MISSING WOMAN FOUND DEAD
Missing Seattle woman found dead in Columbia River
HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) — Police say a Seattle woman who was reported missing in March has been found dead in the Columbia River.
Hood River police say the body of 27-year-old Holly Lester was found Monday evening.
She was reported missing from Hood River on March 18.
Police say she had been traveling with her boyfriend and another man at the time.
The investigation is ongoing and the cause and manner of her death are pending.
SUSPECT-CLIFF FALL
Police: Theft suspect dies in accidental fall from cliff
HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say a man fell to his death from a cliff in Hood River, Oregon while attempting to elude police.
Hood River Police Sgt. Don Cheli said in a news release Tuesday that 20-year-old Edwin Charge Jr. of Goldendale, Washington fell and died Sunday.
Cheli says the fall was ruled accidental.
Charge was one of three alleged suspects involved a theft from a Hood River business on Sunday.
Cheli says two of the suspects were arrested while Charge ran across Interstate 84 toward Westcliff Drive.
Police say officers didn’t pursue the man because of dangerous terrain in the area.
Police say Charge’s body was found by a Union Pacific employee on Monday morning.
BC-US-SOGGY-SEATTLE-THE LATEST
The Latest: Portland also weathering wet, bleak season
SEATTLE (AP) — Portland residents are weathering a wet and bleak season that rivals Seattle.
The National Weather Service has measured 45.5 inches of rain at Portland International Airport since Oct. 1, making it the second-wettest such period in the city in more than 75 years of record-keeping.
Colby Neuman, a meteorologist for the agency in Portland, says the city has also had the most days of rain ever, with 145 days of the wet stuff since Oct. 1.
This year’s February was also the wettest on record with 10.36 inches of rain.
Seattle has broken a rainfall record set in 1895 by getting 44.67 inches of rain since Oct. 1.
MAY DAY-IMMIGRANTS
In Oregon, May Day rally at Capitol focuses on immigration
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Some leaders of Oregon’s Latino community say they plan to use a May Day rally at the Capitol to protest federal immigration agents arresting immigrant farmworkers.
Ramon Ramirez, president of the Oregon farmworkers union, known by its initials in Spanish as PCUN, said increased raids would deplete the work force of farmworkers to pick crops, damaging Oregon’s agriculture industry.
The PCUN asked growers and nurseries to shut down or limit operations on May 1 to allow their workers to attend the march and rally in support of immigrant families at the capitol. Ramirez said he hopes farmers join the rally at the capitol in Salem.
President Donald Trump’s hard line against illegal immigration has rattled America’s agricultural industry, which fears a crackdown will deprive it of the labor it needs.
FAKE GOLD SCHEME
Victims sought in Oregon teens’ fake gold bar, Rolex scam
(Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com)
BEND, Ore. (AP) — Two Oregon teens face criminal charges after prosecutors say they made thousands of dollars selling fake gold bars and Rolex watches online.
The Bend Bulletin reports the 17-year-olds from Bend were arrested in March.
Authorities say the teens made nearly $60,000 selling fraudulent 1-ounce gold bars.
Court documents say the suspects purchased the bars from a Chinese e-commerce site and sold them to Bend residents on Craigslist. The documents show one teen confessed to orchestrating the scheme and using the other teen as a middleman to avoid getting caught.
One victim, a Bend coin shop owner, sold 20 of the fake gold bars before realizing they were copper and plated with only about $1 worth of gold.
Prosecutors are asking any potential victims of the scam to come forward.
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NEO-NAZI CONFRONTATION
Anti-fascists, neo-Nazi protesters exchange shouts in Oregon
(Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com)
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) — Springfield Police made no arrests after monitoring a chant exchange between a group of self-professed neo-Nazis and a group of anti-fascist counter protesters in Oregon.
The Eugene Register-Guard reports the confrontation began Monday night after news of a planned neo-Nazi meeting leaked on social media.
About 30 to 40 anti-fascist counter protesters showed up and chanted from across the street.
Jimmy Marr led the neo-Nazi group of about eight people.
Police say the incident broke up about two hours after it began.
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ETHICS COMMISSION-BUCKLEY
Ethics panel clears ex-Oregon legislator to lobby
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has issued an advisory opinion allowing a recently retired state lawmaker to lobby the legislature.
A 2007 law prohibits legislators from lobbying for one regular session after they leave office. It’s intended to shut the revolving door between the Legislature and the lobbying industry.
But the commission says an exception applies when the lawmaker becomes an employee of a public agency and lobbies on behalf of it.
The opinion first reported by The Register-Guard applies to Peter Buckley, a former state representative from Ashland who has become a part-time budget adviser for Gov. Kate Brown.
Brown spokesman Chris Pair says Buckley will register as a lobbyist, but the governor doesn’t expect him to lobby during the current legislative session.
AMTRAK SERVICE DISRUPTION
Landslide stops Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland
SEATTLE (AP) — Officials say Amtrak service has been temporarily disrupted between Seattle and Portland because of a landslide.
Amtrak said in a news release Tuesday that BNSF Railway, which owns the tracks, has placed a 48-hour moratorium on all rail traffic in the area until Thursday.
The slide occurred between Vancouver and Kelso, Washington.
Amtrak is working to provide alternate transportation for the Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight service.
Normal rail operations continue north of Seattle and south of Portland, Oregon to Eugene, Oregon.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.