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

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.