Forest Work Camp could become veteran’s rehab facility
Lane County Commissioners voted 3-2 this week to negotiate a long-term lease of the Forest Work Camp with the group Veteran’s Legacy.
That group wants to provide rehab services to veterans with Post Traumatic Stress and adjustment disorders, as well as drug and alcohol addiction.
Commissioners Jay Bozievich and Sid Leiken wanted to accept another offer… this one of an outright purchase by Emerald Valley Wellness Clinic. They offered to purchase the former prison camp for $50-thousand subject to several conditions. A third offer, from Just In Time, a drug addiction recovery organization, asked the County for an outright gift of the camp. That group noted the county has limited uses for the land and is currently spending $250-thousand a year in maintenance and security.
The 105-acre parcel was first put into use as a prison facility and work camp in 1991. It was mothballed in 2008.
Because it operates in prime forest land, the possible uses of the camp are limited by land-use regulations.
If a successful lease is not achieved with Veteran’s Legacy, Commissioners may pursue one of the other two offers.
Arson fire and suspicious box connected
A metal box that was emitting smoke outside the back door of the Elks Lodge on 12th street yesterday afternoon is connected to an arson fire at the Florence Business Center less than a block away.
Firefighters responded to the Business Center at 6:40 yesterday morning to find a series of eight separate fires in the hallway of the former hospital building and the back door propped open. Fire Marshal Sean Barrett said seven of the fires had gone out on their own, but the eighth generated enough heat to trigger a fire sprinkler. Barrett said there was little damage from the fires themselves, but he estimated about $25-thousand in smoke and water damage.
Seven hours later, a caller reported a suspicious looking box, emitting smoke outside one door of the Elks Lodge. Police and firefighters immediately cordoned off the area and evacuated the building. The Eugene Bomb Squad responded and used a small robot to open the box.
Fire Chief Jim Langborg said he could not go into details because of the investigation, but did confirm that it appeared the two incidents were connected.
Emergency responders deal with flurry of calls
If you thought there were lots of sirens in the area yesterday afternoon, you weren’t mistaken. Emergency responders were dealing with a single vehicle crash and two serious medical calls in the space of about 30 minutes… those were in addition to the smoking box incident at the Elks Lodge that was happening at the same time.
Fire Chief Jim Langborg said the crash occurred when a woman driving a southbound car left the roadway and struck the Park Motel Sign a mile-and-a-half south of Florence. Langborg said there were no serious injuries, but the sign did sustain major damage. While responders were on the scene, they were dispatched to two medical calls; one about a mile south of the Park Motel that resulted in a patient having to be med-evaced by air to Springfield. The other call was not as serious and was north of town.
Smoke intrusion comes from Lincoln County fire
A 300-acre wildfire in the Coast Range of northern Lincoln County was the likely cause of a blanket of smoke that drifted in and around the Florence area yesterday.
The 2500 Road Fire quickly grew yesterday outside Depoe Bay. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
In Florence, the smoke began drifting into the area by midday, settling thicker in some areas more than others.
It was especially thick south of Florence where visibility on Woahink Lake was less than a half mile at one point.
Forestry officials are saying fire danger in Oregon is still extremely high and with more hot weather expected across the state in coming days, they’re asking residents to remain cautious.
Safety blitz by law enforcement officers
Law Enforcement officers will be spending extra time on the streets and roads over the next two weeks in an effort to reduce the number of crashes. In addition to watching for drivers who aren’t “buckled up” and-or using their cell phones, they’re going to be focusing on “aggressive” driving and drivers under the influence of intoxicants.
The goal is to help stem the rising tide of highway deaths in the U.S. Statistics released this week show highway deaths in the country are 9-percent higher for the first six months of this year over 2015.
Special funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association will pay for additional overtime patrols in Lane and Douglas Counties.
Gas prices hold steady locally; increase nationally
The gradual slide of retail gas prices across the country has “hit the brakes”. Marie Dodds with Triple-A of Oregon says the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded jumped a nickel in the past week to $2.18. The average price in Oregon went up about a half-penny, she said, and is currently at $2.44.
Locally, it held steady at $2.31.
Dodds blamed the national increase on surging crude oil prices and refinery issues.
Prices at the pump in Florence are 56-cents a gallon less than they were a year ago; and more than $1.50 below the August 2014 average price.
Domestic gasoline supplies remain high and oil prices continue to be lower than in previous years, lending credence to the thought that retail prices will remain relatively cheap through the rest of the summer and into early fall.
