Month: January 2017

BOISE, Idaho (AP) – Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says a new wildfire-fighting plan to protect a wide swath of sagebrush country in the West that supports cattle ranching and is home to an imperiled bird will likely continue after the Obama administration ends. Jewell spoke Tuesday after getting her last update at the National Interagency

SEATTLE (AP) – Some state lawmakers are pushing to toughen Washington’s decade-old distracted-driving laws. The Seattle Times reports (http://bit.ly/2hLStql ) that two lawmakers are drafting a bill that seeks to ban virtually all use of handheld devices by motorists. It’s tentatively called the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act. Washington law bars texting and

HUBBARD, Ore. (AP) – Firefighters responded to a report of a fire near the Willamette Valley town of Hubbard found three separate structures burning and a body. Lt. Chris Baldridge of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press there were separate sources of ignition for the fires. He says the case is being

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) – Radioactive contamination is spreading inside a deteriorating processing plant on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The Tri-City Herald reports the facility is known as REDOX and hasn’t been used since the 1960s. A new report recommends that $181 million be spent on interim cleanup and maintenance of the plant. REDOX is not

MOLALLA, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a man is in custody after fatally shooting his wife during an alcohol-fueled domestic dispute. KGW reports ( http://bit.ly/2iEmlEB ) that Clackamas County and Molalla police responded to a call about 9 p.m. Sunday. Police said a husband and wife had apparently been drinking and arguing when he shot

MYRTLE CREEK, Ore. (AP) – Oregon State Police say two women have died after apparently falling from a bridge on Interstate 5 following a single-vehicle crash. On Tuesday, OSP identified the two women as Amanda Fuller, 32, of Roseburg, and Stephanie Thomas, 29, of San Bernardino, California. Police say emergency crews responded at about 2:30

A year ago Monday, Ammon Bundy and his followers occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County. We went back to Burns one year later to hear from the community. It was another cold day in the town of Burns, not unlike Jan. 2, 2016, when a protest turned occupation turned standoff divided the

Several Bend and Redmond businesses reported break-ins early Monday, and Bend police said at least two incidents on the north end of town are connected. Around 1:15 a.m., Bend police responded to a business alarm at Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers at the Cascade Village Shopping Center on North Highway 97, said Sgt. Mike Landolt. An investigation

A shooting at a Sunriver vacation rental home early New Year’s Day sent one Sacramento-area resident to the hospital with a gunshot wound and another to jail on assault, reckless endangering and other charges, police said. Sunriver police officers responded around 2:20 a.m. Sunday to a 911 call at No. 17 Shagbark Lane, said Sgt.

MERLIN, Ore. (AP) – Authorities in southwestern Oregon say a preliminary investigation has determined that a 16-year-old boy handling a firearm died after accidentally shooting himself. Oregon State Police in a statement Monday said emergency crews responded at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday to a residence near Merlin, where they found the boy dead. Police said

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The Eugene Airport has completed a $19 million renovation project intended to reduce the time it takes travelers to get through security. The Register-Guard reports (http://bit.ly/2iXBT2W) in a story on Monday that the renovation included moving the passenger screening station from the center of the terminal lobby. Airport Director Tim Doll

Jericho Road, a Redmond-based organization helping the homeless and hungry, has received a $5,000 grant from Hayden Homes’ First Story. The money will help support the Housing Assistance program, as well as rent and deposits. Jericho Road is also involved with providing Redmond’s homeless and hungry with alternatives to costly food expenses when rents and

SEATTLE (AP) – A collision between two Seattle fire trucks responding to a call sent eight firefighters to the hospital. Fire department officials tell the Seattle Times (http://bit.ly/2iWU8W5) that the firefighters suffered no serious injuries in the Sunday morning crash and were treated and released. Department spokeswoman Alice Kim says a fire engine and ladder

KENO, Ore. (AP) – Authorities in southwestern Oregon say they’ve taken a juvenile male into custody following the stabbing death of a 74-year-old woman. The Klamath County district attorney’s office says police responded to a reported stabbing in Keno on Saturday morning and found Judith Anne Rose dead at the scene. Authorities say police arrested

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Chanelle Molina scored a career-high 20 points, Alexys Swedlund had 16 points and Washington State beat Oregon 75-59 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak. Molina’s layup with 1:12 left in the third made it 61-46 and the Ducks never threatened in the final quarter. Lexi Bando’s 3 and a

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – Sydney Wiese hit five 3-pointers and had 26 points and six assists and No. 22 Oregon State stormed to an early lead and held on to beat No. 9 Washington 73-70 on Sunday in a matchup of Final Four teams from last season. Kolbie Orum added 12 points and seven rebounds

The year 2016 was, in many ways, a dramatic, tragic, challenging year around the nation and world – and no less so on the High Desert. Central Oregonians were shocked and saddened by a series of high-profile crimes, in a year that began with a nearby wildlife refuge takeover grabbing national headlines and ended with

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – C.J. McCollum scored a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 14-point first-half deficit in a 95-89 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Evan Turner added 11 points for the Blazers. They were without star point guard Damian

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A marijuana grower in southern Oregon was beaten and robbed last month in the first reported instance of violent crime at a state-licensed cannabis production operation. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last week that (https://is.gd/jIzX7G ) 56-year-old James Bowman was hospitalized for several days after the Dec. 16 attack in the rural community

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Salem Police say a 34-year-old man has drowned after he ran from police following a traffic stop and attempted to hide under a bridge in the water. The police department says Christopher Free, of Salem, died early Sunday morning. Police say officers tried to negotiate with him for 20 minutes to