3 September 2014
Wildfire moves closer to home
Forest Service fire crews spent the day yesterday working on containment of a half-acre blaze in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area.
Forest Service Spokesperson Joni Quarnstrom said the fire, near the wilderness boundary in the Cummins Creek Drainage, was spotted late Monday night. A crew hiked in with the initial attack, they were followed by a 20-person crew yesterday.
Quarnstrom said the cause of the fire was unknown; it was burning in brush, duff and downed wood.
The fire points out the need, she says, for continued fire restrictions. Campfires are allowed only in pre-installed fire enclosures, such as a campfire ring, at established campsites. Only materials that fit within that ring are allowed to be burned. Quarnstrom says be sure to extinguish all campfires before leaving, even if you will be away for a short time.
Alleged roommate attacker in custody
Lane County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a man Sunday they say attacked his roommate and doused him with lighter fluid. 62-year old Buddy Valentine was taken into custody at a vacant home near Ten Mile Creek north of Florence. That wasn’t very far away from the Bob Creek home he shared with 48-year old Herbert Daniel Purol. Purol said the two were listening to music in their living room the morning of August 26th when Valentine attacked.
Valentine is charged with attempted murder, arson, first-degree assault, second degree burglary and being a fugitive from another state.
Oregon Gas Prices slip a penny on average
Washington State now has the highest average gas prices in the contiguous 48 states, passing Oregon and bumping the Beaver State to number two. That’s according to Marie Dodds with Triple-A.
Dodds says Oregon’s average price for a gallon of unleaded slipped a penny this past week to $3.88. The average price in Florence fell by the same amount; it’s a nickel less at $3.83.
Dodds blamed continued refinery problems for continued higher prices along the west coast. The national average, forty cents less than the Florence average, held steady this week at $3.43.
Mokrohiskey tells his story
The new Lane County Administrator will tell his story this afternoon on the September edition of KCST’s Our Town.
Steve Mokrohiskey started on the job in early May. Since then he’s been steadily building his “executive team” of department managers. The Wisconsin native spent six years in Nevada, most recently as the County Administrator of Douglas County near Lake Tahoe.
Our Town airs at four o’clock. It includes interviews with Mapleton Superintendent Jodi O’Mara; disaster preparedness advocate Ken Stone; and Florence City Councilor Joshua Greene.
Tom Grove, Jim Barnhart and Rick Yecny will also look back to the opening day for Peace Harbor Hospital in 1989.
Identities released
Police released the name yesterday morning of the man who they say appeared to have stepped in front of an oncoming car on Highway 101 just north of Florence Monday morning. 48-year old Dewayne Arthur Meridith was taken to Peace Harbor Medical Center where he was declared dead.
The driver of the car, 19-year old Luis Castro of Keizer Oregon tried to avoid striking Meridith but was unsuccessful.
