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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2015)
❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS SATURDAY EDITION ❘ OCTOBER 24, 2015 ❘ $1.00 CRANE CREW VIKS’ REIGN CONTINUES SPORTS — B INSIDE — A10 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 Ready for RAIN? FLORENCE, OREGON CRIME G REAT P UMPKIN G IVEAWAY Rise in car break-ins reported Network targets entrepreneurs in Florence area Police remind motorists to lock their doors B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News Florence residents and visitors are being encouraged to take a proactive approach in protecting their valuables after a recent spate of car break-ins. According to Florence Police logs, thefts from vehicles began occurring in groups last week, starting with three sepa- rate incidents on Oct. 14. Seven counts of vehicle-related theft happened Oct. 20, with two more reports of unlawful entry into vehicles. Most were reported between 5 and 9:30 a.m. in the Rhododendron Drive area. Florence Police Department reminds motorists to always lock their doors. “We always want people to be aware of their surroundings,” said Lt. John Pitcher. “Park in well-lit areas and don’t leave packages or valuables in plain sight in your vehicle.” The City of Florence, Lane Community College Florence Campus and the local Chamber of Commerce have started working with Oregon Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN) to add a new ele- ment to economic develop- ment in the area. The next public meeting with RAIN will be a “Call of Interest” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at City Lights Cinemas. This event, which requires preregistra- tion, will reach out to not only entrepreneurs, but also to an under-utilized resource in Florence: mentors. “This is the piece that focuses on our innovators,” said Florence City Manager Erin Reynolds at the Oct. 19 city council meeting. “It’s just one aspect of our eco- nomic development initiative to help bring together the network and the ecosystem that will help stimulate inno- vative thinking.” RAIN coordinates with traded sector companies to connect mentors and investors with new ideas in technology, the sciences, mobile device applications, fabrication and other industries. “We want to wrap resources and services around you,” said Caroline Cummings at the first RAIN meetup at Homegrown Public House on Oct. 14. Cummings is the venture catalyst for RAIN in the Lincoln, Lane, Benton and Linn county areas. Its first Florence meeting was attended by 17 residents seeking more information. “We help entrepreneurs who are building traded sec- tor companies. That is, someone who creates a busi- ness and the majority of the revenue comes from out of the area into the area,” Cummings said. See See POLICE 11A Odor closes hospital clinic Primary Care services relocated temporarily PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS M ore than 3,000 pounds of pumpkins were handed out to local youth Thursday during KCST Coast Radio’s annual Original Great Pumpkin Giveaway. Families from the area received a pumpkin per youth aged 17 and under, a bag of candy and hot dogs. Volunteers from Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and Florence-Siuslaw Lions Club helped with the event held in the parking lot of The Saw Shop on Sixth Street. Local chainsaw artist Ryan Anderson carved pumpkins for a giveaway. One of his pumpkins will be on display at Florence True Value. More photos are on page 7A. RAIN 11A S TAFF R EPORT An unidentified odor has temporarily closed one of the clinic facilities this week at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence. According to staff, the 390 Primary Care clinic was evacuated Oct. 21 due to reports of an odor from an unknown source. Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue responded to perform air quality tests but could not identify any present threat. The fire department also was unable to locate the source of the odor. “We are engaging with experts to con- duct further testing to help identify the source and resolve the issue,” said Rick Yecny, chief administration officer of Peace Harbor Medical Center. Until the source of the odor is identified and the issue resolved, the Primary Care clinic will remain closed, he said. Services have been temporarily relocated to the 380 Primary Care clinic. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our patients,” Yecny said. High school seniors urged to apply for new Oregon Promise grant B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News INSIDE Starting Nov. 1, all high school seniors who plan to attend an in-state community college and who meet the grant requirements may apply for the new Oregon Promise grant. Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 B5 A8 A4 According to Lane Community College Florence Center (LCC) Interim Director Russ Pierson, the one-time grant may be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, room, board, transportation or books. This is a one-time grant that is only available to high school seniors who Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Word on the Street . . . . . . . A6 have not yet attended college. “The Oregon Promise grant pro- gram was passed during the last leg- islative session,” Pierson said. “It was signed into law in July. The legisla- ture was trying to find a way to make up the gap in college financing, par- ticularly community college financing THIS WEEK ’ S by providing $1,000 grants to eligible students. One thousand dollars is the minimum. It can be more.” To qualify, seniors must graduate from an Oregon high school or com- plete a GED by summer of 2016 with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA; have been an Oregon resident for at TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 62 52 63 56 63 50 65 53 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 least 12 months prior to enrolling in community college; enroll in an Oregon community college within six months of graduation; and be enrolled in at least six or more credit hours in an eligible program. S IUSLAW N EWS 125 TH Y EAR ❘ I SSUE N O . 85 C OPYRIGHT 2015 See GRANT 11A CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM