Crash Information
Information on the Sunday afternoon crash that shut down Highway 126 near milepost 21 has been released by the Oregon State Police. According to Captain Kyle Kennedy the single vehicle accident was traveling eastbound on Highway 126 when the Honda CRV left the road for unknown reasons and struck a tree. The driver, Joella Ann Ewing, 83 of Eugene was transported to the hospital. A passenger in the vehicle, 80 year old Ruth Anne Romoser of Springfield was declared deceased at the scene. The second fatality in a week caused a 6 hour closure on the highway while police investigated. Assisting in the response were Western Lane Fire and EMS, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Eugene Police, Lane Rural Fire and ODOT. There is expected to be heavy traffic this weekend and motorist are asked to be patient and drive safely.
Volunteer Awards
A-A-R-P Oregon has opened up nominations for its prestigious award for volunteerism. For the Andrus Award for Community Service, the organization will select a person or couple age 50 or older who performs services without pay in their communities. State volunteer president of A-A-R-P Oregon, Michael Schultz, notes that Oregonians do a lot of volunteering. According to an AmeriCorps study from 2021, more than 970-thousand residents volunteered, contributing an estimated two-point-six billion dollars in economic impact through their volunteer hours.
“That is a huge impact on our communities, on our economy and on the lives of Oregonians throughout the state.”
The Andrus Award for Community Service is named after the founder of A-A-R-P, Doctor Ethel Percy Andrus. Schultz notes that the nominator and the award winner will each receive one thousand dollars to donate to the nonprofit of their choice.
Parade Winners
Three Rivers Casino, Communidad Latina, Oregon City High School, and the Florence Elks Lodge were the winners in the Grand Floral Parade on Sunday. The parade had more than 80 entries with a lot of diversity. Communidad Latina had horses and women adorned in colorful dresses dancing on the street. The Parade was the highlight of the many events that transpired over the three day festival.
