Latest Oregon news, sports, business and entertainment

PORTLAND PROTEST-CHARGES

Most charges against Portland Trump protesters dropped

(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — More than two months after 120 people were arrested in Portland’s protests against the election of Donald Trump, criminal charges in most of the cases have been dropped.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports only a handful of demonstrators accused of violence or property destruction still face charges.

Court records show that at least 100 people primarily charged with nonviolent crimes such as blocking traffic or refusing to disperse have had their cases dismissed.

Police and prosecutors said the dropped charges shouldn’t embolden residents to take to the streets on inauguration day to shatter windows, vandalize cars, set fires and scramble onto freeways as some did during six consecutive nights of protests in November.

Multnomah County chief deputy district attorney Kirsten Snowden says many of the dismissals stemmed from incomplete police reports.

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VERNONIA KILLING

Oregon man sentenced in shooting that left man dead

(Information from: KPTV-TV, http://www.kptv.com/)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man charged in the shooting death of a man in northwest Oregon has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.

KPTV-TV reported Thursday that Kirk Avila was sentenced after pleading no contest to criminally negligent homicide and felon in possession of a firearm.

Avila had initially faced a murder charge in connection with Jesse Depue’s 2015 death, but he agreed to plead no contest to the reduced charges earlier this month.

Police say the fatal shooting took place at Avila’s home in Vernonia and that the two men may have gotten into an argument before the fatal gunshot was fired.

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DEER POACHING-SENTENCE

Man sentenced for illegally poaching 2 deer

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A man has been sentenced for offenses related to the poaching of two deer south of Portland in Lane County.

Oregon State Police say 19-year-old Hunter Dillen Johnson was sentenced Wednesday to three years of probation and a three-year suspension of all hunting privileges.

He must also pay $2,000 restitution to the state.

Police say a deputy stopped Johnson of Noti, Oregon Oct. 26 and discovered the carcasses of a Black-tailed deer doe and a Black-tailed deer spike Johnson’s pickup truck.

Police say Johnson produced a hunting license and tag issued to another person. An investigation revealed Johnson shot the deer with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle and had already filled his valid tag earlier in the season.

Johnson pleaded guilty to five related charges.

Police donated the deer to a church in Florence for families in need.

OFFICER SHOOTS MAN-JUSTIFIED

Grand jury rules officer shooting of Portland man justified

(Information from: KPTV-TV, http://www.kptv.com/)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A grand jury has found that a Portland police officer was justified in using deadly force in a shooting in December.

KPTV-TV reports the Multnomah County grand jury made the determination Thursday.

Investigators say Steven Wayne Leffel fired shots at officers from inside a residence Dec. 6 before coming outside with a rifle.

Portland Police Bureau officer Lawrence Keller shot and killed the 52-year-old man and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Keller has been with the bureau for 22 years.

The medical examiner determined Leffel died of a single gunshot wound.

Investigators said at the time of the shooting it was unknown what caused him to fire at officers and confront them with a rifle.

No officers were injured in the shooting.

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OREGON BUDGET

Oregon lawmakers release budget with big cuts

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s top legislative budget writers have unveiled a plan to close a looming $1.8 billion shortfall by making cuts across state government — a plan they hope lawmakers and voters will reject as unacceptable.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that during a Thursday news conference Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, and Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, said the 2017-19 budget proposal could lead to teacher layoffs, university tuition hikes and kicking people off the state’s Medicaid program.

The magnitude of their proposed cuts was not a surprise. Democratic leaders in the Legislature said earlier this month they hoped the $20.6 billion budget would help build political will to overhaul the state’s tax system. In a joint statement, Devlin and Nathanson described their budget as “one we believe Oregonians will reject.”

IDAHO UTILITY-OREGON

Idaho request to negate Oregon fish passage law rejected

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Federal authorities have rejected a request by an Idaho utility to negate an Oregon law requiring fish passage as part of relicensing for a hydroelectric project on the Snake River where it forms the border between Idaho and Oregon.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday dismissed the petition by Idaho Power asking to exempt the three-dam Hells Canyon Complex from the Oregon statute.

The filing in December said the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution that has to do with federal authority over states pre-empts the Oregon law.

The commission in the 14-page decision said it found no reason why Oregon couldn’t require fish passage and reintroduction as part of relicensing.

Idaho Power spokesman Brad Bowlin says the company is still evaluating the decision and had no comment.

FLIGHT SEX ABUSE

Oregon man admits groping girl on Dallas-to-Portland flight

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man admitted to groping a 13-year-old girl on a flight from Dallas to Portland.

Chad Camp pleaded guilty Thursday to assault and making an indecent sexual proposal to a minor.

U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman scheduled sentencing for May 3.

FBI agents arrested Camp after his June flight landed at Portland International Airport. Authorities said an American Airlines flight attendant was delivering snacks early in the flight when she noticed Camp’s hand in the victim’s crotch area.

Camp was returning to Oregon after completing a residential treatment for alcohol dependency in Florida.

A witness told police Camp had at least four mixed drinks during a layover in Dallas.

In court Thursday, Camp said he touched the girl inappropriately and spoke to her with language that would be considered indecent. He said what he did was wrong in all respects.

COUNTY LAWSUIT-LAND MANAGEMENT

Corvallis residents split on joining logging lawsuit

(Information from: Gazette-Times, http://www.gtconnect.com)

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Residents of an Oregon city have sharply divided opinions about whether their county should be involved in a lawsuit against the state.

The Corvallis Gazette-Times reports that people gathered for a town hall meeting at Corvallis High School Tuesday night to decide whether Benton County should stay in or opt out of the lawsuit seeking $1.4 billion from the state for failing to maximize logging revenues on forest trust lands.

The Benton County Board of Commissioners organized the event to gauge public sentiment on the issue. The lawsuit was filed by Linn County on behalf of 15 counties that receive revenue from timber harvests on 650,000 acres of forest trust lands.

The state is supposed to manage the land for “the greatest permanent value,” according to a 1939 law.

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