Date: 06/21/2013 10:41 AM
AP-OR–3rd NewsMinute/302
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A man arrested in the 1997 stabbing death of a man in Portland has pleaded no contest to first-degree manslaughter. The Oregonian reports that a plea agreement calls for Samuel Etheridge to be sentenced to more than 16 years in prison at a court hearing on July 10. Etheridge was arrested last year in his home state of North Carolina after Portland cold-case detectives discovered leads in the death of John Phillips. Court papers unsealed yesterday say Etheridge told police the victim made sexual advances to him.
COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) – The arraignment is scheduled Tuesday in Coquille for the man accused of killing his wife and two neighbors in Coos County. Prosecutors say a grand jury indicted Edward Lawrence Nelson on aggravated murder and arson charges. The 65-year-old is charged with shooting his wife Kathleen Nelson and neighbors Renae and Lola Cottam last weekend and then setting fire to the two houses.
BEND, Ore. (AP) – Police arrested two people early today after they were interrupted taking a medium-size tractor in Bend. They drove off with the tractor on a trailer but were followed by witnesses. KTVZ reports the vehicle crashed and became stuck. When officers arrived, a woman at the scene said she had been carjacked, but police believe she was involved in the theft and cited her. A man who fled was tracked down with the help of a police dog and jailed.
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – Medford City Council members have reluctantly agreed to pay $920,000 to former employees and retirees who left with accrued vacation time and banked overtime hours. Council members said the practice is not sustainable, but they were bound by employee contract agreements. The Mail Tribune reports $400,000 goes to firefighters and $330,000 to police officers.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
