Hopper Dredge Back; Calls Not Legit; DeFazio Visits Florence; Chetco Smoke Looms Over Florence

Dredge Sits On Mouth of Siuslaw

The Suction Hopper Dredge ‘Yaquina’ operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is at work at the mouth of the Siuslaw river.  They will be working for several days on clearing up built up sand and sediment.  The Coast Guard is admonishing boaters to keep a safe distance from the vessel and to not place crab pots in the navigational channel.  Crab Pot Buoy markers cause navigational problems and can get tangled up in props and cause damage.

Scammers Back At It

Residents around town have reported that they have been receiving phone calls from the school district selling medical alert buttons to seniors.  The automated message sounds legitimate, but Siuslaw School superintendent, Andy Grzkowiak says it is not.  He says that the School district is not in the business of selling products like this and does not send out automated calls of this kind.  Residents are asked to report the calls and to not give out any personal information.

DeFazio Has Town Hall

This afternoon at 3 pm in Florence at the Siuslaw Middle School, Congressman Peter DeFazio will be holding a town hall.  The meeting was set by local supporters of DeFazio to, in part, thank him for his opposition to the recall of the Affordable Care Act as well to discuss progressive solutions regarding the nation’s future.

Chetco Fire Still Wreaks Havoc

Residents and businesses in certain areas surrounding the Chetco Bar fire are being allowed to return.  Curry County Sheriff’s office is checking id’s and only allowing those people in who live or own property in the area.  Curry County is also experiencing an unhealthy air quality that is also moving up the coast.  A smoke layer has been hanging over the central Oregon coast including Florence for three days. Overnight the temperatures stayed warm and the air was dry as firefighters worked to try and contain the blaze.  Winds stayed relatively low overnight and the fire remained active.  Heavy equipment will continue to cut lines and connect roads to the south and west of the fire.  Today a thicker marine layer is expected to cover the area hopefully making conditions more favorable for fighting the fire.