Bridge Work To Finish Up
Crews return this week to the Siuslaw River Bridge to finish up work on the sidewalk ramps. Workers are expected to be on site Wednesday through Friday of this week as the project nears completion. The three and a half year upgrade on the bridge is scheduled to be completed by this March with clean up and finishing touches being performed over the next several weeks. The work zone speed limit has been reduced to 30 MPH and for the remaining period the Oregon state police will be focusing on additional safety enforcement on the south side of the bridge. The 19.9 million dollar project is just one of the many bridge upgrades being performed along the Oregon portion of Highway 101. North of Florence the Cape Creek Bridge and the Cape Perpetua Half-Viaduct Bridge have also begun projects similar to the one on the Siuslaw River bridge. Crews are currently working on the arch span at Cape Creek and will be on sight from 7am to 3:30 pm.
Florence PD Releases Numbers
The Florence Police Department has released the numbers of their holiday DUII High Visibility Enforcements. In the month of December the Florence police arrested 7 drivers for driving while impaired one of which was during the high visibility enforcement period. In addition 7 additional warnings for traffic offenses were issued. Florence Police will participate in another High Visibility Enforcement during Super Bowl Sunday on February 3rd.
Flu Percentages Up as Cases Down
Percentage of people testing positive for the flu in Oregon is up from the last count by the Oregon Health Authority. This past week the Oregon Public Health Division reported that 14.3 percent of patients tested were positive. And although the percentage is greater than the previous week the overall number of flu cases dropped because fewer people were tested. Emergency visits were also fewer than the previous week. OHA compiles the data weekly and numbers are down significantly from the same period last year. The state of Oregon is considered on the lower scale of states affected by influenza like illness with states like New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey being severely effected by it. Tennessee, Ohio, North and South Dakota have the fewest incidents of flu like illness reported.
