MAY DAY PROTESTS
Immigrants plan May Day rallies buoyed by Trump opposition
CHICAGO (AP) — Immigrants and their allies are preparing for May 1 rallies nationwide and say there’s renewed momentum to fight back against President Donald Trump’s policies and more collaboration among different advocacy groups.
Around the world, union members have traditionally marched on May 1 for workers’ rights. In the United States, the event became a rallying point for immigrants in 2006 when more than 1 million people marched against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.
Since then, the U.S. marches have waned in size, but activists expect participation to surge this year because immigrant groups are working with organizations such as the Women’s March. Also, many businesses with immigrant ties are closing or allowing employees to participate without penalty.
Activists in major cities including Chicago and Los Angeles expect tens of thousands of people to participate in Monday demonstrations, along with demonstrations in smaller cities.
PARADE CANCELLED
East Portland parade cancelled after threat
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A parade in a Portland neighborhood has been canceled because of an anonymous threatening e-mail.
Organizers of the 82nd Avenue of the Roses Parade earlier this week canceled the parade out of safety concerns.
The event was to include marchers from the Multnomah County Republican Party. Two groups, Oregon Students Empowered and Direct Action Alliance, had planned protests for Saturday.
The groups say they did not send the threatening e-mail.
The Direct Action Alliance nonetheless says it’s disappointed the local GOP party had planned to allow “a neo-Nazi hate group march” with them in the event.
The Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman James Buchal says protesters are “delusional” if they think party members would march with “folks carrying swastikas.”
The cancellation will not impact the famous Rose Parade in June.
XGR-EXECUTIVE-ORDERS
Brown eyes public salaries, uncollected debt to save costs
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has announced two executive orders and a task force she says will help cut back on salary, retirement and health care costs for public employees and recover uncollected debt and taxes as the state faces a $1.6 billion budget shortfall.
Thursday’s announcement comes a week after Brown ordered a statewide government hiring freeze for the last two months of the current budget cycle. The potential cost savings from the governor’s orders is unclear.
One of the orders she signed adjusts the way the state negotiates and budgets for employee compensation increases with labor unions.
Another order being signed next week directs state agencies to come up with ways to recover the $3 billion in uncollected debt owed to the state.
OLCC INSPECTOR-IMPERSONATION
Oregon man accused of impersonating liquor-control inspector
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Police arrested a 27-year-old man accused of impersonating an Oregon Liquor Control Commission inspector at two Eugene bars.
Eugene police spokesman Melinda McLaughlin says the department was contacted by the OLCC this month after it learned that an armed man identifying himself as an inspector demanded that employees show him identification.
The phony inspector also gained access to areas of the bars that are not open to customers.
McLaughlin says the suspect, Marshall Hladun of Eugene, was charged with coercion, attempted coercion and unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records show he’s also accused of criminal impersonation.
He was booked into the Lane County Jail.
YOUTH SHELTER-GAY CHORUS DONATION
Oregon youth shelter apologizes for rejecting donation
(Information from: Daily Courier, http://www.thedailycourier.com)
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Representatives from a Grants Pass youth shelter have apologized for their decision to turn down proceeds from a concert that featured a performance by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.
Hearts With A Mission, which bills itself as a faith-based organization, was to receive nearly $3,000 from the sold-out concert. But its board rejected the donation, saying it wanted to avoid the controversy that might arise from accepting the money.
The Grants Pass Daily Courier reports three board members resigned after the ensuing community uproar. Remaining board members issued a formal apology Tuesday at the church where the concert was held last month.
Some city officials questioned the shelter’s decision to reject the money at a time when they’ve been asking for extra funding at taxpayer expense.
The proceeds ended up going to another nonprofit that works with at-risk youths.
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VINEYARD FOR SALE
Oregon vineyard tied to subscription fraud lawsuit for sale
(Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/)
JACKSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon vineyard that is tied to a nationwide subscription fraud lawsuit is up for sale.
The Mail Tribune reports Bellinger Lane Vineyard Estate hit the market last week for $13 million.
The property’s former trustee, Jeffrey Hoyal, is facing a suit from the Federal Trade Commission accusing him of misleading business practices.
The suit shows Hoyal, about 10 other people and numerous businesses had been involved in selling newspaper and magazine subscriptions at inflated prices.
The defendants are accused of targeting subscribers of the Wall Street Journal and National Geographic, among other publications.
The vineyard’s deed was signed over to new trustee David Hoyal in October. Jackson County records show the property is owned by Crater Lake Trust.
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CAT HOARDER ARREST
Prosecutor: Woman with 42 cats in car knew animals were sick
(Information from: The Daily Astorian, http://www.dailyastorian.com)
WARRENTON, Ore. (AP) — Court documents claim a woman who had been arrested last week for hoarding 42 cats in a car might have known the animals were sick.
The Daily Astorian reports 58-year-old Kathryn Anne St. Clare pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 40 counts of animal neglect and one count of first-degree animal abuse.
A police officer had found her and her car in a parking lot April 17. She had two warrants for her arrest out of Washington for 10 counts each of animal cruelty.
Officers found one of the 42 felines to be dead. Another cat has since been euthanized and two liters of kittens have been born since the arrest.
Bayshore Animal Hospital Director Brad Pope says most of the cats are going to have to be euthanized.
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GIRL ASSAULTED-SUSPECT
Police arrest suspect in sexual assault of Oregon girl
OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a suspect in the sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says 48-year-old Santiago Martinez-Flores was taken into custody in Southern California.
Martinez-Flores has a criminal record dating back to 1994. The sheriff’s office said he was deported to Mexico in March 2001 after being imprisoned in Oregon for about two years. Court records show he had been found guilty of assault, criminal mischief, unauthorized use of a vehicle and failure to perform duties of a driver.
The assault occurred in late February while the girl was sleeping in an apartment near Portland. Authorities say she woke up during the assault and later described the suspect.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.