Legislature comes up with redistricting plan
A compromise plan for new legislative districts has been approved. The joint House and Senate Redistricting Committee approved the plan yesterday, sending it to the floor of the Oregon House and Senate today. The Senate passed the measure on a 27-3 vote this morning, sending it on to the House. The plan is based largely on the existing plan, which Republicans say was ‘gerrymandered’ ten years ago to benefit Democrats. House GOP Leader Kevin Cameron says in a statement that the plan is – quote – “neither fair nor balanced”. But, he said, Republicans agreed to support it because they’re concerned they would end up with a plan that was even worse if the task fell to the Democratic Secretary of State. Democrats say election results show the existing boundaries are fair. The state is required to draw new boundaries every 10 years to reflect shifting population. The Oregon Legislature has been able to come up with a workable plan only once in the past 60-years. That was in 1981, but it was challenged in court and the Secretary of State wound up redrawing the boundary lines, as that office has done every ten years since 1951.
June 14th, 1777 the Continental Congress endorsed the design of the national flag for the fledgling United States of America. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day would be set aside each year to honor the flag. In addition to displaying the flag, many organizations use the opportunity to talk about flag etiquette and formally retire flags that have become worn and tattered. Locally, the American Legion has done just that. Mike Bones is in charge of the local ‘retirement’ observance.
Bones – “It’s quite a moving ceremony.”
Five fires will be built and maintained, with honor guards laying each banner on the flames in a respectful manner. Last year, says Bones, the group retired 500 flags in one evening. Residents can drop flags for retirement off at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue or the Old Cedar Tree Woodworking.
Bones – “Or you can bring them on down to the flag retirement ceremony itself which is going to be down on the vacant lot below the Dairy Queen, right there across from the Veteran’s Memorial Park.”
The ceremony begins at four pm Tuesday. Bones said seating will be provided for spectators.
Forest products industries in Oregon are still struggling, although there is a glimmer of hope say officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry. The 2010 timber harvest in Oregon was 3.2 billion board feet… an increase of 17 percent over the 2009 historic low of 2.7-billion board feet. An increase in harvest numbers was recorded for every ownership class except lands controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. Private lands generate the most timber harvested in Oregon, last year… just under 70-percent of the total harvest. Western Oregon accounts for the lion’s share of all logging activity in the state… 2.8 billion board feet were taken west of the Cascades.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
BEND, Ore. (AP) - A Deschutes (duh-SHOOTS') National Forest
spokeswoman says Forest Service law enforcement officials have
identified and interviewed five suspects in the recent vandalism of
a central Oregon cave. Spokeswoman Jean Nelson-Dean said yesterday
the Hidden Forest Cave case has been referred to the U.S. Justice
Department. She declined to provide details on the five.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - A 22-year-old Medford man was robbed of
$4,000 cash by an armed stranger who arranged a purported car sale
on Craigslist. The Eugene Register-Guard reports the victim met the
suspect Wednesday evening at a Springfield apartment complex and
drove him to another address. When they arrived, police say the
suspect drew a handgun and robbed the victim of the cash he
intended to use to pay for the car.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) - Symantec says it plans to add 50 to 65
people to its 1,150-person workforce in Springfield in the next few
weeks. The software company hosted a career fair yesterday at its
Springfield campus and drew almost 400 people. The Symantec jobs
are a little good news after high-tech firm Datalogic announced
late last month that it plans to move production to Vietnam.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Marion County sheriff's deputy has pleaded
not guilty to charges of theft and official misconduct. Robert
Arnsmeier is accused of using office resources for his personal
use. The Statesman Journal reports he was placed on leave in
December for the investigation.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A member of the Independent Police Review
Division will now respond to police shootings in Portland and cases
where suspects die in custody. The Oregonian reports the division
worked out an agreement with Portland police for the additional
oversight. Consultants recommended the additional response in a
report six years ago. Members of Portland's Citizen Review
Committee learned about the agreement at its meeting Wednesday
night.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Another 30 Eugene police officers will be
equipped with Tasers by the end of the year. The department has
$80,000 available for the equipment and training from a federal
grant and city funds. The Register Guard reports patrol officers
have the option of carrying stun guns. About 40 officers began
carrying Tasers in 2008.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police are looking for a robber they call
the Civil War Bandit who has hit three banks in three months in the
Portland area. KGW reports in one robbery he wore a University of
Oregon T-shirt and an Oregon State University cap. The schools'
annual football match is known as the Civil War game.
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
The road to Omaha goes through Nashville for the Oregon State Beavers. They’ll visit Vanderbilt beginning today for a ‘best of three’ super regional in the NCAA college baseball playoffs. Game one is this evening; game two tomorrow; and game three, if needed, is set for Sunday afternoon. The winner advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Triple-A American Legion Baseball gets underway this weekend when the Three Rivers Sandblasters, under head coach David Deutschman, takes the diamond in Redmond for two games Sunday afternoon. Both games will air on Coast Radio Sports with the pregame getting underway at 1:45.
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