Beginning June 24, the Diagnostic Imaging Department at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital will offer expanded hours for ultrasound: 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with emergency on-call service available at all other times. Previously, ultrasound services have been available from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays only, with emergency on-call.
“We are excited to offer expanded hours,” said Trindee Coleman, department manager. “It’s difficult for patients to take time off from work for a medical appointment so we hope these new hours will provide more flexibility for scheduling.”
“Imaging is an important tool in diagnosing and treating injury and illnesses,” Coleman continued. “Also, with the addition of another Interventional radiologist, we will also be able to offer image-guided needle biopsies and an assortment of other interventional procedures every week in the near future.”
With an image-guided needle biopsy, clinicians can obtain a small sample of cells from inside a patient’s body, for example, the liver or the breast, for analysis.
Diagnostic Imaging services offered at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital include bone density testing/DEXA, CT scan, 3-D digital mammography, echocardiography, MRI, PET scan, digital X-ray and ultrasound with 3-D capability.
For more information about Diagnostic Imaging Services, call 541-996-7145.
The local Street Crimes Response Team (SCRT) arrested Jason McNeely after many months of compiling evidence, regarding his involvement with buying and selling illegal narcotics. The SCRT spotted McNeely driving and coordinated with the Newport Police K9 Team and conducted a traffic stop on McNeely’s vehicle. Officer’s on scene quickly noticed a restricted weapon that McNeely wasn’t allowed to have in his possession. McNeely was detained at this point.
Officer Randall had his K-9 partner Nero search the vehicle and Nero gave several alerts indicating the presence of narcotic odor emitting from the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed the finding of Methamphetamine and drug packaging materials as well as a large amount of U.S. currency. Also located during the search was a loaded 9mm pistol and additional ammunition.
The Team took the information obtained from McNeely’s arrest and continued their investigation. As a result, Jose Guadalupe Gonzalez of Newport became a person of interest. The SCRT Investigators were granted a search warrant based on the information gathered. A search warrant was served on Gonzalez’s residence. Once inside, a large quantity of Methamphetamine, digital scales, packaging material and U.S. currency were discovered. Two minor children were also in the home. Gonzalez denied any drugs were in the premises.
The SCRT seized two pounds of methamphetamine and several thousand dollars in U.S. currency. Also seized was a 9mm handgun and ammunition. The success of these arrests were the result of a multi-month investigation into county wide methamphetamine trafficking by McNeely and Gonzalez.
McNeely was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail for, Delivery / Possession / Manufacturing of Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and a Restricted Weapon. His bail was set at $500,000.00.
Gonzalez was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail for, Delivery / Possession / Manufacturing of Methamphetamine. His bail was set at $750,000.00. An investigation continues into Child Neglect as well.
The Street Crimes Response Unit (SCRT) is a newly developed team designed to augment the Patrol Division. This team specializes in the handling of community impact crimes, such as narcotics investigations, and does so by investigating these crimes thoroughly.
The SCRT is made up of members of the Newport Police and the Lincoln City Police Departments and often obtains assistance from the Toledo Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Newport Police drug detection K9 Nero also assisted with this investigation.
The Newport Police Department encourages citizens to report any suspicious activity they witness, as it may assist law enforcement. The Newport Police Tip Line is available at 541-574-5455, or Text-a-Tip at 541-270-1856 or tipline@newportpolice.net.
As wildfires become more frequent and intense throughout the West, protecting the communities we serve from this increasing threat, while providing safe, reliable power, is our highest priority. We are building on our work over past years to strengthen our system and implement additional safety measures to reduce wildfire risks.
As part of this effort, we are working with area emergency services agencies, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and community leaders across Oregon to expand and enhance existing emergency response plans and work in coordination with our communities. This includes some new actions we’re planning for this fire season.
We are enhancing vegetation inspections and vegetation clearance around our power lines or poles, increasing facilities inspections, making investments to improve equipment resiliency and fire-proofing, installing local weather stations, and training and equipping our field crews for wildfire suppression.
For areas at a higher risk of fast-spreading wildfires, we are establishing a new fire prevention measure called a Public Safety Power Shutoff. A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a new measure designed to help keep people and communities in high-risk areas safe, by proactively shutting off power during extreme and dangerous weather conditions that can result in catastrophic wildfires. This measure would only be taken as a last resort to help ensure customer and community safety.
Pacific Power is working with local governments and emergency services agencies to update them on the conditions when this protocol would be used and seek their input on coordination should we need to deploy a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Pacific Power is also launching a public wildfire education and outreach campaign starting June 24 to share wildfire safety and prevention tips and to inform customers of the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff measure. This will include public information workshops for communities in high-risk areas.
Customers can take steps now to prepare for emergencies by keeping vegetation around their homes trimmed and low and updating their emergency plans and supplies. Customers should also contact us to ensure their contact information is up-to-date, so we can keep provide updates about increased fire risk alerts, potential power outages and updates on power restoration.
Lincoln City Police Will Conduct Active Shooter Response Training at Taft Elementary June 24 & 25
The Lincoln City Police Department, in partnership with the Lincoln County School District, will be conducting Active Shooter Response training on Monday, June 24 and Tuesday, June 25, 2019, in and around Taft Elementary School, located at 4040 SE High School Drive in Lincoln City. This training will focus on emergency response to an active shooter incident and is being coordinated by the Lincoln City Police Department. The training will involve a simulation of the police department’s response plan and procedures and will help assure a coordinated, timely and effective response in event of a major incident at the school or elsewhere in the community.
Citizens should be aware that there will be law enforcement and emergency vehicles present during the exercise and in order to avoid any confusion, the public is being notified ahead of time that this is only training and not an actual emergency. Taft Elementary will be closed to students and the general public. No students will be participating in the training. Access to the building for select school employees will be limited to those portions of the school not being used during the training. During the training, the south end of the school will be closed off to all non-participants or approved personnel for the duration of the training.
The Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the Lincoln County School District for allowing us to use their facility and property for this very important training. The school district’s assistance and cooperation allows the Lincoln City Police Department to better train and prepare their officers for response to a critical incident such as this.
WYDEN BILL WOULD END TAX BREAKS FOR PRIVATE PRISON COMPANIES Companies that profit from detaining immigrants would pay taxes like other corporations.
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced legislation to end tax breaks for companies that run prisons and immigrant detention centers.
“The private prison industry is booming, particularly with the Trump administration holding more immigrants in detention than any time over nearly the past 20 years. Companies that profit off of putting children in cages shouldn’t get tax breaks,” Wyden said. “My proposal is simple. Companies that make money from the Trump administration’s inhumane immigration policy and a criminal justice system that disproportionately imprisons people of color are going to pay taxes like any other corporation.”
Companies that run prisons and immigrant detention centers, including CoreCivic and GEO Group, are organized as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which do not pay corporate tax on gains from real estate holdings. For example, profits from rent paid by the federal government for space to detain undocumented immigrants escape corporate level tax.
Wyden’s legislation would bar companies that run prisons and immigrant detention centers from receiving REIT status and require them to pay tax at the corporate and shareholder level, just like any other C corporation.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Emergency Management Division has scheduled an annual county-wide test of their emergency notification systems for June 24th between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm and has recently released new Lincoln Alerts sign-up user guides.
County Emergency Management will test all components of the Lincoln Alerts emergency notification system in preparation for the seasonal wildfire conditions. A specific focus of the systems test will be on the Lincoln Alerts mobile app (powered by Everbridge) and the functionality of receiving information back from those who received the message.
Community members can participate in the county-wide test in the following ways:
Pre – test date:
Opt-in and create a Lincoln Alerts profile for each member of your household if you have not already done so. Update your current opt-in profiles to make sure your contact information and addresses are up to date. Download the mobile app and log-in (must have a Lincoln Alerts account first). During the test: Confirm the Lincoln Alerts test message on any of the devices in your profile or your residential or business landline phones. Confirm the mobile app message and send back a photo through the mobile app to County Emergency Management confirming the ability to communicate to public safety officials during emergency events. Monitor local media partner sites (radio, digital) during the test timeframe to confirm you received a notification through an alternative source.
Post test:
Complete the County Emergency Management on-line participant survey to provide feedback on the test. County Emergency Management has several redundancies in place to push out emergency notification messages to those who may be in harm’s way due to emerging or imminent disaster situations. The county wide test allows County Emergency Management to test all features together just as it would be in a real disaster response situation. Those features include:
