AP-OR–1st NewsMinute,276
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) – Conservationists and Native American tribes have
filed a lawsuit over the Navy’s expanded use of sonar in training
exercises off the Washington, Oregon and California coasts, saying
the noise can harass and kill whales and other marine life. The
environmental law firm Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense
Council and other groups filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S.
District Court in San Francisco against the National Marine
Fisheries Service, saying it was wrong to approve the Navy’s plan
for the expanded training.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) – Members of Oregon’s congressional
delegation acknowledge they face an uphill battle on legislation to
forge short- and long-term solutions to the fiscal problems facing
timber counties, but are confident they can pull it off. Democrat
Rep. Peter DeFazio and Republican Rep. Greg Walden met Thursday in
Grants Pass with officials from timber counties facing fiscal
crises since expiration last year of a federal safety net that has
paid out $3 billion nationwide to make up for declining federal
logging revenues.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland officials say a computerized
system to tell residents about emergencies by phone, text or email
has failed a citywide test, contacting less than 1 percent of the
317,000 people on its lists. City Emergency Management spokesman
Randy Neves said only 2,100 people received alerts by 2 p.m.
Thursday, three hours after the test began.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon tax authorities are backing away from
a ruling that created a rift between the state and Facebook. The
Department of Revenue said Thursday it will change its rules so
data centers like Facebook’s are assessed by local tax authorities,
not by the state.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-27-12 0403EST
