Cleaning crews spend extra time at Siuslaw Elementary
An outbreak of enterovirus… that also goes by the name of hand, foot and mouth disease… at Siuslaw Elementary School last week prompted a rigorous response.
Cleaning crews at the school were doubled up overnight Thursday and Friday; and buses were sanitized.
The cleaning came after the elementary school was notified by local physicians there were several confirmed cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease among elementary students.
Hand-foot-and-mouth is a viral infection that typically begins with a fever and then later presents with sores in the mouth. A rash on hands and feet are also common indicators.
It is considered a minor illness, but is highly contagious and can be extremely uncomfortable for smaller children. According to the Centers for Disease Control it strikes primarily children five years and younger… but can sicken older children and even adults. The CDC also recommends students that have been diagnosed with it should stay home for ten days. Once blisters or the rash begins to fade, they may return to school
Bridge Delays again
Traffic across the Siuslaw River Bridge on Highway 101 will be restricted to one lane most of the day. Oregon Department of Transportation crews are using a “snooper crane” to replace stainless steel hydraulic line clamps that have corroded. One lane will be closed until early afternoon. Drivers should expect delays. The work is regular maintenance and is not related to the ongoing Siuslaw Bridge Protection Project.
Driver in crash and burn still sought
Florence police are seeking the identity and location of the driver of a 1993 Cadillac Sedan Deville that was found engulfed in flames on Rhododendron Drive near Greentrees last week.
Lieutenant John Pitcher said an officer responded to a report of a car off the roadway and into a tree just before five AM Friday.
It appeared to have been driving south on Rhododendron near the 12th Street bike path.
While firefighters extinguished the flames, a search of the immediate area was conducted, yielding no results. Pitcher said they were able to identify who the registered owner was, but he declined to release that information until officers could complete the investigation.
Water and sewer extension costs considered
Florence City Councilors will consider costs involved in extension of services to property on opposite sides of the City this evening.
The first action item on the agenda for Councilors this evening will be an engineering services contract for the sanitary sewer system connection planned for Lane County’s Harbor Vista Campground. The $73-thousand would be for design services only. The total project cost is expected to be $680-thousand. All of those costs would be ultimately paid by Lane County.
The other project under consideration this evening is an agreement to provide water and waste water to three parcels near the intersection of Munsel Lake and North Fork Siuslaw Roads. That project would cost $110-thousand. $30-thousand of that would be paid by the property owner, the Tipler Family Trust.
The council meets at City Hall at six pm.
Hospitality Tsunami Awareness
If you work in or closely with the hospitality industry in the Florence area, you’re being urged to take three hours of your time Wednesday morning to find out about what to do in the event of a tsunami. Siuslaw Valley Fire Chief Jim Langborg says it’s important.
Jim Langborg – “Florence is highly dependent upon tourism and I think it’s incumbent upon all of us that we take care of our visitors.”
Attendees will get an overview of tsunami risks.
Jim Langborg – “They’ll also get an in depth look at what they can experience here locally which will lead to some discussion about exploring our routes and revisiting those and hopefully they walk away from the meeting and they go out and find out where our safe zones are.”
It’s very important to talk about… and he disagrees that by doing so it might discourage people from visiting the area.
Jim Langborg – “You know, sometimes avoidance and denial isn’t always the best way to deal with something that could happen and it doesn’t mean that we should focus our entire life on it but it does mean we need to be focused and prepared.”
Wednesday’s session in Florence is at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue from nine to noon. Another session will be presented in Reedsport the next day at the Port of Umpqua Annex, also from nine until noon.
