7 January 2013
Riverfront Home Destroyed
Firefighters spent about 2 ½ hours early this morning battling a stubborn blaze, but were unable to save a riverfront home. The alarm came at 3:10 AM, and on arrival, firefighters said the approximately 15-hundred square foot home at 240 Rhododendron Drive was fully involved. The occupants, Tom and Janice Robinson, were not injured and are being assisted today by Red Cross.
Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Sean Barrett said 22 firefighters, five engines and one water tender were able to bring the fire under control at approximately 5:30 AM. He said an investigation into the cause of the blaze will continue today. He did say he believed it was likely accidental and probably electrical.
Traffic on Rhododendron Drive, just west of the Peace Harbor Hospital Entrance is likely to be congested through the day as firefighters try to determine the cause of the blaze.
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Armed Robbery
An unknown assailant held up Dutch Bros. Coffee Saturday night, escaping with an unknown amount of cash. It was at about 6:25 PM, and one employee was on duty. She told police the man demanded the cash from both registers, then told her to lie down on the floor as he left. She then crawled into the restroom where she locked the door and called 911. No description of the suspect has been released. It’s not known if he was armed or not.
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Highway Deaths Sunday
Two Yachats women died yesterday morning on Highway 101 near Waldport when the van they were riding in was struck by a ‘fishtailing’ flatbed trailer. State Police say 69-year old Suzanne Carol Aiken and her 94-year old mother, Loise A. Raether were northbound on Highway 101 about two miles north of Waldport at about 10:30 yesterday morning when the trailer, loaded with a Polaris off road vehicle, broke free from the southbound pickup that was towing it. The trailer hit the oncoming van, then the Polaris also broke free and struck the van. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene. 23-year old Spencer Foley of Toledo, his 23-year old wife and two year old son in the pickup were not injured. Highway 101 was closed for several hours for the accident reconstruction and investigation.
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