Freezing Temps
Lane County is expected to have temperatures that dip below freezing for the weekend opening shelters countywide. Here in Florence the Florence Cold Weather shelter will be open and have shuttle buses running beginning at 5 pm this evening. there are several sites where the shuttle will pick up including the Siuslaw Public Library, Safeway and at Linda’s Laundry on Highway 101. There are also options for un-housed families with minor children. You can contact Siuslaw Outreach Services for more information at 997-4444. Siuslaw Public Library also opens to needy individuals during daytime hours. On Saturday it is 1-5 pm.
Fire Marshal Grants
The Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal has opened up an application period for a series of grants totaling 18 million dollars. The grants are for communities to be better prepared for wildfire. The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant is a competitive opportunity open to local governments, special districts as well as non-governmental organizations that support the community in times of disaster. Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple says “the funds are a major step forward in giving communities the tools they need to be better adapted to living with wildfire”. The OSFM will be hosting two virtual educational webinars for those interested in learning more about the grant. The first is on December 22 at 9:30 and the second will be on January 12, at 2 pm. Information can be found at Oregon.gov
www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/OSFM-Grants.aspx.
Free COVID-19 Tests
The federal government has released another round of free COVID-19 tests. Each household is eligible for four at home rapid antigen tests simply by going to the United States Postal Service website at special.usps.com/testkits. There are no shipping charges for the test.
The Oregon Health Authority is reporting that information gathered on the new COVID-19 vaccinations shows the booster vaccinations are working well to curb the instances of COVID-19. New data for the Center for Disease Control show significant protection from the newer Omicron strains of the virus. The study comes from individuals who received the vaccine in the first few month of availability.
Siuslaw Schools Mathematics
Siuslaw schools are looking to update their mathematics curriculum. Curriculum is reviewed and adapted on a seven year cycle and fall of 2023 classes will be the beginning of the new cycle. The schools have issued a press release indicating that it will be taking suggestions on mathematics programs to be considered for the 2023-2030 cycle. Parents and guardians of students are also being given the opportunity to serve on a curriculum review committee. There are currently two positions available: one for kindergarten through 5th grade and the other 6th through 12. Names can be submitted through email at 97j@siuslaw.k12.or.us.
