DEQ Fines Coos Bay Man
The state Department of Environmental Quality has fined a Coos Bay man $25,000 and ordered his property cleaned up by mid November. The problem is that Willy Joe Jenkins cannot respond to the demand from the state because he is serving a sentence for weapons and drug violations at the Snake River Correctional institute in Ontario. The amount of trash collecting on Jenkins property would fill about 25 dump trucks according to a report in the Register Guard. Jenkins still has about 2 ½ years left on his sentence and the DEQ says it does not postpone fines due to someone being in prison. They say illegal dumping can cause contaminates to get into the soil and eventually hurt ground water.
Wine and Chowder Trail
It was a weekend full of beautiful weather and fun activities in Florence. The annual Wine and Chowder Trail filled the streets with locals and visitors coming to Old Town to experience over 10 Oregon Wineries with as many chowders from local restaurants and to have a shot at 30 glass floats. On Sunday afternoon a large crowd filled the street at the intersection of Laurel and Bay as anxious participants waited to hear who would be taking home the glass treasures. There were visitors in the crowd that came from as far as Florida to participate in the event. The Florence area Chamber of Commerce puts on the annual festival along with its corporate underwriters and distinguished sponsors.
School Board Reviews Drug Policy
The Siuslaw School Board meets this Wednesday at its office on Oak Street. On the agenda for the meeting is an update on policies including a first reading of new rules regarding drug testing and the use of skateboards, scooters and roller blades on school property. They will also continue discussions on facility planning which will likely cover plans for new or remodeled educational structures. The Meeting is at 6:30 pm at 2111 Oak Street.
City Hall Has New Hours
Florence’s City Hall is preparing for some construction and remodeling that will improve the space and add more room for offices and services. Along with the move is a change in the office hours as staff begins to prepare for the construction. Some of the services will be moving to the new public works facility building on Kingwood in December. The new office hours will be Monday through Friday 8am till noon and from 1pm to 4pm. The changes take effect today. The city administration says that there are many services and information that is available by using its online resource at ci.florence.or.us.