BODY FOUND-BEACH
Body found on beach south of Coos Bay
(Information from: The World, http://www.theworldlink.com)
COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) — Police say the body of a Coos Bay man may have been found on a beach south of Bandon.
The World reports the body may be that of 48-year-old Stephen Navarro who has been missing since a canoe accident in Coos Bay.
The Coos County Sheriff’s Office and the Bandon Police Department responded to the call Tuesday.
Police say the body was partially decomposed from exposure to the elements and that official confirmation of the identity is pending DNA and dental comparison.
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RADIATION-SEAWATER
Fukushima radiation detected on Oregon shores
(Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Researchers say seawater samples taken from Tillamook Bay and Gold Beach indicate radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, but at extremely low levels not harmful to humans or the environment.
Citing the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Statesman Journal newspaper reports the samples were taken last winter and later analyzed.
Massive amounts of contaminated water were released from the crippled nuclear plant following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Woods Hole chemical oceanographer Ken Buesseler runs a crowdfunded, citizen-science seawater sampling project that has tracked the radiation plume as it makes its way across the Pacific Ocean.
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EUGENE FIREWORKS
Eugene opts against fireworks ban
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The Eugene City Council has voted against a fireworks ban.
The Register-Guard reports a majority of councilors agreed such a policy would be too difficult to enforce.
Councilor Betty Taylor pushed for a ban. She argued that a partial one imposed two summers ago because of extreme fire danger reduced the use of fireworks.
State law forbids the possession of fireworks that fly, explode or travel more than 6 feet on the ground or 12 inches in the air. Legal fireworks include sparklers, fountains, spinners and snakes.
Taylor says even legal fireworks can cause injuries and property damage.
Eugene police have issued fewer than a dozen fireworks citations during the holiday weekends of the past three years. Officials have said their efforts are aimed at education rather than punishment.
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LONGEST ROAD SIGNS 1ST-LD WRITETHRU
Signs to mark eastern and western ends of longest US road
BOSTON (AP) — Signs marking the eastern and western ends of the longest continuous road in the U.S. have been unveiled on both coasts.
Historic U.S. Route 20 runs between Boston and Newport, Oregon.
On Thursday, Massachusetts highway officials installed a mileage sign on the eastern end of the road in Boston’s Kenmore Square. It informs motorists that Newport, Oregon, is a mere 3,365 miles away on Route 20 westbound.
A similar sign went up in Newport marking the same distance to Boston.
At a Boston ceremony, Massachusetts Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin says, “There are many things that divide our country, but Route 20 is one thing that connects us.”
The road passes through 12 states between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
NORTHWEST WEATHER-THE LATEST
The Latest: Snow turns to freezing rain in downtown Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Evening commuters were finding the drive home to be tricky around Portland as snow was turning to sleet and freezing rain.
Portland transit service TriMet said on Twitter the green line of the light rail system had been disrupted because of ice on overhead power wires. At least one line of bus service had been canceled until road conditions improve and other bus lines were traveling, many with chains, on snow routes.
Freezing rain was also hitting Vancouver, Washington.
The National Weather Service said strong winds gusting to 50 mph in those areas Thursday night could lead to areas of blowing snow, cold wind chills and power outages.
OREGON-VETERANS AFFAIRS
Oregon VA hospitals, call center get low ratings
(Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An assessment by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs concluded that more than 12 percent of callers to its Portland call center get tired of waiting for someone to answer and hang up.
The Statesman Journal reports that many callers have waited more than three minutes to have someone answer.
The VA also gave poor grades to Oregon’s three VA hospitals. The Portland facility rated only two out of five starts when it was assessed last December, while Roseburg’s got two stars in June and White City’s received a single star both last December and in June.
Portland’s hospital says its ratings in several areas, including inpatient performance and mortality rates, were better than the national average. Roseburg and White City released statements pointing out improvements at their facilities.
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PORTLAND-CEO TAX
Portland OKs tax on companies with high-paid CEOs
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland City Council has approved a first-of-its-kind tax on public companies that pay their chief executives vastly more than they pay an average worker.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that on Wednesday the council approved the plan, which targets publicly traded companies whose chief executives report salaries at least 100 times higher than the salary of a median worker.
Under the ordinance, a company with a CEO-to-worker ratio of at least 100-to-1 will pay a surcharge equal to 10 percent of the amount it pays for Portland’s business tax.
Officials expect the tax to raise $2.5 million year once it starts in January 2017.
Commissioner Steve Novick says he hopes the tax will discourage companies from paying disproportionate salaries to their CEOs.
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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
