Fatal Wreck on 126
Another crash on Highway 126 claims the life of an 18 year old Monroe man. On Sunday Colton Kenneth Rice of Monroe died when the dark blue Honda Civic he was driving collided head on with a silver Toyota Tundra driven by Clint Robison, 33 of Yacolt, Washington near milepost 35. Witnesses say that Rice traveled into the east bound lane of 126 to pass vehicles in a no passing zone on a blind corner at a high rate of speed. The Tundra struck the Civic broadside resulting in the death of Rice. The four occupants in the Tundra were transported to the hospital by ambulance with minor injuries and later released. Highway 126 was closed for more than four hours while Oregon State Police conducted an investigation.
Mapleton Water Repair
A portion of Mapleton residents had to do without water briefly on Friday as the Mapleton Water District repaired a couple of leaks in a water line on east Mapleton road. Workers were able to begin and finish repairs on Friday. The leaks were just passed an area that had recently been replaced. Customers along the area were without water for a short time as workers quickly replaced a section of failed piping.
Humane Society in the Easter Spirit
The Oregon Coast Humane Society got into the Easter spirit on Sunday with an Easter themed photo shoot. Several members of the Siuslaw Middle School’s Builders Club have been volunteering over the past two months. Students from the school have been helping to find animals good homes and helping them recover after surgeries. Five members of the builders club took part in the photo shoot yesterday with bunny ears, costumes and extra cuddles according to OCHS Executive Director Elizabeth Thompson. Thompson says the impact that the Builder’s Club has on the animals is incredible and would like to encourage other youth volunteers.
Voter Registration
If you haven’t registered to vote or need to make changes to your registration, the deadline is approaching. The deadline to register to vote or change your voter registration information for the May 17th Primary Election is coming up Tuesday, April 26th. Voter registration is available on a secure website operated by the Secretary of State’s Office. Potential voters can fill out a new voter registration form or review and change information currently on file. Voters in Lane County have several non-partisan candidates from which to choose. Voters affiliated with major political parties will pick their preferred candidates State Labor Commissioner, Oregon Governor, the U.S. Senate, and the 4th District Congressional seat. Ballots will be mailed beginning April 28th and are due back on Election Day. Recent changes to Oregon Elections law allow ballots post-marked on Election Day to be counted as long as they are received by the elections office within seven days.
Oregon Tax Kicker
If you have been putting off filing for your 2021Oregon taxes you may want to get on it. The state of Oregon collected more taxes in 2020 than anticipated triggering a clause in the states constitution requiring the excess to be returned to Oregonians who paid it. Even if you are not required to file this year, you may still be entitled for a refund from the previous year. Deadline for filing this year is April 18th.
