Local News: Fireworks Explosion Injures Two; Is Your Computer Hacked? Police Chief’s Pet Peeve

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Local News

Fireworks explosion injures two

Two Florence area teens suffered severe burns in an explosion Wednesday afternoon south of Florence.  Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Sean Barrett said a group of youth were – quote – “experimenting” and poured gasoline in an underground storage tank sometime Tuesday at a home near East Glenada Road.

The next day, they were lighting legal fireworks and one of the youth dropped a lit ‘fountain’ type device into the tank.  The resulting explosion caused severe burns to the face of two boys.  Western Lane Ambulance transported both to Peace Harbor Hospital where one was treated and released.  The other, a 14-year old, suffered burns to his right hand as well.  He was transported to the Oregon Burn Center in Portland where he’s in stable condition.  Barrett said the other four boys were not injured.

Barrett said the incident points out the need for caution and care even when using legal fireworks.

Has Your Computer Been Hacked?

The warnings have been splashed across Facebook, Google, Yahoo and more.  Internet Service providers have sent notices and the FBI has set up a special website.  But tens of thousands of Americans may still lose their internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computer for malware that could have been lurking in their pc since as early as 2007.  Bret Feingold, owner of Coast Computer Services, says the DNS Changer, as it’s called, steers your computer away from where you want to go and you won’t even know it.

Bret Feingold – “Hijacks that web address, it uses it to connect to another computer overseas that will actually give you a false website.”

Once you’re on the false website, you’ll be exposed to other malware, spy ware and viruses… many of which could put your personal information at risk.  The FBI actually broke the organization behind this malware last year, but have been working to educate people of its possible presence and give them time to make repairs before they turn off the group’s computers.

Once they unplug those servers that control the tens of thousands of home computers, those users will be out of luck.

Bret Feingold – “You can call your internet provider but they’re probably going to tell you to go to your local computer shop and have the malware removed, because at that point you can’t get internet access to get any of the tools to fix these.”

The FBI has set up a website where you can go to check your system… it’s www.dcwg.org.

Police Chief’s Pet Peeve

Florence Police Chief Ray Gutierrez says it’s one of his pet peeves.  People who drive down the middle of highway 101 between the yellow lines.  It’s officially called the “Special Left Turn Lane”.  It’s there to provide a refuge for vehicles turning left, either on or off the highway.

The Chief says under Oregon Revised Statutes if you’re using the lane for anything other than a turn you are committing an offense.  The maximum fine could be as high as $287.  The special turn lane is neither an acceleration, nor a deceleration lane under the statute.

Read about more of the Chief’s pet peeves in the most recent edition of the City of Florence newsletter.