Legislative session wraps; Bassett trial begins in Eugene; More salmon on the Sacramento?; News from around the state and sports...

Voters to be asked to formalize annual sessions…

It lasted 25 days. During the special legislative session that ended early yesterday afternoon lawmakers in Oregon adjusted the state budget, fixed mistakes in early prison release legislation, reduced tax credits for wind energy and passed a bill to allow teachers to wear religious clothing in the classroom. The final thing however, was to put the finishing touches on a referral to Oregon Voters that would, if approved, change the state constitution to allow annual sessions of the legislature. The referral was approved largely along party lines with the majority Democrats favoring the proposal. There appeared to be bi-partisan support for the switch earlier this month but it disappeared amid hard feelings from two tax-increase campaigns as well as disagreements over how long the sessions should be. Oregon is one of only five states whose legislatures still have a schedule calling for ‘every-other’ year meetings. That’s been moot over the past ten years though, as Oregon lawmakers have held special sessions in off-years to deal with budget issues for the last decade.

The theft trial for the former longtime manager of Siuslaw Outreach Services got underway this week in Eugene. Ethel Bassett is accused of stealing more than $54-thousand from the relief organization. The money, cash payments from participants in a domestic violence treatment program, was allegedly diverted for Bassett’s personal use over an eight year period. Her defense attorney says the money was used to provide emergency cash payments for clients. Her lawyer also says after Bassett left the agency in 2008 records that would prove her innocence were destroyed.

After two years of record low fish counts on the Sacramento River System there’s hope that runs will be better this year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council heard predictions this week that about 245-thousand Chinook are expected to return to spawn this year, about quadruple last year’s run. But, that’s still about a third of historical counts. The increase however, could signal a return to work for Oregon Coast salmon fishermen who have not been able to work the past two years. The Sacramento system provides the majority of Chinook caught off the Oregon Coast.

One of the things accomplished by Oregon Lawmakers during the special session that just wrapped up was funding for an expansion of the Marine Mammal Project at Newport. Oregon State University will get about $9-million in state funding to go with a $16-million federal grant to pay for capital expansion of their research facility in Newport.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A third Oregon woman has died after an
off-duty sheriff's deputy shot her along with his wife and their
friend at a suburban Portland lounge before killing himself.
Fifty-three-year-old Victoria Schulmerich of Gresham survived
almost two weeks before she died yesterday afternoon at OHSU
Hospital in Portland of complications from a gunshot wound to the
head.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - A Beaverton city councilor says he's been
diagnosed with lung cancer. Bruce Dalrymple says he's being treated
at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute. He
told The Oregonian yesterday that he's never been a smoker. The
58-year-old Dalrymple says he plans to continue his council
commitment. His term runs through Dec. 31.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Richard Bogle, a pioneering African
American journalist and Portland city commissioner, has died in a
Vancouver, Wash., hospital. His wife, Nola, says he died yesterday
of congestive heart failure. He was 79. Bogle was a Portland police
officer before he became the Northwest's first African American
television journalist when he joined KATU-TV in 1968.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A land use blueprint approved for the
tri-county Portland area is designed to guide the future of its
cities and farms for the next 40 to 50 years. The plan was approved
yesterday by the Metro Council. Metro and Multnomah, Washington and
Clackamas counties designated about 28,000 areas of urban reserve
land and slightly more than 272,000 acres of rural reserves.

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - An 89-year-old woman was shaken but
uninjured by a man who knocked her down and stole her purse at the
Beaverton Elks Lodge. Police say the woman was waiting for her
husband near the front door last night when a man knocked on the
door and she let him inside. He grabbed her purse and dragged her
for a few feet then got away.

RHODODENDRON, Ore. (AP) - A woman who fell out of a pickup truck
was killed on Highway 26 near Rhododendron. Oregon State Police say
the truck ran over her last night and kept going. The Oregonian
reports a trooper stopped the truck east of Sandy and detained two
people.

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) - Clackamas County commissioners have
banned alcohol at county parks, except for campers and picnickers
with permits. The Oregonian reports commissioners also raised park
fees yesterday to step up the police presence in parks. Chairwoman
Lynn Peterson says the moves should help re-establish a family
friendly atmosphere.
SALEM, Ore.(AP) - Salem-based Kettle Foods has been sold for
$615 million. The buyer is Diamond Foods, seller of Emerald nuts
and Pop Secret popcorn. Kettle Foods was founded in Salem in 1978.
Besides Salem, the potato chip maker has factories in Wisconsin and
the United Kingdom.

LA GRANDE, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a domestic dispute
between a father and son prompted a deadly shooting in rural Union
County. The sheriff's office says 61-year-old Lonnie Whitley died
in the shooting. His 32-year-old son, Jason Whitley, underwent
surgery at Grande Ronde Hospital.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 63-year-old man who brought a handgun
into a southern Oregon court building has been indicted on a felony
weapons charge. Charles Thomas Wheeler of Ashland told police he
simply forgot to remove the gun before entering the Jackson County
Justice Building. Only law enforcement officers are allowed to
carry firearms in a court building.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A $5,000 reward has been offered for
information about a Christmas morning fire that destroyed a Medford
home and threatened and adjacent duplex. Investigators determined
the fire was intentionally set. There were no injuries.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Wrestling:
Two Siuslaw Vikings remain in the championship rounds this morning at the OSAA State Wrestling Finals in Portland. Jacob Graber pinned two opponents yesterday to advance to the 125 pound quarterfinal. At 215 pounds, Sonny Tupua won his first match in overtime then claimed a second victory. He too wrestles in a quarterfinal match today. One other Viking still in contention is 171 pounder Kwartell Hendrickson who lost his opener, but followed it with two victories in the consolation bracket. Two Vikings were eliminated… Jason Graber at 112 pounds and 140-pounder Nick Ough.
Prep Basketball:
Jenna Hanslits scored a season high nine points last night, but the Brookings-Harbor Bruins came out on top 59 – 39 over the Siuslaw Girls in the final Far West League game of the season. Sutherlin claimed the Far West crown with a 51-50 victory over North Bend. Douglas beat South Umpqua. The Trojans now take on Brookings-Harbor for the third and final playoff spot. // For the boys, the Bruins held on for a 52 – 47 win in Florence. Eric Tipler led the Vikings with 19 points. North Bend downed Sutherlin 55 – 47, dropping Sutherlin to third place and giving Brookings-Harbor the number two seed in the state playoffs. South Umpqua will play Sutherlin Saturday for the number three seed.
Pac Ten Basketball:
The Oregon men held the USC Trojans scoreless over the final six minutes last night, coming from behind for a 54-44 win in Los Angeles. UCLA outscored Oregon State 65 – 56. The teams will switch opponents tomorrow with Oregon at UCLA for a 2:00 game… the pregame show on KCST is set for 1:30. Oregon State will be at USC for a 4:30 tipoff… the pregame is on KCFM at four. // For the women, Southern California ran past the Ducks 87 – 84… UCLA cruised past Oregon State 74 – 53.
College Baseball:
One game yesterday, number 25 Oregon fell to Hawai’i 4 – 3. Three more games remain in that four-game series. Also this weekend, beginning today, Tennessee is in Corvallis for the three-game Pape’ Grand Slam against the Beavers.