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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2017)
GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE Volume 142, Issue 33 Souvenir Edition www.Polkio.com $1.00 August 16, 2017 Police look for missing Dallas woman Itemizer-Observer staff report DALLAS — Dallas Police are asking for help in finding a Dallas woman who was re- ported missing on Saturday who could be in the Florence area. According to police, a fam- ily member reported Heather Mounce, 37, missing on Sat- urday at 2:13 p.m. She was last seen at 8:30 a.m. on Sat- urday. Her red 2008 Chevro- let Cobalt, Oregon plates 724 EFB, was found parked next to Highway 101 north of Flo- rence near Cox Rock. The last communication from her phone to a family member was around 2 p.m. Evidence gathered so far sug- gests she was not abducted and traveled to her car’s lo- cation of her own free will, police said. Local Florence authorities searched the area where Mounce’s vehicle was found and did not find her. Mounce is 5-foot-4 and weighs between 140 and 170 pounds. She has straight black hair and brown eyes. As of Tuesday morning, Dallas Lt. Jerry Mott said he couldn’t comment further at this time about circum- stances surrounding her dis- appearance. He said the de- partment is actively follow- ing up on tips. If you see a person match- ing her description, call local police. Dallas Police say she is not wanted for a crime and is not believed to be dangerous in any way, but would like to have a police officer verify she is OK. If you had any contact with her after 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, contact Sgt. Josh Calef of the Dallas Police De- IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS COURTESY OF HARLIE MOUNCE/Itemizer-Observer Heather Mounce was reported missing on Saturday. partment at 503-831-3516. The Oregon State Police, Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard and Lane County fire services have as- sisted with the search for Mounce. City to receive $300,000 per year for next decade to help with street mainte- nance. »Page 14A FALLS CITY City located stolen utility vehicle on Friday. »Page 5A INDEPENDENCE Council to consider marijuana business li- cense changes. »Page 5A MONMOUTH Western Oregon soc- cer team hopes youth movement leads to suc- cess. »Page 13A SPORTS The Rough Stock Rodeo returned on Thursday. »Page 12A EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer Polk County Fire District No. 1 Deputy Chief Neal Olson helps determine the cause of the home fire on Aug. 9. Infant dies during house fire By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — An 11- month-old boy died in a Monmouth house fire on Aug. 9. Two adults, including his mother Natacia Abbe, along with two other children were able to evacuate. The home in the 700 block of North Catron Street was heavily involved in fire when firefighters arrived, said Polk County Fire District No. 1 Deputy Chief Neal Olson. The fire was electrical and started on or under the patio, Olson said. “The most difficult part of this fire is that we believe it had been burning for quite some time prior to our noti- fication,” Olson said. “We believe it started on the patio, and then moved into the attic space through the vents and burned undetect- ed for an unknown period of time. Once the occupant was alerted by the smoke alarm, the attic and patio were heavily involved.” Polk No. 1 was dispatched to the fire at 1:57 a.m. on Aug. 9. Thirty-two firefight- ers and support personnel responded, as well as several members of law enforce- ment from multiple agen- cies, Olson said. The house had working smoke alarms, Olson said. The mother was awakened by the alarms and able to evacuate the other two chil- dren, which were not named by law enforcement. “Unfortunately, the con- ditions inside the building changed drastically during the evacuation,” Olson said. Attempts to locate and rescue Sebastian Spencer, the 11-month-old boy, were unsuccessful. His body was found once the fire was ex- tinguished, Olson said. See FIRE, Page 5A Weather for eclipse remains a question mark By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — Months of planning has gone into making the Great American Eclipse a major event for Polk County. There’s one thing that no one can control that could wreak havoc on eclipse chasers and planners — the weather. Matthew Cullen, a mete- orologist with the National Weather Service, said the NWS only predicts a seven- day forecast — and even that can be stretching it. “Specifics are tough to discern,” Cullen said. “At THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK about three to five days out, we get a pretty good idea of what the weather will be like. Beyond that, we start to see a lot of possibilities.” For Aug. 21, Cullen said all types of weather are still in play — both good and bad for viewing the eclipse. “At this point, looking ahead, rain is a possibility,” Cullen said. “It could be on the clear side or the cloudi- er side. We’ll have some days (around the eclipse) that have morning clouds that stick around longer, other days where clouds will clear quickly. Some may not have clouds at all.” In other words, Cullen said this far out, the NWS doesn’t have a good idea on what the weather will be Monday morning. “We have more uncer- tainty beyond that three- to five-day peri- od,” he said. According to the NWS’s web- site, the most common clouds west of the Cas- cades during sum- mer mornings are marine stratus, which tend to fill the Willamette Valley, but clear by late morning. The solar eclipse will reach totality from 10:15 to 10:25 a.m. across the state. The first forecast from the NWS has it mostly sunny, but meteorolo- gist technician Gerald Macke said to keep checking pre- dictions. “It can be very difficult to be real precise days and days and days out,” Macke said. “But right now, there’s a de- cent chance the area will be able to see something.” Macke said there is a chance for clouds on Mon- day evening. As of press time, it doesn’t appear that clouds will affect the area Monday morning. If there’s one piece of ad- vice Cullen has for locals and visitors making their way to the Willamette Val- ley: Wait and see — for now. “Certainly, as we get clos- er, we’ll be able to predict,” Cullen said. “Right now (Monday), we’re in a wait- and-see period. It’s not pos- sible to forecast with any certainty at this point.” Police to look for proper safety belt use Itemizer-Observer staff report MONMOUTH— Mon- day through Sept. 3, Mon- mouth Police Department officers will conduct spe- cialized traffic safety en- forcement operations, emphasizing the impor- tance of proper safety belt and child seats use. The enhanced enforce- ment is possible through a grant from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, adminis- tered by the Oregon De- partment of Transporta- tion. Share your photos Capture a stunning image of the eclipse? Did you find that perfect mo- ment? Share your photos with the Itemizer-Observer using the hashtags #PathofTotality and #OREclipse2017. You can like the I-O on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @PolkIONews and follow us on Instagram. Newsletter Want to keep even more up-to-date? Head to www.polkio.com to get signed up for the I-O’s newsletter, which goes out every Friday. Also, check the website for more stories and photos. wed thu fri sat sun mon tue Want to relax before the busy weekend? Come jam out at Music in the Park at Main Street Park in Monmouth. 6:30 p.m. Free. Come find your lat- est treasure or enjoy a treat at the Polk County Bounty Mar- ket on the Academy Building lawn. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dallas will have live music on the square (downtown) to help kick off the Great American Eclipse weekend. 7 p.m. Free. Indy Goes Dark con- tinues the eclipse weekend fun with live music, beer gar- den and a host of activities. All day. Free. For those planning an eclipse weekend, Falls City still has spaces for campers. Cost is $50 per night. See page 10A. The Independence Riverview Market offers a chance for shoppers to find new items and tasty food. 2 to 7 p.m. Sunny Hi: 82 Lo: 54 Sunny Hi: 82 Lo: 53 Sunny Hi: 83 Lo: 54 Sunny Hi: 80 Lo: 51 Mostly sunny Hi: 81 Lo: 53 According to the NWS, the forecast calls for a high near 80 with mostly sunny conditions. Meteorologist Tech- nician Gerald Macke said there is a chance for clouds Monday evening, but as of Tuesday’s press time, is not ex- pected to affect the morning. Check www.polkio.com for updates. Mostly sunny Hi: 80 Lo: 54
