Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
CENTRALIA, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say a house fire killed three children in western Washington state after their mother wasn’t able to rescue them as they slept upstairs. Police in Centralia say the overnight fire woke the woman sleeping downstairs and she couldn’t get upstairs to her children. An officer climbed on the roof and tried to break a window to save the kids, seriously injuring his hand. He was taken to hospital. The children’s ages haven’t been released.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — Klamath County is asking a judge to throw out an inmate’s lawsuit, arguing that his professed Jewish beliefs are not sincere. The Herald & News reports Steven Wise sued Klamath County Jail administrators in September, asking for $500,000 because he was denied kosher meals and Jewish services.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers have given final approval to an affordable housing package as one of their last acts of the session. The House gave final approval to a bill allowing cities to mandate that affordable housing units be included in some new developments, and another bill that expands the state’s housing supply for low-income families through certain programs.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Conservation groups and anti-toxics organizations are pushing for three Oregon ballot initiatives that would ban post-logging aerial herbicide spraying and strengthen other forest laws. The Register-Guard reports that the groups have turned in 1,300 voter signatures in support of each initiative. Timber advocates say aerial spraying is the most economical and efficient way to kill fast-growing weeds.
