AP-OR–2nd Right Now/1124
OREGON PRIMARY
Tuesday vote drew most voters in Oregon’s primary history
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The results are in, and as many anticipated, Tuesday marked the highest voter participation in Oregon’s primary history.
With just a few remaining presidential ballots left to count, results show Bernie Sanders defeating Hillary Clinton in all 36 counties except one, Gilliam County, where the Democratic front-runner led by a single vote.
The secretary of state says about 1.2 million voters cast ballots in the primary, exceeding the previous primary record of 1.17 million in 2008.
But as a percentage of all registered voters — almost 2.3 million — it fell short of breaking records. Tuesday’s contest saw a 52.7 percent turnout versus 58 percent in 2008.
State elections officials say the 2008 primary was an anomaly, and there were also 285,000 fewer registered voters than there are today.
SHERIFF-DODGE CHARGER
Sheriff Dan Staton to give up $34,000 Dodge Charger
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The embattled Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton is giving up his nearly $34,000 car after the vehicle was found to have been bought outside normal county procedure.
Staton told The Oregonian/OregonLive Wednesday the Dodge Charger will go to a “first responder,” in what he called an “appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”
The county fleet department had said last June it couldn’t afford to replace Staton’s car with a more expensive model. The sheriff’s office then used discretionary funds from its own $135 million budget.
Staton recently said he wasn’t aware the purchase had deviated from department protocol.
The Oregon Department of Justice recently completed an investigation of the sheriff prompted by allegations that he created a hostile work environment. Staton was cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
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HIGH SCHOOL SEXTING ARREST
18-year-old high school student arrested for sexting girl
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A Springfield high school senior has been arrested on allegations that he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to a 14-year-old student.
The Register-Guard reports that the 18-year-old was arrested at Thurston High School on Wednesday. He faces charges of luring a minor and coercion and was booked into the Lane County Jail.
The victim had reported to the school’s resource officer that she received several photos from the suspect and that he allegedly tried to persuade her into sending him nude photos.
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DEPUTY SHOT-TRIAL-THE LATEST
The Latest: Jury convicts man in deputy shooting
(Information from: Herald and News, http://www.heraldandnews.com)
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — A jury has convicted a 31-year-old man of attempted murder for allegedly shooting a deputy.
The Herald and News reports jurors found William Parkerson guilty of attempted murder and first-degree assault on Wednesday after about 30 minutes of deliberations.
Prosecutors say in 2014 Parkerson shot an officer in the face and torso during a traffic stop and fled. Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Weber survived the incident and now has a different job.
Defense attorney Michael Bertholf argued the shooter could have been Parkerson but also could have been someone else.
Officials say Parkerson will remain in custody without bail until his sentencing scheduled for August.
HOVERBOARD THEFT-ARREST
Armed man in Portland accused of stealing teen’s hoverboard
(Information from: KOIN-TV, http://www.koin.com/)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police say they have arrested a man who threatened a 13-year-old boy with a gun and stole his hoverboard.
KOIN-TV reports that Kwaleam Pinkly was arrested after the incident Tuesday.
Court documents say the boy had been walking with two friends when a vehicle pulled up alongside them and a backseat passenger pointed a gun at the boy, who dropped the hoverboard and ran off.
Police say they later found the 20-year-old suspect with the gun and hoverboard inside the vehicle.
Court documents say Pinkly admitted to the incident and wrote a letter apologizing to the boy for threatening his life over a hoverboard.
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SUSPECTED PIMP ARRESTED
Seattle police arrest man for sex trafficking teenage girls
SEATTLE (AP) — Police say they’ve arrested a 30-year-old man for the sex trafficking of three teenage girls.
Seattle police said in a news release the man drove the girls in a van from Portland to Seattle Monday after making arrangements with someone he thought would pay to spend the night with one of the teens.
When they arrived at a designated Seattle hotel, detectives arrested him as part of a human trafficking investigation.
Detectives say they found two other girls, ages 15 and 16, in the man’s vehicle.
Police say one of the girls had been reported as missing. All were released to their families.
The man was booked into King County Jail on investigation of sexual exploitation of a child and a DUI warrant.
METHODISTS-LGBT
Methodists trying to avoid church split over gay rights
The top policy body for the United Methodist Church is struggling to avert a split over gay rights.
The Methodist General Conference voted 428-405 to delay all discussion of church policy related to LGBT people during a meeting in Portland, Oregon. Delegates created a commission Wednesday to review all relevant church law on the subject over a period of at least two years, then hold a special meeting to discuss the way forward.
The president of the Council of Bishops proposed the strategy after talk of a potential schism reached fever pitch at the conference. Church law states that same-sex relationships are “incompatible with Christian teaching.” LGBT advocates have been holding same-sex weddings to defy church law.
The United Methodist Church has more than 12 million members.
OREGON HIGHWAY CRASH-FOUR KILLED
Mother, 3 sons killed in Central Oregon highway crash
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State Police say a mother and three sons died in a crash on Highway 97 in Central Oregon.
The agency says a 10-year-old boy died at a hospital Wednesday, a day after his mother and two brothers were killed in the three-vehicle crash near Madras.
Capt. Bill Fugate (few-gate) says Anita Bemrose of Madras was waiting for traffic to pass so she could make a left turn in her Pontiac van.
One vehicle nearly rear-ended the van but passed on the right shoulder. However, a second vehicle hit the van at highway speed.
The impact forced the van into another lane, where it collided with a Honda Accord.
Bemrose died at a hospital. Her 14-year-old son and 12-year-old son died at the scene.
Two people in the Honda were treated for injuries that are not life-threatening.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
