Life Sentence Handed Down for Triple Homicide; ODOT Begins Big Sweep; and Dunes City Fills Vacancy
17 December 2013
Digitizing History
The Florence City Council spent several hours Saturday developing their goals for the coming year.
Nola Xavier – “One of those is, I’m almost embarrassed to say is, so far an eight year project. We hope to wrap it up in a couple of years. That’s our records management.”
Mayor Nola Xavier says it’s a complicated process to sort the paper files and convert all of the city records so they can be stored and accessed via computer. In fact, it was that process, or the lack thereof, that prompted her to make a decision in 2004.
Nola Xavier – “You know, that records management was actually one of the things that made me want to run for council nine years ago.”
At the time, she was trying to search city records for early decisions on the development of Florentine Estates and found it difficult.
One other priority that will make the council list again next year is that of finding a sustainable funding source for street and road maintenance.
The Council will review and finalize the list of goals in January.
Life Sentence With No Parole
A Coos County man will spend life in prison with no chance of parole for murdering his wife and two former Florence residents.
65-year-old Edward Nelson waived a jury trial and pleaded guilty in the deaths of Kathleen Nelson and the couple’s neighbors; Renae and Lola Cottam last summer.
After his arrest he told police he wanted out of his marriage so he murdered his wife and neighbors, then tried to throw suspicion on a possible “psycho killer” by setting both homes on fire.
Fortunately, a neighbor saw him leaving the scene at the same time smoke was rising.
Renae Cottam was a popular math and science teacher at Siuslaw High School for several years. He and his wife Lola had retired to the tiny community of Bridge, southeast of Coos Bay.
Dunes City Council Vacancy Filled
After several months of no takers, the Dunes City Council finally had an applicant to fill a vacancy on their panel.
Former councilor and mayor Sheldon Meyer was sworn in last week to fill the remainder of the position vacated when Troy Sathe resigned in February.
Dunes City Administrator Fred Hilden said they posted the vacancy several times, and each time there was no response from the community.
In comments to the council last week before his appointment, Meyer, who stepped down from the council in 2007, said he had been watching the progress of this council for some time and was pleased with their ability to work well together. He will serve in the position through December of next year.
ODOT’s Big Sweep
The snow melts, but the sand and gravel put down on top of it doesn’t just go away when the weather warms up.
That’s just a fact of life that highway maintenance crews are dealing with this week in the Coast Range and the southern Willamette Valley.
An estimated five-thousand cubic yards of sand was spread on roadways in Lane, Linn, Benton and Lincoln Counties last week in an effort to improve driving conditions.
Now sweepers are out trying to pick that up… or at least get it off the roadway.
Crews will be focused on metro areas around Eugene and Springfield, as well as in Albany and Corvallis.
Special attention will be placed on those highways with high bicycle and pedestrian activity as well as freeway ramps and curves at higher elevations.