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WEDNESDAY EDITION
VIKS WRESTLE
FOR TITLES
‘Artistic Visions’
winners named
SPORTS — B
INSIDE — A3
❘ JANUARY 20, 2016 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
Crash snaps pole, causes power outage
Mary Ann’s
Natural Pet at
1541 Highway
101 suffered
damage
Saturday
when a car
crashed into
a power
pole, which
then struck
the building.
Central
Lincoln had
to cut power
to install a
new pole.
Power was
restored
early Sunday.
Pet store damaged in Saturday night accident on Highway 101
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
A car accident Saturday
evening at 1541 Highway
101 left residents and busi-
nesses without power for
most of the night.
Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue crews were some of
the first responders on the
scene
after
a
Ford
Expedition crashed into a
power pole at 5:20 p.m.
“It was an explosive hit,”
said Fire Marshal Sean
Barrett.
According to Barrett’s
report, the driver was an
adult male who allegedly fell
asleep while driving, crossed
lanes of traffic and crashed
into the pole.
By the time the fire
department arrived, the man
and two young passengers
were out of the vehicle and
standing across the street.
Western Lane Ambulance
District took the man, infant
and toddler to PeaceHealth
Peace Harbor Medical
Center to treat their injuries.
All three were treated and
released that day.
The vehicle broke the pole
in two places. The pole
snapped off near the ground,
and part of the broken sec-
tion smashed through the
wall at Mary Ann’s Natural
Pet.
“There was a lot of ten-
sion in the wires overhead,”
Barrett said.
No lines were on the
ground or touching the vehi-
cle.
Firefighters remained on
scene to direct traffic until
Central Lincoln PUD arrived
to shut down power to the
lines.
“We do not go near power
lines in these situations,”
Barrett said. “All power lines
are live until the PUD tells
us otherwise.”
See
CRASH 11A
COURTESY OF CONNIE SPINNER
Senator takes
the court for
Town Hall
WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Putting music
on the map
COURTESY OF KATHLEEN WENZEL
Sen. Ron Wyden answers
questions from students,
community members
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
Co-headliner Jonathan Edwards performs Saturday night;
(top) several musicians gather for a late-night “music jam”;
(below) and hundreds of visitors stop by the Artisan Fair.
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Festival brings new faces and old favorites to Florence
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D–Oregon, recently took
the court at Siuslaw High School in one of his
yearly Town Halls in rural Oregon. He discussed
such hot topics as the occupation of the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge, recreational marijuana,
graduation rates and health care with high school
students and community members.
In his years as senator, Wyden has conducted
more than 755 town halls. He has made an effort
to visit rural areas and small towns.
Wyden began the Jan. 8 Town Hall by thanking
prominent community members from Florence,
Dunes City, the Port of Siuslaw, local police agen-
cies and school districts. He also presented flags
that flew over the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to
members of the Oregon Coast Military Museum
and Disabled American Veterans Florence Chapter
No. 23.
Florence Mayor Joe Henry moderated the ques-
tion and answer session, with Wyden’s staff bring-
ing microphones to those with questions.
“They’re doing a bang-up job in the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge,” Wyden started by say-
ing. “The Harney County sheriff has just handled
a really difficult situation with an enormous
amount of tact. Obviously, we’re hoping for a
peaceful resolution and to cool down those tem-
peratures.”
Wyden said he understood the struggle of rural
populations in Oregon, and how they often feel
overlooked or mistreated by the government.
See
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
T
INSIDE
he Winter
Music
Festival
began its
first year under a new
name this past week-
end, bringing fresh
headliners and groups,
as well as favorites
from previous years,
to the Florence Events
Center’s stage.
Births . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A2
B6
A5
A4
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw High School graduate
Billy Jones opened the festival
Saturday with Mike Davis, of
Florence.
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
“It was a happy turn,” said fes-
tival coordinator Rachel Pearson.
“They had a really nice stage act,
and a lot of people came just to
THIS WEEK ’ S
hear Billy.”
According to Pearson, Cabin
Fever Northwest and True North
were audience favorites.
“Every one of the groups was
fun in their own way,” she said.
One performer — singer and
banjo player Danny Barnes —
surprised Pearson with his style,
humor and guest musician.
“I was blown away by Danny
Barnes. He was playing the night
before with Jacob Navarro, so he
had him join him on stage. They
were just electric,” she said.
Festival headliners Jonathan
Edwards and the Shook Twins
performed before a full house
Saturday night.
See
FESTIVAL 10A
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
52 50
56 48
54 47
51 41
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
WYDEN 11A
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (left) listens to a ques-
tion about Siuslaw National Forest at his Jan.
8 Town Hall at Siuslaw High School.
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