Civil War ... and other Oregon news
CIVIL WAR-TROOPERS
Portland — Oregon state troopers are bracing for a rowdy Saturday with a warning for Ducks and Beavers fans: Keep it civil.
Oregon State and Oregon meet Saturday in the annual grudge match Civil War football game, which this year is for even higher stakes. If they win, the Beavers go to the Rose Bowl.
Troopers say they, local officers and state highway officials have a game plan for highway incidents, dangerous drivers and problems at Reser Stadium.
They say extra patrol troopers will step up enforcement on Interstate 5 and roads leading to Corvallis.
Police Superintendent Timothy McLain has five pieces of advice for fans: “Leave early, be patient, keep your emotions in check, buckle up and keep a sober driver behind the wheel at all times.”
Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers is doubtful for Saturday’s Civil War game against Oregon because of a shoulder injury. A Rose Bowl bid is on the line for the No. 17 Beavers.
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JOBLESS WORK
SALEM — Unemployment in Oregon has gotten so bad that the state Employment Department has put more people on the job handling claims. Craig Spivey said the department has added 43 people to handle the growing load of jobless claims, and it plans to add 20 more by the end of the week.
Oregon House Democrats have outlined their plan to help the state navigate the recession.
The Democrats hope to create jobs by moving up the start dates of state-funded construction projects that have already been approved and by greenlighting other public works programs.
The plan the Democrats presented Tuesday also included proposals to help struggling families.
The outline doesn’t include specific dollar amounts or concrete timelines.
However, Democratic leaders say they could envision investing “a couple billion dollars” in order to right Oregon’s economy.
They say the money would come from a variety of sources including the federal government, bonds and possible fee or tax increases.
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SALMON RELIEF
GRANTS PASS — The remaining $70 million in disaster relief for the West Coast salmon fishery is going out.
That will bring to $170 million the aid being distributed to salmon fishermen and related businesses as a result of last summer’s collapse of California chinook and Oregon coho stocks.
Congress initially appropriated $170 million for salmon relief, but the Office of Management and Budget tried to hold back $70 million for another purpose.
NOAA Fisheries Service regional director Bob Lohn says Congress would not go along with the request, and now the money is going out.
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HEALTH PLAN
SALEM — A task force that describes Oregon’s health care system as broken is handing in its final report to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The Oregon Health Fund Board recommends quickly providing health coverage to about a third of the Oregonians who don’t have it now.
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HOUSE FIRE HOMICIDE
ABERDEEN, Wash. — An 41-year-old Aberdeen man who was beaten and set on fire last week has died of his wounds.
Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott says Marlon Lee died Monday night at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
He was found along a road Nov. 18 by a man driving to work and dropped off at Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen. The Good Samaritan driver didn’t realize the extent of Lee’s injuries. He was transferred to the Seattle hospital and never regained consciousness.
Detectives are asking for help from anyone with information about the case.
KXRO radio reports that a man arrested Thursday by U.S. marshals in a fugitive roundup is a person of interest who was seen at a casino with Lee.
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TRANSGENDER MAYOR
SILVERTON — The nation’s first openly transgender mayor won by a comfortable margin on election night. On Monday, he won by a landslide. A large group of counterprotesters overmatched three young women and a man from a Kansas church who came to Silverton to protest Stu Rasmussen’s election win.
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CAPITOL TREE
The tree is a little shorter than those of past years and a limb was broken off in transport, but the 27-foot-tall noble fir will nonetheless be the centerpiece of the Oregon Capitol’s annual holiday celebration.
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FLU
PORTLAND — State officials are reporting Oregon’s first flu case of the season.
They say the Washington County man in his 20s is recovering.
Public health officials say Oregonians should take advantage of any chance they have to get immunized.
Dr. Paul Cieslak (sees-lahk) of the state Public Health Division says that a federal advisory board is for the first time recommending that all children ages 6 months to 18 years old get flu vaccinations.
He says that routinely immunizing children would help slow the spread of flu through the population.
Oregon has already received influenza vaccine. Cieslak says a record supply is expected this season. The agency says flu kills almost 450 Oregonians a year.
