2nd Oregon News Minute from the AP

AP-OR–2nd NewsMinute,348
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon State Police have resumed
hiring troopers. Eight men and a woman will be sworn in on Sunday,
marking the first time in eighteen months the State Police have
been able to hire and train recruits. Officials said yesterday that
65 trooper positions were eliminated during the most recent
legislative session. Retirements, though, have left the police
ranks below authorized strength.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Residents and businesses in Portland are
using an effective, chemical-free solution to battle blackberry
briars, English ivy and weeds in overgrown city lots. Goats are the
scourge of the bramble, and a new denizen in this city’s long love
affair with agriculture and all things green. Georgina Stiner’s
(STY-ner’s) Goat Rental NW has about 100 goats. Her pitch — Goats
eat all day, but you pay by the acre, not by the hour. Goats don’t
need time off, worker’s comp or health insurance. And goats will
get the job done.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – It sounds like the kind of pickle Mr. Ed
might have found himself in. A 1,200-pound horse named Sky got
himself high-centered on a stable window in Portland, with his
front legs out the window toward a field where other horses were at
pasture and his hind legs stuck inside. When firefighters arrived
yesterday, Sky was shaking and bleeding from his belly. The sound
of a power saw scared the horse, so four firefighters got behind
him in the stall and shoved him to safety with “a little
maneuvering and a lot of muscle.”

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City has chosen a Portland company to
run an ambitious bike-sharing program that is scheduled to roll out
next year. Officials in the Big Apple say they’ve picked Alta
Bicycle Share of Portland to run the program. The city Department
of Transportation website invites users to suggest locations for
the kiosks. A bike rented at one station can be returned at any
other. When implemented, the program will put 10,000 bicycles on
city streets and will be the largest bike-share effort in the
country.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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