Truck Driver Arrested in Fatal Crash
The Oregon State police have released their investigation into the crash of September 20th that claimed the life of Western Lane Ambulance EMT Emily Susman. OSP arrested the driver of the logging truck yesterday. 64 year old Shane Tyler McVay was taken into custody and charged with Manslaughter 1, DUII and Reckless Endangering as a result of a 4 vehicle crash at milepost 37 of highway 126. McVay’s loaded logging truck tipped over and struck the Toyota Prius driven by Susman. The truck also hit a Dodge Ram that was towing a boat which then struck a Ford mustang. McVay is being lodged in the Lane County Jail.
Vaccination Clinics for Florence
The Peace Harbor clinic will offer COVID-19 boosters on Monday December 27th and Wednesday the 29th for Moderna boosters. The clinic will also be hosting a Pfizer primary dose clinic for ages 5 and over on Tuesday December 28th and Thursday December 30th. Director of Operations for Peace Harbor, Cheri Payne says boosters are the best way to protect individuals from the latest variant.
“Boosters are critical because they re-stimulate the immune system which increases the number of anti-bodies in our bodies. Boosters also develop anti-bodies against more parts of the virus than the primary COVID-19 vaccine series.”
Reservations are recommended for the Clinics but walk-ins will be permitted as time allows.
More COVID for Florence Area
Five more COVID-19 cases were reported yesterday for the Florence Area bringing the all time total to 869 individuals. It is not known if the new cases are part of an increasing Omicron variant surge or the Delta variant. Lane County cases are fluctuating from day to day but have been showing increases although cases are way below the October peak of 214 cases per 100,000. There were 106 new cases yesterday. The Oregon Health Authority has reported a rise in cases over the previous week. There were 10% more cases totaling 5,589 for the week and there were 1,197 cases reported statewide yesterday.
New Chamber Display
The Florence Chamber of Commerce has updated their gallery showcase. The work of Local photographer Rodger Bennett can be seen on display at the visitor’s center. Winter hours for the Visitor’s Center are 11-3 Monday through Friday.
Banner Corporation to Buy Back Stock
The Banner Corporation, parent company of Banner Bank has announced a stock repurchase program. The corporation plans to but back about 5% of its shares or just under 2 million shares. President and CEO of Banner Corporation Mark Grescovich says the program aligns with the company’s long-term goal of building shareholder value.
