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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2018)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM ❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS SATURDAY EDITION ❘ JANUARY 27, 2018 ❘ $1.00 S AILORS LAND E AGLES Chamber invites people to take vacation SPORTS — B INSIDE — A6 128TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 8 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 Sheriffs warn of scammers posing as companies FLORENCE, OREGON 2018 Rhododendron Court gets ready to RHODY RENDEZVOUS Upper North Fork resident reports scam phone call to authorities Senior COURT PRINCESses Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has released a statement warning residents to be aware of potential scammers B Y M ARK B RENNAN soliciting information or Siuslaw News credit card numbers from county residents. “The sheriff’s office has received reports that community members have received calls from someone identifying themselves as their insurance provider or their satellite network provider,” said LCSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Carrie Carver. According to Carver, the scammers ask the community member several questions in effort to help “clear up an issue” with their account. “Callers so far have recognized the call as a scam, but some have provided information that may put them at risk for identity theft,” she said. On Wednesday, an Upper North Fork resident, who asked to remain anonymous, reported to the Siuslaw News that he had been speaking to authorities about a situation he perceived as a scam. The man said he was called at home one morn- ing by an individual claiming to be a representa- tive of Dish Network. The caller was a woman who offered to upgrade his viewing package. She said the upgrade would cost $160 and he could pay for the improved service package over the phone with a credit or debit card. The man told her he would consider an upgrade, but was only willing to pay $100. At that time, the caller turned him over to a sup- posed “tech” associate who attempted to coerce the man into providing his financial information, which he declined. He then called Dish Network and inquired as to the nature and validity of the call he had received. Thelma Gentry Lainey Goss Alex Saindon Andrea Sanchez Denielle VanWinkle SENIOR COURt PRINCES Colby Waters Trent Reavis JUNIOR COURT PRINCESses Aleeya Thomas — first grade Siuslaw Jasmine Krause — second grade Siuslaw Abigail Mendez — third grade Mapleton Kylee Stinger — fourth grade Siuslaw Brittney Adams — fifth grade Siuslaw COURTESY PHOTOS See SCAM 7A ELECTION RESULTS Measure 101 passes by wide margin INSIDE Measure 101, which upheld health care taxes to fund the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) through 2019, passed overwhelm- B Y J ARED A NDERSON ingly during the Tuesday, Siuslaw News Jan. 23, Special Election. The current vote count sits at 61.60 percent for the state of Oregon and 67.12 percent for Lane County. Precinct vote counts were not available at press time. “I’m especially proud of our state tonight,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who supported the measure. “The voters have said loud and clear that everyone deserves access to affordable health care.” A “yes” vote means that the state will continue taxation on hospitals and certain health insurers to pay for OHP, which is Oregon’s version of Medicaid. The taxes raise up to $320 million for the program. Proponents of the measure believe it guarantees healthcare for Oregon’s most vulnerable — chil- dren, seniors and people with disabilities. If the measure did not pass, the state would be forced to siphon OHP funding from other sources, includ- ing schools. Opponents believe the measure increases healthcare premiums, disproportionately taxes certain businesses and delays a more robust debate on how OHP should be funded. The taxes are short term, with the measure only guaranteeing taxation until 2019, when lawmak- ers will have to create a more long-term funding plan. Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 A3 A4 A2 “R hody Rendezvous” is the theme of the 111th Rhododendron Festival, and the 2018 Rho- dodendron Court will continue the grand tradition of Rhody Days. Florence Area Chamber B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News of Commerce sponsors ________________________ the annual festival. “This year’s ‘Rhody Rendezvous’ theme intends to evoke a feeling of coming to Florence and meet- ing up with friends and family for a great time here in Oregon’s Coastal Playground,” said Chamber Executive Director Bettina Hannigan. R ECENT For the Rhody Court, this means a new batch of high school seniors and elementary students have been selected from the Siuslaw and Mapleton school districts. Seven Siuslaw High School students make up the Senior Court this year. Princesses are Thelma Gentry, Lainey Goss, Alex Saindon, Andrea Sanchez and Denielle VanWinkle. The two princes are Trent Reavis and Colby Waters. For the Junior Court, four Siuslaw students and one Mapleton student are this year’s princesses. They are first-grader Aleeya Thomas; second-grader Jasmine Krause; Mapleton third-grader Abigail Mendez; fourth-grader Kylee Stinger; and fifth-grader Brittney Adams. The students found out about their placement on the court through a Siuslaw Elementary School assembly right before Winter Break, through a special visit to Old Town Florence and a meeting at Siuslaw High School. Florence Mayor Joe Henry delivered roses to each prince and princess. See RHODY 7A QUAKES HIGHLIGHT ALERT SHORTCOMINGS Tsunami watch issued early Tuesday morning missed by most coastal residents B Y M ARK B RENNAN Siuslaw News Offshore earthquakes this week have reminded residents of Oregon and the West Coast that the possibility of a tsunami is ever lurking. Two separate seismic events, two days apart, also helped to point out fundamental flaws in Oregon’s tsunami alert system. These flaws add credence to a new and unflattering report released from the office of the Secretary of State, “The State Must Do More to Prepare Oregon Sideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B This Week on the Coast . . . . A6 Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 THIS WEEK ’ S for a Catastrophic Disaster,” on Jan. 25. The report found the state does not meet standards established in 2007 that cover basic elements of an effective emergency manage- ment programs. “State planning efforts for a cat- astrophic disaster are incomplete and inadequate,” the report stated. “Critical plans to insure continuity of government services in the wake of a disaster are either miss- ing or incomplete.” On Tuesday, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck in the Gulf of Alaska at 12:31 a.m., according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service issued a combi- nation of tsunami warnings and watches through the U.S. Tsunami Warning System at 2:32 a.m. A tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami with the potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent, expected or occur- ring, while a tsunami watch is issued when a tsunami may later impact the watch area. A tsunami advisory is issued when a tsunami TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 53 49 57 47 58 44 49 40 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 with the potential to generate strong currents or waves danger- ous to those in or near the water is imminent, expected or occurring. Tsunami warnings were issued from the Aleutian Islands to British Columbia and watches were issued along the West Coast of the U.S., including all of Oregon. Due to the early hour, many Oregonians were asleep at the time of the alerts and were not aware of the potential danger that might have been headed to shore. S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS ❘ 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2018 See ALERT 7A
