Threatening Letter Sent To Elections Office
The day after the November 7th special election the Lane County Elections office was surrounded by police. Coast Radio was first alerted to the incident from a local listener who works as an official counter for the elections office. At about 11:30 yesterday morning Eugene police were called to the office located at 10th avenue after receiving letter that workers thought suspicious. EPD was assisted by the Springfield Fire Hazardous materials team and removed the letter without incident. It did cause the offices to close for the remainder of the day. The incident delayed the 5pm update on the election tally for the continuance of the Siuslaw School Levy. It was not specifically noted, but the update will likely come some time today.
Lawsuit Filed to Block Logging Project
Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to block a logging project near Eugene. Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild and Willamette Riverkeeper are challenging the U-S Bureau of Land Management’s authorization of the 46-hundred-acre Big League logging project. The groups say the agency failed to take a hard look at the project’s impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act. Peter Jensen with Cascadia Wildlands says logging will hurt species in the region.
“Those watersheds have critical habitat and are important watersheds for Willamette River spring Chinook salmon, and there’s also forests within this region that have critical habitat for northern spotted owls.”
In its assessment, the B-L-M concluded the project would have no significant impact on the environment. The conservation groups also say the agency failed to take into account the impacts of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire on the region. Defenders of the logging project say logging and clearing the forest will decrease the intensity of wildfires in the future.
Food Share Receives Grant
Just in time for the Holidays the Florence Food Share has announced that they are the recipients of a $3,000 grant from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund. The money will be directly used to purchase food for the emergency food pantry. Executive Director of the Food Share, Colin Morgan applauded the support from the Siletz Tribe saying they have been a true partner in the organization’s mission to “alleviate hunger and enhance the health and dignity of people in Western Lane County.”
Christmas Tree Permits
Christmas tree permits are now available for purchase from the Siuslaw National Forest and will be offered through Dec. 31, 2023. Visit recreation.gov to purchase a permit online. Visit or call the Reedsport, Waldport, or Corvallis office to purchase a permit in person or over the phone. Christmas tree permits are $5 with an additional $2.50 fee per transaction when purchased online. Cutting trees in some areas of the Siuslaw is prohibited; tree hunters should check maps provided with permits prior to selecting their tree. Visit the Siuslaw Christmas Tree Permit webpage for more details.
Gas Prices
Gas prices continue to edge downward with thousands of stations across the country now selling gas below 3 dollars a gallon. In Oregon the average price of regular gas dropped another 8 cents but is still in the 4 dollar range at $4.26. however Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says many stations are below $4.00. here in Florence the price of a gallon of regular gas is up slightly from the previous week at $3.95. Fred Meyer Fuel Station is expected to be fully operational tomorrow and is expected to be offering fuel at a $.30 discount for the foreseeable future.