LATEST NEWS
Poacher faces potential judgment of over $13 million for senseless act
A 20-year-old man suspected of killing nearly 18,000 young salmon at an Oregon fish hatchery was charged with burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief, and will be charged with poaching as well. The suspect faces a huge financial penalty and possibly a lifetime fishing ban. The chinook salmon died after a gallon of bleach was poured into one of the four rearing tanks at the hatchery, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Joshua Heckathorn was arrested after sheriff’s deputies discovered him behind a locked gate at the Gardiner, Reedsport and Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery in Reedsport. Heckathorn admitted...
Dog Park rain shelter update
Following a push by a Florence resident to create a rain shelter at the local public dog park, the City has put a page on its website to help collect the needed funding. “The community has expressed an interest in constructing a weather shelter for the Singing Pines Dog Park,” the new page reads. “Chip Asplund has spearheaded this donation drive in honor of his late wife, Melody Joy Asplund.”
Florence STEP Group Request for Volunteers
Florence STEP (Salmon Trout Enhancement Program) needs volunteers to complete our current projects, and to determine if we can continue to support one of our legacy community activities, starting with the installation o the Whittaker Creek Smolt Retention Dam on April 26. This will be a quick project but is...
Council to ask for public input on homeless sheltering codes
On Monday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m. the Florence City Council will hold a special meeting at the Florence Events Center to gather public input regarding the draft proposed City Code establishing time, place, and manner policies for event-based emergency shelters and temporary sheltering. General areas of interest for the...
Lakeside man accused in stabbing arrested at RV park on multiple charges
LAKESIDE, Ore. – A 60-year-old Coos County man accused of stabbing another person was arrested on Tuesday evening at an RV park in Lakeside, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. CCSO officials received a report at 6:09 p.m. on April 23 of an alleged stabbing that happened...
Thousands of salmon dead after Douglas County hatchery burglarized
GARDINER, Ore. -- For almost a year, the volunteers with the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP program have worked to get their fall Chinook salmon ready to be released. However, a recent burglary at their facility resulted in an estimated 20,000 salmon being killed. STEP is entirely volunteer-run, with members...
Siuslaw School District: Family Bilingual Literacy Nights
Siuslaw School District is hosting “Family Bilingual Literacy Nights”, an evening program for families who are learning English as a second language or who want to work on their reading and writing skills together. The evening program is set up to assist and support families and individuals with...
Lakeshore Myrtlewood store closing soon
After over 14 years of building and selling unique handcrafted gifts, the owners of Lakeshore Myrtlewood have decided to close the store for good- and they hope to liquidate in just over 90 days. Ruth and Rod Engelman say they are getting up there in age and while they’ve loved...
Paddle and hike event April 27
Siuslaw Vision and the Florence Oregon Area Kayakers (FOAK) are presenting “Siuslaw PlayShop - Let’s Paddle and Go Hiking” at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince Street, Florence, on April 27, 2024. This day of information and inspiration is geared for those who love to play in the outdoors. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the event concludes around 3:30 p.m. There is no preregistration, admission at the door is $2 (cash only) per person; children are free and additional donations are gratefully accepted. A free lunch is available for the first 350 participants.
Florence 'Rhody Fest': Find flowers and fun at one of Oregon's oldest festivals
Oregon's second-oldest flower festival, "Rhody Fest," is returning for its 117th edition to Florence starting May 16 with the theme "High Tides and Good Vibes." "It'll be another year of 'good vibes' as we celebrate our local natural beauty and floral superstars," said Bettina Hannigan, Chamber President of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. "Thousands come from around the world to celebrate with us every year on the third full weekend in May."
VFW, City, recognize first responders, volunteers
The Florence City Hall council chambers filled with police and first responders April 15 for a series of awards and proclamations. Veterans of Foreign Wars Florence Post 3232 presented awards to three local first responders April 15 at the Start of the City Council meeting.
Coming up on KEZI 9 News at 4: sword-wielding man arrested; Reedsport hatchery vandalized
A man was arrested in Blue River Monday morning after being spotted waving a sword on Saturday. Also, in Reedsport, a hatchery was allegedly vandalized and 20,000 salmon hatchlings were killed. Dylan Robichaud has the weather.
Letter to the Editor
We are back in Florence this week to take in a couple of performances of C.R.O.W’s production of “Newsies” and looking forward to a very entertaining weekend. And much to my surprise and delight have discovered Florence now has high speed broadband internet available. Thanks to the...
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.