When tsunami hits coast, fishing boats may save lives: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.

When tsunami hits coast, fishing boats may save lives: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.: "NEWPORT — When the big one hits — a giant earthquake that crumbles bridges and roadways and the giant tsunami that comes rumbling behind it, knocking down buildings and flooding the beachfront communities that line the Oregon Coast — there won’t be much anybody can do to help, at least not for a while.

A Cascadia Subduction Zone quake, with an expected magnitude of 9.0 or greater, will cripple initial emergency response efforts and may cut off access to the coast altogether, before even the first powerful waves arrive on shore to turn towns into frigid, debris-ridden soup."

Incident: Illegal Transient Camp Clean Up Report

Location: 19 locations throughout Newport

Date: December 11, thru December 14

Details: A Citywide cleanup of active and inactive illegal camp sites was conducted during the week of December 11^th. Members of the Newport Police Department, Newport Public Works Department and hired workers collected 12,480 pounds of trash, debris and hazardous materials. 19 sites in all were located and cleaned up with eleven of them being active up to December 7^th.

During the clean up, 28 used hypodermic needles were recovered and property disposed of; with the majority being found in the area south of SW 12^th Street and in the wooded area about Bay Blvd. Three were found in the area south of Jump-Off-Joes, on the beach which is a tourist and local recreation area. Glass pipes used for smoking methamphetamine along with other drug related items were found in the ten of the 19 sites. Also found in two of the illegal camp sites were books from the Newport Library. They were ruined beyond repair or salvage from being left out in the rain and weather.

During the week of December 4^th, members of the Newport Police Department visited all of the sites located on public lands and posted them, notifying that a clean up of the area would take place. During this time, twenty two transient-homeless people were contacted. 18 were male and four female. There were no children. These individuals were provided with information on available resources in Lincoln County. In addition, Det. Ken Real, the project coordinator, was able to locate housing for two families.

The cost of this project totaled $2137.05 which included disposal fees and the use of temporary workers.

# # #

Information Released By: Chief Mark J. Miranda, 541-574-3348

News - StatesmanJournal.com

News - StatesmanJournal.com: "SISTERS -- All across Central Oregon on Monday night, there were reports of a fireball seen streaking to the ground.

Keith Clinton, who lives east of Bend, reported to KTVZ-TV that he saw a 'large, bright green fireball descend out of the cloudless sky east of Bend.'

Clinton said the fireball turned yellow and exploded about 10 degrees above the horizon, breaking into several pieces.

And someone near Prineville called Crook County Sheriff's Office to report a meteorite that had come crashing to the ground."

Medicare Private Plan Abuses - New York Times

Medicare Private Plan Abuses - New York Times: "Heavily subsidized private Medicare plans are continuing to prey on elderly Americans despite state, federal and industry efforts to stop them. It is yet another reason to rein in these operations by eliminating their unjustified subsidies."

HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
TO 12 PM PST WED FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NW OR.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
TO 12 PM PST WEDNESDAY.

RAIN WITH SNOW LEVEL NEAR 2000 FEET IS MOVING INTO THE NORTH
OR COAST RANGE & WILL TURN TO SHOWERS BY EVENING.
ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY SUNSET THIS EVENING.
SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT.WITH SNOW LEVELS LWRING
TO 500 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED TO
BE FROM 5 TO 10 INCHES BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. HEAVIEST
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ABOVE 1000 FEET.

THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH SOME WED AFTERNOON.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST
THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF
YOU MUST.KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT.FOOD.& WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'He's the kind of a guy who lights up a room just by flicking a switch.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'What's on your mind, if you will allow the overstatement?'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "'In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.'"

NewsGator Online

NewsGator Online: "If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done.'"

A Dessert With a Past - New York Times

A Dessert With a Past - New York Times: "FRUITCAKE might be a bad joke at Christmas in America, but for most Britons, rich, fruity Christmas pudding, steamed for long hours on the holiday stove, still taps into something visceral in the national psyche. The problem here is that the sense of pleasure rarely makes the leap from the English psyche to the English palate these days — it’s a long story, and one that Americans should appreciate."

Free: Ten Universities with Free Online Courses

Free: Ten Universities with Free Online Courses: "The web has democratized a lot of things since its birth, including the learning previously available only with a hefty tuition check. College site Education Portal has a handy list of the colleges that offer the most comprehensive course material online, including open-course trailblazers like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University, and programs like Stanford's lecture podcasts on iTunes U. You can't get a sheepskin for free, but you can further your knowledge and training for less than even the cost of a book. For way more college-based free learning, check out Wendy's comprehensive guide to the .edu underground."

No Joke, Bulb Change Is Challenge for U.S. - New York Times

No Joke, Bulb Change Is Challenge for U.S. - New York Times: "Manufacturers are putting a lot of stock in light-emitting diodes — or L.E.D.’s. They operate with chips made of nontoxic materials and last for about 50,000 hours, compared with 1,000 hours for an incandescent and 6,000 for a compact fluorescent. A tiny L.E.D. can shed as much light as a cumbersome bulb, which makes them easier to integrate into a home’s d�cor. And, they are extremely energy efficient."

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Medical myths' exposed as untrue

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Medical myths' exposed as untrue: "In fact, studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is often met by drinking juice, milk, and even caffeine-rich tea and coffee.

Data also suggests drinking excessive amounts of water can be dangerous."

Hunters, anglers have big economic impact - Portland Business Journal:

Hunters, anglers have big economic impact - Portland Business Journal:: "In Oregon, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 19,500 jobs, contributes $125 million in state and local taxes and contributes $573 million in salaries and wages.

The study pegs the ripple effect at $1.8 billion annually.

Oregon ranks No. 25 among all states in terms of total spending. Texas is No. 1 at $6.6 billion, and Florida placed second, $4.8 billion."