Latest Oregon news, sports, business and entertainment

SUSPICIOUS DEATH-ST HELENS

Person of interest Portland woman’s death taken to Oregon

ST. HELENS, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a person of interest in the death of a Portland woman is in custody in Oregon after being apprehended in California.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that 28-year-old Jesse Lane was under questioning by deputies Tuesday night about the death of 24-year-old Apache Hightower. He was expected to be jailed afterward in Columbia County.

Lane was wanted for violation of his parole terms when Santa Barbara police officers arrested him Sept. 29.

Hightower’s body was found Sept. 20 down an embankment northeast of St. Helens.

An autopsy report says she died of homicidal violence.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE-TEACHER LAWSUIT

Lane Community College facing discrimination lawsuit

(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A Spanish language teacher who was fired from Lane Community College has filed a lawsuit against the college alleging ethnic discrimination and retaliation.

The Register-Guard reports Maria Gutierrez, of Veneta, filed the suit Monday and is seeking at least $300,000 in damages.

Gutierrez, who says she is a Hispanic woman of Mexican decent, was hired by LCC in 2004.

The complaint states that she was fired in 2014 after reporting that she wasn’t paid overtime and was given fewer benefits than her non-Hispanic colleagues.

Another instructor sued the school earlier this year. Nadia Raza, a Pakistani American, accused college officials of job and sex discrimination and retaliation in January after she reported escalating problems with a student.

LCC spokeswoman Joan Aschim says the school doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

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FATAL DUI CRASH-SENTENCE

Woman gets 6 years in prison for killing man in DUI crash

(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A 22-year-old woman has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after driving drunk and killing a man in Portland.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Shannon Leigh O’Brien was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter, DUI and reckless driving charges in connection with the March 27 crash.

O’Brien admitted to police that she had been drinking at a party before she got in her vehicle and slammed into the back of an SUV driven by Michael Anthony Hernandez Jose. She had been traveling at 80 mph at the time of impact.

The 25-year-old victim died at a hospital six days later.

O’Brien’s blood alcohol level had been more than three times the legal limit the night of the crash.

O’Brien apologized to the victim’s family in court Tuesday.

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GUBERNATORIAL RACE-SPOKESWOMAN

OR gubernatorial candidate’s spokeswoman quits over remarks

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The spokeswoman for Oregon’s Republican gubernatorial candidate says she has resigned because of a comment he made during a debate about abuse of women.

Stacey Kafka told The Associated Press over the phone that she resigned on Friday because she was offended that Bud Pierce had said that successful women aren’t susceptible to abuse and sexual violence.

The resignation, reporter earlier by the Portland Tribune, came as Pierce is fighting against the odds to take the governorship away from Brown in this predominantly Democratic state.

Kafka said that as a former low-paid TV reporter, she did not feel she was more prone to being targeted than a more highly paid professional.

Pierce’s remark drew groans and boos from the audience. He later apologized.

OREGON GIRL-BANDAGE INVENTION

Oregon teen’s bandage invention wows Google judges

(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon teenager has impressed Google judges and secured a $15,000 scholarship by inventing a bandage that can tell doctors when it needs to be changed.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that 13-year-old Anushka Naiknaware of Beaverton placed in the top eight in an international science contest run by Google. In addition to the scholarship, she won a free trip to Lego world headquarters in Demark and a year of mentoring from a Lego executive.

The Stoller Middle School seventh-grader designed and tested a bandage that is embedded with tiny monitors, allowing medical workers to determine whether the dressing has dried out enough that it needs to be changed.

Large wounds must be kept moist to promote healing, but changing bandages too often to check moisture levels can make things worse.

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FROHNMAYER DAUGHTER-GENETIC DISORDER

Third Frohnmayer daughter dies of rare genetic disorder

(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The youngest daughter of former University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and his wife has died of a rare genetic disorder, making her the third Frohnmayer child to die of Fanconi anemia.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that 29-year-old Amy Winn’s mother Lynn Frohnmayer confirmed Monday that her youngest daughter had lost her battle with the disease.

Complications from Fanconi anemia killed Katie Frohnmayer in 1991 when she was 12 and took Kirsten Frohnmayer’s life in 1997 when she was 24.

The Frohnmayer’s started the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund in 1989 to study their daughters’ illness.

Amy Frohnmayer says Winn always knew she had the disease, but that she didn’t let it stop her from living her life to the fullest.

Dave Frohnmayer died of prostate cancer in March 2015.

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KLAMATH SHERIFF

Inmate sues southern Oregon sheriff over attack

(Information from: Herald and News, http://www.heraldandnews.com)

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — A 26-year-old man who has accused Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah of assault during an arrest is suing the sheriff and the county over allegations of excessive force.

The Herald and News reports that Kenneth Ray Bragg filed the lawsuit in federal court last week in connection with the alleged attack.

Bragg had been found at a motel with illegal drugs and a stolen handgun in February 2015.

The lawsuit says officers had arrested him without incident until Skrah threw him on the ground, began kneeing him in the head and choked him until he passed out.

Skrah is facing several criminal charges in connection with Bragg’s allegations and other complaints that he roughed up suspects.

An attorney for Skrah says statements by his client’s accusers have been inconsistent.

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STOLEN CAR-DOG’S DEATH

Man admits to stealing car, causing dog’s death in Portland

(Information from: KGW-TV, http://www.kgw.com/)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A 34-year-old man accused of stealing a vehicle and causing the death of the owner’s dog has pleaded guilty to animal abuse and other charges.

KGW-TV reports that police say 34-year-old Francisco Vincent Gonzalez stole a car belonging to Bill Robbins on April 5 while the victim’s dog was inside. The car was found five days later with the Great Dane and black lab mix dead inside.

Gonzalez was arrested at a Portland motel and indicted by a grand jury on several charges, including animal neglect, theft and possession of methamphetamine.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges Monday.

A forensic examination showed the dog, named Kona, did not experience any trauma before she died.

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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.