26 May 2014
Memorial Day Observance…
The annual Siuslaw River-side memorial to honor those who have fallen in service to our country is set for this morning at Veteran’s Memorial Park, at the foot of Kingwood Street on Bay. Organizers with American Legion Post 59 will begin accepting biodegradable wreaths to be laid on the river between 10:30 and 10:45 AM.
Wreathes will then be transferred to a waiting Coast Guard vessel to be laid in the river during the 11-AM ceremony.
In Reedsport, a special service will be held at the Masonic Cemetery at ten, followed by a parade to Downtown Reedsport at noon, then another ceremony at Hahn Park.
Memorial Day has been observed every year in the U.S. since the shortly after the Civil War. Originally called “Decoration Day”, it was intended from the very beginning to serve as a memorial to those who died in military service. In 1971 it was changed from May 30th to the last Monday in May.
Separation coming clear in West Lane Commission race.
As of Friday afternoon at 3:30 the difference between votes for West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich and his challenger, Dawn Lesley, had nearly doubled.
That still leaves only 85 votes separating the two.
The latest results posted by the Lane County Elections office show 7,604 votes for Lesley compared to 7,689 for Bozievich. There were 37 votes with ‘write-ins’ and four ballots were not marked with either candidate.
The results show Bozievich with 50.16 percent of the vote, enough to put him alone on the November ballot.
In a statement issued shortly after the results were posted, Bozievich said he believed he had won and thanked his supporters. He also congratulated Lesley for “running a strong campaign” and said he hoped she would continue to be involved in helping find solutions for the challenges faced by Lane County.
Officials say they have counted and verified all of the ballots submitted for the May 20th election. Things are still unofficial as the results won’t be formally certified until June 9th.
Suicide attempt disturbed
An attempt by a woman to take her own life was apparently interrupted yesterday morning after a recruit Oregon State Trooper stopped to check on what appeared to be a disabled vehicle on Highway 126 west of Mapleton.
The trooper was patrolling on 126 near milepost 12 at about 8:45 Sunday Morning and spotted the car parked about 25-yards off the north side of the highway. As she approached, the trooper could see an adult female in the reclined position in the driver’s seat with a plastic bag over her head and pills in her hand.
Medics responded and the 52-year old woman was transported by helicopter ambulance to RiverBend Hosptial in Springfield.
The names of the woman and the recruit trooper were not released.
Man safe after boat sinks
The Coast Guard rescued a fisherman off the Oregon coast after his boat sank Sunday morning near Newport.
The master of the 28-foot fishing vessel Rip Rider contacted the Coast Guard at 8:20 a.m. to say his boat was taking on water. He was wearing survival gear and his radio beacon broadcast his exact location to rescuers.
A Coast Guard helicopter found the man in the water and hoisted him aboard. He was in good condition when he arrived at the Coast Guard station in Newport.
The Coast Guard says the vehicle is unsalvageable. It was carrying about 65 gallons of diesel fuel, but there have been no reports of pollution.
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