures in the tidepools. They come in a huge variety of shapes and colors and if you sit in on one of these programs you're going to be getting tips on how to go out and find them yourselves."

Daviscourt says the best tides for finding creatures will be in the early mornings this weekend, before the center opens, but that gives visitors a chance to make two trips… one for an afternoon session… then a return early the next morning to put your newfound knowledge to use.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Legislature is preparing to finish
its remaining duties and adjourn the 2011 session. Lawmakers plan to approve its final bills on Thursday and leave Salem until February. The measures still awaiting approval include a bipartisan congressional redistricting plan and the final pieces of the budget for the next two years.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The state Supreme Court has blocked a
planned execution in Oregon until there's more consideration of the
inmate's mental competence. The court agreed with a filing by the
Oregon Capital Resource Center, which said a neuropsychologist
found Gary Haugen incompetent. Haugen's execution was set for Aug.
16. He had asked that appeals be ended.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - An upset older man accused of threatening a
Veterans Affairs clinic manager in Eugene and pointing a shotgun at
a federal police officer was taken into custody after a SWAT team
lobbed a percussion grenade. Police say 71-year-old Milan Jackie
Boon of Creswell was cited yesterday for menacing, pointing a
firearm at another person and other charges. He wasn't jailed.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - The new home for the Pacific fleet of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is officially opening in Newport. NOAA announced nearly two years ago it had chosen Newport over the Seattle area as the base for its Pacific marine operation center. But the last day of the lease on the Seattle facility did not arrive until today, so Friday will mark the first day at the new 40,000-square-foot center that will provide logistical, engineering, maintenance and administrative support for NOAA's Pacific fleet.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund has
honored 20 people for their bravery in saving others from danger,
including six people who died in their life-saving efforts. One of
the honorees is 33-year-old Daniel Diaz who drowned after helping
rescue a 12-year-old boy who became tired while swimming across the
swift Columbia River in Oregon on July 4, 2009. Diaz was from Kent,
Wash.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Obama administration is ready to try
solving one of the nation's long-running conservation problems: how
to save the spotted owl from extinction. For two decades, the bird
has been at the center of legal and political battles in the
Pacific Northwest. Today the government releases a plan to save the
spotted owl and also allow logging in national forests - a balance
neither the Clinton nor Bush administrations were able to strike.
The plan won't be the last word. It could go to court.

SEATTLE (AP) - Freddie Freeman knocked around Felix Hernandez
for three hits and two RBIs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the
Seattle Mariners 5-3 yesterday to complete an impressive three-game
sweep. The Braves won for the eighth time in 10 games and picked up
their 25th road win this season. They handed losses to Hernandez,
rookie star Michael Pineda and Erik Bedard during their Seattle
trip.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon man got a surprise - and some
pain - when he was stung by a scorpion during a commercial flight
from Seattle to Anchorage. Jeff Ellis of West Linn tells KPTV he
was trying to sleep on a red-eye Alaska Airlines flight June 17
when he felt something in his sleeve and tried to brush it away. He
says he felt the crawling again, looked down and saw the culprit.
Ellis says he grabbed the scorpion with a napkin, but not before it
stung him on the elbow. Ellis was checked by two doctors on board
and medics on the ground.

ST. HELENS, Ore. (AP) - A Columbia County judge has blocked U.S.
Bank from evicting a Vernonia woman whose home was sold in
foreclosure. Martha Flynn says it's a victory for a lot of people,
although her ability to stay in her home remains in doubt. The bank
tried to evict Flynn during a May 24 court hearing. But on June 23
a judge found that the original lender had sold the mortgage to
other parties, and the exchanges were never assigned in the
county's recorder office.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Trail Blazers have offered former No.
1 draft pick Greg Oden an $8.8 million qualifying offer to stay in
Portland, making the 7-foot center a restricted free agent. The
Blazers can match any other offer made for him. He didn't play last
season after microfracture surgery on his left knee. He missed his
rookie season in 2007-08 after the same surgery on his right knee.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds extended the streak to eight straight wins last night with a 3-2 win over Salem Keizer, but they waited until the ninth inning to make it happen. Down by one run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cory Spangenberg drilled a line drive into left field for a two rbi, walk off single to end the game. The San Deigo Padres’ first round draft pick improved his batting average to .432 with his seventh straight two-hit game. The Ems and the Volcanoes wrap up their three game series tonight in Eugene.

The Sandblasters are scheduled to be back on the diamond this evening in Salem when they take on the Post 9 Highwaymen. Airtime for the broadcast is set for 4:45… the first pitch is slated for five.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast

Mostly cloudy today with a chance of morning showers… today’s high near 61. Look for a southwest wind six to 15 miles an hour gusting as high as 25.
Mostly cloudy overnight, cool with a low around 46, and some patchy fog after 11 pm. Look for a north wind between five and 15 miles an hour gusting as high as 25.
Start your holiday weekend off with mostly sunny skies on Friday, a high near 64.

For the weekend… some morning fog, mostly sunny on Saturday, partly sunny Sunday and morning fog with mostly sunny skies on the Fourth.

The marine forecast is showing a west marine wind five to ten knots gusting to 15 today… becoming northwest this evening then veering to the north after midnight. Low tide… 7:23. High tide at 1:55 this afternoon.

Legislature winds down - LC budget hits rural areas hardest

2011-06-29T09:41:00.001-07:00

Legislature moving towards completion of session…

The final pieces are falling into place for Oregon's next two-year budget. State lawmakers will vote today on spending plans for prisons and the state police, along with other measures that would slightly boost funding for courts and people with developmental disabilities. Budget negotiators say they'll balance the budget in part by extending for two more years a 60-day cap on prison sentences for probation violators. House Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan says since convening in January lawmakers… and their staff… have accomplished a great deal.
Roblan -- "I think people will be amazed. When we came in we had about $2.5-billion less than what we had this last biennium to spend, and our people have just moved mountains and worked exceptionally hard."

The Coos Bay Democrat wouldn’t predict when adjournment might come, but capitol watchers expect it could come as early as tomorrow afternoon. Roblan admits he hopes both chambers… the House and the Senate… can call it quits at the same time.
Roblan-- "It is preferable and that's what we like to work toward so we can get to a point where we can actually open the doors from both ends of the building and look at each other and sine die at the same time. It's kind of a nice event when that happens."

Some of the significant accomplishments that Roblan mentioned: changes to Oregon’s historic Bottle Bill; providing more money for education than the Governor had originally asked for; and a transformation of Oregon’s Medicare/Medicaid system.

The Lane County Board of Commissioners wrapped up work last week on their budget for the coming year. Lane County had about $7-million less to work with this year than last. That meant cuts across the board, many of which will impact rural areas more than those closer to the Eugene/Springfield area.
Stewart -- "cuts that we were making in patrol, in prosecution of, uh, to the District Attorney's office and in the youth services, there's less money and less services in general and that impacts the rural communities the hardest."

Commission Chair Faye Stewart says the Sheriff’s office will lose two full time patrol deputies, taking that force from 16 to 14 and limiting the amount of time they’ll be available.
Stewart -- "When you're talking about 24 hour patrol to 20 hour patrol that means you may not get a response from the Sheriff's patrol, or it could mean that instead of a 30 minute response time in a best case scenario, it could turn into an hour."

$3.8-million in spending reductions are dependent on approval by the county’s seven labor unions. Two have already approved a deal to switch to switch to a less expensive health care plan. The alternative, says Stewart, would be 15 unpaid furlough days over the next year. He didn’t like that choice however because it further reduced services available to residents… and would amount to about a 5 ½ percent wage reduction for employees.

The Heceta Water District Board will be holding a special meeting at four o’clock tomorrow afternoon to take action on a request to circumvent regular bid procedures. District Manager Scott Meyer says they need a quick ‘turnaround’ on bidding for a project to move about 260-feet of water line on Mercer Lake Road. Part of the road, two miles off Highway 101, slid out over the winter and Lane County will begin a project in August to move the road, rather than fill the slide.
Meyer -- "They've given us a deadline, later on in August, if we go through our normal bid process we can't get it done, so we're going to go through what is called emergency procurement. We'll basically hand deliver bid packets to our contractors."

Water commissioners will also discuss Meyer’s contract and benefits package during a special Executive Session.

Prices at the pump continue their slide as the holiday weekend approaches… at least in most places. The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded, as measured by Triple-A, plummeted 9-cents this past week to $3.55; Oregon’s average fell by four cents and is at $3.79. But, in Florence, the average actually increased by three-cents from last week and is at $3.67. That’s still ten cents a gallon less than the average prices recorded in Portland and Eugene. Motorists in Southern and Central Oregon pay even more… the average prices in Bend and Medford are at $3.83.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has convicted a man of
murder after he was accused of strangling his wife, stuffing her
body in a duffel bag and dumping it off a remote forest road south
of Portland. The Oregonian reports a Multnomah County Circuit Court
jury yesterday found 38-year-old Brian Cole guilty of murdering
Heather Mallory in 2008 after an argument at their Portland
apartment.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - An investigation is under way into a 911
service disruption for central Lane County. That disruption
yesterday morning left a Eugene woman scrambling to find help for
her father, who was having trouble breathing. The man was later
reported in stable condition in the intensive care unit of a
hospital. Qwest says the outage lasted 15 minutes; Central Lane 911
says it was 40 minutes.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - A judge in Newport has convicted the woman
who crashed her car into a Lincoln County creek, endangering the
lives of three of her children. The Oregonian reports 28-year-old
Amber Gandy could get up to 18 months in prison tomorrow when she
is sentenced. She was found guilty yesterday of drunken driving,
assault and reckless driving.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An American flag that is believed to be
the first one sewn in Oregon is going on display at the Oregon
Historical Society in Portland. Officials say Oregon pioneer Ann
Elizabeth Bills was asked to sew the flag to celebrate Independence
Day 150 years ago. The flag has been well preserved since it was
first flown in Portland on July 4, 1861. It's going on display at
the Oregon Historical Society for the first time beginning Friday,
and will be available for viewing all of July.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Hundreds of hostile calls and emails poured
into Eugene City Hall after yesterday's city council vote to recite
the Pledge of Allegiance at four meetings a year. City spokeswoman
Jan Bohman told The Register Guard more than 90 percent were from
out of state, generated by a Fox News report she called misleading.
It characterized the vote as against saying the pledge on a regular
basis.

SEATTLE (AP) - Brian McCann tormented Seattle pitching again
with a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning, part of a
four-hit night by the Atlanta catcher, and the Braves rallied from
a three-run deficit to beat the Mariners 5-4 last night. The Braves
took advantage of late control problems by Seattle and the
Mariners' inability to come through with a clutch hit early against
Tommy Hanson.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has convicted a man of
murder after he was accused of strangling his wife, stuffing her
body in a duffel bag and dumping it off a remote forest road south
of Portland. The Oregonian reports a Multnomah County Circuit Court
jury yesterday found 38-year-old Brian Cole guilty of murdering
Heather Mallory in 2008 after an argument at their Portland
apartment.

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon woman has pleaded guilty to
embezzling money from two youth sports leagues and a school parents
club and agreed to repay more than $135,000. Renae Marlee Mason of
Lake Oswego could face a maximum six years in prison when she is
sentenced Aug. 11. The 45-year-old woman pleaded guilty in
Clackamas County Circuit Court to seven theft counts.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon House is scheduled to vote today
on curbing the growth of hookah lounges that allow customers to
smoke flavored tobacco. The measure would impose tough new
restrictions on smoke shops, including a requirement that new they
have no more than four seats, don't serve food and allow smoking
only for sampling purposes.

HERMISTON, Ore. (AP) - Hermiston's decrepit Victory Square Park
is badly in need of repair. There are only two swings left, a
bathroom building is rusting from the ground up and someone poured
concrete in the toilets. The park has been the subject of
vandalism, fires and even looting - all the copper wire was stolen
from the park's mechanical room. But a federal grant is coming to
the rescue with $149,000 for a much-needed makeover.

NEW YORK (AP) - San Diego Padres prospect Donavan Tate has been
suspended 50 games following his second positive drug test. The
commissioner's office announced the penalty yesterday. He will be
given credit for 25 games already served while undergoing
counseling for substance abuse. The rest of the suspension begins
immediately. The 20-year-old is on the roster at Class A Eugene
(Ore.)

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland-area couple who got lost near
Hosmer Lake in central Oregon say they waited hours in the rainy
cold to call for help, telling rescuers they didn't think crews
would respond overnight. KTVZ-TV in Bend reports that Deschutes
County sheriff's deputies got a call around 4:30 a.m. yesterday
from 51-year-old John Harris and his 55-year-old wife Terri of
Milwaukie. Deputies using enhanced 911 responded and later found
the couple about five miles from the Lava Lake trailhead.

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

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

The Eugene Emeralds extended their win streak to seven last night with an 11-run shutout of the Salem Keizer Volcanoes last night at PK Park in Eugene. The Ems posted runs in each of the first seven innings and put up 11 hits, capitalizing on three Volcano errors. The two teams meet again tonight in Eugene for game two of their three game series.

Action for the Three Rivers Sandblasters was postponed yesterday because of the rain and field conditions. The triple-A Legion team will be on the diamond tomorrow in Salem against Post 9.

For Florence and the Central Oregon Coast…

Cloudy skies with a 40-percent chance of showers by midday… today’s high near 60 degrees along with a southwest wind five to 13 miles an hour gusting to 20.
Cloudy skies with a chance of showers overnight… tonight’s low around 52.
Tomorrow, there’s a 20-percent chance of showers and mostly cloudy skies… and a high near 60.

Mostly sunny and 63 on Friday, mostly sunny Saturday, partly sunny Sunday and then mostly sunny on the Fourth.

The marine forecast is showing a southwest marine wind five knots rising to ten to 15 knots this afternoon and then swinging to the west at ten to 15 knots overnight. Low tide was at 6:44… High tide at 1:15 this afternoon.

Dune riders protesting trails plan - Dyalisis Clinic to bring 20 jobs

2011-06-28T07:57:00.001-07:00

Area dune riders protesting trail closures…

A proposal to change the way the U.S. Forest Service regulates off-road use on the Oregon Dunes is nearing final approval. Many who use the dunes say they’re in danger of being locked out of areas on the sand that they love to ride.
Rowland -- "They are proposing to take away 103 miles of trails."

Barb Rowland and her husband Lance have been riding for several years and they say they’re very concerned about the Forest Service’s “Designated Route Process” that will limit off-road vehicles to specific trails on about 45-hundred acres of vegetate areas on the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Rowland says about two-thirds of the trail closures are in Western Lane County.
Rowloand -- "The northern riding area runs from South Jetty to Siltcoos contains 97 miles. And under their proposed action 67 miles would be closed."

The move, she says, will seriously impact safety.
Rowland -- "So what that means is you're putting a lot more people in open areas that is very dangerous for young families because the dunes can change at any time."

Rowland says another factor is economic… something she says the ODNRA has not taken into account. She says ATVers spend a lot of money on the Central Coast every year.
Rowland -- "Economically wise, between Florence, Coos Bay and Winchester Bay that's $62 million dollars. So we could end up losing, you know, maybe half of that revenue."

She’s circulating a petition asking the Forest Service to extend the July 8th deadline for comment on the plan and give her and other riders more time to provide input.

Florence officials are in the process of reviewing an application for construction of a new medical office building in the business park. Florence Dialysis has been looking for a location in Florence for the past 18 months says Assistant City Manager Jacque Betz.
Betz -- "And that is a service that is much needed in Florence because people do leave the area to get that type of medical attention. And that's going to create between 15 and 20 full time jobs."

The clinic will be affiliated with similar facilities in Coos Bay and at River Bend in Springfield. Betz says company representatives want to build on a parcel just north of the Florence Dental Clinic on Kingwood Street… and they already have an eye on expansion.
Betz -- "But they want to build it, so that in the future, they can add on. And I think that they're talking about 15 actual units. Their market has shown that that will be saturated very quickly."

The application has just begun the review process and is not yet complete. Because that type of office is allowed outright by city code, it may not have to be reviewed by the Planning Commission. Betz says they hope to break ground this fall.

The timber industry has sued the Obama administration to get them to start logging more on federal lands in Western Oregon. The American Forest Resource Council and others filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Salazar faces a court deadline Friday in a separate case to say what he plans to do with the Western Oregon Plan Revision, a Bush administration plan to increase logging on the so-called Oregon & California railroad timberlands overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Salazar withdrew the plan, saying it was not defensible under the Endangered Species Act. A judge ruled that withdrawal was not done properly. The timber industry lawsuit also contends the timber volume under the plan should double.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Gov. John Kitzhaber today signs a bill
creating an Education Investment Board, which he hopes will
eventually take over governance of education from birth through
college. Kitzhaber envisions the board will eventually have the
power to recommend budgets and to direct policy across all agencies
involved in teaching. Kitzhaber fought hard to create the panel,
which was approved by the Legislature last week after months of
negotiations.

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) - The Lincoln County district attorney's
office has identified an Oregon man found dead in a home on the
Oregon coast and announced an arrest in the homicide investigation.
District Attorney Rob Bovett says that 49-year-old Darrin M. Dow of
Tigard was found dead Sunday in a Lincoln City home. A 17-year-old
boy from the Portland suburb of Milwaukie has been arrested.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 19-year-old Eugene, Ore., man who
injured his back while kayaking down the lower portion of 120-foot
Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia River Gorge is reported in good
condition at a Portland hospital. The Multnomah County sheriff's office says
it took 14 emergency responders more than an hour to rescue Robert
McKenzie Sunday. Three friends suffered minor injuries.

BURNS, Ore. (AP) - The Harney County sheriff's office says a
biplane flown by a California aerobatic pilot crashed in the remote
high desert southwest of Burns, but she escaped serious injury. The
sheriff's office says 58-year-old Jacquie Warda was able to
communicate with the pilot of another aircraft after the Sunday
morning crash and that pilot called for aid. Warda is from
Danville, Calif.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The motive in a workplace shooting in Eugene
is reportedly the ribbing one employee took from a co-worker after
the predicted May 21 rapture failed to occur. The mother of the
victim says her son told her Dale O'Callaghan took it personally
when he was needled about his belief that he would be taken to
heaven by the return of Jesus Christ. O'Callaghan is accused of
shooting Jerry Andrews on Friday at LHM Hydraulics, where they
worked. Andrews suffered a fractured shoulder. O'Callaghan is
jailed on an assault charge.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - An arsonist who avoided federal prison five
years ago by helping lock up Earth Liberation Front activists is
headed to state prison for selling heroin. Jacob Jeremiah Ferguson
of Eugene was sentenced yesterday in Lane County to nearly five
years in prison after pleading guilty to drug-dealing charges and
endangering his 4-year-old daughter in the process. He was on
probation under a 2007 plea deal for his role in arsons by an ELF
band known as The Family.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Eugene City Council has voted to recite
the Pledge of Allegiance at four meetings each year close to
patriotic holidays. It was a compromise after Councilor Mike Clark
suggested that the pledge be recited at the start of each regular
meeting. The Register Guard reports the council also endorsed a
resolution that funds for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be
redirected to domestic needs.

SEATTLE (AP) - Freddie Freeman became just the second Atlanta
batter to get a hit off Seattle starter Erik Bedard and his
tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the Braves a
3-1 win over the Mariners last night. Brandon Beachy struck out
nine in six strong innings before turning it over to the Braves'
stellar bullpen. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 21st save
in 26 chances.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland jury has begun deliberations in
the murder trial of a man accused of strangling his wife, stuffing
her body in a duffel bag and dumping it off a remote Oregon forest
road. KOIN-TV reports that in closing arguments, a prosecutor
accused Brian Cole of killing his wife, Heather Mallory, after she
decided to leave him for a man with whom she was having an affair.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Marion County sheriff's deputies say the
owner of two malnourished horses rescued this month from a
15-by-40-foot pen east of Salem has been arrested and booked into
jail. A spokesman said Audra Bentley was located yesterday at a
motel in suburban Portland and jailed for investigation of two
counts of animal neglect and two counts of animal abandonment. Mud
in the pen was a foot deep and the horses had no shelter. The
horses were taken to Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary near Scio.

MADRAS, Ore. (AP) - Fire last night destroyed an outbuilding at
the Wilbur-Ellis Co. Seed Division near Madras. KTVZ reports
firefighters from Culver and Warm Springs helped Jefferson County
firefighters knock down the fire in about an hour. No one was
injured.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A year after the Portland Trail Blazers
first took a long look at point guard Raymond Felton, the 6-foot-1
free agent has joined the Blazers after a draft-day trade with the
Denver Nuggets. Felton was introduced yesterday during a news
conference in Portland, saying he looks to make the Blazers his
team for years to come. He's played for three teams in six NBA
seasons.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Currently at one-and-two in league play, the Three Rivers Sandblasters are hoping to pull even at home this evening when they host the Withnell Dodgers. That game is set for five pm at Jiggs Dodson Field and will air on Coast Radio Sports with a 4:45 airtime.

The Eugene Emeralds stretched their win streak to six last night with a 3-1 victory over the Everett Aqua Sox. The Ems took an early lead in the second inning on a Zach Kometani RBI double, but the Sox tied it up in the same frame with a solo homerun by Jorge Agudelo. Eugene’s Jace Peterson broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth with his RBI double to right field. Jeremy Rodriquez, followed suit a few minutes later with an RBI single to provide the final margin. The Emeralds are back home at PK Park this evening in Eugene where they’ll open up a three-game series against Salem Keizer.

FOR FLORENCE AND THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST

Showers this morning… with a high near 63 degrees.
Mostly cloudy overnight… a 40-percent chance of showers… mainly this evening. Tonight’s low around 53.
More cloudy skies tomorrow… a 20-percent chance of showers and a high near 61.

Mostly cloudy and a chance of showers Thursday, mostly sunny Friday and Saturday.

The marine forecast is showing a south marine wind ten to 15 knots becoming southwest at five to ten knots… becoming a west marine wind at five knots overnight. Low tide was at 6:03. High tide at 12:32 this afternoon.

City reduces code enforcement efforts - Vets eBenefits registration in Florence and more

2011-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Code Enforcement reduction under way in Florence…

When the former full time code enforcement officer for the City of Florence was promoted to fill a vacancy on the police force, officials saw that as a way to trim some payroll costs. Instead of replacing Brandon Ott with another full time employee, Police Chief Maury Sanders opted instead to have the department’s administrative assistant split her time between that work… and time on the street running down code violations. Sara Huff is no stranger to being in uniform. In addition to being the admin aide she’s also a reserve police officer. Some of her duties have already been shuffled with Sanders taking some on, others being shared ‘in house’ and still more being transferred to City Hall. Sanders says the move is on a one-year trial basis. For the next 12 months Huff will respond to resident complaints about such things as landscaping violations, illegally parked vehicles and signs. Sanders said residents may not see as quick a response as they’ve been used to. Huff will be handling enforcement duties Tuesday through Friday, only in the afternoons.

When Oregon voters elected a tied House, Republicans got shared control of the chamber and new clout they hadn't enjoyed in years. The GOP still had a distinct disadvantage with Democrats controlling the Senate and governor's office. But they had enough power to block things they don't like, and they've used that small edge as both a roadblock and a bargaining chip. They've managed to frustrate Democrats and put a clear Republican imprint on public policy by expanding both online and traditional charter schools, and they've blocked plenty of Democratic bills. Republicans stood in the way of a measure that would have allowed some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities and another that would have banned a potentially harmful chemical from baby bottles and children's sippy cups. The Oregon Legislature is looking at wrapping up the 2011 session as early as today.

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently instituted a new program allowing Veterans to monitor their benefits; check the status of claims; and print out documents such as disability letters online. It’s called “eBenefit” and it’s very simple to use and should make delivery of some services much quicker. There’s just one catch, says Fourth District Congressman Peter DeFazio.
Defazio – “The VA requires that all veterans have to sign up for this service in person. So currently, veterans have to travel to Portland to register. But I’ve gotten the VA to agree to tour Southwest Oregon.”

One of those registration events will be in Florence at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue… tomorrow morning only… between eight and 9:30 AM. You’ll need two pieces of identification… one of which must be a photo ID. If you can’t make it tomorrow morning, they’ll be at the North Bend Community Center also tomorrow… from 11 to 12:30.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon's first female Supreme Court
justice is being remembered as one of the state's greatest judicial
and political pioneers. Betty Roberts died Saturday of pulmonary
fibrosis in her Portland home. She was 88. She served on the high
court from 1982 to 1996. She was also the only woman in the state
Senate when she was elected to that body in 1968.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - More than 22,000 high school students
applied to the University of Oregon this spring, a record number
and a 22 percent increase over last year. The Register-Guard of
Eugene reports that despite the flood of applications, the
university has little room to boost the size of its 2011 freshman
class. The class is expected to be some 4,000 students, about the
same as recent years.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A 9-year-old boy was killed and a
3-year-old was injured when the driver of their SUV lost control of
the vehicle and struck a motor home on Interstate 5 near Grants
Pass. Sadhana Kumar, a 29-year-old from California, attempted to
pass the motor home Friday but lost control and struck the motor
home twice. Nine-year-old Krish Kumar was ejected and died at the
scene.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Multnomah County sheriff's office says
it took 14 emergency responders more than an hour to rescue a
kayaker injured yesterday at the base of Bridal Veil Falls.
Deputies say 19-year-old Robert McKenzie of Eugene was taken to
Oregon Health and Science University Hospital in Portland with a
back injury. Two other kayakers from Eugene apparently suffered
broken noses navigating the 120-foot, two-step drop. All wore
helmets and life vests.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Police say a 72-year-old man riding a mo-ped
has been killed in a collision with a car at an intersection in
Eugene. Police say the mo-ped hit the side of the car. A bystander
performed CPR, but the man could not be revived. He was declared
dead at a hospital.

WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) - A group re-enacting the travel of
Columbia River explorer David Thompson is in the Wenatchee, Wash.,
area as it paddles from British Columbia to Astoria, Ore. The
Wenatchee World reports the David Thompson Brigade is about a third
of the way through its 45-day 1,000-mile river journey that began
on June 3. They plan to reach the mouth of the Columbia on July 16.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Eugene Emeralds are continuing their hot streak to open the season, winning three straight over the weekend. Things begain Friday evening in Keizer where the Ems doubled the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 6-3. They moved north Saturday for a one run, 5-4 win over the Everett Aqua Sox… then left no doubt yesterday as they blew the Socks off the Sox with a 14-4 win. They wrap up the three game series in Everett tonight before heading home to PK Park tomorrow for a three-game series against Salem-Keizer.

The Three Rivers Sandblasters dropped a pair at home yesterday to the Grants Pass Nuggets… losing the opener 13-5, then the nightcap 5-4. The ‘Blasters have one game at home tomorrow… a five pm game against the Withnell Dodgers.

City Fee Increases ~ Debit & Credit Card Security ~ Highway 126 Construction ~ Alaskan Earthquake

2011-06-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Fees and utility rates going up July First…
What do aircraft owners, water users, property owners and concert promoters have in common? Well, if they do any of those activities in Florence after July First, they’ll all pay more. Beginning the first of July, water and sewer customers in Florence will see an extra 8.9% tacked onto their utility bills, plus an extra buck or two for stormwater management. Plane owners that lease hangar space from the city could see an increase of up to $150 a year. And, if you use the Florence Events Center for a concert, banquet, reception or other special event, expect to pay more there too. It’s all about making ends meet says Florence City Manager Bob Willoughby.

205 – “I think it should be of interest to the people who live in Florence as well in terms of the city having a sustainable budget and avoiding in the future all of the budget gaps that we see in a lot of other government entities.”

One thing that you will see go down, if you own property in the city, is the line item for property tax paid to the city. The council is taking a voluntary reduction… promised as part of the fire district’s annexation of property in the city last year. Since city hall won’t be paying directly for fire protection any longer, they won’t pass that charge on to property owners. But don’t worry… city property owners will see a new line item on their tax statement in November to make up for it… Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue will now be levying taxes directly for their services.

Credit card and debit card fraud has become all too common. If you use your debit card, and someone gets access to your account number and your personal ID number, you would likely only have to pay up to $50 per occurrence. But, says Carl Hultenberg, Chief Operating Officer with Siuslaw Bank, you could reduce that to zero.

215 – “You know as far as protecting themselves, all signature based transactions, the consumer has no loss.”

Just one simple action can limit or eliminate the amount you might owe because of fraud.

216 – “What a lot of people don’t know is with your debit card you can use it as a signature based. When you swipe your card and it says debit or credit, just hit credit and then it’s a signature based transaction, rather than a pin based. Don’t use your PIN number.”

Hultenberg says you need to protect your card and your numbers just like they’re cash. Even though your financial loss may limited, it can still mean a major headache closing cards and re-opening new ones in the case of fraud.

Speaking of fraud. It appears that there may be some going on in the Florence area. Office staff at Siuslaw High School says they’ve received calls from people checking on a fund-raising activity that has been going door-to-door. Janet Perkins said some residents have been approached for donations to help fund a trip to Hawaii for the football team. It’s a scam. The team isn’t going anywhere. She said school athletic programs do not engage in that type of solicitation.

Headed to Eugene on Highway 126 this weekend? The Oakhill Bridge, just west of Eugene has been under reconstruction for the past several months. This weekend crews will be working on realigning the roadway, as part of the final stages. Motorists travelling between Fern Ridge Reservoir and Greenhill Road should expect one lane traffic… with delays… between ten AM and seven PM on Saturday and Sunday.

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Aleutian Islands triggered a tsunami warning for that region last night, but officials said there was no danger for the west coast of the U.S. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a warning for the area near Adak and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, but cancelled it a little bit later.

TAKING A LOOK IN TO ASSOCIATED PRESS REGIONAL NEWS…

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Three central Oregon men accused by federal prosecutors of misusing more than $44 million of their customers' money have been indicted on fraud conspiracy charges. A grand jury this week indicted Mark Neuman and Lane Lyons, both of Bend, and Timothy Larkin of Redmond. The U.S. attorney's office says their
company was supposed to hold the proceeds from sales of customers' income-producing property while customers purchased other property.

DUNDEE, Ore. (AP) - The Newberg-Dundee Police Department says officers shot a man early this morning when he charged them with a knife. He was airlifted to Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center in Portland, condition unknown. Officers had been called to a report of a disturbance and say they were immediately confronted by the man. Police say they fired when he refused commands to stop and drop the knife.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The federal Bureau of Land Management says that several hundred paint cans that were dumped in a pile on public forest lands oozed out a spill that will cost taxpayers $10,000 to clean up. Officials say the paint chemicals could cause environmental damage if not cleaned up properly. KVAL says a criminal investigation is under way.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Prosecutors say a 16-year-old Portland youth admitted to his father that his gun just "went off" and he fatally shot a 14-year-old girl who disappeared in March. The Oregonian reports that Parrish Bennette Jr.'s alleged admission is detailed in a court document prosecutors filed this week. Bennette
has denied knowing what happened to Yashanee Vaughn. Prosecutors plan to argue today that the teen should be denied bail and remain jailed on charges of murder and first-degree manslaughter. The girl's body still has not been found.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The longtime federal public defender for Oregon has been reappointed to an eighth term. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco announced the new four-year term for Steven Wax yesterday. Wax has served as the chief federal public defender in Oregon since the office was established in 1983. He is currently among the longest-serving federal defenders in the
nation.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Nike is being blasted for T-shirt slogans that critics say endorse drug use. But the shoe and athletic apparel company based in Beaverton says expressions such as "Dope," "Get High" and "Ride Pipe" are part of the lingo used
by the skaters, snowboarders and participants in other extreme sports.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police have arrested a man suspected in a series of "cat burglaries" in southwest Portland. Officers spotted 26-year-old Charles Earl Howell walking down a street last night and arrested him on an outstanding robbery warrant.
Investigators had identified him as a suspect in break-ins at more than two dozen homes since April in the West Hills neighborhood.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Senate has voted to curb the growth of hookah lounges. The Senate voted 18-11 to approve the bill yesterday after emotional debate from lawmakers who lost relatives to smoking-related illnesses. The measure would require
that new hookah lounges have no more than four seats.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Trail Blazers had a busy night acquiring guard Raymond Felton from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Andre Miller. Also, Blazers selected point guard Nolan Smith out of Duke with the 21st pick in the draft.

SEATTLE (AP) - Second-half substitute Roger Levesque scored twice to give the Seattle Sounders a 4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls last night. The game set the Sounders' attendance record at 46,505. Also, Seattle's Qwest Field - home of the Seahawks and Sounders - officially changed its name to CenturyLink Field yesterday.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The surprising and surging Nationals beat the Seattle Mariners 1-0 last night for their 11th win in 12 games - but it was the abrupt resignation of Washington manager Jim Riggleman that stole all the headlines. Riggleman quit in a dispute over job security. He wanted more time on his contract and the club declined. General manager Mike Rizzo says the team was stunned by the move.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Sandblasters fell hard last night at home in a 10 run rule shortened game to the Springfield Titans 16 / 1. A road game originally scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. The Blasters return to the diamond Sunday afternoon to host Grants Pass at Jiggs Dodson field, game time is 2 o’clock.

Donovan Tate continued his domination on the diamond Thursday night driving in the games first run, in a four run third inning to lead the Emeralds to a 5 – 2 victory, handing the Salem Keizer Volcanos their sixth straight loss. The opening road series of the season closes out tonight at Volcano Stadium in Kaiser. The Emeralds head further north tomorrow for action against the Everett Aquasox. The series continues through Monday.