2nd Oregon News Minute from the AP

Date: 08/13/2015 09:10 AM

AP-OR–2nd NewsMinute/293
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard says it is fining five Greenpeace protesters $5,000 each for dangling from a bridge over the Willamette River and blocking a Royal Dutch Shell icebreaker from leaving Portland for an Arctic drilling operation. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the protesters facing fines include three who dangled on lines below the St. John’s bridge for 40 hours late last month and two support staff.

BAKER CITY, Ore. (AP) – Dozens of homes in a rural area south of Baker City have been evacuated in the path of two growing wildfires in eastern Oregon. Officials say people who live in a rural community and surrounding ranchland were told to leave late yesterday as the fire grew to 9 square miles. Another fire nearby has burned about 23 square miles. Further to the east and north on the Oregon-Idaho border another fire has burned more than 300 square miles.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Conservation groups opposed to the killing of cormorants on the Columbia River say the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service ignored finding that the measure would not help protect steelhead and salmon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. So far, 158 birds have been killed.

HELIX, Ore. (AP) – A tiny northeast Oregon town is embroiled in conflict over a row of trees on a city right-of-way. The East Oregonian reports that Helix residents Trish and Mike Lovejoy planted trees in front of their property on city land after they moved in in 2009. In 2014, they sent a letter to the city offering to plant a few more, only to be told that their existing trees would have to be removed to avoid damaging the nearby sidewalk.

 

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