1st Oregon News Minute from the AP

AP-OR–1st NewsMinute,325
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) – Gov. John Kitzhaber will be flying over the
wildfire on Mount Hood. Spokesman Tim Raphael says the governor
will take off from Portland on Friday in an Oregon Air National
Guard Blackhawk helicopter, fly over the Dollar Lake fire on the
north side of Mount Hood, and then touch down for a briefing by
fire officials. Raphael says Kitzhaber is concerned about the
threat posed by the fire to the Bull Run Watershed, which supplies
most of the city of Portland’s water, and Bonneville Power
Administration high-voltage transmission lines.

GILCHRIST, Ore. (AP) – Oregon State Police say a 73-year-old man
crashed his pickup truck into the Post Office in the small central
Oregon town of Gilchrist but no one was injured. Lt. Gregg Hastings
says Larry Whiteley was going to get his mail yesterday afternoon
when he hit the building, damaging its front exterior and interior
walls. A postal worker inside the mail room told a trooper the
impact sounded like a bomb. State Police are investigating.

GOLD BEACH, Ore. (AP) – The most difficult rapid on the wild
section of the Rogue River in southern Oregon has claimed its
second victim in a week. The Curry County sheriff’s office says
68-year-old Robert F. Nyam of Eugene was rowing a raft through
Blossom Bar on Wednesday when he hit rocks and flipped. His
passenger, 50-year-old Linda Feigum, of Eugene, climbed onto the
raft after it washed up on rocks, but Nyam was swept away.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman says
a 21-year-old man has drowned in the Sandy River in Oxbow Park.
Spokesman Paul Corah says the victim was wading yesterday afternoon
near the boat ramp and started to struggle when the water got
deeper. A woman in his group of friends tried to help but swam away
after the victim grabbed her and almost pulled her under the water.
Divers pulled him out a half-hour later.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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