Date: 08/18/2015 10:56 AM
AP-OR–3rd NewsMinute/262
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Clothing, food, and livestock feed are pouring into the eastern Oregon town of John Day to help the 26 families who lost their homes in a wildfire. The fire started by lightning a week ago today, and on Friday one of them jumped containment lines and roared up a canyon south of Canyon City, driven by 40 mph winds.
BROWNSVILLE, Ore. (AP) – Police say they have recovered a custom guitar that was stolen from the pop-country trio Rascal Flatts during the Willamette (wil-AM’-it) Country Music Festival last weekend. The band was performing at the the event north of Eugene on Friday night when the $2,000 instrument went missing backstage. The suspects were reportedly cooperative when interviewed by investigators.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Average home prices in Lane County have reached their highest levels since the months before the Great Recession. The Eugene Register-Guard reports that the county’s housing market was improving slowly between 2012 and 2014 but remained lackluster. Following a flood of sales and new listings since October, however, the beginning of 2015 proved to be the best first half for home sales in eight years.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – In addition to Democratic and Republican, Oregon now has a third major political party: Independent. The Secretary of State says the Independent Party of Oregon has more than 5 percent of the state’s registered voters. That’s the threshold for becoming a major party. It means the Independent Party will be permitted to take part in the state’s May 2016 primary election.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
