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PLAY TO WIN • SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS • JULY 1 -JULY 31, 2020
The S IUSLAW N EWS
office, 148 Maple
St. in Historic Old
Town Florence, will
be closed Friday,
July 3, in obser-
vance of July 4,
Independence Day.
Look for the special
Friday Edition of
the S IUSLAW N EWS !
Local
couple
perishes
in tragic
capsizing
Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 130, NO. 52
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
The Aquarius sinks
with owners Amber
& Kyle Novelli
aboard
Cloudy leading to
afternoon sun. High
of 62 and a low of 45.
Full forecast on A3
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
COMMUNITY
F
lorence is mourning the loss
of Amber and Kyle Novelli,
owners and operators of No-
velli’s Crab and Seafood, who passed
away Monday morning as their ship
Aquarius sank off of South Jetty
Beach Monday morning.
“With a heavy heart I am saddened
to inform the many award-winning
crab chowder followers of the pass-
ing of Kyle and Amber Novelli,” a
family member posted on the busi-
ness’s Facebook page. “Sharing their
love of crabbing was always their
dream. Their personalities will for-
ever leave a lasting impression on
anyone who met them. In the spirit
of my mother, I will be selling what’s
left of our cooked crab and then
we’ll be closing the shop for the fore-
seeable future.”
The family asked the community
to keep the family in their thoughts
and prayers.
Soon after the post was made,
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
This week, the community honors the loss of Kyle and Amber
Novelli (right), who passed away in a boat capsizing early Mon-
day morning, with flowers and more near the couple’s crab and
seafood restaurant on the dock of the Port of Siuslaw.
Novelli’s opened once more at its lo-
cation on the Port of Siuslaw docks
in Historic Old Town Florence to
serve the last pot of chowder as
community members gathered to
share their regards and memories.
At 1:50 a.m. on June 29, Unit-
ed States Coast Guard (USCG)
watchstanders at Sector North
Bend received a distress call from
the Aquarius, which had struck the
south jetty and was taking on water.
Three were on board — Amber, Kyle
and one unnamed individual.
According to USCG, conditions
on the scene were 6- to
8-foot seas, with occasional
10-foot waves breaking the
bar.
A rescue helicopter crew
left from Newport and ar-
rived at the scene at 2:50
a.m., where crews from two
COURTESY PHOTO
USCG stations — Siuslaw
River and Umpqua River — were
The unnamed crew member was
already searching the scene. They found responsive and was able to
were assisted by first responders confirm that Amber and Kyle were
from Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue aboard the Aquarius when it sank.
and Western Lane Ambulance, who
combed the shores for survivors.
See NOVELLI page 7A
One additional confirmed
local COVID-19 case as Lane
County conducts rural testing
Face coverings now
required through-
out Oregon
“I know it has been a hardship for
many people in Florence and sur-
rounding
areas who By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
are deal-
ing with
cancer to have to find their own
way to the valley for their radiation
sessions,” said Tom Grove, board
chairman of the Friends of Florence.
“Now we believe that we have come
up with a plan that will keep every-
one safe and allow us to continue
our mission.”
Friends of Florence, a nonprofit
transportation service founded in
1985, has embraced changes nec-
essary under the novel coronavi-
rus COVID-19 to help friends and
neighbors treat cancer, recover fully
and live.
Committed Friends of Florence
volunteers have been transporting
cancer patients to health facilities
in Eugene and Portland for treat-
ments unavailable in the region for
more than three decades. The group
was formed for the sole purpose of
helping area residents during what
is often the most difficult challenge
they will face in their lives, fighting
cancer.
See TRANSPORT page 7A
Free tests to continue today in Florence
On Monday, Gov. Kate Brown
announced that Oregonians state-
wide will be required to wear face
coverings in indoor public spaces,
beginning today, July 1.
The guidance applies to busi-
nesses and members of the public
visiting indoor public spaces. Face
covering requirements are already
mandated in eight counties.
“From the beginning of the re-
opening process, I have said that
reopening comes with the risk of
seeing an increase in COVID-19
cases beyond our health systems’
capacity to test, trace and isolate
them,” said Brown. “Over the
last month, we have seen the dis-
ease spread at an alarming
rate in both urban and rural
counties. The upcoming July
Fourth holiday weekend is a
critical point for Oregon in this
pandemic, and we can all make a
difference.
“Modeling from the Oregon
Health Authority shows that if we
don’t take further action to reduce
the spread of the disease, our hos-
pitals could be overwhelmed by
new COVID-19 cases and hospi-
talizations within weeks.”
See MASKS page 8A
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
Lane County Public
Health (LCPH) will be
offering free COVID-19
tests for Florence area
residents today, the fi-
nal part of three rounds
of testing that began in
Mapleton on Saturday
morning, followed by
testing reserved for peo-
ple in the Latinx com-
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
munity later that after-
More
than
90
people
within the Siu-
noon.
slaw
Region
were
able
to get tested
In total, 91 people
for
COVID-19
as
part
of
Lane
County’s
were tested this week-
efforts
to
test
rural
areas.
end, resulting in one
positive test.
However, those who missed
Seventy-two people showed testing can come again today,
up for testing at Mapleton, while when LCPH will be doing test-
only 19 showed up for the Latinx ing between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
testing.
at Florence Food Share, 2190
“Mapleton exceeded our ex- Spruce St.
pectations, but we hoped the
“Our capacity per day is
Latinx testing would have better around 300 [tests] and we would
turnout,” said Jason Davis, Lane ideally like to achieve that,” Davis
County’s Health and Human said. “It can be challenging for
Services public information of- folks who live in rural areas to
ficer.
See TESTING page 8A
AMERICA
No land more free, more giving, more beautiful.
OUR COUNTRY!
The land of the FREE because of the BRAVE.
God Bless America.
LIFESTYLE
Brewery honors
First Responders
INSIDE — B
RECORDS
Obituaries &
response logs
Inside — A2
A LOOK BACK
Inside — A7
TV GUIDE
Inside — B3-B4
KIDS CORNER
Activities for kids
Inside — B5
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and notices
Inside — B6
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2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2020
Friends of Florence
returns to the
road Monday
People protest
spraying
INSIDE — A3
541.997.8202
shorewoodsl.com
On the corner of 15th and Spruce
Florence