WHEELCHAIR STRUCK
Man crossing road in wheelchair struck, killed in Milwaukie
MILWAUKIE, Ore. (AP) — Police say a pickup truck struck and killed a man crossing a highway in a wheelchair in Milwaukie.
Oregon State Police say the 56-year-old man was crossing Highway 99 East on Saturday night when he was struck. The area was neither well lit nor a designated crosswalk, and troopers say the victim was wearing dark clothing.
The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of his family.
The investigation is continuing.
ELECTION-OREGON-HOTTEST RACE
Low blows cited in Oregon’s hottest election
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — With a Republican threatening to take a statewide office for the first time in many years in Oregon, the battle for secretary of state has become the hottest race.
Brad Avakian, Democratic candidate for the second-highest office in Oregon, is running ads saying his GOP rival Dennis Richardson is “extreme like Trump.”
Meanwhile, Richardson has been racking up endorsements from numerous newspapers and even from two prominent members of Avakian’s own party.
Oregon Republicans haven’t won any statewide election in Oregon in over a decade, but — if polls are to be believed — Richardson has a good shot of becoming secretary of state.
The secretary of state is first in line to succeed the governor and is the auditor of public accounts, the chief elections officer, and the administrator of public records.
PORTLAND BRIDGE-FATAL
Driver arrested after longtime cyclist killed in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities have identified a bicyclist struck and killed in a crash on Portland’s St. Johns Street Bridge.
The rider was 55-year-old Portland resident Mitchell Todd York, a dedicated cyclist who logged more than 500 miles every week.
York was on the bridge Saturday when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle driven by 42-year-old Joel Aaron Schrantz, of Portland. Portland police say Schrantz’s 1995 Toyota 4Runner fishtailed and slid as he turned onto the bridge in part because it had bald rear tires and was unsafe to drive.
They say Schrantz was arrested.
Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be factors in the crash.
PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTER
New winter homeless shelter to open in downtown Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A temporary winter homeless shelter that can house 100 adults is scheduled to open in downtown Portland next month.
Developer Tom Cody is donating the first floor of his property for six months while he waits permits to renovate the building for office and retail space.
The shelter is expected to open around Thanksgiving for six months.
Officials with Portland and Multnomah County announced the temporary shelter Friday.
Earlier in the week, the city scrapped plans to develop a massive homeless shelter at a city-owned warehouse known as Terminal 1.
Operating costs will be covered by A Home For Everyone, a collaborative that includes the city, county and nonprofits. The nonprofit group Transition Projects will operate the facility.
GRESHAM SHOOTING-ARREST
18-year-old arrested in fatal Gresham shooting
GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) — An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting another man in suburban Portland Thursday night.
Gresham police said in a news release that Jamaine Oliver Jr. of Fairview was arrested Friday morning. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
Police identified the victim as 19-year-old Christopher Moss Jr. of Gresham. Police say they responded to a shooting report at a Gresham intersection and found Moss. He was taken to a hospital where he died of a gunshot wound.
A major crimes team is investigating.
No further information was available.
SPOTTED FROG LAWSUITS
Proposed settlement reached in spotted frog lawsuits
(Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com)
BEND, Ore. (AP) — A proposed settlement sets minimum water flows and other standards to protect the endangered spotted frog.
The Bulletin reports environmental groups sued irrigation districts and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation over protections for the frog in the Upper Deschutes River.
WaterWatch of Oregon spokesman Jim McCarthy says after the proposed settlement was filed that this is the beginning of the process.
Tumalo Irrigation District said in a release that the agreement was the lesser of two evils and avoids potentially high legal costs.
District manager Ken Rieck said farmers will get about 30 percent less water in a good year under the settlement.
WaterWatch attorney Janette Brimmer said the settlement’s approval would speed up establishing protections for the frog.
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WILDFIRE-HOMES
More than 18,000 Spokane homes at high risk from wildfire
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — More than 18,000 homes in the Spokane region are at high risk of wildfire damage.
That’s according to a new report from real estate data firm CoreLogic.
More than half the homes in Washington state that are at extreme or high risk of wildfire damage are located in the Spokane area.
The Spokesman-Review says Idaho has more than twice as many homes as Washington at extreme or high risk of damage, placing it fifth nationally behind California, Texas, Colorado and Oregon.
The report says Idaho has 67,877 homes in those high-risk categories, with a potential replacement cost of $15.4 billion.
The CoreLogic Wildfire Risk analysis used computer models and geographic information to assess wildfire risk in the 13 Western states.
NORTHWEST NEWS CHANNEL
Northwest Cable News set to go off air in January
(Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com)
SEATTLE (AP) — Northwest Cable News, the Pacific Northwest’s 24-hour regional news network, is set to shut down early next year after more than 20 years of broadcasting.
Jim Rose, general manager of KING Broadcasting in Seattle, says channel’s last day is Jan. 6. KING is the official home of the NWCN. Both TV stations are owned by TEGNA, formerly known as Gannett.
Rose says about 20 jobs will be eliminated, though positions may be found within the company for about half of those employees.
Rose tells The Seattle Times that the channel’s declining viewership, changing viewer habits and an expiring contract with cable companies were factors.
The channel provides live and replayed newscasts, drawing content from KING, Portland’s KGW, Spokane’s KREM and KTVB in Boise, Idaho. All are owned by TEGNA.
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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
