AP-OR–2nd Right Now/1157
SENATOR SMOKING-CAPITOL
State senator faces fine for smoking in Capitol building
(Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A state senator may be facing a $500 fine for smoking in his Capitol office.
The Statesman Journal reports Republican state Sen. Jeff Kruse was sent a warning from the Oregon Health Authority May 16 saying he may have violated Oregon’s Indoor Clean Air Act.
The senator from Roseburg told the Statesman while having a Pall Mall cigarette Tuesday that for 20 years he’s smoked inside his office, adding it was once common. He says he closes the door and opens a window and didn’t think it was bothering anybody.
But legislative counsel has warned Kruse over the years to stop and complaints have been filed over smoke filling the hallways. The county has fined the Legislature’s administrative committee $300 for the violations.
Kruse now says he’ll smoke outside and says he wishes he didn’t smoke but has no plans to quit.
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PORTLAND POLICE CHIEF SHOOTING
Oregon mayor places police chief on leave after shooting
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland mayor has placed Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea on paid administrative leave after information emerged that the chief may have misled an investigator about his involvement in an accidental shooting while hunting in eastern Oregon.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told them O’Dea indicated to a deputy responding to the scene that his friend accidentally shot himself April 21 during a hunting trip.
Ward says O’Dea never identified himself as a police officer and didn’t tell responding deputies that he had fired the shot from his rifle.
O’Dea on Friday acknowledged to the public that he’d shot and injured a 54-year-old friend in the back.
Oregon State Police and the state Justice Department are investigating.
Mayor Charlie Hales has appointed Assistant Chief Donna Henderson to serve as acting chief.
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UNREPORTED SEX ABUSE-LAWSUIT
Oregon church hit with $5M suit for alleged unreported abuse
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A woman is suing a northwestern Oregon church over claims that its leaders kept quiet about reports from her daughter that she was being sexually abused by her father.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the $5 million suit filed Monday says the girl confided in several leaders at Church on the Hill, also known as McMinnville Church of the Nazarene, but they failed to report the alleged abuse to authorities as required under state law.
The girl, now 12, allegedly reported the abuse between 2010 and 2012.
The suit claims the girl ended up contracting herpes from her father and seeks $200,000 for medical expenses and counseling costs. The $5 million is being requested for the girl’s pain and suffering.
Church officials declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
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WELL RESCUE-GLENDALE
Grants Pass woman rescued from deep well
(Information from: Daily Courier, http://www.thedailycourier.com)
GLENDALE, Ore. (AP) — Officials say a Grants Pass woman has been rescued after falling through a wooden cover on an old, deep well and spending several hours partly submerged in the water.
The Daily Courier reports that Glendale fire Chief Roy Milburn says the woman was rescued Monday by a group of firefighters and personnel from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
He says the woman was “in pretty good shape” for spending four hours in the well but was hypothermic and taken to a hospital.
A nearby resident in Glendale had heard the woman screaming and called for help.
Milburn says the group lowered him into the well and attached the woman to a rope and pulled her to safety.
He says the well may have been 190 feet deep.
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INMATE DEATH-DOJ REVIEW
Oregon DOJ: No wrongdoing by officers in jail death
(Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com)
BEND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Justice has determined that Deschutes County Jail deputies are not criminally liable for the death of an inmate.
The Bend Bulletin reports that the department’s review of Edwin “Billy” Mays’ December 2014 death concluded Tuesday and determined there is insufficient evidence to support criminal charges against the officers.
According to the review, Mays had been under the influence of methamphetamine when he was booked into the jail following a traffic stop. He allegedly told deputies he had not taken any drugs and did not need to go to the hospital.
Corrections deputies found Mays unresponsive about four hours after he was brought to the jail and were unsuccessful in their efforts to revive him.
An autopsy determined his cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity.
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WILDFIRE STRATEGY
Feds announce $10 million for wildfire projects in 12 states
MARSING, Idaho (AP) — Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Tuesday toured a massive wildfire rehabilitation effort in southwest Idaho that’s part of the federal government’s new wildfire strategy and then announced $10 million for projects in 12 states to reduce wildfire threats.
The money is part of the Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes Program intended to restore public lands.
Recipients include:
—Southern Utah, which will receive $3.5 million to improve habitat for greater sage grouse.
—About $1 million to protect habitat for Bi-State sage grouse on the Nevada-California border.
—Another $1 million in Colorado and Utah to improve Gunnison sage grouse habitat.
—The Santa Clara Pueblo area in New Mexico will receive $800,000 to protect cliff dwellings and other cultural sites.
SELF-REPORTED BURGLARY
Man makes teens caught breaking into his house call 911
(Information from: KATU-TV, http://www.katu.com/)
COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) — A Coos Bay homeowner made teens caught breaking into his house call 911 to report themselves.
KATU-TV reports the three 14-year-old boys were all taken to the Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center on Sunday on charges including burglary, trespassing and possession of marijuana.
The Coos County sheriff’s office says the man was armed when he discovered the boys burglarizing his home.
Emergency dispatchers say he made one of the teens call police and report the burglary in progress.
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BIG HORN SHEEP-POACHING
Reward of $15,000 offered in bighorn sheep poaching case
(Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Hunters Association is offering a reward of $15,000 for information leading to the arrest of a bighorn sheep poacher. The Oregon State Police say three rams were killed in Gilliam County in Eastern Oregon last month.
The Statesman-Journal reports the hunting group runs a “turn in poachers” program that annually pays more than $13,000 to informants in poaching cases.
The bighorn sheep were killed and left to waste along Interstate 84 east of Rufus on April 10.
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The Oregon Hunters Association is asking anyone with information to call 541-705-5330.
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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
