Air Life of Oregon New Eurocopter EC-145

Sisters Airport Monday, April 10

Air Life of Oregon to provide orientation and safety training on the new EC-145 helicopter for local emergency medical services agencies

An Air Life of Oregon crew (flight nurse, respiratory therapist and pilot) will fly the program's new EC-145 helicopter to Sisters to orient emergency medical service personnel to the new helicopter Monday, April 10. The orientation will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the Sisters Airport. The public is invited to attend and view this new valuable resource for the community.

The crew will demonstrate how to load and unload patients, introduce added safety features of the EC-145 and demonstrate the physical landing zone requirements needed for the new helicopter. The orientation and training schedule will be coordinated by Bill Porter, RN, EMT-P and Clinical Operations Manager for Air Life. Air Life's 15-year-old Bell 222UT will retire shortly. With parts getting harder to locate and expensive, the program spent two and a half years to research the best choice for replacing the helicopter.

Photos at http://www.duaneanderson.net/n885al



Eurocopter EC-145 photo By Duane Anderson Coryright 2006











15-year-old Bell 222UT will retire shortly

Pirates opened fire on the Navy ships

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

ABOARD USS CAPE ST. GEORGE, At sea (NNS) -- USS Cape St. George (CG 71) and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) returned fire on a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, killing one and wounding five, approximately 25 nautical miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia in international waters at 5:40 a.m. local time, March 18.

Cape St. George, a guided-missile cruiser, and Gonzalez, a guided-missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the area as part of Combined Task Force 150, a maritime coalition task force currently led by Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Hank Ort, when they spotted a suspect vessel towing two smaller skiffs heading west toward the coast. As Gonzalez’s boarding teams prepared to conduct a routine boarding of the suspect vessel, the two Norfolk, Va.-based Navy ships noticed the group of suspected pirates were brandishing what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers.

The suspected pirates then opened fire on the Navy ships. Cape St. George and Gonzalez returned fire with small arms in self-defense.

One suspected pirate was killed and a fire ignited aboard the main suspect vessel. Boarding teams from Cape St. George and Gonzalez took twelve other suspects into custody, including the five injured. The Navy boarding teams also confiscated an RPG launcher and automatic weapons. No U.S. Sailors were injured in the engagement.

The Navy ships are providing medical treatment to the wounded suspects, continuing search and rescue efforts for any additional suspects and collecting further evidence from the vessel and skiffs. Royal Netherlands Navy medical personnel, including a medical doctor, are en route to assist from HNLMS Amsterdam.

Coalition forces conduct maritime security operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that all commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the region.

On March 15, the United Nations Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off the coast of Somalia to be vigilant and take action against piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered UN efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area.

Missing Ashland Family Search

UPDATE : Found at Calvert Peak airstrip which is west of Glendale

The Stivers family was last heard from as it was leaving for an overnight trip on the Oregon coast from Ashland Oregon .

Jackson County SAR started search on March 14, 2006 and cleared Jackson County for 35-foot Dolphin motor home Arizona license plates 171TDH .

Search move Josephine County Bear Camp Road area on march 16, 2006 and call off search on March 17, 2006 early morning due to white out snow storm ..

SAR teams from Oregon and California scoured Highway 199 to .

Bear Camp Road is BLM 34-8-36 and NF 23

155.6100 Jackson SO
154.8300 Josephine SO
155.8500 Statewide SAR
155.1600 Josephine SAR
122.8000 Grants Pass Airport

The children and their parents were last seen on March 4, 2006. Their grandparents, whose photos are not shown, are also believed to be with them. They may be traveling in a 1992 tan Dolphin motor home with Arizona license plates 171TDH.