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WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 24, 2016 ❘ $1.00
New leadership for
hospital volunteers
SIUSLAW
LEGENDS
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 68
INSIDE — A3
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
BRONCO BASH
POLICE
Multiple fires
at Business
Center set
intentionally
Bomb Squad also called
to second suspicious
incident on 12th Street
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICH COLTON/THREE RIVERS CASINO RESORT
lmost 250 Ford Broncos attended the
2016 Northwest Bronco Roundup at
Three Rivers Casino Resort earlier this
month, from Aug. 10 through 14. The group not
only showed off their classic rides around town,
but also raised more than 4,660 pounds of
canned food for Florence Food Share. The annual
event is sponsored in part by the casino. At left,
the 2016 Best of Show winner.
A
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and
Florence Police responded to two
smoke-related incidents on 12th Street
yesterday, one involving a commercial
structure fire and the other forcing the
local Elks Lodge to evacuate due to a
suspicious container.
Dispatch sent firefighters to the
Florence Business Center, 1525 12th
St., around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday after an
early morning custodian called in to
report that there was smoke showing
and that the sprinkler system was acti-
vated. Firefighters arrived within five
minutes to see smoke and water flow-
ing from one sprinkler head, but no
fire was found.
“Firefighters checked for fire and if
it extended into enclosed areas,” Fire
Marshal Sean Barrett said. “The sprin-
kler system did its job and extin-
guished the fires.”
Florence Police Department also
responded to the scene.
See
FIRES 7A
Port receives update on riverbank erosion repair
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Port of Siuslaw Board of
Commissioners met at the Mapleton
schools library last week to hear a
progress report on proposed erosion
repairs to the campground from Port
Manager Steven Leskin.
According to Leskin, defined
areas of governmental authority have
caused some confusion as to which
federal agencies will oversee the
repairs.
The problem originated last
December when torrential rains and
flooding washed away large sections
of the riverbank along the port’s RV
campground “C” section.
“Usually the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers would be in charge of a
project like this, but the money is
coming from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), so
FEMA is the lead,” Leskin explained
at the Aug. 17 meeting. “Rather than
the Corps using nationwide stan-
dards for their permitting, it is going
to be a FEMA standard.”
Normally this would not be a
problem for the port, but FEMA does
not have the necessary permitting
authority for this type of project,
according to Leskin.
See
C O O L P L A C ES
Thor’s Well
TO VISIT THIS SUMMER
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Yachats ❘ 541-547-3289
INSIDE
S PECIAL F EATURE :
This summer we are
highlighting unique
spots that make the
central Oregon coast
one of the coolest
places to live and play.
New locations will be
featured each month.
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . A10
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . A5
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
A T A GLANCE : Thor’s Well
is located about two miles
south of Yachats at Cape
Perpetua, near the base of
Cook’s Chasm, along
Highway 101.
This natural phenomenon
appears to be a huge bot-
tomless sinkhole that drains
all the water the Pacific
Ocean can throw at it. It is
most spectacular during high
tides or storms when large
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
CURT PETERS PHOTO
THIS WEEK ’ S
A series of fires set inside the
Florence Business Center affected
a dozen offices in the building’s
west wing. A sprinkler system
helped extinguish the flames.
waves crash onto the rocks
and rush into the hole caus-
ing breathtaking water-
spouts, before draining back
into the hole.
In reality, the hole is esti-
mated to be about 20 feet
deep and channels water
back out to sea. Visitors are
cautioned to not get too
close because anyone falling
in would most likely not
survive.
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
72 55
81 58
81 52
67 55
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
EROSION 7A
PHOTO BY SEAN BARRETT/SVFR
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
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