Recycling Results
The City of Florence held its Black and White Recycling Event on August 16, giving residents the chance to recycle items like tires and appliances at no cost. The popular event, organized by the city’s Environmental Management Advisory Committee and sponsored by County Transfer & Recycling and Lane County, also featured partners including St. Vincent de Paul, Habitat for Humanity, and the Florence-Siuslaw Lions Club, who accepted items for reuse. Inspire Culinary Academy ran a bake sale, while EMAC gathered food donations for Florence Food Share. A total of 92 vehicles came through, with 10 volunteers and multiple organizations helping direct traffic and collect items. In all, 172 items were diverted from the landfill, saving the community nearly $1,200. St. Vincent de Paul collected mattresses and working appliances, the Lions Club gathered 45 pairs of eyeglasses and hearing aids, and Habitat for Humanity collected paint through the PaintCare program. City officials called it a successful collaboration that expanded opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle in Florence.
DUII Enforcement
Law enforcement across Oregon, including the Florence Police Department, is stepping up DUII enforcement and seat belt patrols around the Labor Day holiday using federally funded overtime. The effort targets impaired drivers while also educating the public on child seat and safety belt laws. Funding is provided through Oregon Impact, which administers DUII grants statewide. Crash data shows that 31% of Oregon’s motor vehicle fatalities in 2022 involved people not properly restrained. Nationally, half of all passenger vehicle occupants killed that year weren’t wearing seat belts. Officials say using proper restraints dramatically increases survival rates for children and adults.
Gas Prices
Gas prices remain largely steady this summer, with crude oil holding in the $60s and helping to keep pump prices under control. Nationally, the average for regular gas is now $3.13 per gallon, while statewide in Oregon it’s about $3.98. Locally in Florence, drivers are paying around $3.94 per gallon, unchanged from the previous week. AAA continues to monitor the active hurricane season, which could still disrupt Gulf Coast production and impact prices. With Labor Day travel picking up—and Oregon’s coast among the top destinations—the pressure is on to keep prices calm. Notably, flights, hotels, and car rentals are costing less than last year.