Police seize meth at business, arrest one
Florence police blocked both ends of a stretch of 15th street yesterday afternoon between Highway 101 and Pine Street as they served a search warrant. Police Commander John Pitcher said there was one arrest: Dakota Hill; the owner and operator of Fresh Detailing. He is charged with delivery and possession of a controlled substance.
Pitcher said police have been investigating alleged illegal drug sales at the location for some time. He acknowledged the seizure of what appeared to be methamphetamine, but did not say how much. He added there were four other people there at the time of the search. They were questioned, but released.
The heavy police presence for the search and seizure was primarily for police safety. Pitcher also confirmed that Hill, who is on probation, had previously fled from police.
Cascadia quakes could have occurred more often than thought
A new analysis suggests massive earthquakes off the Oregon and Washington coast are more frequent than believed in the past. And, the chance of one occurring within the next 50 years is slightly higher than previously estimated.
Scientists know there have been 43 major earthquakes along the Cascadia Subduction Zone over the past 10-thousand years.
Many have been along the entire length of the fault between Northern California and Vancouver Island. But, many have been localized.
The previous notions of a quake along the southern zone occurred on average every 340 years; and along the central Oregon Coast every 220 years still stand.
Along the northern stretches they had been thought to be far less frequent… on average 400 to 500 years apart. That has now been reduced to 350 years.
The most recent major quake along the zone occurred in January 1700.
The findings were published this week in the journal Marine Geology. Research was completed by scientists from Oregon State University, Camosun College in British Columbia, and the Andalusian Institute for Earth Sciences in Spain.
Free boat safety checks August 13th
The salmon are beginning to run in the river and that means even more boaters will be on the water. That also means some fishers will be using their boat for the first time this season. That’s a good time to have a quick… and free… safety check done on your vessel.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary will be at Siuslaw Marina and RV this Saturday, August 13th, between ten and noon offering the free exams. Auxiliary spokesperson Deb Cordone (korr-DOE-nay) said the exam only takes about 15 minutes and can reduce boating risks.
She said the exam consists of checking safety equipment and a brief quiz about your boat. After successful completion you’ll get a free decal that let’s officials know you are in compliance with boating safety laws for the year.
She also said, if you don’t pass, there is no penalty.
Master recyclers in Florence
A free course that will lead to certification as a Master Recycler will be offered in Lane County twice in the coming months. The first will be in Eugene, every Tuesday evening from September 13th through November 10th.
The second will be offered in Florence, Friday afternoons from January 13th through March 10th at Lane Community College.
The Master Recycling training course is a total of 35 hours of classroom instruction, coupled with two field trips to area solid waste and recycling sites. The classes are organized by the Lane County Waste Management Division.
The course is free, but students are required to spend an additional 30-hours over the next year volunteering to educate and assist their communities about the benefits of recycling.
You can still take the course if you don’t want to volunteer, but you may be asked to pay a small fee.
Information about how to register for either class can be had by calling the Waste Division at 541-682-2059.
Price of driving expected to remain low
Abundant supplies of gasoline have contributed to lower gas prices across the country this summer. And that’s despite what Triple-A is calling the largest demand for gasoline they’ve ever recorded.
Even with that demand, analysts are saying retail fuel prices are expected to continue at their lowest levels in more than a decade. The national average price for regular gas held steady this week at $2.12, but average prices in 38 states, including Oregon have gone down.
The average posted price for regular in the state dipped by three cents to $2.45. Locally, the average posted cash price fell by the same amount to $2.33.
