Armed Robbery and Attempted Burglary
The Florence Police department has reported that another armed robbery and an attempted armed burglary were committed. On Monday evening around 10:30 pm two men, one armed with a shotgun that looked similar to an AK-47 style weapon attempted to enter the Cleawox market after shooting through the front door of the vacant building. Lane County Sheriff’s deputies responded. The manager of the location reported two masked subjects, but they did not enter the store. About 30 minutes later two men made entry to the American Market in the 2500 block of Highway 101. The suspects were wearing masks and armed with what appeared to be the same weapon used in the previous attempted burglary. The suspects stole cigarettes, other smoking devices and an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects are described as white males. One was wearing a red or maroon sweatshirt, black pants, white shoes and a bandana over his face. The other was wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, black shoes and a black ski mask. They are considered armed and dangerous. The suspects fled in a white Dodge Dakota pick-up with what appears to be out of state license plates. If you have information you can contact Florence police or Lane County Sheriff.
Gun Legislation Pushback
Yesterday the Oregon House passed a gun control bill that supporters of the bill say is a common sense approach that will save lives and reduce mass shootings. House Bill 2005 passed along party lines. One opponent of the bill was 9th district representative Boomer Wright. Wright says he believes the bill to be unconstitutional and believes that once it passes the governors desk will be met with litigation. He also told coast radio news that the bill is discriminatory against 18-20 year olds and that it will do nothing to stop school shootings. He says only placing resource officers in each school will do that. He also says that he finds it ridiculous that they have police and security and metal detectors, but school children only have a sign that says “This School is a gun Free Zone” calling out his democratic colleagues as not making school safety a priority. House Bill 2005 prohibits the sale of homemade, or ghost guns. It raises the age of to 21 for specific types of guns, and allows cities to bar individuals with concealed carry permits from public buildings.
Building Safety
The month of May is building safety month and it is recognized by the city of Florence. A proclamation was made at Monday evening’s city council meeting. The idea behind building safety month is to make citizens and businesses aware of how to be safe. Recommending smoke alarms on every level of a home, make sure they are tested and working properly, have an escape plan and keep items away from portable heaters. Also be sure to never overload power cords or strips. Building safety also covers mold prevention, improper flushing of things down toilets and using grills and bbq’s in well ventilated areas and not in a garage, covered porch or other enclosed areas. More information on building safety is available at the city’s website at ci.florence.or.us.
Gas Prices
While the rest of the nation is seeing a drop in gas prices the Oregon cost for a gallon of regular gas continues to tick upward with another 2 cent increase this week to $4.12 a gallon. Regular gas in Florence is averaging $3.65 a gallon. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says prices should start to see a downward trend, considering the price of crude falling, but with Memorial Day approaching, that could change as more people are expected to be on the roads.
