FATHER-SON-SWEPT AWAY
Father, son swept out to sea at Oregon beach
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for a man and a young boy who were swept out to sea along the southern coast of Oregon.
The Register-Guard reports that the names of the 31-year-old man and his 3-year-old son have not yet been released. The man is from the Eugene area.
Oregon State Police say the father and son were on a beach in Curry County near Floras Lake on Sunday when a wave pulled them out to sea. The boy’s mother was also at the scene.
The Coast Guard searched the area by helicopter and state troopers were on the ground looking for the victims.
State police spokesman Capt. Bill Fugate says the waves were large Sunday because of an approaching storm.
___
BODY FOUND-EUGENE PARK
Woman arrested, charged after man found dead at Eugene park
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a 33-year-old woman has been charged with murder after a man was found dead inside a vehicle at a Eugene park.
The Register-Guard newspaper reports 32-year-old Joshua Ty Turnage was found dead Saturday after police received reports of a body at Alton Baker Park.
Lacy Marie Lyons has been arrested and booked into the Lane County Jail.
Authorities have not released further details about Turnage’s death.
The park was closed while police investigated and has since reopened.
The Eugene newspaper reported that the investigation took place in a parking lot where St. Vincent de Paul operates a program that allows homeless people to park their cars there overnight. St. Vincent de Paul spokesman Paul Neville says neither the victim nor the suspect had obtained a permit to camp in the lot.
___
SUPREME COURT-OFFENSIVE TRADEMARKS
Justices to hear free speech clash over offensive trademarks
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Slants aren’t exactly a household name when it comes to music, but the Asian-American rock band has made its mark in the legal world.
The Oregon-based group has spent years locked in a First Amendment battle with the government, which refuses to register a trademark for the band’s name because it’s considered offensive to Asians.
That fight will play out Wednesday in the nation’s highest court as the justices consider whether a law barring disparaging trademarks violates the band’s free-speech rights.
The case has drawn attention because it could affect the Washington Redskins in a similar battle to keep the football team’s lucrative trademark protection.
The government says it should not be forced to register crude racial slurs, religious insults and profanity as trademarks.
HEALTH CARE RALLY-PORTLAND
Hundreds rally in Portland in support of health care law
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Hundreds of people joined Oregon Democratic lawmakers in Portland on Sunday to rally against the potential loss of President Barack Obama’s health care law.
U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici took part in the event at a gymnasium in support of the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans in Congress have started the process of repealing the law that President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to overturn.
Merkley told the crowd that more than 300,000 Oregon residents had gained access to health care under the Affordable Care Act.
Wyden says he’s never going to support going back to the days that he says allowed insurance companies to have their way with anyone who was sick.
HOUSE FIRE
1 dead, 2 injured in southwestern Oregon house fire
WHITE CITY, Ore. (AP) — One person is dead and two others sustained injuries in a house fire in a rural area in southwestern Oregon.
Jackson County Fire District 3 spokeswoman Ashley Lara says crews responded at about 11 p.m. Saturday to a residence in White City to find the upper floor fully in flames.
Lara says two people made it out of the house and both sustained burns and have been sent to hospitals, one in California and another locally.
Lara says firefighters swept a basement living area but couldn’t find the third occupant. She says a body was later found on the first floor.
Names and ages haven’t been released.
Lara says the house is a total loss. No damage estimate was available.
Authorities are investigating to determine a cause of the fire.
APPLE COMPANY SALE
Oregon’s largest apple grower sold to Washington business
(Information from: Capital Press, http://www.capitalpress.com/washington)
MILTON-FREEWATER, Ore. (AP) — A family-owned fruit company in Washington has purchased Oregon’s largest grower and packer of fresh apples.
The Capital Press reports that Wenatchee, Washington-based Foreman Fruit Company has acquired Earl Brown and Sons of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. But the deal allows the Browns to remain and manage local operations involving more than 1,000 acres of apples and 115 acres of wine grapes.
Ron Brown, whose father started the company 40 years ago, says the families worked out a partnership that allows his business to keep its name and its employees. It gives the Browns access to more money for continued growth; the company is already planting another 60 acres of apples and 10 more acres of grapes.
Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
___
CHILD DEAD-MOTHER ARRESTED
Mother facing murder charge after 12-year-old boy found dead
KEIZER, Ore. (AP) — Police say a 12-year-old western Oregon boy is dead and his mother has been taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated murder.
The Keizer Police Department in a news release Sunday says 38-year-old Amy Marie Robertson is being held at the Marion County Correctional Facility without bail.
Police say they responded at about 12:45 p.m. Saturday to a reported homicide and found Caden Berry dead. Berry attended 7th grade at Claggett Creek Middle School in Keizer.
Police say he lived in Keizer with his mother.
Authorities say an autopsy to determine the cause of death is planned for Monday.
Police are continuing to investigate.
RANCHING STANDOFF-WIDOW’S MISSION
Widow of slain Oregon standoff leader carries on his mission
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Leaders of an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon were driving to a public meeting a year ago when they were intercepted by police. One of the leaders was shot dead at a roadblock.
Now, LaVoy Finicum’s widow and their children are planning to hold that meeting later this month in the same town. Speakers are slated to talk about the Constitution, property rights and other issues.
The FBI says it perceives no threat and that Americans have the right to free speech and to assemble.
Finicum was the spokesman for several dozen occupiers during the 41-day takeover and has become a martyr for the movement to transfer ownership of federal lands to local entities.
The U.S. government owns nearly half of all land in the West.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
