OR–3rd NewsMinute/286 Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The year is ending with more than 50 inches of rain falling in 2012 in Portland. The National Weather Service office tells The Oregonian it will be the fourth-wettest calendar year since 1940 when they started taking measurements at Portland International Airport. The record was 63 inches in 1996. The average rainfall in the Portland area is 39 inches.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Leaders of Eugene’s Native American, African-American and Hispanic communities met last night to question the University of Oregon’s decision to restructure its Office of Institution Equity and Diversity. The contracts of three assistant vice presidents were discontinued and the office has been renamed the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion. Tana Atchley of the Oregon Indian Education Association said it was disrespectful to make the changes without consulting tribes.
ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) – The city of Ashland is going ahead with plans to cut down trees in the city’s Plaza, despite objections from some residents. Public Works Department engineer Scott Fleury says one tree is diseased and others are not suited for the area. The tree-cutting was delayed to today so as not to interfere with Christmas shopping. A total of six trees are being removed as part of a $140,000 plaza renovation.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland firefighters say they were confronted by what they called “significant clutter” as they fought a fire in a vacant house yesterday. Firefighters say they had to leave the interior of the house and fight the blaze from outside after finding it stuffed with the belongings of an apparent hoarder who had lived there. No one was injured in the fire and the cause has not yet been determined.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
