Road Repairs to Take a Week
Oregon 38 (Umpqua Highway) will be limited to a single lane near Burchard Creek (milepost 21) for at least one week due to ongoing cleanup work following a truck crash and fuel release on Monday night. Flaggers will provide 24-hour traffic control, and motorists should expect brief delays. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality continues to oversee cleanup efforts at the site and efforts to prevent petroleum from reaching the Umpqua River. Fuel had not reached the river as of Wednesday afternoon. Soil excavation at the site continues with contaminated soil being hauled to Short Mountain Landfill south of Eugene. Contractors plan to place monitoring wells on site to better determine the extent of the contamination. The truck was carrying around 8,500 gallons of gasoline and 2,500 gallons of diesel when it crashed. About 850 gallons of mixed fuel was recovered immediately and about 10,000 gallons was released.
Fire Displaces Man
A wheelchair bound man was spared as his mobile home burned on the north end of Rhododendron Wednesday. Siuslaw valley fire and Rescue was called to the blaze to find the single wide home engulfed in flames. The resident was already out of the building and was not injured. Disaster responders with the American Red Cross responded and are assisting the resident with temporary housing, food, clothing, comfort kits with toiletry items, information about recovery services, and health and mental health services.
Man Hit By Tree
Yesterday around noon Western Lane Ambulance and Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue responded to a call of a man that was hit by a falling tree off of Maple Creek road. Upon arriving at the scene medics asked for availability of air transport for the patient. They were able to free the man and ultimately take him by ground transport to Peace Harbor Hospital. There is no word on identity or condition of the man
Pumpkin Giveaway
It was all about the Pumpkins yesterday at the 30th annual Great Pumpkin giveaway. The parking lot of the Saw Shop and Old School Furniture was filled with excited children and parents as Florence True Value and Coast Radio distributed about 400 pumpkins to area kids. Participants also downed hundreds of hot dogs and gallons of A&W Root beer. Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue distributed the pumpkins. Children played a variety of games and were rewarded with hundreds of pounds of candy. Those who did not get by for a free pumpkin can still drop by Florence True Value while supplies last.
Sapp Named Grand Marshall
Local businessman Tim Sapp is being honored as this year’s grand Marshall in the annual Veteran’s Day parade. The parade will be held at 1pm on November 11th and will begin at the Florence Event Center and continue through Old Town along Bay Street. Entries for the parade are still being accepted and applications can be picked up at the Florence Chamber of Commerce, TR Hunter Real Estate, or at Coast Radio Studios.
