Lane County Unemployment at record level; Fireworks prohibited on the beach; and Dunes City Citizen Involvement process...

Lane County Unemployment hits record level…

Lane County’s jobless rate has more than doubled in the past year, and it’s nearly two full percentage points higher than the statewide average. Mike Myers, a workforce analyst with the Oregon Employment Department, says job losses in one segment have been the main culprit.

215 -- "In this recession Lane County has really been hit hard with job losses in manufacturing."

Most of those losses have been in the recreational vehicle manufacturing industry, but many of them came with the 2008 closure of the West Eugene Hynix plant. At 14.2-percent, the jobless rate in Lane County is the highest since 1958. Myers said the Florence area hasn't been hit with the same types of job losses, but there has been pain on this end of the county.

216 -- "Certainly construction has had a big impact and it's slowed down quite a bit and the housing market has also. But in general, you know, the whole economy is feeling this recession."

Retail sales continue to suffer, but Myers does see a ray of hope.

217 -- "The major job losses have stopped. In fact over the last three months we haven't had any job loss on a seasonally adjusted basis. That doesn't mean that that's going to continue going forward, but certainly we would expect if there are more job losses they're going to be much smaller."

Oregon has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, behind only Michigan.

With the Fourth of July holiday just over a week away, state parks officials wanted to remind residents that fireworks may be fun, but there are some limitations.

218 -- "Fireworks are prohibited on the beach, several reasons. One of the main ones being of course, the fire danger with the beach grass that's nearby. Especially along the coast with the winds we get this time of year."

Beach Safety Specialist Robert Smith says the prohibition includes even sparklers and it extends to all state parks. Notices are posted at the parks as well as major beach access points. The ban on fireworks applies to most public land. The Oregon Dunes and U-S Forest Service also prohibit them, and a recent ordinance was passed by Port of Siuslaw banning fireworks on their property.

Dunes City is in the process of exploring a new ordinance that would more closely regulate stormwater runoff into area lakes. Planning Secretary Lisa Ecklund says it’s aimed primarily at new construction. A meeting earlier this month provided a brief review of the rules. Dunes City’s Committee for Citizen Involvement has a unique structure that allows any resident to have a say. That’s the group tasked with coming up with the rules…

219 – “The citizens who show up to the CCI meeting are members of that CCI for that meeting and they are voting members.”

The next meeting is coming up in three weeks on July 16th.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

American Legion Baseball:
The Three Rivers Sandblasters fell to third place in Zone three with a 7-2 loss at home last night to the Withnell Dodgers. R.J. Phillips struck out eight batters and allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings of work for the win. Bryce Weidman also threw eight strikeouts, but gave up back to back solo homeruns in the fifth inning, allowing 11 hits in his six innings. The ‘Blasters are on the diamond this evening for a non-league matchup against the Eugene Challengers at five. That game will air on Coast Radio Sports beginning at 4:45.

Northwest League Baseball:

Clayton Conner had a double and a three-run homer as the Yakima Bears beat the Eugene Emeralds 6-3. Matt Vern's RBI single gave Eugene an early 3-0 lead, but they were shut down after that. Conner's sixth-inning blast tied the score, and Yakima added three runs in the eighth. Despite allowing six runs, Eugene pitchers showed their promise by combining to strike out 13 batters. Game three of the five-game series in Yakima is set for tonight.

USA Track & Field Championships

Nearly 30 current, future and former Oregon track and field athletes will be in competition through Sunday at Hayward Field in Eugene during the 2009 USA Track and Field Championships. Headlining that group: 2009 NCAA champions Galen Rupp, Ashton Eaton, Rachel Yurkovich and Andrew Wheating.