Rural Agencies May Suffer Financially
Under a proposal from the Legislature, Oregon’s service agencies could see a cut to spending. It could hit hardest in rural areas. Under the Committee on Ways and Means Co-Chair budget, state agency spending would be cut by two-point-five percent. John Mullin worked with the Human Services Coalition of Oregon and says the proposed budget could hurt health providers’ Medicaid reimbursement rates, which is bad news for rural Oregon.
“There are really some very challenging issues about finding providers in rural areas and that’s a main concern. That’s also linked to some of the economic struggles that are happening in rural communities.”
Mullin says the cuts could also affect cash assistance programs, which aren’t keeping up with inflation. Lawmakers say Oregon no longer has federal funds to rely on for its budget. Governor Tina Kotek has proposed spending about 750 million dollars from the state’s rainy day fund to support state agencies. The potential state agency cuts also are coming as expanded Medicaid benefits from early in the pandemic end, potentially leaving up to 300-thousand Oregonians uninsured. The Ways and Means Committee is presenting the budget around the state, and Mullin says his organization is going to these meetings to urge full funding for needed programs and state agencies.
“Speaking from the Human Services Coalition perspective, we think that services to the people that are most vulnerable are really at the top of the list.”
The committee will be in Newport on Friday, Roseburg on April 21st and Ontario on April 28th.
Spongebob the Musical
When the curtain rises Friday evening on the Spongebob Musical, play-goers at the Florence Events Center will likely be very impressed with the work of the Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshop… commonly known in the community as CROW.
“They have been working so hard. I’ve been watching them the past week. They are there until the wee hours of the night, I mean, I’ve seen people show up at 8 AM when we open and then they go through until like 11, just working super hard and it’s going to be super exciting.”
Florence Events Center manager Tim Mendolia knows what he’s talking about. Before moving to Florence he spent 15-years with Valley Christian Schools in San Jose, California as a teacher of theatrical arts and as the Director of Theatrical Design. Mendolia has high praise for the work of CROW director Melanie Heard.
“She’s amazing. She’s a talent that we need in this community. CROW is something we need in this community. If you’ve ever thought, oh, I wish there was more for our kids to do in this town? This is what that looks like.”
Spongebob the Musical opens Friday night at the FEC and will continue through Sunday, April 23rd.
Gas Prices Continue Upward Trend
Gas Prices continue their upward trend for the 5th straight week in Oregon. This past week statewide prices jumped 6 cents bringing the Oregon average for regular gas to just under $4.00 a gallon. Locally the Florence price is fairing better at $3.48 a gallon, but still on the rise. Demand for fuel nationwide continues to increase week over week despite poor weather conditions across the land. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says the OPEC decision to cut production also weighs heavy. Oregon has the 6th highest price for fuel, all of the top 6 are west coast, Hawaii and Nevada.
Humane Society Cat Glut
Activity in the cattery at the Oregon Coast Humane Society animal shelter picked up sharply over the past several days. Executive Director Elisabeth Thompson says it went from “bust to boom” quickly.
“ It was very quiet and then now it’s like, oh six were born last night, five were found under a house today; two were pulled out of an apartment that was abandoned. We’re flush with kittens.”
The flurry of fur comes with good news and not so good news.
“The good news is that we’re putting them into foster as fast as we’re getting them. So that’s good news.”
The not so good news is that all of those kittens require food and other supplies. Thompson said they are looking forward to holding a “kittie shower” later this month with Mo-Sho, the Cat Rapper.
Reedsport Water Shutdown
City of Reedsport Water Department will be doing a shutdown, Thursday, April 13, 2023, between the hours of 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This shutdown will affect the area of 16th Street including Riverside Manor and the southern end of Umpqua Mobile Home Village which is directly adjacent to Riverside Manor.
