Crabbing Date Set
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have settled on a date to open commercial crabbing along the coast. Tuesday, December 31st will be when the boats will be back in the water collecting Dungeness crab. December 1st is the usual target date for the crustacean, but in some years the date is moved back to allow the crab to fill out. November and December checks showed that the crab did not contain enough meat to warrant the beginning of the season, but the last testing has shown that not only has the crab met ODFW standards, but surpassed them. This does not effect recreational crabbing as that has remained open for the coast and in bays and estuaries. ODFW has a shellfish hotline available to check for closures at 800-448-2474. Last year’s late start did not mean a less profitable year for crabbers as it was the second highest ex-vessel value ever recorded at 66.7 million dollars with 18.7 million pounds of crab hauled in.
City Offices Closed
City offices will be closed Christmas day. Critical services will continue, but bill paying, permits, and city hall will be closed. There are no meetings scheduled as the year comes to an end. City offices will also be closed on new year’s day. The first scheduled meeting for the new year will be on January 6th beginning with a city council work session at 10:30 followed by a 5:30 city council meeting.
Flu Numbers Up
Flu cases around the state have increased almost 10 percent over the previous period. The Oregon Health Authority has reported that 27.3 percent of the cases have tested positive for the flu and that is up from 19.4 percent in the previous week. The largest portion of positive cases have been in the Columbia Gorge area with southern Oregon reporting the fewest number of cases. According to the OHA Oregon is currently in the moderate to high level of activity. Cases continue to mimic previous year’s levels, but two to three weeks earlier than previous years.
ReVision Florence
Today is expected to be the last day of the year for crews working on the Revision Florence Project. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation crews will be out working on finishing up sidewalks and gutter work today, but then will take a break for the holidays and return on January 6th.
