http://www.NRToday.com Serving Douglas County, OR Fri, 24 May 2013 09:32:16 -0600 en 30 My sweet little 5-year-old says the funniest, most off the wall things right out of the blue... all the time. She is so honest and innocent with her discoveries and opinions. When she learns something new, we are always sure to hear ALL about it. Something she has learned in school recently and has shared with me is about the American flag. She points flags out wherever she notices them. I, on the other hand, have noticed I have had no eye during my busy life for these amazing waving symbols of freedom, history, pride, etc. Either that or I … ]]> ROSE Still alive on the diamond The success of our local high school baseball and softball teams has been impressive this spring. A dozen teams advanced to state playoff spots from every level represented in the county. Following the first round, eight are still alive. If they fare as well in the quarterfinals this weekend, we might see some teams competing for a state championship. Here’s wishing that our local teams pick up two more wins each to land them in the title game. Still alive in action on the diamond are Roseburg baseball and softball in 6A, Sutherlin softball … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6641909-113/music-teams-roseburg-softball There is an old song by Steve and Annie Chapman called “Goodnight Kiss.” Some of the lyrics include: “I count it as a privilege I count it cause for praise to kiss my children goodnight at the close of everyday for I know too soon they're off and gone and walkin' out the door and I'll never have a child to kiss goodnight anymore ... tell the story read a book wipe a nose or tie a shoe they never ask me to rub their back the way they used to do once it was a bother just a troublesome kind of chore now I would give anything to do it just once more” When each of … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6608256-113/grow-kids-marla-smart Kicking off Winston’s free outdoor summer concert series this year will be a Southern roots rocker evocative of Etta James and Ruth Brown. North Carolina native Nikki Hill was announced today as the first act of the 2013 Riverbend Live! summer lineup. “She’ll be awesome,” Riverbend organizer Mo Nichols said. “She’ll probably become one of the greats on the blues scene.” Also set to appear are Portland jazz drummer and bandleader Ron Steen, four-piece pop band The Dirty Martini Band, cowboy family band Sons of San Joaquin and the Riverbend Youth Theater’s production of “C-ryhme and Pun-ishment,” a Law and … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6634919-113/riverbend-band-july-series U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden late this morning released what he called a “framework” for developing a forest management plan for the 2.6 million acres of Oregon & California Railroad trust lands in 18 Western Oregon counties. The long-awaited plan calls for the forests to be roughly divided into plantations available for timber harvests, with other areas set aside for conservation and the protection of wildlife and old-growth stands more than 120 years old. The lands designated for timber harvests would be governed by harvest levels established by legislation, the plan said. The framework released today does not set harvest goals. … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6636309-113/lands-wyden-timber-counties The wind blowing over what was once a sheep farm west of Roseburg sways cattails and ripples a pond that’s fed with every flush. The bucolic green valley off Old Melrose Road is where the city’s wastewater will get an extra scrubbing. The Zenor-Neuner Memorial Natural Treatment System this month began treating all of Roseburg’s wastewater. Instead of chemicals, clay-rich soil and man-made wetlands will filter harmful substances like phosphorous before the wastewater reaches the South Umpqua River. Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority Director Ron Thames said the $9 million system is an environmentally friendly way to meet Oregon Department of … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6596885-113/treatment-roseburg-wastewater-natural http://www.NRToday.com/news/6634876-113/counties-oregon-blm-county http://www.NRToday.com/news/6636364-113/marijuana-roseburg-mph-police http://www.NRToday.com/news/6635524-113/students-district-rose-priority A California teenager who was traveling north for an outdoor music festival was critically injured in a crash around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday north of Myrtle Creek Natasha Hastings, 17, of Redondo Beach, Calif., drove a 2001 Dodge Stratus through a stop sign and into the path of a freight truck, Oregon State Police Lt. Doug Ladd said. The truck collided with the car on the driver’s side at the intersection of Old Highway 99 South and the Interstate 5 northbound off-ramp at Exit 112. Hastings was not wearing a seat belt. Ladd said the truck driver, Stanley McHugill, 62, of … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6635168-113/ladd-trailer-truck-hastings http://www.NRToday.com/news/6636360-113/abuse-drain-officials-arrested http://www.NRToday.com/news/6635106-113/roseburg-suspicion-block-police A band that started in a Roseburg High School songwriting class is now a polished unit with a professional stage presence. Hemlock Lane has come a long way from the group that stood around on stage between songs. “It’s gone from long, awkward silences to being able to talk to the crowd. It’s a heck of a lot harder to talk to people than to sing to them,” said Natty Burmeister, lead singer and keyboardist for Hemlock Lane. Since those early days three years ago, the quintet has been rattling off accomplishments. They finished their second release, “The Hemlock Lane … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6600584-113/hemlock-band-lane-roseburg http://www.NRToday.com/news/6609833-113/ford-industry-timber-county In an effort to lose that last 5 pounds of baby weight, I am doing a 30-day “no sugar challenge.” Those who know me well can confirm that this is no small feat because I love ice cream… and cookies, pie, candy, chocolate and basically anything and everything that contains sugar. The fact that I’ve been able to cut cold turkey (I’m 15 days sober now) proves just how bad I want to lose those not-so-lovely love handles. In an attempt to curb my cravings (and trick my body into thinking I’m giving it what it wants), I’ve turned to … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6624441-113/anne-blodgett-creighton-lose http://www.NRToday.com/news/6622587-113/board-creek-percent-roberts Interest in the Roseburg School District bond request apparently boosted turnout in Tuesday’s election to 30 percent, the best voter participation in the past five May elections held in odd-numbered years. The turnout was still smaller than in neighboring Lane and Josephine counties, where voters faced countywide tax measures. Lane County’s turnout was 36 percent, while Josephine County had 52 percent voter participation. Some 38 percent of the Roseburg School District’s 10,449 voters cast ballots, according to the Douglas County Clerk’s Office. The bond failed 58 percent to 42 percent. Countywide, 62,865 ballots were sent, and 18,814 were returned. “We … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6620728-113/percent-county-turnout-district http://www.NRToday.com/news/6614076-113/reedsport-council-fees-2012 Roseburg School Board member Daniel Endicott defeated challenger Sheila Lawrence in Tuesday’s election. Endicott received 57 percent of the vote, out-polling Lawrence 4,026 votes to 2,930 votes. Endicott, 42, who has served on the school board for the past three years, said he was happy to win a four-year term. “I just feel blessed,” he said. “I’m truly excited to kind of be part of a team.” Lawrence, 71, was inspired to run for school board by her time volunteering in Roseburg schools with the Foster Grandparents program. She said Tuesday she didn’t regret challenging Endicott. “I tried. I thought … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6596085-113/endicott-board-lawrence-roseburg Our children are our legacy and parents of every generation have strived to provide the best possible lifestyle for their offsprings’ health and well-being. It is important nowadays for parents to understand that health is not the absence of disease. For the sake of our children we need to revisit the long-standing health model that has left many adults resigned to a lifetime of doctor visits and pharmaceuticals to get through life. Our children deserve better and the reality is that true health comes from within because our bodies were designed to be healthy. We need a model that focuses … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6608551-113/health-body-care-invasive A gem is inserted in today’s News-Review. Chances are it caught your eye right away when you opened up the paper. It’s the Visitors Guide to Douglas County. The majority of our readers are not visitors, but rather, residents of Douglas County. But we’re told you read the Visitors Guide anyway, and we can see why you would. In a county as vast and varied as Douglas County, few people can say they’ve seen and done everything offered inside this 5,000-square-mile Western Oregon county. The Visitors Guide reminds us of the richness of this region. Inside its glossy pages, the … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6610534-113/county-guide-visitors-douglas George Murdock, superintendent of both the Yoncalla School District and the Douglas Education Service District, won a special election Tuesday for Umatilla County commissioner, a position he’ll leave Douglas County to take. Murdock, 70, has already discussed his departure with the Yoncalla School Board, he said. The Douglas ESD board will discuss replacing Murdock in an executive session after Thursday’s regular meeting. The Umatilla County race was to replace Bill Hansell, who was elected to the Oregon Senate in November. Murdock faced five challengers in the at-large contest. He received 2,547 votes, or 29.8 percent of the votes cast. His … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6621112-113/murdock-county-douglas-esd http://www.NRToday.com/news/6613328-113/percent-board-position-incumbents The Roseburg School District’s $6 million bond levy failed Tuesday, sealing plans to close Rose Elementary School this fall. Some 58 percent of voters said “no,” solidifying a school board decision last month to close Rose in Southeast Roseburg if the bond failed. “I’m horribly, horribly devastated,” said Jessica Schan, president of Rose’s parent-teacher organization. The bond would have paid for major maintenance projects to school buildings and updates to technology and curriculum. It would have cost taxpayers an estimated 37 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or $55.50 a year on a $150,000 house. An election night party at … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6596060-113/rose-bond-district-board http://www.NRToday.com/news/6621097-113/block-car-county-douglas In the fashion world, May marks the time of year where women can begin wearing white pants. In the running world, May heralds a new fashion milestone: The shedding of the long winter running tights and warm technical shirts, which, along with hats and gloves, protected us from the winter cold and other elements. Shorts and short-sleeved shirts become the norm. May also brings a focus to training, designed to gear up the runner for the summer road racing season. We are fortunate in Douglas County to have a variety of races in our own backyards, starting with the Run … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6609909-113/training-marathon-half-distance Meet Sherry Harmon. Sherry is a 60-plus-year-old who lives in Roseburg. She was a stay-at-home mom while her three children were growing up and now spends her time enjoying her five grandchildren and great-grandchild; that, plus staying healthy for herself and her family. Q: Was there something pivotal that pushed you to take steps to be healthier? A: A very special friend got me back into exercising. After the death of my husband from cancer, I could sense myself drifting toward depression. He had been ill for many years and I had experienced a period of deep depression in my … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6546470-113/healthy-exercise-family-plus http://www.NRToday.com/news/6620175-113/station-fire-district-property Retired Roseburg firefighter Jim Lee defeated incumbent Wes Melo for a seat on the Douglas County Fire District No. 2 board in Tuesday’s election. Lee received 62.76 percent of the vote to Melo’s 36.58 percent, or 2,428 votes to 1,448 votes. Lee said his opponent Melo, a former executive with Ingram Book Co., was “a fine man.” “My hope is that the fire district continues to provide the good service we’ve been providing to the community,” Lee said. Melo was running for second term. Roy Palmer, who ran unopposed, also won a seat on the five-member board. The incumbent, Dan … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6616241-113/fire-votes-district-lee Summer brings sunshine and fun, but for parents and children it also can mean injuries, bug bites, allergies, rashes and dehydration. In an effort to hopefully save you from the aisles of sunscreen choices, lines at urgent care and the countless number of things the Internet will tell you, I had Wendy Zyziewski, a local family nurse practitioner at Evergreen Family Medicine and a mother of two, answer some burning summer safety and health questions from a handful of Douglas County mothers for a special two-part series. Allergies How do I know if my child has seasonal allergies? Wendy: Common … ]]> The 22nd annual Music on the Half Shell concert series will feature something for the old, something for the young and something of a homecoming for one of Roseburg’s own. ZZ Ward, a Los Angeles musician who grew up in Roseburg and graduated from Glide High School, will play the Half Shell Aug. 13. Since moving away to make it as a singer and songwriter, Ward has been climbing the show business ladder. Last year, her single “Put the Gun Down” reached No. 40 on the Billboard’s alternative music chart. This summer’s Half Shell lineup was announced Tuesday at the … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6615924-113/july-aug-shell-half Supporters of a $6 million bond levy request by the Roseburg School District stump for votes Monday. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. today. … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607978-113/street-vote-levy-avenue http://www.NRToday.com/news/6608539-113/fire-firefighters-riddle-canyonville http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607638-113/roseburg-woman-center-medical http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607642-113/police-roseburg-garbage-kame http://www.NRToday.com/news/6608099-113/lemire-roseburg-cited-police WINSTON — When Bruce Kelly retired in 2004 after 14 years as city administrator, he didn’t sever his ties with City Hall. He came in periodically over the first few months to ensure that his successor, David Van Dermark — a first-time city administrator and now city manager — got settled in. He was also available, on-call in a sense, if Van Dermark had a question or wanted to bounce something off him. Later, he served on the city planning commission and on the city budget committee. “He was low-key and evenhanded, and he always treated me with respect,” Van … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607938-113/kelly-winston-stevens-administrator http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607183-113/block-roseburg-county-douglas http://www.NRToday.com/news/6607888-113/snow-weather-county-douglas Work began Monday on the last major step in a 20-year plan to make the Roseburg Regional Airport more attractive to corporate fliers. Wildish Construction of Eugene will move the main taxiway 40 feet to the west, giving more room for larger airplanes on the taxiway and the parallel runway to pass without touching wings. Airport Director Mike Danielle said the $4.88 million taxiway project, expected to be completed in September, will bring the airport into compliance with Federal Aviation Administration standards. “It’s actually quite significant from a safety standpoint,” Danielle said. “We have to get right with God and … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6459535-113/airport-taxiway-runway-roseburg By the time this is published, I'll have returned from a weekend of time with friends. Every once in a while, the opportunity comes to feed my soul with time away from home. My husband supports this without the need for reciprocation, which adds to the beauty of the journey. The first friend I'll visit on my trek has been part of my heart for more than 20 years. We can go months without speaking and jump right in to place where we left off. In our younger years, our families spent late nights drinking coffee and laughing until our … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6589299-113/jemelene-wilson-ago-family A high-speed crash early Saturday on Diamond Lake Boulevard led to the arrest of two drivers on suspicion of reckless driving and reckless endangering, Roseburg police said. Jesse Michael Stout, 27, of Coos Bay and Joseph Michael Gazarek, 21, of Roseburg were seen by an officer leaving a parking lot in the 24000 block of Diamond Lake at about 2:15 a.m., police said. The westbound vehicles accelerated rapidly, and police estimated they were traveling close to 100 mph. Stout failed to make the turn from Diamond Lake onto Stephens Street, driving onto the sidewalk and rolling the 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6600457-113/police-stout-diamond-lake Watercolor painting by Glide Elementary School second-grader Olivia Sconce. If you would like to submit student artwork or if you have information about school-related events, honors or awards, email schools@nrtoday.com or call 541-957-4202. … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6562472-113/2013-artwork-monday-student http://www.NRToday.com/news/6470326-113/university-college-community-oregon WASHINGTON, D.C. — Glide High School senior Caroline Brown was honored for her volunteer work as a recipient of a Prudential Spirit of Community Award at a ceremony on May 5 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Brown, 18, was one of two teens from Oregon who received the award, which went to 100 youth volunteers from across the country. She received $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where she was congratulated by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey and Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix. In Glide, Brown organized a … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6532108-113/brown-glide-honored-washington http://www.NRToday.com/news/6562475-113/roseburg-students-student-plans News-Review photographer Michael Sullivan’s image of a triathlete preparing to swim took first place for sports photography in a regional journalism contest. Winners of the 2012 Society of Professional Journalists Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest were announced Saturday night. The annual contest recognizes outstanding work by print and electronic journalists in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Sullivan won for his photo of Burt Tate of Roseburg stretching before the start of the Umpqua Ultimate Triathlon at Cooper Creek Reservoir in Sutherlin in September. Also, News-Review staff writer Inka Bajandas received second place in the personalities category. Her award-winning story … ]]> http://www.NRToday.com/news/6595694-113/bajandas-awards-news-review http://www.NRToday.com/news/6595368-113/police-suspicion-degree-felony http://www.NRToday.com/news/6595217-113/election-county-ballots-drop http://www.NRToday.com/news/6535411-113/branding-brand-score-business