AP-OR–2nd Right Now/1135
GAS LEAK-FACILITY EVACUATED
Health care facility evacuated due to gas leak
SHERIDAN, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say they have evacuated all residents from a nursing care center in Sheridan, about 52 miles southwest of Portland, due to a gas leak.
Sheridan Fire District officials said in a news release that on Wednesday night the 35 patients were evacuated to a nearby high school and church.
Northwest Natural Gas was on the scene assessing the situation.
No further details were available.
HOMEOWNER SHOOTS MAN
Officials: Portland man shoots man trying to break into home
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a Portland homeowner shot a naked man who was trying to break into his home through a window.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that responding deputies found the intruder in a water fountain in the backyard Wednesday afternoon.
The man was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound that authorities said didn’t appear life-threatening.
It was unclear if the intruder was armed or how many times he was shot.
The sheriff’s office says the homeowner called 911 to report the shooting and came out of the home without his firearm as ordered by police.
Detectives and others are investigating and will forward their findings to the county attorney for review.
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FOOTBALL PLAYER-IMPERSONATION
PSU football player gets probation for impersonating officer
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland State University football player has avoided a felony conviction after pretending to be a police officer and pulling over a driver in Tigard.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Troy Matthew Bacon was sentenced to one year of probation Wednesday. He had pleaded guilty to felony criminal impersonation, but Judge Suzanne Upton agreed to treat it as a misdemeanor. She said a felony conviction would negatively affect Bacon’s schooling.
Police say Bacon stopped a woman off Oregon 99W in March and identified himself as an off-duty officer to a Sherwood officer who stopped by to check out the situation.
Bacon reportedly told the officer he pulled the woman over because she was speeding and driving recklessly.
Bacon apologized to the victim in court, saying he “made a really bad decision.”
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EMPLOYEE FIRING-MARIJUANA
Lane County worker fired for medical pot use to get job back
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — An arbitrator has ruled that Lane County erred in firing an employee for his off-duty use of medical marijuana that he says was based on the recommendation of a doctor for side effects from cancer treatment.
The Register-Guard reports Michael Hirsch will be reinstated as a senior programmer and systems analyst. The county has also been ordered to give him nearly $22,000 in back pay.
Arbitrator Jeffrey Jacobs determined the county hadn’t provided evidence indicating Hirsch had used marijuana at work or that his off-duty use affected his performance.
Hirsch, a 60-year-old prostate cancer survivor, was fired in December after two employees reported smelling marijuana smoke on his clothing.
County spokesman Jason Davis issued a statement saying the county relies on maintaining “a drug-free workplace” to receive federal funds.
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LAKE OSWEGO CONDO FIRE
18 residents displaced by Lake Oswego condo fire
(Information from: KOIN-TV, http://www.koin.com/)
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (AP) — Officials say a fire that broke out at a Lake Oswego condominium has destroyed one unit and damaged several others, leaving 18 residents displaced.
KOIN-TV reports that no injuries were reported in the Wednesday afternoon blaze.
Fire officials say the resident of the unit where the fire started reported hearing a popping sound before his power went off. He says he went downstairs and saw flames on the back deck.
Firefighters had worked for about a half hour to get the flames under control.
All the condominium’s eight units were evacuated.
Authorities say an unstable deck has hampered their investigation efforts, but they estimated the cost of the damage at roughly $250,000.
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OIL TERMINAL-VANCOUVER
State agency urges panel to deny oil-terminal project
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The state agency in charge of protecting millions of state land from wildfires is opposing a proposal to build an oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver, citing risks of wildfires from increased train traffic and other issues.
The Department of Natural Resources urged the state energy panel to reject the project application. DNR says that based on the evidence, the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council cannot meet its obligations to assure that there are enough safeguards to protect the public.
DNR made the comments in a brief filed ahead of hearings on the project, which begin Monday. The panel will hear testimony from numerous witnesses before making a recommendation to the governor.
Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos., operating as Vancouver Energy, want to build a rail-to-marine oil transfer terminal along the Columbia River that can handle an average 360,000 barrels of crude per day.
HANFORD VAPORS
NIOSH will evaluate response to Hanford vapors issue
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — An arm of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control will conduct an evaluation related to the exposure of workers on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation to chemical vapors.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is expected to focus on four areas: medical, exposure assessment, safety and health program management and exposure control.
Hanford for decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons. Much of the waste from that work is stored in 177 giant underground tanks, which are the focus of cleanup efforts at the site near Richland. Clean up is expected to take decades and cost billions of dollars.
More than 50 workers in recent months have received medical evaluations for possible exposure to chemical vapors, after reporting suspicious odors. Most were cleared to return to work.
OIL TRAINS
Union Pacific resuming oil trains in Columbia Gorge
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Union Pacific plans to resume transporting oil by train through the Oregon side of the scenic Columbia River Gorge at some point this week.
It will mark the first time trains carrying barrels of crude oil will move through the area since June 3, when a train derailed near Mosier, Oregon. The fiery derailment caused 42,000 gallons of oil to spill.
The company’s latest plans, announced Wednesday, stand at odds with several government and private-sector leaders in Oregon and Washington state, who say oil-by-train is too dangerous and are urging their governors, Congress and the White House to push for a moratorium on the practice.
Union Pacific defended its decision, saying its oil train operations are a federal obligation.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
