1st Oregon News Minute from the AP

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Mayor Charlie Hales is dropping his campaign for re-election. Hales says he can’t fully devote himself to both a campaign and his job as mayor. He says big challenges demand his full attention, including gang violence and growth. Hales faced a spirited challenge from state Treasurer Ted Wheeler, who has charged that Hales failed to advance the city’s progressive priorities.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man with a lengthy rap sheet faces charges of stealing equipment from the Bureau of Land Management to settle a debt. The Register-Guard reports that court documents say 45-year-old Larry Larsen of Springfield gave methamphetamine and a tractor stolen from a BLM maintenance yard to a Josephine County resident.

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — A driver sustained minor injuries after his car struck a house in Oregon. Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley says the crash occurred southwest of Albany. A sedan driven by 27-year-old Benjamin Williams of Albany crashed through a wire fence and hit the side of a house after failing to negotiate a corner. Williams told deputies he was on his way home when he slid off the road because of the wet pavement.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A former Medford car lot has been reimagined as a courtyard for food carts. The Mail Tribune reports that the lot in downtown Medford has hosted up to seven food trucks since the beginning of October. The lot will hold an official grand opening Nov. 2.