Photos lead to charges of sex abuse
A Florence man is accused of sexually abusing the teenage grandchildren of his girlfriend.
Search warrant affidavits were unsealed this week in Lane County Circuit Court. They contained details of the September arrest of 60-year old Randy Kent Clay.
According to the documents, Clay had signed a contract with the grandmother allowing him to take photos of the 13 and 16 year old girls. He later amended the agreement to say the girls could drink alcohol and watch R-rated movies with him.
The alleged assault took place in August after Clay photographed the girls in what police described as “sexually suggestive poses and positions”. The girls’ mother notified authorities after finding the photos on a CD.
Clay was originally scheduled for trial in November on sex abuse charges; that was cancelled. Authorities say it will be rescheduled.
Look at the back of your ballot
Voters are being urged to look on both sides of their ballot before sealing it in the privacy envelope and returning it.
Lane County Clerk Cheryl Betschart said ballots have choices on both sides, adding once it has been returned, it cannot be amended or recast.
More than 236-thousand ballots for the November 8th General Election were sent out last week in Lane County. As of Tuesday there were just over 9,500 returned… that’s about 4-percent. Betschart said previous General Elections have had the largest returns… more than 80-percent… that means she expects to accept about another 180-thousand in the next two weeks.
Wrong way crash kills two, including Reedsport man
Two men died in what police are calling a “wrong way” collision on Interstate 84 in northeastern Oregon. The preliminary investigation indicates a 2009 Honda Ridgeline driven by 77-year old Clifford Ammons of Reedsport was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane near Boardman Monday evening. It struck an oncoming car, a Ford Mustang driven by 27-year old Francisco Ramirez of Stanfield. Both men died at the scene.
Investigators are trying to deterimine how Ammons got on the freeway going the wrong direction.
Tsunami Safe
The seasonal lull between the busy summer and winter holidays can be a good time to catch up on important information that can make difference for those visiting our area. That’s why the Oregon Office of Emergency Management has scheduled a series of informational classes about how to talk to visitors about tsunami safety.
The basic concept is that hospitality begins with safety.
The three-hour program is free and is intended for those in the lodging, restaurant and “attraction” industry. They are scheduled for Lincoln City, Gold Beach, Coos Bay and Astoria. One class will be held Wednesday, November 2nd from one to four pm at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue in Florence.
Gas prices up slightly in Oregon
Retail gas prices are holding steady in Florence, while they’re edging up across the west and in Oregon.
That’s according to Marie Dodds with Triple-A of Oregon who says seasonal refinery maintenance is reducing the supply of regular gas on the west coast, putting upward pressure on prices.
In Oregon, the average price increased three cents in the past week to $2.55 a gallon. In Florence, it held steady for the second week at $2.36; while nationally, the averages price slipped a penny to $2.23 a gallon.
Dodds says the cheapest gas in the country can be found in Oklahoma and Missouri where the average price is $2.02 a gallon… Hawaii at $2.89 and California at $2.78 are the highest prices. Washington State has an average of $2.73 and Alaska is at $2.65. Oregon’s price is the fifth highest in the country.
Elliot State Forest sale results coming
State regulators say they will announce the successful buyer of the Elliot State Forest in December.
The Oregon State Land Board will announce the accepted bid at a meeting in Salem December 13th.
The board, comprised of the Governor, the Secretary of State and the State Treasurer, put the state forest land southeast of Reedsport up for sale earlier this year.
State law requires it to be managed for the benefit of the Common School Fund. Because of restrictions on harvest, it has cost more money to manage than it has generated, creating a drain on that account.
The asking price tag was $220.8-million for the 82,500 acre property.
Four dozen entities formally expressed interest in buying the property, including timber companies, conservation groups, local governments and tribes.
