AP-OR–2nd Right Now/1208
ELECTION-TIE BREAKER
Tie between Oregon candidates to end by rolling dice
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A tie between two candidates for the nomination to the same seat in the Oregon Legislature will end Friday morning by a roll of the dice.
The outcome will determine whether Republican Dan Mason or Democrat Janeen Sollman will get the Independent Party nod for the Hillsboro-area seat in House District 30 in November. Mason and Sollman won exactly 41 votes each from Independent ballots during last month’s primary election.
The tie-breaker will take place at the Capitol building in Salem with both candidates present.
State elections officials say it’s the first time in recent stewarmemory this has happened in a race for a statewide or legislative office.
OREGON TRAIN DERAILMENT
Oregon officials seek to suspend oil trains after derailment
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon transportation officials are asking federal rail authorities to suspend crude oil trains in the Pacific Northwest’s Columbia River Gorge until there is a better understanding of what caused a fiery derailment there this month.
State Department of Transportation officials presented their concerns Thursday at a meeting in Hood River and made public a letter to the Federal Rail Administration asking for the moratorium on oil-only trains in Oregon. The letter expresses concern about lag bolts, a type of fastener used on a curved section of track to attach the rail to the rail tie.
Union Pacific has said a failure of the bolts caused the June 3 derailment.
More than 12 of the 96 oil cars derailed, sparking a fire and forcing evacuations. No one was injured.
FUGITIVE CAPTURED
Fugitive captured in Mexico after 19 years on the run
NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — A man who police say fled prosecution 19 years ago for sexual assault crimes has been captured by authorities in Mexico and returned to Oregon.
Newport Police said in a news release Thursday that 43-year-old Eric Francisco DeCleve was returned to Newport this week through a joint effort by police, the FBI and Mexican officials.
Police say DeCleve was arrested in 1997 on multiple counts of rape and other charges for allegedly giving illegal drugs to girls who were 11 and 13 and sexually assaulting them. Police say DeCleve confessed to the crimes at the time and fled the country after posting bail.
Authorities say they weren’t able to find him until this year when they heard he was living and working in Cancun, Mexico.
It wasn’t immediately clear if DeCleve had an attorney. His bail has been set at $3 million.
CHILD PORN-ARREST
Springfield man arrested in child porn case
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A 27-year-old Springfield man is facing charges tied to a Canadian child pornography investigation.
The Register-Guard reports that Aryavong “Aaron” Khounlavouth was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of encouraging child sex abuse. The Lane County District Attorney’s Office filed an additional nine charges before his arraignment Wednesday. It doesn’t appear that he has entered a plea yet.
Authorities began investigating Khounlavouth in April after 40-year-old Eric Paul, of Canada, was accused of uploading child porn and sending it to others on Twitter.
Canadian police discovered communications on Paul’s electronic devices tying Khounlavouth to the alleged crime.
Court records allege Khounlavouth admitted to investigators he downloaded child pornography and said he had tried to give up watching the material but was unable to stay away.
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WOLF KILLS LIVESTOCK
Wolf kills goat, sheep in Jackson County
(Information from: Herald and News, http://www.heraldandnews.com)
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon wildlife officials have confirmed the first wolf killing in Jackson County since reintroduced wolves spread to southern Oregon.
The Herald and News reports that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says a wolf killed one goat and one sheep between June 9 and June 12 in the Grizzly Peak area outside Ashland. The agency also suspects a wolf injured a goat and killed another goat during that time, but vultures had eaten away at the animals’ carcass.
The department’s Mark Vargas says there will likely be more incidents between wolves and livestock as wolf populations continue to grow.
The wolf blamed for the recent livestock killings is originally from northeast Oregon and has also been tied to the attack that left a Klamath County cow injured in February.
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RANCHING STANDOFF-THE LATEST
The Latest: A third of Oregon refuge staff expected to leave
ESTES PARK, Colo. (AP) — The manager of an Oregon wildlife refuge that was occupied by armed protesters says about a third of the refuge staff will probably leave their jobs because of the lingering effects of the takeover.
Chad Karges (KAR’-jez) said Thursday he expects six of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s 16 employees to leave because of the occupation.
He says some worry about being confronted by other protesters who sympathized with the group that took over the refuge for 41 days earlier this year. Others who were worn down by the occupation itself are weary of having to retell the story to others.
Karges was in Colorado Thursday to accept an award from the National Wildlife Federation, which praised him and the staff for fostering a good relationship with local residents before the occupation.
FATAL STABBING-JUSTIFIED
Boy, 16, found justified in fatal Keizer stabbing
KEIZER, Ore. (AP) — The Marion County District Attorney’s office has decided that a 16-year-old Keizer boy was justified in using deadly force in the fatal stabbing of a 45-year-old man.
Authorities say Jeffery Holly of Monmouth died as a result of stab wounds on April 15 at a home on Brooks Avenue Northeast in Keizer.
The district attorney’s office says Holly had been in a relationship with the boy’s mother since 2014 and that numerous calls had been made to police for domestic violence and fights at the Keizer home.
Police say Holly showed up at the house intoxicated on April 15, forced his way into the boy’s bedroom and began hitting the teen.
The teen told police he stabbed Holly multiple times when he advanced on him again, saying he was fearful that Holly would grab a knife on the dresser.
STRIP CLUB KILLING
Woman killed at Portland strip club
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A 23-year-old woman has been arrested in the deadly stabbing of another woman at a Portland strip club.
Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson says Rinita Linelle Lowe was booked Thursday into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of murder and unlawful use of a weapon. She’ll be arraigned Friday.
Officers responded to Skinn Gentlemen’s Club on a report of disturbance and found a critically injured woman. Paramedics could not save the 29-year-old victim who died at the scene.
Simpson says club security chased Lowe to a neighboring 7-Eleven. She was arrested by police officers who were the inside the store getting coffee.
Portland has been on track to have an extremely safe 2016, with this being only the fourth homicide. The city averages about 25 homicides per year.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
