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

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.