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Siuslaw News Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Florence, Oregon

Number 34 • 134 years

Planes lined up for takeoff at the Florence Airport to take kids over the Heceta Head Lighthouse and around to the Siuslaw River. Tony Reed photos.

Kids take to the skies By TONY REED The Siuslaw News

Some Florence fesidents were asking about the unusual number of airplanes in the skies over town Aug. 8 and the explanation may make you smile. Inside each of those planes was a kid, age 8 to 16, who was about to complete Florence Air Academy, a two-week course designed to introduce them to career fields in aeronautics, travel, and more. Florence Air Academy is owned and operated by Terry and Winette Tomeny. Terry’s 35- year flight experience is too vast to include here, but he currently owns TomenyAero Inc. in Florence.

Terry said this years class of 17 kids is the largest in its eight-year history and hosts kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County. Terry said some of the class highlights included a visit by a Coast Guard helicopter crew, a visit to a Coast Guard boat, a trip to the Lane Community College Flight and Maintenance schools, a visit to the Police Station, flying remote control airplanes with a local RC Club, flying drones with a local expert, and even building and launching model rockets. “I joined the Board of Directors at See SKIES, Page A7

Bank name change made official

Looking down the beach from north of Florence, one can see for miles.

Florence comes in at #5 on best list of Oregon beaches JEREMY C. RUARK County Media, Inc.

The travel website, Lonely Planet, illustrates a listing of what it describes as 10 of the Best Beaches along Oregon’s Pacific Coast. Oregon’s coastline as 363 miles of rugged terrain “dotted with some incredibly beautiful stretches of sand, dramatic headlands and prime surfing. Not only that, this stretch of coastline has been protected from development

INSIDE

Obituaries — A2 Sports & Lifestyle — B1

and designated as “the People’s Coast,”’ Lonely Planet states. “Since the Beach Bill was passed in 1913, the state’s beaches, coves, and coastline have been reserved as public lands for the enjoyment of Oregonians.” · Cannon Beach is number 1 on the list as the “best beach for bird watching.” · Seaside is listed as number 2, described as the “best beach for a fun carnival atmosphere.” · Yachats is number 3, described as “best beach

for getting away from it all.” · Gold Beach is listed as number 4, “best beach for wildlife watching.” · Florence and the Oregon Dunes is number 5, as, “best beach for otherworldly landscapes.” · Manzanita, described as the “best beach for an exclusive vibe.” is listed number 6. · Brookings is number 7, listed as “best beaches for incredible views.” · Bandon is number See BEACH, Page A6

Opinion — A3 Classifieds — B6-7

A new sign goes up on the former Umpqua Bank location in Florence. Tony Reed photo. SIUSLAW NEWS STAFF

Local residents and some customers of Umpqua Bank may have been curious why new signage saying Columbia Bank was being lifted into place at the Florence Location. “Umpqua Bank has changed its legal name to Columbia Bank, an Oregon state chartered commercial bank,” according to its website. “We are owned

by Columbia Banking System, Inc. Effective July 1, 2025, we changed the legal name of the bank from Umpqua Bank to Columbia Bank. We will continue to do business under the trade name Umpqua Bank until we publicly change the trade name to Columbia Bank later this year.” According to a post on https://www. umpquabank.com/ columbia/ the merge with Columbi Bank happened

March 1, 2023. “The name of our combined bank will continue to operate as Umpqua Bank and our private bank, financial services and healthcare functions will operate under the brand of Columbia Wealth Management,” the post states. It also tells local customers that they will continue to have the same staffing, with no See BANK, Page A6

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