RANCHING STANDOFF-Q&A
Q&A: What to know as Oregon ranching standoff trial begins
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trial is gearing up this week for armed ranchers who took over a national bird sanctuary in rural Oregon to oppose federal management of public lands.
Jury selection starts Wednesday in the case against Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy and six others who helped seize Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2. They’re charged with conspiring to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs. Several others were indicted, and many have pleaded guilty.
Most key figures were arrested during a Jan. 26 traffic stop that ended with police fatally shooting Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, an occupation spokesman. Others left after Finicum’s death, but four holdouts extended the standoff to 41 days.
The defendants claim they used their First Amendment rights to engage in a peaceful protest and that those with guns were exercising their Second Amendment rights.
SANDSTONE PEDESTAL-KNOCKED DOWN
Authorities looking into toppling of Oregon rock formation
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officials say Oregon State Police are taking the lead on an investigation into the toppling of a popular sandstone rock formation at a state beach.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that authorities are seeking information from the public on how the sandstone pedestal, known as the “Duckbill,” was knocked over at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. Cellphone video captured by a Portland man shows a group of visitors pushing the structure until it crumbled to the ground on August 29.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department says it’s working with troopers and prosecutors to determine next steps for pursuing the possible violations of park rules and state law.
Parks spokesman Chris Havel says those responsible could face at least $435 in fines over the incident.
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CLATSKANIE PORT-ETHANOL
Ethanol replaces crude oil at Clatskanie area port
(Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com)
LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Global Partners has replaced crude oil with ethanol at its Port Westward terminal near Clatskanie, Oregon, which has reopened for business.
The Daily News reports the terminal closed in January because of plummeting oil prices, and Global Partners laid off more than half its workforce there. Port Westward reopened and began receiving shipments of the flammable gasoline additive this summer.
The Oregon Department of Transportation reported that 95 rail cars carrying ethanol moved along the Columbia County rail line to Port Westward in June.
Trains that previously carried crude oil from Portland to Port Westward had prompted concerns from residents along the 60-mile route about risks of derailment and explosions.
Global Partners’ switch to ethanol also comes after it was fined $100,000 last year for handling excessive amounts of crude oil.
The company declined to comment.
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SHERIFF’S CORPORAL SENTENCED
Ex-sheriff’s corporal gets probation for choking deputy
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A former Washington County sheriff’s corporal accused of choking a fellow deputy has been sentenced to two years of probation.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Jonathan Christensen was also ordered Tuesday to undergo anger management counseling after pleading guilty to charges of coercion, strangulation and official misconduct. The coercion charge could be dropped if Christensen follows the terms of his probation.
The deputy says Christensen slammed her against a wall with his arm around her neck as he demanded that she continue their intimate relationship.
Christensen, who was fired from the sheriff’s office in August 2015, had also been under investigation at the time related to allegations that deputies were having sex on the job and engaging in other sexual misconduct.
Christensen declined to speak on his own behalf Tuesday.
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RANCHING STANDOFF
Prosecutors seek dismissal of charge against 1 in standoff
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal prosecutors want to drop a federal conspiracy indictment against a self-described independent broadcaster who was present at the standoff at a remote Oregon national wildlife refuge earlier this year.
Peter Santilli was the lone person of eight defendants set for trial this month who never stayed overnight at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, and his attorney argued much of the material he broadcast was protected under the First Amendment.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that in a motion filed late Tuesday afternoon, federal prosecutors urged the court to dismiss the indictment against Santilli. He faced a charge of conspiring to impede U.S. Interior Department employees at the refuge through intimidation, threats or force.
Santilli, also facing indictment in Nevada stemming from the April 2014 armed standoff with federal officers near Bunkerville, Nevada, will remain in custody but be transferred to Nevada to face the charges in that case.
MARIJUANA TESTING-OREGON
Oregon pot accreditation program on ‘verge of collapse’
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The administrator of a state program tasked with making sure marijuana labs are accredited said the Oregon Health Authority has ignored his pleas for resources and that the agency is “on the verge of collapse.”
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Gary Ward, administrator of the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, detailed the crisis facing the agency in a memo sent last week to the health authority. The accreditation division is a health authority program.
He said his agency, which also accredits labs that test drinking water, was initially assured resources to implement state-mandated cannabis testing accreditation, but “so far we have received zero” support from the health authority.
A health authority official said the agency would release a statement in response to Ward’s claims.
FATAL ATV HIT-AND-RUN
Arrest made in ATV hit-and-run that killed Washington man
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
WINCHESTER BAY, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials say they’ve made an arrest in an all-terrain vehicle crash that killed a Washington state man.
The Register-Guard reports that two ATVs crashed on the dunes in Winchester Bay late Friday night. The driver of one of the ATVs, 30-year-old Benjamin Wohl, of Poulsbo, Washington, was killed; his passenger, Breauna Ellison, of Clackamas, Oregon, was seriously hurt.
Deputies say there were three people on the ATV that struck them, two males and a female. According to investigators, they briefly stopped after the accident, then drove off away before leaving on foot.
Sheriff’s Captain Dwes Hutson confirmed Tuesday that one person had been arrested. Jail records showed that a 25-year-old man from Winchester was arrested Monday night on charges that include second-degree manslaughter and failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons in a hit and run.
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BEND CLIMATE PLAN
Bend weighs cost, benefits of climate plan
(Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com)
BEND, Ore. (AP) — City leaders in central Oregon are considering adopting a plan to tackle climate change, but it’s not clear yet whether the plan’s benefits will outweigh its cost.
The Bulletin reports that the Bend City Council is taking up a resolution Wednesday that would set goals for the community to reduce fossil fuel emissions and call for a cost-benefit analysis of the plan.
Environmental groups asked the city to develop a climate change prevention policy and the City Council responded in May by forming a group to work on the issue. But some residents attending a July meeting questioned the wisdom of hiring someone to oversee the climate plan when Bend has an $80 million backlog in road repairs and is strapped for cash.
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Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
