Results of Wind Storm
Early this morning 60 customers in the Florence and Mapleton area were without power according to Central Lincoln PUD. The wind event that ended this morning left some minor damage around their region. The smaller size of the outages may be in part due to the early work that was done around the Florence area in preparation for the storm. Several crews were out on the streets including the Heceta Beach road Area where workers were removing potentially dangerous limbs away from power lines. Work began late last week and was ongoing through yesterday to ensure that no line would be affected. The outages this morning were mainly outside of the city limits of Florence with 21 of the customers affected in the Mapleton area. Another 13 were in the North fork area and 17 more near the Lane/Douglas County line near Lower Fiddle Creek Rd. Central Lincoln PUD reports outages should be restored by end of day today.
Rural Hospital Relief
A new federal program launching next year is designed to help rural hospitals struggling to stay afloat. Eight hospitals in Oregon are among about 360 rural hospitals at risk of closing because of severe financial problems, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. That’s why the National Rural Health Resource Center is launching the federal Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program. The center’s Chief Operating Officer Alyssa Meller says the program will offer technical assistance for up to two years to an initial cohort of eight hospitals, and virtual community support to 12 more.
“It is a program that’s aiming to improve the health care in rural communities by really helping keep health-care services available locally, to increase patient volume and improve revenue.”
Meller says the program will help engage the hospitals’ communities to promote services, too. The application period opens today and closes January 15th. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center is not on the list of endangered hospitals.
Gas Prices and Holiday Travel
Gas prices are a mixed bag across the country as the holiday travel season kicks into high gear. The national average for regular gas has ticked up two cents this week to $3.03 a gallon, while Oregon drivers are seeing some relief at the pump. The state’s average has dropped three cents to $3.47, the lowest of the year. Locally, drivers in Florence can fill up for an average of $3.09 a gallon. AAA predicts a record-breaking 119.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more for the holidays, including 1.68 million Oregonians. That’s the highest holiday travel volume ever, with 90% hitting the road. Experts say drivers are enjoying the cheapest holiday gas prices since 2020, though crude oil price increases could bring slight upward pressure. For now, it’s a welcome gift at the pump for holiday travelers.