OBIT-HILLIARD
William Hilliard, former Oregonian editor, dies at 89
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — William A. Hilliard, who became the first black reporter at The Oregonian newspaper and later its editor in a pioneering 42-year career, has died at age 89.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Hilliard died Monday. He was one of the first African-American newsroom leaders at a major U.S. newspaper.
He was once denied a paper-route at The Oregonian because managers said whites did not want blacks delivering their paper. But after serving in the Navy and graduating from college, he was hired as a copy boy at age 25. Through talent and hard work he made his way up from there, becoming executive editor in 1982.
In 1993 he served as president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the first African American to hold the post. He retired in 1994.
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CHILD DEAD-MOTHER CHARGED
Oregon woman charged in son’s strangling death
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon woman has been charged with killing her 12-year-old son.
Amy Marie Robertson was charged with aggravated murder Tuesday and ordered to be jailed without bail.
Police say they responded to a reported homicide at the 38-year-old woman’s home in Keizer on Saturday to find Caden Berry dead.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined the child died from asphyxiation due to strangulation.
Keizer police say they have no record of receiving any reports of abuse at Robertson’s home.
The boy’s death remains under investigation.
NORTHWEST WEATHER-THE LATEST
The Latest: Freezing rain closes runway at Spokane airport
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Freezing rain has caused officials to close the runway at the Spokane International Airport.
Airport officials posted on social media Tuesday night that despite pre-treatment of paved surfaces and several applications of deicing materials and sand, the runway had to be closed at 9:15 p.m.
Officials say crews were working to restore the pavement to safe operating condition.
The airport website showed several flights were diverted or canceled Tuesday night.
OREGON-HOMELESS
Stillborn Portland infant highlights Oregon homeless problem
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A stillborn infant was found with his homeless mother at a street side bus stop during unusually cold weather.
And while the infant’s death was not blamed on below-freezing temperatures it has driven home just how ruthless this winter has been for Portland’s homeless population, with four recent deaths attributed to exposure.
The infant was found Jan. 9 after emergency responders were called about a woman standing in the cold with a baby. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office said Tuesday that the baby boy was stillborn.
The infant’s death was first reported Monday by Willamette Week, a weekly Portland newspaper, after four homeless adults died this month.
January has brought snow, ice and bone-chilling temperatures to the city more accustomed to mild temperatures and rain.
INMATE DEATH
Inmate at Oregon State Penitentiary found dead in cell
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Officials say a man in the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem has unexpectedly died.
The Oregon Department of Corrections said in a news release that 45-year-old Dtanyum Huey was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday morning. Officials say he was the only occupant of that cell.
Officials say medical staff began life-saving efforts to no avail and Huey was pronounced dead at the scene.
Huey entered Oregon Department of Corrections custody on Dec. 1, 2016 on one count of escape in the second degree out of Klamath County. His earliest release date was Dec. 2, 2017.
The Oregon State Police Criminal Investigation Division is conducting an investigation as is standard procedure.
BOY STRANGLED
Police say Oregon boy, 12, strangled by mother
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy was strangled by his mother before being found dead in their Oregon home.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that autopsy results released Monday show that Caden Berry of Keizer was strangled. His 38-year-old mother is charged with aggravated murder in his death, which was discovered Saturday.
The boy’s oldest brother, Colby, killed himself in 2011. He was 12.
Matt Castro of Coquille, father of Berry’s two older brothers, secured custody of his second son last year. In court documents, he said the boys’ mother displayed extreme mood swings and was placing his son in “serious danger.”
Castro says he shared concerns about Berry’s home life with authorities in his county, although Keizer police say they have no record of receiving any reports of abuse in Berry’s household.
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OREGON PLAYERS HOSPITALIZED
Report: Oregon players hospitalized after intense workouts
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — At least three Oregon football players have reportedly been hospitalized following a series of intense workouts.
The Oregonian reported late Monday that the players remain hospitalized after being taken there late last week.
The school didn’t immediately identify the players who were hospitalized. It says in a statement to the newspaper that it will continue to monitor and support the players as they recover. The university says it has “implemented modifications as we transition back into full training to prevent further occurrences.”
The newspaper reports that the mother of one of the players says her son has been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition that occurs when muscle tissue breaks down and leaks into the blood stream. The condition can cause kidney damage.
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.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
