Traffic Delays Expected
The potential for heavy holiday traffic on the Oregon coast has prompted the Oregon Department of Transportation to ask travelers to be aware of possible traffic delays in Reedsport and Winchester Bay from today through the Labor Day holiday on Monday, specifically northbound traffic returning to the Florence area and points north. The heaviest of traffic is expected to be on Monday between 10 am and 4 pm. They are asking local traffic to be aware and find alternate routes if needing to travel in the area. ODOT will be setting electronic message boards along highway 101 near Reedsport and Winchester Bay alerting motorists. You can also access tripcheck.com or call 511 for traffic information.
Be Prepared
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is urging all Oregonians to be prepared for potential disasters. Director of the OEM, Andrew Phelps says preparing for an emergency doesn’t have to happen all at once, but a plan should be in place and households should prepare for at least a two week period. Phelps says with the threat of a 9.0 Cascadia earthquake, climate change, wildfire and even winter storms it could take days or weeks for emergency responders to reach damaged areas. More information is available at Oregon.gov/oem.
Back to School Staff Gathering
The annual “back to school all-staff” gathering for the Siuslaw School District was held Wednesday morning at Hans Petersen Field. Nearly all of the 214 staff members were there to hear Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak introduce new 26 new coworkers. One of those is an administrator. Ron Frakes was introduced as the Vice Principal at Siuslaw Middle School. He will fill the spot previously held by Nathan Green. Four teachers were recognized for their length of service, each hitting significant milestones. High School Culinary teacher Kyle Lewis along with Middle School Principal Andy Marohl (muh-ROLL) each received 15-year pins from school board member John Barnett. Ethan Dougherty, a teacher at the Middle School, received his 25-year pin from a different board member, his wife, Kady Sneddon. She was joined by the couple’s 8-year old daughter, Olive, for the occasion. Board Chair Bob Sneddon presented a 30-year pin to Cindy Ramsey . Most students will be back in the classroom by next Wednesday. Kindergartners start Monday September 12th.
