Poor Air Quality The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency says wildfire smoke is expected to continue affecting Lane County through at least Thursday afternoon. Air quality this morning in Florence and Mapleton is starting out in the moderate range but is expected to worsen as the day progresses. LRAPA says […]

National Night Out With temperatures expected to reach the mid-80s today, Florence residents heading to National Night Out are encouraged to plan ahead and stay hydrated. The annual community event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Miller Park and brings together law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, public works crews, and […]

Improving Rural Emergency Response in Deadwood Area A new effort aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness in the Deadwood area is getting underway. Deadwood Creek Services, Deadwood Community Action, and Siuslaw Vision have launched the Deadwood Resilience Collaborative with support from a Community Transformation Grant from United Way of Lane County. […]

Hospital To Move Bulk of IT Responsibility PeaceHealth has announced plans to outsource several Information Technology functions beginning in November. The healthcare system says Tech Mahindra and its healthcare subsidiary, The HCI Group, will assume responsibility for infrastructure and network operations, applications and data services, and service desk support. PeaceHealth […]

Election Field Grows The field continues to grow for Florence’s November municipal election, with multiple candidates now seeking the mayor’s office and City Council seats. Three candidates are in the mayor’s race: Shannon Warren, Sally Wantz, and Daniel Lofy. Council races are also taking shape, with Renee LoPilato, Mike Webb, […]

Increased DUII Enforcement Florence Police will increase DUII enforcement from August 19th through September 7th as part of the nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign leading into Labor Day weekend. Officers will be conducting extra patrols throughout the holiday travel period, looking for impaired drivers in an effort […]

Call To Action for Postal Service Support Oregonians will join a national day of action on July 28th in support of the U.S. Postal Service, calling on Congress to protect mail delivery and oppose privatization efforts. Organizers say slower delivery times, higher postage costs, and concerns over mail-in voting have […]

Student Housing Stability A new report from Oregon Housing and Community Services highlights the link between stable housing and student success, noting that students facing housing instability are more likely to struggle academically and less likely to graduate. The issue has local relevance. The Siuslaw School District’s McKinney-Vento program provides […]