Expect Bridge Delays
Expect longer delays this week when crossing the Siuslaw River Bridge. Crews began last night cutting and removing the old rails and will continue that work through the week. The Oregon Department of Transportation say completion of the work should be sometime Thursday. The work is scheduled for the overnight hours since lane closures are not permitted after 11 am during the week. Unfortunately the work is also noisy and might affect some residents near the bridge. Officials say the wait time can be up to 20 minutes but most delays will be under 5 minutes.
Oregon to Offer Electric Vehicle Tax Credit
The auto industry and supporters of electric vehicles don’t want to see Congress put the brakes on an electric vehicle tax incentive, but the fuel’s future still is looking bright. Industry leaders such as Tesla, Nissan and General Motors are opposing the House Republicans’ plan in their upcoming tax bill to eliminate a 75-hundred-dollar tax credit for electric cars. The proposal would deal a blow to electric transportation’s growing momentum, which is quickly gaining ground in affordability with other fuel types. Gary Graunke, head of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, says the proposal would hurt the industry in the short term, but adds that Oregon actually is moving in the other direction.
“We had a pleasant surprise at the last legislative session that – a year when money’s always hard to come by – they found a way to fund the electric-vehicle credit in the state.”
Oregon will offer an electric-car rebate of up to 25-hundred dollars starting in January. The federal tax credit in the House G-O-P’s tax plan has not yet been finalized. Opponents of the credit say it unfairly favors electric vehicles.
OSP Seeking Info on Poacher
The Oregon State Police is looking for help locating a poacher that killed a yearling doe deer near North Bend. The poaching occurred on October 23rd, but police have received a photograph of a vehicle that was in the area the day the deer was shot. The vehicle is a late model, dark colored, crew cab truck with a white camper shell. No one approached the deer to clean if for it’s meat and it was left untouched. There is a TIP hotline for information. 800 452-7888. OSP says that poaching wildlife and damaging habitats affects present and future generations of wildlife, impacts communities and the economy, and creates enforcement challenges. The TIP hotline will pay rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of offenders.
