http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/or-news/ en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:17:16 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416787/posts An American couple who relied on their SUV's navigation system to guide them through the high desert in the state of Oregon got stuck in snow for three days when the GPS unit sent them down a remote forest road. On Sunday, atmospheric conditions apparently changed enough for their GPS-enabled mobile phone to get a weak signal and relay co-ordinates to a dispatcher, Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger said. "GPS almost did 'em in and GPS saved 'em," Evinger said. "It will give you options to pick the shortest route. You certainly get the shortest route. But it may not... Nine News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416787/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:17:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416736/posts SISTERS -- Brad Chalfant eases a 12-passenger van over a jagged logging road just miles from the Three Sisters. Once owned by a timber company, the 50-square-mile forest that Chalfant, executive director of the Deschutes Land Trust, hopes to buy isn't the kind of place that typically attracts tour groups. Invariably, someone on a fundraising tour will ask about the stumps and slash piles, which are everywhere. "Why would I give money to cut trees down?" asks a woman on a November day. The question highlights Chalfant's challenge as he shapes the future of forestry in Oregon: How do you... The Oregonian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416736/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:07:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415441/posts While most people will be enjoying the holiday weekend and taking advantage of after-Christmas bargains, some motivated activists will be patrolling the sidewalk beside Newmark Avenue. Between 30 and 50 picketers are expected to protest in front of Walmart. The group is taking aim at Ballot Measures 66 and 67, which proposes to raise income taxes on some businesses and high-income individuals. “The thought is, we can’t let down just because it’s a holiday,” said Adella Robison. Robison is a member of Oregon Patriots and has been involved in the much-publicized “Tea Party” protests. Two other groups, the Campaign for... The World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415441/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:56:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414455/posts <p>U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., apparently persuaded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to add a provision to force construction businesses of five or more employees to provide insurance coverage or face hefty fines.</p> Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414455/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:39:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413161/posts LEBANON — “Silent Night” was not on the program at Pioneer School’s concert Tuesday, but it was sung anyway — by the audience after the kids were done. Shortly after the children started rehearsals this fall, Principal Mark Finch had scratched the number after a parent complained that the carol’s emphasis was “too single-religion.” Superintendent Rob Hess, in attendance Tuesday, said he didn’t see who started the carol but thought approximately 100 of the more than 700 people in the audience joined in. Sam Long, a Pioneer volunteer and the grandmother of a Pioneer student, said the only reaction following... Democrat Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413161/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:44:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412166/posts The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved the $2.5-billion US Jordan Cove liquefi ed natural gas import terminal and related pipeline project that will help meet growing natural gas demand in the Pacific Northwest. The terminal, to be located on Coos Bay in Oregon, would provide up to one billion cubic feet of gas a day. The 377-kilo-metre Pacific Connector pipeline that was also approved by the commission would transport the terminal's gas to the Oregon-California border. The import terminal is owned by a subsidiary of Fort Chicago Energy Partners and the pipeline is a limited partnership between... Calgary Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412166/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:39:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411537/posts SALEM — The number of Oregon residents caught committing fraud to get Medicaid and unemployment benefits has increased since the state plunged into a severe recession last year. Investigators confirmed 1,459 cases of unemployment fraud in October — a 122 percent increase from a year earlier, the Oregonian newspaper reported Friday. Medicaid fraud, meanwhile, increased 23 percent in the past two years, with 386 confirmed cases in the first 10 months of 2009. Investigators give cheaters a chance to confess and pay back the money — with interest. There’s also the possibility of prosecution, but it’s uncommon. State officials say... The Oregonian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411537/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:51:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411521/posts LEBANON — When a parent complained in the fall that putting “Silent Night” on a school’s holiday program was focusing too much on a single religion, Principal Mark Finch scratched the carol. But after the Pioneer School pupils finished their concert Tuesday, members of the audience sang it anyway. Oregon Live http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411521/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:47:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411477/posts 'The Nude' exhibit at downtown gallery to feature portraits and live, naked people ASHLAND — City Councilman Eric Navickas and his partner, Amy Godard, will hold a nude show at their downtown gallery in January in response to an attempt to ban nudity in the city. "The Nude" exhibit will feature traditional nude portraits and conceptual art involving live, naked people. "We feel that the nude ban is not only an attack on freedom of expression but also an attack on the human body itself," Navickas said. "We wanted to have a show to celebrate the nude body and differentiate... The Medford Mail Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411477/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:46:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411252/posts 18 states allow for recall votes on US Senators. The 18 states allowing for recall are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. The Senate oath of office is: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well... Vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411252/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:02:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411101/posts Propostions 66 and 67 have been put on the ballot to reverse tax increase enacted by the Oregon legislature earlier this year. The vote is in late January. A "no" vote is a vote against the taxes. I'm looking for how I can join the "No" campaign, but I can't find a website for it. The other side is much more organized. Can someone help me with this? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411101/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:54:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410475/posts Portlanders have been saying for years that they listened to public radio more than anything else. But it turns out they aren’t as refined or cerebral as they claimed to be. A new — and more accurate — way of measuring radio listenership shows Portland-area residents are soaking up soft rock and oldies to a much greater extent than previously reported. And while public radio station KOPB once reigned as No. 1, preliminary statistics from new electronic measuring devices indicate that it dropped to 11th-highest in total listenership among local stations in October. K103, which airs adult contemporary music, rocketed... Portland Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410475/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:33:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408976/posts University of Utah scientists say seismic images of the plumbing feeding the Yellowstone supervolcano show a magma plume much larger than previously thought. Scientists say they've imaged a plume of hot and molten rock rising at an angle from the northwest at a depth of at least 410 miles, contradicting claims there is no deep plume, only shallow hot rock moving like slowly boiling soup. A related University of Utah study used gravity measurements to indicate the banana-shaped magma chamber of hot and molten rock a few miles beneath Yellowstone is 20 percent larger than previously believed, so a future... .UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408976/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:17:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407639/posts -- Rescuers hoping to find two hikers missing on the frigid slopes of Oregon's Mount Hood faced worsening weather conditions Monday night as forecasters predicted white-out conditions that could severely hinder search efforts. == Up to 2 feet of snow is expected to fall Monday night into Tuesday at the elevation where rescuers are searching for any signs of Anthony Vietti, 24, and Katie Nolan, 29, who have been missing since early Friday. A third hiker who was with them, 26-year-old Luke Gullberg, was found dead Saturday. CNN.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407639/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:38:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406433/posts A man says a three-month-old kitten apparently hitched a cold, 200-kilometre ride in the wheel well of his SUV. Marc Lichty left Olympia, Washington, after finishing a day of work on Wednesday. He heard meowing when he stopped at a rest stop along the way home but couldn't see a cat, KPTV-TV reported. When he reached his home in Tualatin, Oregon, he heard the meowing again and grabbed a flashlight. Sure enough, he says, "the cat was up underneath in the spare tire spot." Daughter Jenna helped coax the passenger out with a bit of salmon. Lichty says he can't... Nine News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406433/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:53:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406403/posts SEATTLE - Police say an 18-foot-tall totem pole stolen from a West Seattle park has been found about 200 miles away in Oregon. The Seattle Times reports a 69-year-old West Seattle man led investigators to the pole. Police say he apparently had a crew with a crane help move the totem, but it's unclear if the crew knew the man didn't have permission to take the landmark. philly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406403/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:40:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404893/posts Power company Caithness Energy has given General Electric a $1.4 billion contract to supply wind turbines and 10 years' worth of maintenance for an Oregon wind farm, GE announced Thursday. The massive 845-megawatt wind farm, Shepherds Flat, will be located near Arlington, Oregon, but span approximately 30 square miles and cover parts of Oregon's Gilliam and Morrow Counties. GE estimates that it will supply 338 of its 2.5-megawatt wind turbine models to be installed between 2011 and 2012. Although they have been used in Europe and Asia, the company says the Shepherds Flat project will include the first U.S. installations... cnet.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404893/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:00:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404710/posts GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Scientists want to determine if killing the aggressive barred owl that has invaded old growth forests of the Northwest would help the protected spotted owl. Federal biologists are doing a formal study to decide whether to do the experiment, and laying out the terms if they go ahead. The study will be available for public comment and is expected to be completed by fall 2010. "This is to be done experimentally so we can nail down whether, in fact, removing barred owls could improve spotted owl demographics, and also to look into the feasibility of doing... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404710/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:01:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403268/posts Party officials say they are working hard to get their message out. The Bend Tea Party Patriots is seeing more interest in their cause to stop higher taxes and to prevent the loss of liberties.  Tea Party Patriot spokesman John Carrigg says the group has a lot of work ahead of it: “The Measure 66 and 67 Issue is coming up. And we want to make sure that Central Oregon knows that we are trying to stop those taxes.”  “Those taxes" are the corporate and personal income tax hikes passed by the Democrat-controlled State Legislature last spring but referred to... KBND http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403268/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 23:47:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403171/posts PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Army captain from Oregon pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he stole nearly $700,000 from the U.S. government while serving in Iraq. U.S. District Court Judge Ancer Haggerty set sentencing for March 1 after Capt. Michael Dung Nguyen entered guilty pleas to theft and money-laundering charges. The maximum sentence for each offense is 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A federal grand jury indictment alleged that between April 2007 and February 2009, the 28-year-old stole more than $690,000 in U.S. currency entrusted to him as the battalion project purchasing officer in Muqdadiyah, Iraq.... KOMO News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403171/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 21:44:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400848/posts Most police officers hope they'll never get the call Kelly Krohn did on Aug. 12, 2006. His 24-year-old son, Jason, was in the back of a Portland patrol car. Though Krohn was disappointed in his son, who was drunk, the veteran police sergeant grew even more disappointed with the bureau he served for 26 years. Krohn picked up his son that morning, took him home and listened: An officer who helped take him into custody after a confrontation downtown did a knee-drop on his neck while he was on the ground handcuffed and deliberately slammed the door of a patrol... Oregon Live http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400848/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 11:21:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399870/posts San Francisco » The Mormon church and Boy Scouts of America were named as defendants in lawsuits Monday claiming childhood sexual abuse by youth leaders decades ago. Alleged victims filed suits against both organizations in San Francisco and Seattle, and against the church alone in Portland, Ore. The plaintiffs are all represented by Portland attorney Kelly Clark, who has brought similar suits against the church and the Boy Scouts in the past. In the suit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, three brothers claim the church ignored their complaints about being molested by their Silicon Valley Boy Scout and Mormon... Salt Lake Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399870/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 02:40:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396803/posts GRESHAM, Ore. -- A person who kicked down an apartment door was shot and injured Thursday night, Gresham police said. Officers were called at 9:11 p.m. on Thursday about someone trying to kick in Nathan Brown's apartment door in the 1200 block of East Powell Boulevard. Brown said his 2-year-old daughter was sleeping when he heard a loud noise. "I heard three distinct loud bangs like someone was kicking my door. It wasn't like a knock, it was emotionally charged. It scared me," Brown said. He grabbed his handgun and cracked the door to see who was there. Brown said... KPTV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396803/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:40:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396099/posts Did The War Make Him Do It? Iraq veteran Jessie Bratcher shot the man he was told had raped his girlfriend. An Oregon jury found he had been legally insane at the time because of post-traumatic stress disorder. Kim Murphy November 28, 2009 Reporting from John Day, Ore. - When Jessie Bratcher's fiancee told him the baby might not be his, that she had been raped two months earlier, he went quiet. The former Oregon National Guardsman hung his head for the longest time. Then he went into the next room, put the barrel of an AK-47 in his mouth... LATimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396099/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:26:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392504/posts LA GRANDE -- Three years ago, multimillionaire hotel chain owner Mark Hemstreet and his wife, Shannon, faced 19 citations for alleged game violations on their Wallowa County ranch. The allegations, brought by Oregon State Police fish and wildlife officers, included shooting a bull elk without a valid elk tag, falsely applying for resident-of-Oregon hunting licenses while living elsewhere and lending a big-game tag. Then the case fell apart. Now state police have agreed in a settlement to pay $295,000 to Mark Hemstreet, 59, and his longtime friend and political ally Gregg Clapper, 59, of Portland. State police brought charges against... THe Oregonian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392504/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:49:34 GMT