Time to Vote
Lane County Voters have just over a week to return the ballots for the May 18th election. Voters are urged to return their ballots as soon as possible to ensure they are counted. There are 20 official drop boxes in Lane County, including the official box in front of the Florence Justice Center on Greenwood Street. Lane County Elections Clerk, Cheryl Betschart said, “If a voter doesn’t mail their ballot early enough to ensure the Elections Office receives it before the deadline, or fails to get it to an official drop box before 8pm on Tuesday, May 18th, their vote cannot be counted.” You should also remember post marks do not count. Lane County Election Office says voters need to remember to sign their ballot’s return envelope before mailing or returning it back to Lane County Elections. Elections personnel who have received training in handwriting analysis compare it to signatures in the voter registration record to verify identity. A ballot may only be counted if the signatures match. Justice Center Directions
Construction 9th Street
Construction continues along 9th street from Rhododendron to Kingwood street. Delays are possible as contractors replace an aging water line and upgrade sewer conditions along the stretch of road. In addition to adding a larger, 16 inch water line, the construction will also include replacing and upgrading sidewalks along the road in order to meet the current regulations of the American Disabilities Act. The 2 million dollar project is expected to take about 6 months to complete. Allowance have been made for emergency traffic. Reedsports contractor Laskey-Clifton is in charge of the project.
COVID-19 Update
After nearly a week of no new reported cases for the Florence area Lane County Public Health recorded one new case over the weekend as cases across the county continue to be steady. The rate of infection continues to be high with 103.84 cases per 100 thousand population. Over the weekend there were 95 new cases for Lane County and 1443 new cases reported for the state. cases are dropping slowly across the state, but state and county health officials warn that if residents do not protect themselves by following established protocols, it may be a long summer.
Weekend Business Benefit from Good Weather
Parking lots were full and diners were on the streets this weekend as nice weather brought out visitors to the area. Bay street, lined with orange barricades, provided expanded dining for restaurants as indoor dining was reopened to 25% of capacity on Friday.
