Pedestrian Enforcement
The Florence Police Department will conduct a Pedestrian Enforcement Operation on August 23rd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Spruce and 12th Street—weather permitting. The focus is on driver compliance with Oregon’s crosswalk laws. Under state law, crosswalks exist at all intersections, marked or not, and drivers must stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they fully clear the travel lane and adjacent lane. It’s also illegal to pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk. Officials remind drivers that slowing down can save lives—pedestrians struck at 40 mph have an 85% chance of dying, compared to just 15% at 20 mph.
Grants Bolster Backpack Program
The Food Backpack for Kids program continues its mission to fight weekend hunger for local students, thanks to three new grants totaling $22,000. Funding came from the Three Rivers Foundation, the Chambers Family Foundation, and Peace Harbor Medical Center Foundation. The program provides shelf-stable food bags with six meals, drinks, snacks, and utensils—delivered weekly to Siuslaw and Mapleton schools. In 2024, over 31,000 meals were distributed, and that number is expected to rise in 2025. Volunteers pack and deliver food every Wednesday, helping ensure no child goes hungry on the weekends.
Headway in Plastic Polution
Oregon has received good marks in the fight against plastic pollution. This is Plastic-Free July, and a report, called “The United States of Plastics,” from Ocean Conservancy awards Oregon a score of three out of five stars, saying the state has been a leader in tackling plastic pollution. Dr. Anja Brandon with Ocean Conservancy says Oregon has a lot to feel proud of, including phasing out single-use plastic such as grocery bags.
“We also have the oldest bottle bill or deposit-return system in the country, and we just became the first state to actually implement extended producer responsibility for packaging.”
The new law that went into effect this month transfers the duty of handling packaging waste from local governments and taxpayers to producers. Companies will now pay fees on the environmental impact and quantity of their packaging. Those fees can be lowered by using more sustainable materials or minimizing packaging.