Parent Irate with Mapleton School District
An incident involving a Mapleton High School Student from back in December has drawn the ire of an estranged parent. On Social Media a post from Pancho Louie says his son, who is considered a runaway, was playing basketball when he suffered a head injury that Louie says was not properly treated by health officials and proper steps were not taken by school officials. The student, who cannot be named due to privacy and age issues, went into convulsions after the injury according to Louie and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Mapleton School Superintendent, Jodi O’mara said the incident was investigated and the District took remedial action. She said the school district is not able to disclose any additional information, but that the safety and well-being of students remains their chief priority and there is no tolerance for any behavior that places children at risk. Louie’s post has garnered some significant attention both for his concerns and for support of the school district.
Gas Prices
Gas prices across the state are on the rise again with a crude oil price that continues to hover near 100 dollars per barrel. Oregon price for a gallon of regular gas climbed to $4.69. the Florence average price of a gallon of regular is at $4.45 a gallon. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says supplies continue to be tight and as long as they are crude prices are not likely to fall. Dodds says about 53% of the price we pay for gas comes directly from Crude oil prices while the rest is broken up in refining, distribution and marketing with taxes averaging about 15%. Drivers are now paying about $23 dollars more than this time last year to fill up their tanks.
Farmer’s Market
The Florence farmers market will be opening soon. The Tuesday market will have its first day on May 10th from 3-6 pm and will continue until mid October. The market participates in the SNAP program and accepts EBT cards.
Drone Regulations Coming For Oregon Parks
The Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation is continuing to research the impact that drones might have in state parks. Currently there are no rules that regulate the use of drones at Oregon parks or on the beaches, but OPRD Central Resources Manager Guy Rodrigue says they are working on adopting regulations that will control the use of drones. A release by OPRD says rules specifically related to drones must go through the formal public process before being adopted.
More COVID-19 Cases
5 more cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the Florence area. The total increases the 2 week reporting to 32 cases. Numbers across the county continue to rise with 107 new cases for Lane County(1545) the Oregon Health Authority has posted 1841 new cases and hospitalizations have increased to 183. Positivity rates for testing have also increased again to 11.2%
RealID Requirements
The Oregon Department of Transportation is reminding travelers that they are a year away from requiring the RealID to travel within the TSA checkpoints. RealID options can be added to your Oregon Drivers license it is a $30 charge for the upgrade. The RealID is optional for Oregon if you have a passport, passport card, military ID or other credential for air travel.
