TRACTOR FATAL
Man found dead, pinned underneath tractor
HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a man was found dead under a small farm tractor at his home in a rural area southwest of Portland.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the home in unincorporated Washington County Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office says a family member found 70-year-old Howard Mozeico deceased. Authorities say he was pinned under his farm tractor, which was still running and in gear.
Authorities say he had told his family Thursday morning he was going to do some work with the tractor.
Sheriff’s deputies have found no evidence of foul play.
The sheriff’s office says it’s not known at this time how Mozeico ended up underneath his tractor.
MISSING WOMAN
Missing Gresham woman found dead at recreation area
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say the body of a missing 30-year-old woman has been found in a Columbia River Gorge recreation area.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said a team searching in the Eagle Creek Recreational Area found the body of Susan Behrens Thursday afternoon in the area of a remote waterfall.
Behrens was reported missing on April 4. Her car was found near the recreational area Tuesday afternoon.
Her family released a statement through the sheriff’s office saying Behrens loved the outdoors, had moved to Oregon to explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest and was doing what she loved.
No further information was released.
OREGON DAUGHTERS KILLED
Autopsies show suicidal Oregon father killed daughters, self
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Autopsies conducted on an Oregon man and his two young daughters show the man killed the girls and then fatally shot himself after being hit by police gunfire.
Authorities said Thursday that Gresham police Officer Matt Anderson opened fire on 42-year-old Jaime Cortinas after he set fire to his SUV with the girls in the car and fired on police with a handgun.
After the exchange of gunfire, officers pulled 8-year-old Janet Cortinas-Duran and her 11-year-old sister, Jasmine Duran-Cortinas out of the car only to find they were already dead.
Police spokesman Sgt. John Rasmussen says no rounds from Anderson hit the children.
The incident began early Wednesday when the girls’ mother called 911 to say Cortinas was armed and was threatening to kill the children and himself.
HEALTH OVERHAUL-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
House chairman skeptical of conservatives’ health care idea
BEND, Ore. (AP) — A House committee chairman who’s a leading author of the mired Republican health care bill says he’s skeptical about proposals the Trump administration and conservative lawmakers have discussed aimed at breathing life into the legislation.
The White House and leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have discussed letting states seek federal waivers to insurance requirements imposed by President Barack Obama’s health care law. These have included waiving that statute’s ban against insurers charging seriously ill customers higher premiums than healthy people.
Oregon Republican congressman Greg Walden says in an interview with The Associated Press that he’d have to be convinced the suggested changes won’t take coverage away from people.
Conservatives say eliminating the requirement would help keep premiums lower.
Walden chairs the House Energy and Commerce panel.
BUNDY ATTORNEY-COURT BAN
Judge wants standoff lawyer banned from US courts in Oregon
(Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Chief U.S. District Judge of Oregon has moved to ban attorney Marcus Mumford from practicing law in any federal courts in the state.
The Oregonian/Oregon Live reports Wednesday that the judge has given Mumford until the first week in May to argue in writing why such a sanction should not be imposed.
The judge’s sanction stems from Mumford’s alleged failure to observe court rulings and inappropriate behavior in court while representing Ammon Bundy.
U.S. marshals tackled Mumford and zapped him with a stun gun as he argued with a judge last fall over releasing Bundy, who had been acquitted of federal conspiracy in Oregon.
Bundy is currently in a Nevada jail awaiting trial on federal charges stemming from the 2014 ranch standoff.
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SEATTLE MAYOR-SEX-ABUSE LAWSUIT
Lawyer: Effort to sue Seattle mayor hurt by time limits
(Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com)
SEATTLE (AP) — A lawyer for an Oregon man says efforts to sue Seattle Mayor Ed Murray 10 years ago over claims of sexual abuse foundered because of statute of limitations issues, not credibility concerns.
The Seattle Times reported Thursday that Brian Williams, a former attorney for Jeff Simpson, said he found Simpson’s story believable.
Williams says he also found a second man, Lloyd Anderson, who claims he had been paid by Murray for sex.
After a legal analysis, however, Williams said he concluded Oregon law prohibited a lawsuit over claims dating back to the 1980s.
A Seattle area man sued Murray last week, claiming Murray repeatedly raped him when he was a teen.
Murray has denied the allegations and said he intends to continue to serve as mayor and seek re-election this year.
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JUDICIAL OFFICER-IMMIGRANT GETAWAY
Oregon GOP alleges ethics breach at immigrant court hearing
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Republican Party chairman Bill Currier has filed a complaint about a Portland judicial official who allegedly helped a defendant avoid federal immigration agents.
Currier said Thursday he wants the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness to determine whether Multnomah County court referee Monica Herranz committed an ethical breach by allowing a man who pleaded guilty to drunken driving to leave through her chambers instead of through the courtroom doors.
Currier said in a statement it appears to be an example of the “rampant lawlessness” in sanctuary cities.
The episode occurred Jan. 27, shortly after President Donald Trump took office. Immigration agents ended up arresting the man two weeks later after a follow up court hearing.
Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to pursue a bar complaint or criminal investigation against the judge.
A court referee handles lower-level criminal cases, easing the workload on judges.
PROPANE EXPLOSION
Explosion, fire destroy building in northeastern Oregon
LA GRANDE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State Police say a propane explosion demolished a building in northeastern Oregon.
Fire crews in La Grande responded shortly before noon Thursday to Ed Staub & Sons Petroleum, finding the shop fully engulfed.
Police say nobody was inside during the explosion and there were no injuries. The blaze prompted a temporary evacuation of an RV park.
The fire investigation remains active.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
