Gas Prices Continue to Rise
Gas Prices continue to rise in Oregon with refineries still taxed and undergoing maintenance. Oregon had another 31 cent increase with an average price of a gallon of regular gas sitting at $5.46 a gallon. The Florence area has historically been below the state average but in recent times the gap has narrowed with prices here averaging $5.29 a gallon. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says there has been a limited pipeline of supply for the west coast and that the amount of fuel being processed is exacerbated by the maintenance of several of the refineries. She says that refinery age is a concern as many are more than 50 years old and some are more than 100 years old. Crude prices are actually lower than they were in June of this year, but it is not enough to cover for the current supply issues. Demand is also increasing. Oregon has moved into the third spot for highest fuel prices in the country preceded only by California and Nevada.
Fire Season
Fire season for the region is expected to end on October 15th. Fire dangers for the area are currently considered moderate with the recent precipitation. Several fires continue to burn in the state. The largest is the Double Creek Fire near the Idaho border followed by the Cedar Creek Fire east of Springfield. Both are lightning fires.
Boys and Girls Club Gala
If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet for this Saturday’s Boys and Girls Club gala, there may still be time. The event is the clubs largest fund raiser that helps pay for programs and expenses during the year. Vanessa Buss, the clubs Executive Director says that they are pulling out all the stops for this year’s event. the pandemic stymied the event over the past several years and they are looking to make this event one for the ages. One of the programs that the club is able to offer is their Air Academy where students get an introduction to flight. The program is led by Terry Tomeny who operates Aerolegends. It was Buss’ first year experiencing the classes
“It was pretty impactful for some folks and it was my first year and it’s an amazing program.”
For information on the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County or for details on this Saturday’s gala you can contact the club at 541-902-0304
Vax Clinic
COVID-19 vaccination clinics are expected to return to the Florence Events Center later in the month of October. The previous two weeks of clinics brought out many who were looking for the variant specific vaccines. Limited supplies were an issue, but according to the Oregon Health Authority numbers of the new boosters is rising and supplies will be more readily available in the coming weeks. Weekly numbers for COVID-19 cases will be reported overnight tonight and be available tomorrow. It will likely not include individual numbers by zip code.
