Date: 10/28/2014 04:00 AM
AP-OR–Right Now/1152
Latest Oregon news, sports, business and entertainment
STORM DAMAGE-CURRY COUNTY
Port Orford official: Storm caused $1 M in damages
PORT ORFORD, Ore. (AP) – Last weekend’s storm caused at least $1 million in damages to the port of Port Orford.
Port Commissioner Brett Webb says the fleet based in Port Orford was fishing Monday, but damages to port facilities and the breakwater will make it difficult to maintain operations. One key item damaged was the computerized fuel metering system used to supply the 50-boat fleet.
Webb says damages to two fish buyers’ facilities and a restaurant amount to nearly $500,000, and damages to port facilities are likely to bring it up to $1 million.
Army Corps of Engineers coastal project manager Kat Groth (GROHTH) says an existing breach in the breakwater protecting the port channel was made wider, which could lead to sand filling in the port channel. The channel will be surveyed Thursday.
OREGON-EBOLA PRECAUTIONS
6 Oregon hospitals tapped for Ebola care if needed
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Health officials have designated six hospital systems as the go-to centers for treatment in case a person in Oregon is suspected of having Ebola or is diagnosed with the disease.
The hospitals were announced at a press conference on Monday. They are Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, Peace Health, Providence Health, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, and Samaritan Health.
There have been no cases of Ebola in Oregon.
Gov. John Kitzhaber said he won’t impose a mandatory quarantine on people returning from Ebola-affected regions who don’t show symptoms of the disease, because it’s medically unnecessary. Ebola is contagious only when someone is symptomatic.
New Jersey and New York announced mandatory quarantine policies last week. Over the weekend, the Obama administration condemned those policies.
UO TEACHING ASSISTANTS
UO student teaching assistants threaten strike
(Information in the following story is from: KVAL-TV, http://www.kval.com/)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The union for graduate students who help teach undergraduate courses at the University of Oregon is threatening to strike in a dispute with the administration over pay and leave.
Members of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation voted to strike unless there’s an agreement.
KVAL reports Monday is the start of a 30-day cooling off period.
Teaching fellows are paid between $25,000 and $30,000 a year. The union wants a 5.5 percent raise plus medical and parental leave.
The university says no part-time employees on campus receive paid leave. It says it has it has expanded its offer through the bargaining process to address most of the federation’s concerns.
HOUSE-OREGON-SUPER PAC
Super PAC backs Robinson’s run against DeFazio
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A super PAC is coming to the aid of Republican Art Robinson in his bid to topple Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio.
Federal Election Commission records show that the Ending Spending Action Fund has spent $675,000 on online advertising, direct mail and other efforts.
The Oregonian reports that the Ending Spending group received a $1 million contribution from hedge fund manager Robert Mercer, who has funded super PACs backing Robinson’s two other campaigns against DeFazio.
In the past, Mercer helped Robinson through his own independent expenditures. This year, he’s one of many donors funding the Ending Spending super PAC.
DeFazio has represented the southwestern Oregon district since 1987. Robinson is a chemist from Cottage Grove and the chairman of the Oregon Republican Party.
DeFazio defeated Robinson in 2010 and 2012.
GRESHAM HOMICIDE
Aunt slaying suspect accused of aggravated murder
GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) – Gresham police say a man arrested last week has been charged with aggravated murder in the stabbing death of his 70-year-old aunt.
Police arrested 36-year-old Teddy Stivahtis Jr. last week at a Portland supermarket.
Police said that before her body was found on Oct. 11, he was seen driving her van away from her home.
Police said Monday the vehicle was found last week abandoned in Forest Grove.
Teddy Stivahtis has also been accused of bank robberies in Canby Oct. 13 and Lake Oswego Oct. 18.
MADRAS FIRE
Fire destroys historic, vacant hotel in Madras
(Information in the following story is from: KTVZ-TV, http://www.ktvz.com/)
MADRAS, Ore. (AP) – A fire early Sunday destroyed a hotel building that was built a century ago in downtown Madras.
The Old Madras Hotel building was vacant and boarded up. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
KTVZ reports residents of 18 adjacent motel units were safely evacuated to the Jefferson County Senior Center and helped by the Red Cross.
The hotel was reduced to smoking rubble. The Jefferson County Historical Society says it was built around 1913 and had a distinctive stepped roofline.
DUCK HUNTER WOUNDED
Bend duck hunter accidentally wounded by friend
(Information in the following story is from: KTVZ-TV, http://www.ktvz.com/)
BEND, Ore. (AP) – One duck hunter accidentally shot another in the leg as the men from Bend climbed over a downed tree while returning to their car near Sunriver.
The Deschutes County sheriff’s office says 22-year-old Jesse Derrick shot 21-year-old Colton Nye in the back of his leg Sunday at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun.
KTVZ reports Nye was treated at the scene by Sunriver medics and flown to St. Charles Bend hospital. A nursing supervisor said he was in fair condition.
STOLEN CAR CRASH
Stolen car crash injures Portland police sergeant
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police say the driver of a stolen car attempted to get away from officers in Portland Sunday and crashed into a patrol car, injuring a sergeant.
An officer had attempted to stop the car in the parking lot at Portland Community College when it took off.
Police say it collided with a responding police car, sending it into a utility pole. A sergeant in the car was treated at a hospital.
The fleeing car crossed a field and hit a house.
Officers arrested the driver, 28-year-old Troy Lynn Harrison, on charges including assault, hit-and-run and possessing a stolen vehicle.
FATAL FIRES
2 die in separate fires in Willamette Valley town
SWEET HOME, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say two people died in separate house fires in the Willamette Valley city Sweet Home.
One fire broke out about 1:45 a.m. Monday. Firefighters say it was marked by extensive smoke and fire from a large amount of belongings inside.
Dan Woodson, chief of the Lebanon Fire District, saw smoke coming from under the eaves of another house about 8 a.m. and called it in.
One person died in each fire. Neither was immediately identified.
The state fire marshal’s office was investigating the fires. Damage was estimated at $50,000 in each.
Sweet Home has a population of about 9,000. It’s east of Interstate 5 along the Santiam River between Eugene and Albany.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
