126 Still Closed
Damage from Tuesday night’s ice storm left conditions along 126 in a worse state than the previous storm. More trees and debris were covering the roadway and crews have been working around the clock to get the road in shape to reopen. The Oregon Department of Transportation says today will still be a difficult commute for many with melting snow and ice causing slushy roads and in some cases high water. This morning they finished clearing the highway and it is now passable, but there are still road hazards along 126 to deal with. Highway 36 has also been cleared. They do not recommend following GPS navigation unless you are using main roads to travel. Central Lincoln PUD is making headway on outages just north in Lincoln County down to 223 from a high of over 1100. A power outage in Eugene/Springfield affect their water treatment plant causing a boil water notice for the area yesterday. Some restaurants in Springfield were told they had to cease food preparation and service immediately due to potential contamination. The order is scheduled to last until at least 8pm this evening.
Temporary Gas Shortage
Gas was in short supply yesterday as several stations in the Florence area dealt with the impact of winter weather. By mid afternoon stations finally received shipments allowing for fueling to resume. Other entities that were heavily impacted by the winter weather were mail and package delivery services such as the United States Postal Service and UPS. Deliveries have been delayed due to no passage to Eugene and even Portland.
Gas Prices
Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says the price of gas has stalled but more so due to the stable price of crude oil and low demand. Prices along the coast have remained steady around the $2.89 a gallon mark for the last week and she says expect more of the same as we move into next week.
Wine, Chowder and Glass Float Trail
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce has begun to promote the upcoming Wine, Chowder and glass float trail. The event will be February 16th through the 18th. opportunities are still available for a business to host a float. Restaurants can still sign on to be a chowder competitor. Information on the event can be found at wineandchowdertrail.com.