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Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 131, NO. 34
APRIL 28, 2021
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
Partly sunny
with a high of 62
and a low of 44.
Full forecast on A3
COMMUNITY
2nd-graders donate
to OCHS
INSIDE — A3
SPORTS
lawmakers to approve a
$20 million small business
emergency relief package
to immediately support
impacted businesses in Ex-
treme Risk counties through
the commercial rent relief
program.
In an effort to speed up
SALEM—Due to the rap-
the return to normal busi-
id spread of COVID-19 in
ness operations, county
Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown
COVID-19 data will be
today announced updates
evaluated weekly for at
to county risk levels un-
least the next three weeks.
der the state’s public health
Any updates to county risk
framework. With hospital-
levels next week will be an-
izations rising above 300
nounced on Tuesday, May
people statewide, threaten-
4, and take effect on Friday,
ing to overwhelm doctors
May 7. Counties that im-
and nurses, 15 counties will
prove their COVID-19 met-
move to the extreme risk
rics will have the opportu-
level effective Friday, April
nity to move to a lower risk
PHOTO BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
30, through Thursday, Lane County — and the Florence area — will return to extreme risk starting Friday, level. Counties will remain
May 6. This includes Lane April 30, until community spread of COVID-19 slows.
in extreme risk for a maxi-
County.
mum of three weeks.
“If we don’t act now, doctors, COVID-19 hospitalizations from
In addition, nine counties will be
“The fastest way to lift health
in the high risk level, four at mod- nurses, hospitals, and other health spiking even higher. With new and safety restrictions is for Orego-
erate risk, and eight at lower risk. care providers in Oregon will be COVID-19 variants widespread in nians to get vaccinated as quickly as
Douglas County will be at moder- stretched to their limits treat- so many of our communities, it will possible and follow the safety mea-
ate risk. A complete list of counties ing severe cases of COVID-19,” take all of us working together to sures we know stop this virus from
and their risk levels is available said Brown. “Today’s announce- bring this back under control.”
spreading,” Brown said.
ment will save lives and help stop
The governor is partnering with
here.
See COVID page 6A
Governor says
vaccinations
key to staying
safe, reopening
economy
U.S. releases Siuslaw partners with Hyak on internet project
School board votes to provide three-year letter of credit
2020 Census
results
Oregon gains seat
in U.S. House after
population increase
RECORDS
Obituaries &
response logs
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Lane among counties moving to ‘extreme risk’
amid surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Vikings PR
at home track meet
INSIDE — B
WEDNESDAY EDITION | APRIL 28, 2021 | $1.00
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2021
One of the fundamental exercises
of American democracy was com-
pleted on Monday, April 26, as the
U.S. Census Bureau delivered to U.S.
President Joseph Biden the 2020
Apportionment Results. The de-
livery of the 2020 Census results to
the president is an important step in
the official ratification of the results,
which showed the resident popula-
tion of the United States on April 1,
2020, was 331,449,281.
The U.S. resident population in
2010 was 308,745,538. This means
there was an increase of 22,703,743,
a growth rate of 7.4 percent — the
second-slowest rate of population
increase on record.
The release of Census data is al-
ways an area of keen interest because
the principle of apportionment, the
constitutional purpose of the count,
determines the number of represen-
tatives each state sends to the U.S.
House of Representatives.
Federal funds, grants and support
to states, counties and communities
are based on population totals and
breakdowns by sex, age, race and
other factors. More than $675 bil-
lion per year in federal funds spent
on schools, hospitals, roads, public
works and other vital programs is
distributed using Census data.
See CENSUS page 6A
The Siuslaw School Board of Di-
rectors met for a special meeting
on Monday to continue discussion
from the April 14 board meeting.
The single agenda item was to con-
sider a private-public partnership
with Florence-based internet pro-
vider Hyak through the Federal
Communications Commission’s
(FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity
Fund.
Hyak co-owners Robbie Wright
and Neil Ecker have been in con-
tact with Siuslaw Superintendent
Andy Grzeskowiak and Business
Manager Kari Blake about a project
to deliver fiber broadband rurally.
They approached the board earlier
this month about working togeth-
er.
“With COVID, a lot of us have
seen the need for high-speed in-
ternet — and quality high-speed
internet — dramatically increase
in the last 12 months,” Wright said.
“The Rural Digital Opportunity
Fund is specifically designed to
help subsidize delivering internet
to very expensive places.”
Hyak went through a bidding
process to be able to bring fiber
internet to rural areas outside of
Florence.
According to FCC’s estimation,
550 houses are within the areas
Hyak will be covering. Wright clar-
ified that the number was closer to
1,100 houses along Highway 126,
North Fork Road, Highway 36,
Indian Creek Road and Old Stage-
coach Road. The project will reach
15 to 20 percent of Siuslaw School
District’s approximate 900 house-
holds with fiber internet in the next
couple years.
“This is a pretty far-reaching
project for us,” Wright said. “We’ll
be able to impact quite a few house-
holds. … It’s going to be a little bit
of a hard construction project, but
not one that we’re afraid to take on.”
Through the program, Hyak
will receive approximately $1.6
million over 10 years to support
the project. The FCC has several
requirements placed on the proj-
ect, including audited financials,
third-party professional review
of technical design, construction
milestones, business expertise and
a letter of credit (LOC).
Part of Hyak’s presentation was
to ask the Siuslaw School District
to consider joining a private-public
agreement so Hyak can secure that
LOC for three to four years. This
would require $160,000 be set aside
each year for four years, which is
equivalent to one year of support
from the FCC.
“Hyak is requesting a low-in-
terest loan from 97J to meet
the requirements of our LOC,”
Wright said to the board. “These
funds will go on deposit with
the nation’s largest SBA lender
and sit untouched in an account.
See PARTNERS page 7A
WLFEA leadership still divided on future planning
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
Boards from Siuslaw Valley Fire
and Rescue (SVFR) and Western
Lane Ambulance District (WLAD),
known jointly as Western Lane Fire
and EMS Authority (WLFEA), met
virtually April 22. The meeting fol-
lowed a pattern of recent WLFEA
meetings which have highlighted
a major difference in the vision for
the future of emergency response
in Florence. During the meeting,
WLAD Director Larry Farnsworth
continued to question the fiscal
model the ambulance district is
currently using, as well as stating
the joint boards are not sharing
with the public the true cost of op-
erations for the two groups.
The meeting was called to order
by Fire/EMS Chief Michael Schick,
with all members of both boards in
attendance.
Office Manger Dina McClure
presented a brief financial report
and shared answers to questions
she had received from directors
regarding specific fiscal circum-
stances.
She also presented the commis-
sioners with investment-related
options for the SVFR and WLAD
districts, which Farnsworth sug-
gested should be selected by the
rate of return on the investment
funds.
At that point, WLAD directors
Mike Webb and Rick Yecny ex-
cused themselves from the dis-
cussion due to potential conflicts
of interest and entered a virtual
waiting room; SVFR Director Ron
Green, President and CEO of Ore-
gon Pacific Bank, was not in atten-
dance for the meeting.
See DISTRICT page 8A
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