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Strong Winds Causing Problems for Coast Guard Communications

The Coast Guard has closed and restricted a number of Oregon ocean bars.

(SEATTLE) - The Thirteenth Coast Guard District Command Center temporarily lost communications with Coast Guard Group Astoria today due to hurricane force winds sweeping the Pacific Northwest.

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules air crew launched from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento and will be patrolling the northern and central Oregon coast to serve as a communication platform for distress calls.

Get all the latest road conditions here: Salem-News.com ROAD CONDITIONS

Oregon and SW Washington Updated Storm Information

Reports say that Oregon Coast cities, Astoria, Seaside, Lincoln City, and Newport are without power, and have limited phone and cell phone service.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Continued high winds and pounding rain on the Oregon and Washington coasts have cut electrical service to many communities, and crews from the Bonneville Power Administration are working to restore the high voltage transmission lines that serve these areas.

The Cowlitz County Public Works is advising all Ryderwood Water System customers to boil their drinking water after recent flooding caused a break in the main water line. The U.S. Coast Guard on the Oregon Coast says they are without emergency communications at this time.

Get all the latest road conditions here: Salem-News.com ROAD CONDITIONS

Update on Oregon`s Storm Conditions

Use extreme caution when traveling in today's stormy weather.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Slides, fallen trees and high water have closed or are partially blocking several highways in NW Oregon. The length of closures and when the highways can be reopened are unknown at this time.

Motorists are advised to avoid a number of areas for reasons that range from flooding, to downed power lines and other weather related issues. You can also check out our brand new road conditions report which launched Sunday. The link is located on the left side of the front page, here is a shortcut for now: salem-news.com/roadconditions.php

Clogged Culverts Cause Significant Flooding in Tualitan

While conducting the evacuations firefighters had to contend with safety concerns over stepping in open man holes and outdoor landscape lights under water.

(TUALATIN, Ore.) - Emergency crews say a clogged culvert along Highway 99, just south of Durham Road, has resulted in significant flooding of the southbound lanes of Highway 99 and a King City neighborhood at SW Queen Anne Avenue and Royalty Parkway.

Motorists were encouraged to use an alternative route and employ extreme caution if traveling southbound due to limited access, heavy equipment, and crews working at the site. Clean Water Services and ODOT crews worked late to unclog the culvert before morning rush hour.

Mudslides in the Pacific Northwest Halts Amtrak Service

Stay with Salem-News.com for all the latest Oregon Winter Storm information.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Mudslides across the tracks have stopped Amtrak passenger train service between Eugene, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Normally, Amtrak Cascades consists of four daily round-trips between Portland and Seattle, with service between Bellingham, Wash., and Portland, via Seattle, between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland, and between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.

PTSD: VA`s Current Snow Job

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I had the dubious experience to watch and listen to the VA's new treatment for PTSD, "virtual reality", on ABC local news in Portland, Oregon. I was both fascinated and outraged.

Two doctors were directing the "experiment" of treating soldiers with "terror movies". Dr. McFall admitted that the virtual reality experiment may be distressing. He doesn't know the half of it.

Oregon Coast; Willamette Valley Wind Storm Information

Highway 30 near the Colmbia-Clatsop County line is CLOSED due to an early morning mudslide; Homes evacuated in King City.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Pacific Power crews worked through the night in many parts of the state, restoring power to homes and businesses wherever possible.

Lincoln City also experienced significant additional outages in the early morning hours, when a Bonneville Power Administration transmission line failed, bringing customer outages to nearly 12,000. Lincoln City also has been experiencing loss of telephone service. Seaside is currently without phone and cell phone service.

Crews Working Throughout Night to Restore Power

Pacific Power is encouraging customers to continue to be prepared for intensive weather and outages through late Monday.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Pacific Power crews are working diligently to restore storm-related outages along the Oregon coast, the mid-Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon and in other parts of the state.

As of Sunday at 9:00 PM, approximately 27,354 customers still are without power, and crews are working around the clock to get power back on as quickly and safely as possible.

Medical Marijuana Doctor Discusses Questions from Viewers (VIDEO)

This is segment 11 in our ongoing question and answer video segments with Salem-News.com's Bonnie King and Oregon's leading expert in medical marijuana, Dr. Phil Leveque.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque take a number of questions about medical marijuana from our viewers. As we learn today, some people consulting the doctor for advice hail from as far away as Norway.

That question regards something that Dr. Leveque, a WWII Combat Infantryman, knows a great deal about... Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Leveque discusses the relationship between PTSD and cannabis as a treatment. It is something he may have more experience with that any other living human being.

Salem City Council Versus the Panhandlers

Private property can be protected in some cases, but public areas like roadsides, corners, public parks and the like cannot be, as the courts have ruled pretty consistently.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The last thing the City Council of Salem, Oregon should be doing is wasting money, especially if they are violating constitutional rights to do it.

At the December 3rd 2007 meeting of the Salem City Council there will be, amongst other things, a discussion of proposed ordinance changes regarding 'panhandling'. Why is the Salem City Council in such a rush to flush our limited tax dollars down this particular drain?