Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The state of Oregon has the cash to
weather a showdown on the nation's debt limit beyond a potential
August federal-fund cutoff, but the looming deadline has some
social service providers worried. Gov. John Kitzhaber and state
fiscal analysts have expressed confidence in a resolution. But if
the deadline should pass without an increase in the nation's
borrowing authority, the pain won't be spread equally - the state
must wait to see which programs get funding priority. The rest
would face cuts.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - A natural gas pipeline that links Wyoming to
Oregon is up and running after three years of construction. Oregon
Public Broadcasting reports the $3.5 billion Ruby Pipeline went
online yesterday. A company spokesman says the 680-mile pipeline
provides Rocky Mountain natural gas producers a pathway to move
their gas to California and the Pacific Northwest.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The board the oversees Oregon's Public
Employees Retirement System is scheduled to take a vote today that
could affect pension benefits and rates paid by cities and school
districts. The decision involves the assumed rate of return on the
state's $59 billion pension fund. Oregon's rate currently stands at
8 percent, but the actual returns over the last five years have
averaged only 5 percent.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - Fire officials in the Portland suburb of
Hillsboro say a 65-year-old man has suffered life-threatening
injuries after walking in front of a light rail train as it
approached a station yesterday afternoon. Authorities say the
unidentified man was taken to a hospital after being struck and
thrown to the sidewalk.


RENTON, Wash. (AP) - For one day at least, Pete Carroll wasn't
hopping around with the vigor and excitement that was so apparent a
season ago. The Seahawks opened camp yesterday with a pair of
walkthrough practices. But along with Carroll's reserved demeanor,
two other voices were noticeably absent: those of former
quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and safety Lawyer Milloy. Hasselbeck is
now in Tennessee. And Milloy is a free agent who has yet to sign
with a team.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A new University of Oregon website offers
online access to articles from 18 Oregon newspapers published from
1846 to 1922. KEZI says the website -- "Historic Oregon
Newspapers" -- enables unprecedented access to original historical
texts, all published by Oregon journalists. Newspapers published on
the site include Portland Oregonian, Salem Capital Journal, Sumpter
Miner, The Jacksonville Oregon Sentinel, Portland New Age, The New
Northwest, and Abigail Scott Duniway's Suffragist Journal.

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a barn used by
Evergreen International Aviation to store helicopter parts has been
destroyed by fire. McMinnville Fire investigators say crews battled
the blaze last night but it's expected to be a total loss. KGW
reports that two 55-gallon drums containing an undermined substance
exploded but no one was injured.

GRESHAM, Ore. (AP) - Police in a Portland suburb say a young man
punched an 84-year-old woman at least 20 times and also hit a
second woman in an unprovoked attack at a transit station. The
Oregonian says responding police arrested the 19-year-old attacker
after subduing him with a stun gun.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks have signed six of
their nine picks from the 2011 draft, including fourth-round pick
wide receiver Kris Durham. Three Seattle draft picks remain
unsigned, including first-round pick James Carpenter out of Alabama
and third-round pick John Moffitt out of Wisconsin, who are both
expected to contend for starting jobs on the right side of
Seattle's offensive line.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Columbia River treaty fishing tribes are
urging Oregon and Washington state officials to apply for new
permits to kill sea lions that eat salmon bottled up at the fish
ladders over Bonneville Dam. The tribes say the science is clear --
sea lions eat about 20 percent of the spring chinook run on the
lower Columbia. NOAA Fisheries Service this month lifted the
permits while a challenge from the Humane Society works its way
through court, but urged Oregon and Washington to apply for new
permits. Oregon has already said it will.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Police say a 1-year-old boy is hospitalized
with a critical head injury after a fall from a second-story
apartment window in Salem. The boy was knocked unconscious last
evening when he landed on hard-backed dirt next to a sidewalk. He
was taken to Salem Hospital and later flown to a hospital in
Portland.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Firefighters putting out a fire in a Salem
duplex discovered snakes inside. Willamette Valley Fire and Rescue
says a Salem-area animal rescue group helped remove the snakes
yesterday afternoon as well as a turtle and a variety of fish.
Investigators said the fire was likely caused by a cigarette.
Damage to the building is estimated at $150,000.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - Linebacker and special teams standout Matt
McCoy is returning to the Seattle Seahawks after agreeing to a
one-year deal. Also, fullback Michael Robinson appears headed back
to the Seahawks after posting on Twitter yesterday that he had
reached agreement on a deal with Seattle.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)