RANCHING STANDOFF-BUNDY LAWYER
Oregon standoff lawyer faces 3 charges in court scuffle
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The attorney for a leader of the armed occupation at an Oregon wildlife refuge is now facing three charges after an incident in which federal marshals tackled him for refusing to stop arguing with the judge in the case.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports a federal prosecutor assigned from Washington state filed court documents Friday charging Marcus Mumford with three misdemeanors.
The incident in question occurred when Mumford’s client Ammon Bundy was acquitted last fall.
The latest documents replace citations against Mumford which he had pleaded not guilty to earlier this month.
Mumford is accused of creating a disturbance by impeding or disrupting official government duties. He’s also charged with failure to comply with signs that prohibit disruption of official government duties and failure to comply with the lawful direction of a federal police officer.
Mumford and his lawyer, Michael Levine, have said they intend to vigorously challenge the charges.
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NORTHWEST WEATHER-THE LATEST
The Latest: Power out for Washington county along Gorge
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officials say crews are working to restore power to a Washington county along the Columbia River Gorge.
Skamania County’s Public Utility District posted on its website Wednesday afternoon that the county-wide outage was likely caused by ice damage to a Bonneville Power Administration line.
Bonneville officials said on Facebook their current estimate to restore service to the county was midnight Thursday.
No estimate was given for the number of customers affected.
RANCHING STANDOFF-TRENCHES
Land damage during Oregon refuge takeover estimated at $108K
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal authorities say it cost more than $100,000 to repair two trenches and a road dug during the occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon last winter.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Wednesday that Jake Ryan and Duane Ehmer are charged with depredation of government property for digging the trenches on part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that’s considered an archaeological site.
The FBI hired an expert to assess the area after the 41-day occupation to determine whether the damage violated the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
Attorneys for Ryan and Ehmer say the pair hasn’t been charged with violating the federal act because they didn’t know the site had any archaeological significance. They’ve asked the court to prevent prosecutors from mentioning the repair costs to jurors during next month’s trial.
Prosecutors argue the repair costs are relevant to support the charges.
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PORTLAND TEEN-SEX ABUSE
Portland teen accused of sex abuse released from custody
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland high school student accused of sexually abusing a classmate has been ordered released from juvenile custody.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the teen was released Wednesday but he is still subject to electronic monitoring. Judicial Referee Carol Herzog also ordered the student to have no contact with two girls involved in the case, stay off social media and not to return to Lincoln High School.
The student is accused of sexual abuse, distributing an intimate image and delivering drugs.
Police say they arrested him earlier this month at school following an investigation into off-campus allegations.
Few details of the case have been released or disclosed in court.
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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.
INAUGURATION PROTESTS-POLICE
Portland police prepare for Inauguration Day protests
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police officers will complete extra crowd control training and cancel days off to better prepare for protests on Inauguration Day.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that police hope the training will improve field logistics and coordination between patrolling officers and those in riot gear with extensive crowd management training.
Thousands of people have indicated that they plan to march in downtown Portland on Friday and Saturday as Republican Donald Trump takes the oath of office to become the president of the United States.
Chief Mike Marshman said Tuesday that officers have had training in the past but could use a refresher to help make them comfortable dealing with large crowds. He said he’s not concerned about the peaceful protesters but is worried about those with more destructive tendencies.
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WHITE CITY FATAL FIRE
White City man dies trying to save dogs from house fire
(Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/)
WHITE CITY, Ore. (AP) — A White City man has died after pulling his wife and niece from their blazing home and then returning inside to rescue their dogs.
The Mail Tribune reports that according to a fundraising website for the family, James A. “Jimmy” Nickerson III died Saturday after pulling his wife and niece from the burning home. He reportedly went back into the house to rescue three dogs, one of which survived.
Crews arrived minutes after a next door neighbor called to report the fire and found the top floor of the house, where Nickerson had gone, engulfed in flames. Jackson County Fire District 3 spokeswoman Ashley Lara says the blaze was “not survivable.”
The niece sustained burns over 45 percent of her body and is being treated in Sacramento, California. Nickerson’s wife is being treated at a Medford hospital.
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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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Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
