OSU MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINATIONS
Over 1,800 Oregon State students vaccinated
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State University vaccinated over 1,800 students to boost immunity on campus to a strain of meningococcal disease that sickened three students in recent months.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the university hosted a two-day mass vaccination in Corvallis last week.
OSU spokesman Steve Clark says the school knows for certain that some 35 percent of the 7,000 students who are at higher risk have received the vaccine. Meningitis is a potentially lethal infection of the brain and spinal cord.
Meningococcal disease can be transmitted by contact with discharges of the nose and throat, including by sneezing or kissing. Two students contracted the meningitis strain in November, and a third was reported two weeks ago.
In 2015, an outbreak of meningococcal disease at the University of Oregon sickened seven people and killed one student.
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AMTRAK LANDSLIDE
Landslide disrupts southwestern Washington Amtrak services
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Officials say Amtrak services have been temporarily disrupted between Vancouver and Kelso because of a landslide.
Amtrak said in a news release Monday that BNSF Railway, which owns the tracks, has placed a 48-hour moratorium on all rail traffic in the area until Wednesday.
Amtrak is working to secure alternate transportation for the Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight service.
Normal rail operations continue south of Portland, Oregon to Eugene, Oregon.
STUDENT DROPOUT MEASURE
Lawmakers, advocates demand funding of education measure
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — As the Oregon Legislature considers sweeping cutbacks and tax hikes to close ag $1.6 billion budget deficit, an education ballot initiative that voters overwhelmingly approved in November may be on the chopping block before it goes into effect.
A group of education advocates and bipartisan lawmakers are now demanding the Legislature carry out the will of Oregon voters and fully fund the $300 million per-biennium cost as required by Measure 98.
The measure— designed to boost Oregon’s low graduation rates by requiring statewide career-technical education, college credit courses and other dropout-prevention programs at a cost of $800 per high school student – won more than 65 percent of the vote last fall. But because the measure amends state law, rather than the Oregon Constitution, it can be changed by the Legislature.
XGR-OREGON-OIL TRAINS
2 bills aim to prevent or mitigate oil-train disaster
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Seeking to prevent or at least mitigate an ecological disaster like an oil spill into the Columbia River, Native Americans, environmentalists and a fishing guide are speaking out in support of two bills being considered by Oregon lawmakers.
One bill would direct the Environmental Quality Commission to adopt oil-spill prevention and emergency-response planning requirements to railroads that own or operate high hazard train routes. The other would prohibit the Legislature from funding new bulk coal or oil terminals.
Since a train carrying oil derailed in the Columbia River Gorge last summer, causing a fire, concern about contamination of the Columbia River and other sites has grown.
RANCHING STANDOFF-BUNDY LAWYER
Feds file motion to dismiss charges against Bundy lawyer
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal prosecutors assigned to the criminal case against the lawyer for the leader of the armed occupation at an Oregon wildlife refuge have filed a motion to drop the remaining charges.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports prosecutors filed the motion Monday, more than three weeks after a judge dropped one of the three charges against Marcus Mumford.
Special attorneys Timothy J. Ohms and George J.C. Jacobs of Washington state filed the motion in U.S. District Court in Portland, asking a judge to dismiss the criminal information without prejudice, meaning the government could file charges in the future.
Mumford’s lawyer, Michael Levine, said he was thankful, but didn’t know what prompted the government’s decision.
The incident in question occurred when Mumford’s client Ammon Bundy was acquitted last fall and Mumford was tackled by federal marshals for refusing to stop arguing with the judge.
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PORTLAND GRAFFITI
Swastika graffiti discovered in Portland neighborhood
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police are investigating a flurry of swastika vandalism in a Portland neighborhood.
Sgt. Pete Simpson said Monday morning that hate graffiti was tagged onto at least six cars as well as trees, sidewalks, fences and garages in the Richmond neighborhood of southeast Portland.
One witness reported seeing a man with a backpack in the area shortly before noticing the graffiti. Police responded at 8:15 a.m., but did not find the person of interest.
TRUMP TRAVEL BAN-LAWSUITS-THE LATEST
The Latest: Group of states support Hawaii’s travel ban suit
SEATTLE (AP) — A group of states are supporting Hawaii’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban.
Documents filed in federal court in Honolulu on Monday say the states want to collectively file an amicus, or friend of the court, brief offering arguments to support the lawsuit.
The states are Illinois, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The documents say they support Hawaii’s request for a temporary restraining order on the travel ban because they all benefit from immigration and international travel.
A federal judge in Honolulu is scheduled to hear the motion Wednesday.
Despite the support, no states have filed documents asking to be a part of Hawaii’s lawsuit. Five states have joined a separate lawsuit by Washington state.
HYATT LAKE DAM
Hyatt Lake dam getting retrofit to withstand earthquake
(Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/)
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — The leaky dam at Hyatt Lake is being shored up this summer as part of a $3.7 million seismic retrofit.
The Mail Tribune reports the project will bring the dam east of Ashland into safety compliance after a seepage issue was discovered during a 2009 inspection.
Greg Garnett of the federal Bureau of Reclamation says engineers are nearly finished with designs. Work is expected to start in mid-May and run into mid-November.
Because of the project, Hyatt Lake will be kept no higher than four feet from full pool this summer,
That’s not expected to impact the Talent Irrigation District’s ability to store and deliver irrigation water this year. It also won’t change the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s trout-stocking plans.
ODFW plans to stock 10,200 legal-sized trout there this spring and 39,000 larger fingerlings in October.
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Copyright 2017 The Associated Press
