Tiny House at Home Show; Gas prices surge; final personnel shift at WLAD; Woman accused of murder told police two stories

Tiny house can be smart

The Florence Home and Garden show will start its third decade this weekend with a new display out front… a tiny home.  This home is a “SMART” one according to Nathan Watson of Tiny SMART Homes of Albany.

Nathan Watson – “SMART is meant more for the ecological stance of tiny houses, so, sustainable construction, modern efficiency, affordable luxury, residential-commercial, towable anywhere… the acronym for SMART.”

The tiny home is just one of more than three dozen exhibits on display beginning Friday afternoon at the Florence Events Center.  Inside will be vendors offering wares and services for anywhere inside or outside of your home.  Half price admission coupons are still available at Bi-Mart… but if you miss out, it’s still only two dollars to get in the door.  The show runs Friday from two to six, Saturday from ten to six and then Sunday from 11 to three.

Gas prices surge

The average cash price for a gallon of regular gas in Florence jumped by 13-cents this week to $2.49.  Even with that big increase, the local average is still below the statewide price as measured by Triple-A.  That went up two cents and is currently at $2.56.

Marie Dodds says prices in Oregon have fluctuated by just a few cents in past weeks, but are expected to climb more rapidly in coming weeks.  That’s because, she said, refineries will be switching from winter-blend to the more expensive summer-blend fuel… and demand is expected to increase as more people hit the roads.

West coast prices continue to be the highest in the country with Hawaii number one at $3.09… California is at $2.95 and Washington is number three at $2.76.  Oregon’s average is sixth highest.

The cheapest gas, on average, continues to be in the southeast with South Carolina at $2.04 a gallon and Alabama at $2.07.

Ambulance District promotes medic

One of the final personnel moves to accommodate last year’s management agreement between Siuslaw Valley Fire and Western Lane Ambulance has been completed at the emergency medical response agency.  Long time paramedic and training officer Darrek Mullins was sworn in last week as the third “shift supervisor”.  Shift supervisors are in charge of each of the three shifts of medics that are on duty 48-hours at a time.  Mullins, who is in his 20^th year with Western Lane, was selected to fill the vacancy created when Matt House was elevated to Operations Manager at the district.

Siuslaw Valley Fire Chief Jim Langborg said Mullins was chosen from a list of four – quote – “highly respected paramedics, making it a very difficult decision”.  Despite the difficult decision, Langborg said the community is “fortunate to have such a high caliber of candidates to choose from”.

Police report conflicting stories

A 73-year old woman accused of murdering her 93-year old ex-husband last month in Florence told police differing stories after her arrest.  That’s according to an affidavit filed this week by Florence Police Sergeant Brandon Ott.

Carolyn Stickley called 911 at 2:30 in the morning February 12^th and told the dispatcher she had been in a struggle with her – quote – “dementia ex husband” at his home in Wild Winds and she had shot him in the head.

During interviews at the Florence Justice Center following her arrest, she then told two versions of what happened.

In the affidavit, Ott said Stickley initially claimed self-defense, but she later admitted to police that she shot the former Boeing engineer from behind because he was suffering from dementia and his quality of life had declined.  She said she had promised him he would die in his own home.

Stickley remains in the Lane County Jail and has been formally charged with murder… she has pleaded not-guilty.