Peace Harbor Receives 5 Stars
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence has received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services… the highest mark possible. The designation places Peace Harbor among the top 12 percent of hospitals nationwide, based on measures such as patient safety, readmission rates, patient experience, and overall quality of care. Michelle James, senior vice president and chief quality and nursing officer, says the rating reflects the dedication and expertise of caregivers and a strong commitment to patient safety and clinical excellence. The 2026 ratings are available on the CMS Hospital Compare website.
Supply Drive Successful
Community support is helping boost early learning across the Siuslaw region. The “Spring into Action” Supply Drive wrapped up in April, providing classrooms with two large boxes of supplies for programs including Wildflower Montessori, Bright Beginnings, Head Start, and Mapleton Community Preschool. The drive was organized by the Siuslaw Vision Child Care Working Group with support from the City of Florence and local partners. City representative Chantelle Meyer says early access to learning tools helps set children up for long-term success. Program leaders say the donations will directly benefit students, creating more engaging and supportive learning environments. Local businesses served as drop-off sites throughout the month, helping make the effort a community-wide success.
Whale Skeleton on Display
Visitors to the Oregon Coast this Memorial Day weekend can get an early look at a rare new attraction at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport—a fully assembled 70-foot blue whale skeleton. The whale washed ashore near Gold Beach in 2015, and over the past 10 years, Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute has worked with donors and a Canadian firm to preserve and mount the 5,500-pound skeleton. It’s one of only a handful of blue whale skeletons on display in North America, and the only one between British Columbia and San Francisco. The exhibit is now open in Hatfield’s Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building courtyard, with final landscaping and signage still to come.
Unemployment Rates
Oregon’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.2% through the first four months of 2026, while the national rate was 4.3% in March and April. State employment saw a modest gain in April, with nonfarm payrolls adding 500 jobs after a revised loss of 4,300 in March. The largest increases came in health care and social assistance, up 1,900 jobs, and construction, which added 800. Losses were led by professional and business services, down 1,000, along with financial activities and retail trade. Over the past year, health care and social assistance added 12,500 jobs, while professional and business services lost 9,300. Manufacturing also continued to decline, dropping 400 jobs in April and posting annual losses across both durable and nondurable goods.
