3rd Oregon News Minute from the AP

BAKER CITY, Ore. (AP) — A public uproar over plans to close thousands of miles of roads on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Eastern Oregon has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to reconsider. Wallowa-Whitman Forest Supervisor Monica J. Schwalbach says in a letter there has been a lot of confusion over the closures, and taking more time to consider the issues will produce a better plan in the long run.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The robber known as the River Rat for crimes on both sides of the Columbia River has been sentenced to 27 years for a string of heists in Clark County, Wash., in 2009. The Columbian reports that yesterday’s court hearing wrapped up legal proceedings for 35-year-old Alexey Perez Hernandez’s high profile crime spree. He’s already been sentenced in federal court in Multnomah County, Ore.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Jurors resume deliberations today in the case of a woman accused of manslaughter after her SUV struck and killed two teenagers in Salem. The Statesman Journal says the jury reported yesterday it had acquitted Sophia Downing of the most serious charges while convicting her of lesser counts. But the jury foreman reported that only seven jurors had voted for the acquittals, while a majority of at least 10 jurors was required. The judge then ordered the jury to go back into deliberations.

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) — Crabbers on the South Coast of Oregon say they’re trying again to stop rogue crabbers who steal the catch of fellow fishermen. Trouble is, it’s a hard charge to prove in court — unless a deckhand turns in a thieving captain. The World newspaper in Coos Bay reports that 37 local fishermen and the Oregon Crabbers Protective Association are offering $5,000 rewards for help that leads to a conviction.