Phone scam preys on grandparents…
A Florence area couple received a phone call this week telling them their granddaughter was in trouble and needed money. Ed Scarberry says his parents knew from the very start it was a scam but it was still quite convincing. An official sounding man identified them by name and also their granddaughter.
215 – “It was almost like a script, from what he was saying, on what had happened when I was talking to my mom that uh, you know, first there was like a supposed police officer on there and then they say would you like to talk to your granddaughter. And then they put another younger girl on and when she’s told well, you don’t sound like Lindsey or whoever, she would say oh well I have a cold.”
There have been several other similar instances reported around the country. The caller directs the victim to a nearby Western Union and tells them to wire several thousand dollars in order to secure their granddaughter’s release from jail. In some cases they’ve called back the next day and more money is demanded. Scarberry says they called again in this case too, but this time to chastise his parents for not responding. When confronted, the man persisted and claimed it wasn’t a scam. Police say there’s little they can do. The calls are made from an unidentified location and the money is wired to an overseas account. Scarberry says awareness and information is the only defense. If someone calls over the phone asking for money, check it out independently before taking action.
A 5.1 magnitude quake was recorded last night 106 miles west of Gold Beach. It was the second similar event off the Oregon Coast this week. An earlier quake registered 4.8 about 160 miles west of Yachats. No damage was reported in either case.
If you haven’t mailed your ballot back for the May 18th Primary Election time is running short. Elections officials say if you use the mail to return your ballot, do it no later than tomorrow to ensure that it reaches them in time. Cheryl Betschart, the Lane County Clerk, also says there are several common errors that voters make. Before returning your ballot make sure it’s in the return envelope with your name on it and not one belonging to another household member. Be sure to sign it and make sure the signature matches the one on file with the election division. Finally, she adds, be sure to seal the return identification envelope. If you don’t use the mail, you can return it directly to the elections office in Eugene or drop it in the ballot drop box in front of the Florence Justice Center by the Tuesday 8 PM deadline.
The Dunes City Council will meet for their regular session this evening at Dunes City Hall. Several action items are on the agenda, including one dropping the “interim” from interim City Recorder Fred Hilden’s title. The council is being asked to ratify the move made this week by Mayor Eric Hauptmann. Hilden will be the fourth city recorder at Dunes City in the past 2 ½ years.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland police spokeswoman says gunfire
that left one man dead and a police officer wounded began with a
traffic stop last night in northeast Portland near Lloyd Center.
Detective Mary Wheat says a man inside the stopped car pulled out a
handgun and shot one officer at about 6:30 p.m. She says police
returned fire, killing one person. The Oregonian reports the
officer was shot in the leg. No names were released.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland Mayor Sam Adams has fired the
city's police chief, one day after the city agreed to pay $1.6
million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a
mentally ill man who died in police custody. Adams said yesterday
he had dismissed Police Chief Rosie Sizer. He named Central
Precinct Commander Mike Reese as Sizer's replacement, effective
immediately. Sizer couldn't be reached for comment.
LOWELL, Ore. (AP) - Lane County sheriff's officers say a gunman
shot another man to death last night at a church in the small
Oregon town of Lowell, and was arrested several hours later about
three miles away. KVAL-TV says the shooting took place at the
Lowell-area Kingdom Hall, a place of worship for Jehovah's
Witnesses. A sheriff's dispatcher confirmed the victim was a man
and said no one else was hurt. Lowell is southeast of Eugene.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Cigarette sales made over the Internet
from an Indian reservation in another state are still subject to
regulation in Oregon. The Oregon Court of Appeals has upheld state
authority over those sales in a case involving a member of the
Seneca Nation in New York. The court said his sales crossed state
boundaries, giving Oregon jurisdiction.
WINSTON, Ore. (AP) - Return visitors to the Wildlife Safari
animal park in Winston will notice its ambassador cheetah sporting
a new look. Officials at the park say the 4-year-old cheetah named
Taini (ty-EE-nee) had half her tail amputated last month after
suffering an injury. No one saw what happened, but executive
director Dan Van Slyke speculates the tail may have gotten caught
in a chain link fence.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A crab boat deckhand who appeared on the
"Deadliest Catch" reality show has pleaded guilty to three bank
robbery charges in Eugene and was sentenced to nine years in
prison. The Register-Guard reports Joshua Tell Warner of Oakridge
robbed a Eugene bank in 2007 before he joined the crew of the
Wizard and robbed two other banks last year after his stint in
Alaska.
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Central Point man will spend six months
in jail after admitting he shot another man in the stomach. Michael
Combs' attorney says the 32-year-old was visiting an ex-girlfriend
when her boyfriend showed up and a struggle ensued. Combs said he
shot the boyfriend in self-defense. His lawyer said Combs pleaded
guilty to third-degree assault to avoid a much longer sentence.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Last night about 20 protesters gathered at
the scene of a shooting in Portland where a man was killed by
police and an officer was wounded. The Oregonian reports many were
dressed in black and wearing masks. They marched around the crime
scene yelling chants for about half an hour before dispersing.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Salem woman whose 2-year-old daughter was
beaten to death by her boyfriend has been convicted of criminal
mistreatment. The Statesman Journal reports that Amanda Burciaga
faces up to five years in prison at sentencing June 21. Burciaga
left the girl and her 4-year-old son in the care of Russell Ros
while she worked as a prostitute. Ros was convicted last year of
murder and sentenced to 78 years in prison.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Taking a Look at Coast Radio Sports…
The Siuslaw Vikings moved up from number 11 to number seven in this week’s 4A Baseball Coaches Poll. The Vikings clinched the Far West League title last week but still have three games remaining in the regular season. They’ll have a bye in the first round of the OSAA Playoffs. They’ll host the winner of a playoff game between the Sky Em League 3rd place entry and the Capitol League number two. Siuslaw opens up the playoffs at home, Tuesday May 25th.
The final agreement between the University of Oregon and the Eugene Emeralds about the Ems use of PK Park will be rolled out this afternoon. University officials and Ems management, including David Elmore, the president of the Elmore Group which owns the Class A minor league team, will be on hand at two pm at PK Park. Meanwhile, this weekend, the Ems will be holding auditions for anyone wishing to sing the National Anthem at Emeralds games this summer. The fourth annual “Oh Say Can You Sing?” tryouts will be Saturday afternoon from noon until two pm at Valley River Center in Eugene.
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