Local News

HILLSBORO, Ore. -- Washington County hunger outpacing statewide rates

Hunger in Oregon's most affluent county is on the rise. According to Oregon Food Bank numbers, the rate of families eating from emergency food boxes is rising at twice the statewide rate. Distribution of emergency food increased 14 percent statewide year to year, and grew 28 percent in Washington County.

As a result, Washington County food pantries are seeing a new trend' middle class families seeking help.   

Eloise Grout at Hillsboro Family Resource Center says "they are having to reach out for the first time."   She adds "we're helping them with food, clothing, a lot of people are wanting help finding jobs, employment, resume help."   

The changing dynamics are due largely to layoffs.

"Washington County does have the highest per capita income in the state, it's the economic engine of the state and we're very proud of that because of the diverse employment base we enjoy here," Jonathan Schlueter, Executive Director of Westside Economic Alliance, explained.

He concedes the recession has hit hard, leaving 26,000 people out of work and about 50,000 people living below the federal poverty line.    He adds, "to have resources like the Oregon Food Bank is literally a lifeline they have to draw on."

To meet the growing Washington County need, Oregon Food Bank is renovating a vacant building at N.W. 173rd and Cornell Road. It's an eight and a half million dollar project, funded with investments from local companies and private foundations.

When it opens later this year it will increase food distribution from three million to four and a half million pounds of food annually, and triple its volunteer pool in Washington County.
      
 

HILLSBORO, Ore. -- The sentencing phase of Ricardo Serrano's capital murder trial has completed and a jury now deliberates on whether or not to give him the death penalty.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented closing arguments Wednesday afternoon. The jury completed its work around 4 p.m. and left for the day.

It was unclear how long jurors would deliberate before sentencing the Washington County man, who was convicted last month on 10 counts of aggravated murder for killing Melody Dang and her two teenage sons in 2006.

 

The state portrayed Serrano as a vengeful husband who killed the family as retribution for his wife's infidelity with Dang's live-in boyfriend. Jurors reached a guilty verdict less than 10 days after the capital murder case began.

Dang, 37, and her sons Steven, 15, and 12-year-old Jimmy were found dead in November 2006, months after Serrano's wife informed him that she was pregnant with another man's child.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Supporters see the 2030 Bike Plan as smart investing. Opponents see it as another example of Portland budget trickery and wasteful tax policy.

Politics aside, the City Council's unanimous February vote makes it the official, long-term, $600 million transportation policy for Portland.

 

Miles of new bikeways
The plan calls for creating 650 miles of new bikeways across the city, tripling Portland's existing network of bike paths, lanes and bikeways, and decreasing vehicle speeds in city limits. Google Maps Bikeways

Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller estimated the plan's cost at roughly $600 million.

Supporters of the plan, including Mayor Sam Adams, point to Census data and a 300 percent increase in bicycle commuting in metro Portland over the last 15 or so years.

By 2030, Geller says one in four people may use a bike to get into Portland. They may have a bike freeway that follows I-84, according to the plan.

"So the cities that are really world class in bicycling have created conditions so that people from nine to age 90 can get out on the roads on their bicycle and be safe," he said in February. Portland Bicycling

The 2030 Bike Plan included input from residents, businesses and neighborhood planners and cost millions to produce, much of which came from regional transportation funding dollars.

TriMet earmarked regional transportation dollars for a complementary project, the pedestrian suspension bridge slated for Southwest Portland, which was designed for bikes, commuter trains and pedestrians instead of trucks, buses or vehicles.
 

EUGENE, Ore. -- University of Oregon Ducks star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was charged with second degree burglary, a Lane County court said Wednesday.

In January, a student accused Masoli of stealing a computer from a fraternity house.

Ducks's backup wide receiver Garrett Embry was also named in the case in Lane County, the District Attorney's office said Wednesday.

In February, Masoli and Embry were implicated in the alleged theft.  Embry was later dismissed from the team for what the coach would only describe as "an unspecified violation of team rules."

"I am carefully considering the latest news concerning Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James, and will make a decision regarding disciplinary action on Friday, March 12," coach Chip Kelly said in a statement.

It's the latest in a slew of run-ins with the law for several players on the team

Running back Lamichael James was arrested in February for domestic assault against a girlfriend and ordered to stay away from her.

UO linebacker Kiko Alonso, 19, was cited in February for DUII, driving without insurance, failure to maintain a lane, an improper turn, and minor in possession, according to Eugene police. More' Alonso arrested

Wide receiver Jamere Holland was also dismissed from the University of Oregon team. Kelly said the dismissal was for a violation of team rules. In the two-paragraph announcement, he did not specify what Holland had done wrong.

On Jan. 24, two Ducks players were involved in a large brawl near the U of O campus. One of them - kicker Rob Beard - was kicked in the head and knocked unconscious during the violent fight.  Witnesses said he had been trying to break up the fight because his teammate and fellow kicker Mike Bowlin was getting beaten up. They were cited for assault. Details' Fight arrests

Police previously cited UO football player Matt Simms for investigation of misdemeanor assault in what police allege was an attack on someone Simms thought was involved in beating up Beard. Simms has since left the team. So has Bowlin, who withdrew from the university as both a student and an athlete.

 

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SALEM, Ore. -- The contracts of as many as 121 temporary teachers will not be renewed with Salem-Keizer Public Schools.

According to Simona Boucek, who works for the school district, the vote came without discussion or comment. Board directors were actually voting on multiple "action items."

It was typical non-renewal of temporary staff positions and did not indicate some drastic reduction of force or classroom restructuring, according to Boucek.

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The Salem Statesman Journal first reported that the vote reflected 66 full-time, 33 part-time and 22 "less than part-time" teaching positions.

 

BONNEVILLE DAM, Ore. -- Fish and Wildlife officials have killed the sixth California sea lion of the season at the Bonneville Dam.

The animals prey on endangered salmon and steelhead runs heading up the Columbia River.

Last year, biologists received a federal waiver to kill sea lions tagged and registered as "repeat offenders." 

The waiver stipulates how many sea lions can be euthanized or relocated. Biologists are allowed to administer a lethal injection or kill the sea lions by gunshot.

Last year, 11 sea lions were killed. Others were relocated to zoos and aquariums across the nation.

This year, as many as 64 sea lions could be euthanized.

SALEM, Ore. -- Nearly 80 jobs were on the chopping block in the Salem Public Schools system this week, affecting elementary school, middle school and high school teachers, according to the teachers union.

Salem Superintendent William Cameron recently announced that $1.2 million in job cuts would mean the loss of up to 33 teachers and hours reductions for about 70 other school system employees.

The Salem News reports that 18 elementary school teachers would be laid off, along with 11 high school teachers and 4.5 middle school teachers. Read the full report.

The cuts would mean larger class sizes and some reshuffled schedules, teachers union representatives said.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. (AP) — Bainbridge Island police say a 47-year-old area resident has died from injuries suffered when a maple tree he was cutting fell on him.

He was identified as Tad James Reid.

Reid's children called police Saturday evening, saying he'd been cutting down trees on their property and they couldn't find him.

Police found the man pinned under a tree and freed him. Bainbridge Island firefighters tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

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Information from' Kitsap Sun, http'//www.kitsapsun.com/

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Mayor Sam Adams found $20 million in the sewer and wants to use it as a down-payment on his long-term transportation plan for metro Portland, the $600 million 2030 Bike Plan.

"Green streets have proven themselves to be very cost effective," Mayor Sam Adams said. "Thus preventing in a very cost-effective way from the kind of sewer back ups that occur."
Opponents arrived at Wednesday's City Council meeting to blast the mayor on his funding proposal.

Terry Parker, an opponent of the plan, compared it to embezzlement.

"Raiding taxpayer dollars - ratepayer dollars - to fund a selfish and special interest pet project like bicycle infrastructure is a classic form of embezzling," he said.

The mayor disagreed. He said putting the $20 million of renegotiated contract savings toward the Bike Plan actually saved Portlanders money.

From Mayor Sam Adams' Twitter stream

The Bike Plan is as much about safety as it is meeting future transportation needs of the city, he said. It also satisfies mandated environmental improvements to the way the city moves. Tweet defense

"The tax payers win. Public safety wins. And we get to move forward both policies," the mayor said. 

Adams muscled the Bike Plan through City Council last month after acrimonious public debate. It passed unanimously. Wednesday, commissioners signaled their intent to vote on using the $20 million as a kickstand for the Bike Plan.

For more on the bike plan, its funding, what it will mean for the city and how it was crafted, follow the links.

(KGW Reporter Randy Neves contributed to this report)

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) -- All first-grade students in Ashland School District will begin learning Spanish in 2011 and continue with lessons each year through 12th grade. The Ashland Daily Tidings reports that the school board voted Monday to start a European model of second-language instruction, where language teachers give students daily lessons lasting about 30 minutes.

A grade will be added to the program each year, until all students are receiving second-language instruction.

The board's vote was 3-2.

Opponents expressed concern about paying for the program, but vice chairwoman Heidi Parker says it's important that high school graduates have the ability to speak at least one other language.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Henry Wang has not been seen or heard from since a business meeting on Sunday, at a Portland restaurant, and his family has reported him missing, according to Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Wang was last seen at Wong's King seafood restaurant. According to his wife, he was wearing tan pants and a gray sweatshirt.

She told KGW that he'd never spent a night away from home without informing her.

Wang has no known medical problems and has not used any of his credit cards since Sunday, according to police.

The international businessman drove a red 1996 Ford F-150 pickup truck with a red canopy.

Anyone with information was asked to call the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

 

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Three Democrats and one Republican are running for state treasurer in the May 18 primary to replace Ben Westlund who died Sunday.

They include Multnomah County chief executive Ted Wheeler, who was appointed yesterday as interim treasurer.

The other Democrats are former Treasurer Jim Hill of Salem and state Sen. Rick Metsger of Welches.

State Sen. Chris Telfer of Bend is the only Republican in the primary, according to the Salem Statesman Journal.

LAKE OSWEGO, Or - Sarah May-Varas and Juliana Sahni were playing in the backyard of Sahni's home when they heard a faint noise behind them. 

"Its front paws were about at the edge of the brown circle of the other tree," said Sahni.

Standing only a few yards away from them was a coyote. 

"It had big, pointy ears and a tail, a real fluffy tail," said May-Varas.  "Its eyes were really fierce," added Sahni, who made a mad dash for her house.  May-Varas climbed a nearby tree and stared down at the coyote in both fear and shock. 

"The coyote came in the area I was in and it started sniffing the base of the tree," she said. With the coyote only a few feet below her May-Varas screamed. 

"We were thinking, oh no, the coyote got her," said Sahni, who along with her mom, thought the worst.  But then the pair watched as the coyote took off in the same direction it came from. 

"It's scary," said Janet Sahni. the girls' mother.  "She was shaken up and luckily nobody got hurt, but I don't want to wait for that next time to happen," she added.

"This is a common call to our office," said David Williams, who works for USDA Wildlife Services.  He said there are an abundance of coyotes in the Portland metropolitan area.  "They're very adaptable, they can make a living in and around us here in Portland, as well as out in eastern Oregon," said Williams.

But other experts add that incidents between humans and coyotes are rare.

But not rare enough for Sahni and May-Varas.  "I thought Juliana was going to turn into a t-bone," said May-Varas.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for growing marijuana valued at about $6 million on his rural property in southern Oregon.

The U.S. attorney's office says Henry X. Villa facilitated the recruitment of illegal aliens from California to tend the nearly 9,000 marijuana plants on his 160-acre Wolf Creek property. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Owen Panner in Medford.

A multi-agency drug team raided the farm in the summer of 2007 and found three armed illegal aliens. Villa was connected to the grow by cell phone records and local equipment purchases.

He was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and manufacture of marijuana.

CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) — Lewis County commissioners plan to vote March 22 to create "no shooting" zones at county parks.

Commissioner Ron Averill told KITI they can't ban guns in parks because of the state law that was clarified by an attempt to ban guns in Seattle parks.

Averill says the "no shooting" zones should at least set the tone for county parks.

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Information from' KITI-AM, http'//www.live95.com/

ETHEL, Wash. (AP) -- Two Eugene, Ore., dog owners have hired spotter planes to search the open spaces of Washington's Lewis County for any sign of two missing Pharaoh Hounds. Owners Cynthia Guinn and Bill Martin were staying with friends in Ethel, Wash., last weekend while they attended a lure coursing event in Auburn.

Martin tells KOMO that he let his four dogs out in the yard to run around Sunday morning before the dog event. When he looked up the gate was open and two of the prized dogs were gone.

Pharaoh Hounds Club of America search coordinator Kim Grega says the dogs were spotted later Sunday morning near Spiffy's Restaurant in Napavine near the U.S. Highway 12 exit on Interstate 5.

Guinn says 6-year-old Luna and her 2-year-old daughter Io could cover as much as 20 miles a day. So she and her husband hired two pilots to cover as much area as possible. So far, no luck.

Searchers have also plastered the area with fliers.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Brandon Roy scored 19 points and hit a clinching jumper with just over two minutes left, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to an 88-81 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

The Kings pulled to a 74-all tie in the final quarter, but Roy's jumper with 2'07 remaining made it 85-78 and all but sealed it for the Blazers, who have won five straight against the Kings.

Tyreke Evans had 18 points for the Kings, who have lost three straight overall. Carl Landry finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Roy added eight rebounds for Portland. Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller each scored 14 points.

Marcus Camby returned after sitting out the Blazers' last game, a 118-106 loss at Denver, with a sprained left ankle.

Portland acquired Camby in a trade with the Clippers last month to help Juwan Howard at center in the absence of Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. The Blazers lost both their big men to knee injuries earlier this season.

Portland opened the fourth quarter with a 73-62 lead, but Francisco Garcia hit a 3-pointer to touch off a 10-0 run capped by Evans' layup that closed the Kings to 73-72. Jason Thompson's layup tied it at 74, but Camby made an 18-foot jumper to keep Sacramento at bay.

Miller's falling-down jumper put the Blazers up 81-76, before Landry hit a pair of free throws to make it 81-78 with 3'35 left. After Batum hit a layup, Roy made his jumper and Portland pulled away.

The Blazers led by as many as 10 points early in the game before the Kings went ahead 21-16 on Beno Udrih's pull-up jumper and a 3-pointer.

The Blazers took back the lead when Rudy Fernandez's 3-pointer made it 34-33, and they stretched it to 40-33 after Howard's dunk.

Portland opened its biggest lead at 52-40 on LaMarcus Aldridge's layup and free throw, but Landry dunked to close out the half at 52-42.

Landry's jumper narrowed it to 58-56 midway through the third quarter. Landry, acquired from the Rockets in a three-team, nine-player trade last month, had scored at least 20 points in the last three games.

NOTES' Przybilla had surgery Monday evening to repair his re-ruptured right patella tendon. Przybilla was first injured in December and had surgery, but he was re-injured this past Saturday when he slipped in the shower at his home Wisconsin. No timetable has been set for his return. ... Former Blazer Bill Walton was honored with a throwback jersey as Portland continued its 40th anniversary celebration.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Consumer complaints to the Oregon attorney general's office jumped 13 percent last year, with phone companies leading the list for the fourth straight year.

There's a new category on the top 10 list this year -- the home ownership lending industry. It includes mortgage brokers and loan modifiers.

Attorney General John Kroger says the recession is to blame for much of the increase, especially mortgage scams, which he says take advantage of Oregonians who are at their most vulnerable financially.

To help avoid scams or bad business practices, the Oregon AG's office has set up a Web site at 'www.oregonattorneygeneral.gov/beinformed.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- MAX train rides were up nearly 20 percent in some cases, compared to February 2009, as TriMet reported its first ridership increase in over a year.

There were 7.9 million trips aboard MAX trains, TriMet buses and Westside Express Service trains in February, according to TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch.

Overall, that represents a 1.4 percent increase in rides from the year before, and Fetsch said most of the increases came aboard MAX lines. Bus rides were down nearly 10 percent during rush hour, though that number may be skewed by the decline in bus routes over the last year, Fetsch said.

MAX rides were almost 20 percent higher, on average, than a year ago. Weekly ridership was up 19 percent to 754,300 trips. Weekday trips saw an 18 percent bump to 119,800 trips. Weekend trips grew 22 percent, to 155,300. Rush hour riders were up too, 12.3 percent, to 35,500.

Fetsch noted that last month's rides seemed in-line with numbers prior to the gas price run-up of 2008, when ridership spiked. The drastic rise in gasoline prices resulted in affected the data for 2009. The steady rise in joblessness across metro Portland for most of 2009 also contributed to last year's steady ridership declines, she added.