3rd Oregon News Minute from the AP

AP-OR–3rd NewsMinute,247
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – About 180 Oregon National Guard soldiers are
preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. The military says mobilization
ceremonies will be held tomorrow in Milton-Freewater and Sunday in
Salem for soldiers in the 1186 Military Police Company. They’ll
help protect U.S. forces. The military police were also deployed to
Afghanistan in 2004.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) – A New York State man who was critically
injured in July in a 300-foot fall at Crater Lake has returned home
to continue his recovery. Eric Brimlow spent several weeks in
intensive care at Rogue Valley Medical Center. He was moved to a
rehabilitation center in August for therapy to regain his balance
and speech. The Mail Tribune reports Brimlow and his family
returned Wednesday to Syracuse, N.Y.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Gov. John Kitzhaber holds a news conference
today in Salem for the first in-person meeting of the Governor’s
Commission on Public Safety. The commission is working on
sentencing reform recommendations to the Legislature.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A downtown Portland church will hold its
annual “blessing of the animals” ceremony on Sunday to observe
the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church says people and their pets will walk
from the church after the 10 a.m. service to South Park Blocks for
the ceremony. KGW reports this year’s observance will include a
reading of the names of animals who are sick or who have died in
the past year.

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

AP-NY-09-30-11 1050EDT