City Ready For Rhody Days
Rhody Days are next week and the ReVision Florence Streetscape project is in full force, but City Manager Erin Reynolds says it will have little impact on the festival and Parade.
“Starting next week, around Thursday you’ll see everyone kind of ‘get out of the way’ and be ready for the Rhododendron Festival.”
Reynolds says the project will be an active construction scene, but the plan is to have availability for seating along the roadway for parade watchers. She says that more information will be made available as the festival gets closer. Project manager Megan Messmer meets today with ODOT and public works to get a progress update and to plan out the schedule for next week. Reynolds also says the street will open up a little to provide for the expected traffic but how much has yet to be determined.
House Bill to Provide Cyclists More Safety
The Oregon Senate approved a bill that will extend bike lanes through an intersection. House bill 2682 was passed by the senate yesterday that says bike lanes that are clearly marked on either side of an intersection means that the lane also crosses the intersection providing bicyclists more safety and the need for motorists to yield. The bill went through the house after a judge ruled in two separate cases that a motorist was not responsible for accidents with bicycles that were crossing an intersection because the lane technically ends and the bicyclist must yield to traffic. The bill now goes before Governor Brown where she is expected to sign it into law.
County Behind Juvenile Justice Bill
Lane County commissioners have released a letter that shows support for Senate Bill 1008. The bill will change how juveniles are prosecuted for violent crimes, and eliminates the mandate that juveniles under the age of 18 be tried as adults under certain circumstances. The letter of support for the bill states that the commissioners also understand victims rights and that adequate services should also be available for victims. The bill will transfer prosecutorial authority to the juvenile courts via a waiver and gives the District Attorney authority to involve behavioral health professionals as well as provide additional participation for victims in waiver hearings. The bill also allows sentencing to be looked at mid-sentence and evaluate it. It includes a term limit of 15 years, but with the option of extending the sentence if necessary.
