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Siuslaw News Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Florence, Oregon

Number 32 • 134 years

Siuslaw Bridge opens for tall vessel By TONY REED The Siuslaw News

A couple dozen people gathered on the west side of Highway 101 in Florence July 26 as the Siuslaw River Bridge was raised to allow the vessel Aleta to pass safely underneath. According to a Facebook post announcing the departure, the Aleta headed out to sea for “some albacore action.” A return date and time was not announced in the post. Onlookers could be heard remarking that they had never seen the bridge open or that they could not recall the last time it did so. Mayor Rob Ward said that while the bridge doesn’t open very often, it does happen more than one would think. Ward recalled that ODOT recently opened the bridge as a demonstration to the City Council after some mechanical changes were made. Ward said mariners have a number they can call to request that the bridge be raised, and an operator will arrive to do so. Ward estimated that the See BRIDGE, page A7

The boat Aleta passes under the Siuslaw River drawbridge. Tony Reed photo

Florence hardly notices tsunami Federal funds By TONY REED The Siuslaw News

While the entire U.S. West Coast waited for the tsunami to arrive from off the east coast of Russia Tuesday Night, Florence residents didn’t report any damage or wave activity on the beaches or in the Siuslaw River. Only a couple hours before the tsunami was predicted to reach the west coast, Brandon Hiza and Kate Price were steering the Aleta back into Florence after fishing at sea. Asked if they returned because of the tsunami threat, they said no. In fact, they

Kingwood Street from Airport Road (15th Street) to 10th Street increased the posted speed from 25 mph to 30 mph. “The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently completed a speed zone investigation as requested by the City and has established two new speed zones on Kingwood Street,” said Mike Miller, Florence Public Works Director. See SPEED, page A7

See FUNDS, page A7

See TSUNAMI, page A6

Adjust your speed on Kingwood As of July 31, the City of Florence has changed the speed limits on Kingwood Drive, between 35th Street and 400 feet north of Airport Way and between Airport Road (15th Street) and 10th Street. The posted speed limit for the section of Kingwood Street between 35th and 400 feet north Airport Way was reduced from 40 mph to 35 mph. A posted speed limit change on

INSIDE

Obituaries — A2 Sports & Lifestyle — B1

SIUSLAW NEWS STAFF

After almost a month, federal funding which supports grantfunded programs at Siuslaw School District has been released nationwide. On July 1, Oregon Department of Education received a communication that five of the ten Title programs were being impounded pending review of Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, IV-B funding. The review was said to examine whether certain programs’ taxpayer resources were spent “in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.” Grant funds were frozen as of July 1. According to an Associated Press report July 25, A group of 10 Republican senators on July 16 sent a letter to The Trump Administration, imploring it to allow the frozen education money to be sent to states, saying the withheld money supported programs and services that are critical to local communities. The administration later released billions of dollars

All was calm in the Port of Siuslaw Wednesday morning as low tide exposed old dock pilings along the shoreline.

CITY OF FLORENCE

released to schools

Opinion — A3 Classifieds — B6-7

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