(Portland, OR)  --  Portland police say there were no injuries following a shooting at a downtown residential hotel.  Investigators say shots were fired between rooms at the Fairfield Hotel on Southwest Stark Street around 5:30 yesterday afternoon.  The gunfire reportedly took place during a dispute between residents of adjoining units.  There's no word on whether arrests have been made.

(Portland, OR)  --  A Portland company says a drone that was seen hovering near a Seattle woman's high-rise apartment last weekend belongs to the company.  Lisa Pleiss told police the unmanned, camera-equipped aircraft hovered near her 26th-story window Sunday morning.  The drone belongs to Skyris Imaging of Portland.  Company founder Joe Vaughn tells KGW-TV the drone was in Seattle to photograph skyline views for architects, real estate agents, and developers.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland police are looking for a local man who's been reported missing.  Authorities say 34-year-old Robert Paul Brinkmeyer of Southeast Portland hasn't been seen since he quit his job Sunday and left messages that concerned his family.  Brinkmeyer is described as six-feet-one, 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.  He was last seen wearing a gray zip hoodie, gray pants, and a gray Puma baseball cap.  Police say Brinkmeyer has no car and often uses TriMet.

(Rainier, OR)  --  Police say a man who shot a Rainier police officer and later took his own life was a Washington resident.  Authorities say 30-year-old Christopher Elliott of Waitsburg, Washington shot the officer Monday during a traffic stop on Highway 30.  Officials say Elliott later shot himself in the head as police searched for him.  Officer Russ George suffered a wound to the hand and was struck in the chest by the bullet, but he was wearing a ballistic vest at the time.

(Boring, OR)  --  The parents of Emilio Hoffman have a special keepsake following the funeral for the Reynolds High School freshman.  Hundreds attended yesterday's service to honor the 14-year-old, who was shot and killed by a classmate at the Troutdale school on June 10th.  During the funeral, a representative of the Portland Timbers presented a special jersey for Emilio, containing his last name and the number "29," the number he wore for his soccer team.  The Timbers had the jersey made after one of Emilio's teachers contacted the club last week and told them how much the teenager admired the team. 

(Salem, OR)  --  Officials say a grass fire located east of Salem spread to six acres before it was extinguished.  The fire was reported around 3:15 yesterday afternoon in the area of 119th Avenue Northeast and State Street.  The fire was fueled by high winds and elevated to three-alarm status, which prompted support from several area firefighting units.  The fire was put out before any structures were damaged, and there were no injuries reported.

(Tualatin, OR)  --  A boy who nearly drowned in a swimming pool in Tualatin [[ too-ALL-uh-tin ]] is expected to recover.  The young boy was attending a party yesterday at the Stafford Hills Club when he fell into the pool.  He was rescued by a lifeguard and members and guests of the club.  The boy was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

(Oregon City, OR)  --  A man is facing indecency charges after being accused of flashing a store clerk in Oregon City.  Police say the man entered the Leland Road Plaid Pantry store and flashed the same clerk twice on separate occasions on June 20th.  Officials say the cashier was able to write down the license number on the car the man drove and called police.  Fifty-one-year-old Phillip James Flateau was booked into the Clackamas County Jail.

(Vancouver, WA)  --  Investigators are trying to determine what caused an apartment fire that killed a woman in Vancouver.  The blaze was reported yesterday morning at the Courtyard Village Apartments on T Street.  Firefighters contained the fire to one unit, where the body of the 27-year-old woman was found.  Officials say eight adults and seven children were displaced by the blaze.

(Aloha, OR)  --  Police are investigating after a woman was injured by an explosion inside a portable restroom in Aloha.  Authorities say a suspicious device went off inside the port-a-potty Saturday at Arnold Park, where a softball tournament was taking place.  The woman's injuries were minor.  Officials say another device exploded hours later in a mailbox nearby, but no one was injured in that blast.

(Troutdale, OR)  --  Investigators say the teenager who's accused of shooting a fellow Reynolds High School student to death and wounding a teacher had taken the gun from his brother.  Fifteen-year-old Jared Padgett is accused of taking the AR-15 rifle and numerous loaded magazines from Lucas Padgett, who's a U.S. Army Reservist.  Jared Padgett is accused of killing 14-year-old Emilio Hoffman and wounding teacher Todd Rispler at the Troutdale school on June 10th.  Police say Police said Jared Padgett was also carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a large knife, and other items at the time of the shooting.

(Portland, OR)  --  The city of Portland will spend 56-thousand dollars for a diversity-training program for white male managers.  The program, called White Men as Full Diversity Partners, includes a three-day seminar to which the city plans to send as many as 16 white male managers.  A spokesman for Portland Mayor Charlie Hales says the city's leadership is dominated by white men, and the intent is to "serve this community in all its wholeness and complexity."  The seminar is scheduled to be held next month.

(Gresham, OR)  --  A motorcyclist is being treated for serious injuries following a crash in Gresham.  Police say an SUV traveling along Northeast 181st Avenue yesterday evening turned into a Rite-Aid parking lot and crashed into an oncoming motorcycle.  Authorities say the motorcyclist is a Troutdale police officer, but the motorcycle isn't a police vehicle.  The SUV driver wasn't injured.

Real-estate website Movoto has Eugene ranked among the nation's "snobbiest" mid-size cities.  The list actually champions snobbery, with rankings based on factors such as median home price, median household income, and number of private schools per capita, about all of which Movoto says "the higher, the better."  Eugene is ranked tenth, while Pasadena, California tops the list.  The only Washington cities on the list are Spokane, in 35th place, and Tacoma, which is ranked 46th.

(Vancouver, WA)  --  Police say a man who crashed into a home in Vancouver is believed to have been high on synthetic marijuana, or "spice."  The crash happened around 6:20 yesterday morning in the area of Southeast Park Crest Avenue and Blairmont Drive.  No one was inside the home at the time.  Police say the 19-year-old driver was seriously injured but is expected to survive.

(Hillsboro, OR)  --  Washington County sheriff's deputies are working to return hundreds of items stolen by a burglary ring to their rightful owners.  Officials say most of the 900 stolen items, which include jewelry, tools, and firearms, were recovered in April at a home on Southwest Farmington Road in Hillsboro.  Deputies say it's been difficult to identify all the victims of the burglaries.  At least six people are suspected of participating in the burglary ring.

(Portland, OR)  --  State transportation officials say it will be next week before the Historic Columbia River Highway is open again to traffic.  The stretch of the highway between the Stark Street Bridge and Woodard Road has been shut down since June 5th, when it was smothered by a landslide.  The Oregon Department of Transportation says a high-reach excavator that was brought in from Seattle won't likely finish removing large rock outcroppings from the 120-foot face before Friday.  Further debris removal and inspections will be undertaken afterward.

(Tigard, OR)  --  Police are looking for a Tigard woman whose six-year-old daughter reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine.  Forty-four-year-old Leslie Von Wald was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly distributing meth.  Police say Wald was arrested in April as part of a larger raid at the Cascade Mobile Villa on Southwest Commercial Drive in Tigard.  Investigators say it's not certain whether Wald's daughter took the meth accidentally or was given the substance on purpose.

(Portland, OR)  --  Officials at the Oregon Zoo say the specific cause of the deaths of six tamarin moneys may never be known.  An independent medical laboratory found the monkeys, who died at the zoo earlier this month, were probably victims of systemic shock.  The six monkeys were part of a group of nine that arrived at the Oregon Zoo on May 22nd from Harvard Medical School.  The three surviving monkeys are reported to be doing well.

(Hillsboro, OR)  --  Hillsboro is closer to banning the use of electronic cigarettes in city parks.  The City Council voted last night to approve the first reading of the ordinance.  Following the vote, some of the residents attending the Council meeting spoke in opposition to such a ban, saying e-cigarettes are harmless and help tobacco smokers kick the habit.  The Council is scheduled to vote July 1st on the second reading of the ordinance.

A new survey ranks Oregon among the top states for teenage drivers.  The WalletHub.com survey bases its rankings on factors that include the average cost of car repairs, the number of teen drivers in each state, impaired-driving laws, and teen-driver fatalities.  Oregon ranks fourth overall and gets its highest marks in driving laws and safety conditions.  New York, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, and Rhode Island make up WalletHub's top five states for teen drivers, while Washington is ranked ninth and South Dakota 50th.
 

(Troutdale, OR)  --  Family, friends, and fellow Reynolds High School students are remembering Emilio Hoffman, who was killed last week during a shooting at the school.  The 14-year-old freshman was the subject of a candlelight vigil last night at Reynolds High.  Hoffman's mother, Jennifer, carried gold balloons with the number 29 written on them, signifying the number her son wore for the school soccer team.  The hundreds of people who attended the vigil raised candles to honor Hoffman and teacher Todd Rispler, who was wounded in the shooting.

(Portland, OR)  --  A 15-year-old boy is in a hospital after being stabbed near a Southeast Portland intersection.  Police say the stabbing happened around 1:15 yesterday morning in the area of Southeast 146th and Burnside.  Witnesses told investigators the teen was walking with friends when a man shouted a racial slur and stabbed the victim.  No arrests have been made.  The teen is expected to survive.

(Seattle, WA)  --  A campaign-finance lawsuit filed by the Washington State Attorney General against the national Grocery Manufacturers Association will move forward.  "The Olympian" reports a Thurston County judge has refused to dismiss the lawsuit as requested by the GMA, which spent nearly 22-million dollars in its campaign against a Washington initiative requiring labeling of genetically-modified foods.  In the lawsuit, Attorney General Bob Ferguson accuses the GMA of violating campaign-finance laws by setting up a special fund to disguise the source of money spent to defeat the initiative.  I-522 was narrowly defeated in a statewide vote.
 

(Florence, OR)  --  Lane County sheriff's deputies say at least one person is dead following the crash of a small plane off the Oregon Coast.  Officials say the plane went down shortly before 10:00 a.m. yesterday, about 500 yards from the shore near Florence.  Two people were aboard the single-engine plane, and one was found dead.  Search crews are trying to find the second person.

(Portland, OR)  --  A Portland man is in custody after being accused of attacking his father-in-law with a machete.  A SWAT team was dispatched to a house on North Midway Avenue Saturday night to assist officers following a report of a domestic disturbance.  The suspect surrendered yesterday morning after an hours-long standoff.  Police arrested 39-year-old Bradley Wyatt on multiple charges, including first- and second-degree assault.

(Olympia, WA)  --  Among the new laws that went into effect last week in Washington is one that allows motorcyclists to run red lights.  Under the law, motorcyclists can proceed through a red light if the light doesn't turn green after one full cycle.  Motorcyclists must be cautious and proceed through the intersection safely, as if stopping at a stop sign.  Officials say many motorcycles aren't heavy enough to set off sensors that control traffic-light cycles, and bikers can sit at a red light for minutes, rather than seconds, before the light turns green.

(Portland, OR)  --  Family, friends, and fellow students are remembering 14-year-old Emilio Hoffman, who was shot to death earlier this week at Reynolds High School in Troutdale.  A moment of silence was observed yesterday during the ceremony held in Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland for hundreds of Reynolds High seniors.  Principal Wade Blakely then encouraged graduates and their families to celebrate Hoffman's life.  Physical education teacher Todd Rispler, who was wounded in the Tuesday shooting, was also at the ceremony and was applauded and cheered by those in attendance.

(Portland, OR)  --  An assault suspect is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Southeast Portland.  The shooting happened after Portland police received a report yesterday morning of a pedestrian who was robbed and assaulted along the Springwater Corridor.  Officials say as the suspect was confronted by officers, he began swinging a crowbar at them, after which he was shot.  An autopsy on the suspect is scheduled for today.

(Milwaukie, OR)  --  Police say a man who was shot to death by officers in Milwaukie has been identified as a Lebanon resident.  Thirty-eight-year-old Travis Blake Utley led police on a brief chase following a traffic stop Wednesday.  The chase began after officers learned there was a warrant out for Utley's arrest and they attempted to take him into custody.  Police say shots were fired after Utley tried to run officers over and rammed a patrol car.
 

Portland is the only Oregon city on a list of the 100 most expensive cities in which to live in the U.S.  The Rose City is ranked 31st according to the NerdWallet survey, which bases its rankings on data from the Council for Community and Economic Research.  Six Washington cities are on the list, starting with Seattle at Number 30.  Everett is ranked 38th, Bellingham 45th, Tacoma 48th, Olympia 63rd, and Vancouver is in 72nd place.

(Portland, OR)  --  A man who's accused of killing a woman who was his tenant is now in custody.  Sixty-one-year-old Gary Alan Lewis is facing charges in connection with the death of Renee Suzanne Sandidge-Crowell, who authorities say died of blunt-force trauma to the head.  Sandidge-Crowell's body was found at the Northeast 66th Avenue property Tuesday.  A tip led to Lewis's arrest last night.

(Gresham, OR)  --  Gresham police say they've broken up a major burglary operation and closed a dozen burglary cases that had been unsolved.  FOX-12 reports the arrests resulted from a six-month investigation, which was launched after appliances were stolen from several vacant, for-sale, and remodeled homes.  An arrest was made during a burglary in progress in January, and that led to five more arrests.  Police say thousands of dollars' worth of stolen property has been recovered.

(Olympia, WA)  --  Washington Governor Jay Inslee is directing state agencies to review the risks connected with increased transportation of oil by barge and rail.  The governor has told the state Department of Ecology to work with other agencies, the federal government, and tribal governments to study information that could help the state reduce the threat of accidents involving oil trains.  The directive is in response to several major oil-train accidents that have taken place in the U.S. and Canada in the past year.

(Troutdale, OR)  --  Troutdale police say the student who killed another student and wounded a teacher at Reynolds High School was armed with an AR-15-type rifle and other weapons.  Authorities say 15-year-old freshman Jared Michael Padgett died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday after killing 14-year-old Emilio Hoffman and wounding teacher Todd Rispler.  Investigators haven't released information on a motive for the shooting.  Police say the weapons with which Padgett was armed were obtained from his home after he defeated the devices that had them secured.

(Washington, DC)  --  Federal officials say 17 people have been sickened by an E. coli outbreak that's been linked to clover sprouts.  CNN reports ten of those cases are in Washington state, with the remainder confirmed in Idaho, Montana, Michigan, and Utah.  Centers for Disease Control officials say the sprouts likely came from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts of Idaho, but the company says all the tests from their farm were negative.  The CDC says Evergreen hasn't issued a recall, and the federal agency is recommending consumers not eat raw clover sprouts produced by the company.

(Portland, OR)  --  A massage therapist is scheduled for a 90-day stay behind bars after pleading guilty to sex abuse involving a teenage girl.  KPTV reports 40-year-old Aaron Sanne of Hillsboro was a massage therapist at the Sunset Athletic Club in Portland, where his clients included minors.  Police say Sanne gained the trust of the 15-year-old before sexually abusing her.

(Portland, OR)  --  Officials say a hiker who got lost near Larch Mountain is now safe.  Multnomah County sheriff's deputies say 35-year-old Tristen Ross of Portland walked out from the Franklin Ridge Trail on her own around 2:45 this morning.  Authorities had made contact with Ross around 12:45 a.m.  She was reported lost around 9:00 o'clock last night.  
 

As far as stress levels go, Oregon is ranked among the most-relaxed states in the nation.  That's according to a survey by real-estate website Movoto.com, which has issued its ranking of the "Most Stressed-out States."  Oregon is listed 29th in the survey, which bases its rankings on factors that include commute times, hours worked, unemployment, and percentage of income spent on housing.  Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, California, and Nevada are ranked the most "stressed-out" states, while Washington comes in at 17th.

(Troutdale, OR)  --  Troutdale police say the person who fired shots that killed a student and wounded a teacher at Reynolds High School was also a student.  The name of the shooter, who's believed to have killed himself, hasn't been released.  Fourteen-year-old Emilio Hoffman was killed in yesterday's shooting, which also wounded physical-education teacher Todd Rispler.  Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson says it was Rispler who managed to initiate the lockdown procedure at the school, which likely saved lives.

(Gresham, OR)  --  Police say a car driven by an 82-year-old man crashed into two houses in Gresham, but no one was injured.  Authorities say the crashes did cause extensive damage at the homes in the four-thousand block of Southwest Fifth Street, shortly before 6:00 p.m. yesterday.  The man told police he hit the gas pedal instead of the brake as he headed south on Nancy Drive toward Fifth.

(Whidbey Island, WA)  --  Researchers will try to determine whether an anchor recovered off the coast of Whidbey Island is historic in nature.  The "Seattle Times" reports the 900-pound anchor was recovered yesterday from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The "Times" reports amateur historians believe the anchor broke free from the HMS Chatham, companion to British Captain George Vancouver's HMS Discovery, during his voyage into Puget Sound in 1792.  The anchor, which is now in Port Townsend, will be transported to Texas A&M University, where the research will be conducted.

(Undated)  --  Washington is ranked as the best state in which to make a living.  The fourth annual MoneyRates.com study ranks each state based on criteria including average salary, cost of living, employment rate, and workplace conditions.  Washington is ranked first among the Best States to Make a Living, followed by Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, and Utah.  Oregon is ranked 38th, and Hawaii is ranked 50th.

(Portland, OR)  --  A 17-year-old from West Linn, who was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash, is "unresponsive," according to her family.  Police say Madison Higgins was the driver of a car that crashed into a power pole on Southwest Petes Mountain Road Sunday night.  The crash killed her passenger, 18-year-old Hayden James Soyk.  Higgins is being treated at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, and family members say she has no chance of survival.

(Vancouver, WA)  --  Two people are dead and another is wounded following a shooting at a home in Vancouver.  Police say Danny Lee Luster and his wife, Sandra Luster, both 49, were found dead early yesterday morning at the home near Northeast 52nd Street at 131st Avenue.  The couple's 23-year-old son is being treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.  Investigators say there were reports by neighbors of fighting going on inside the house prior to the shooting.

(Portland, OR)  --  Police say they're now looking for the owner of the home from which a Portland woman went missing.  Investigators say the disappearance of 59-year-old Renee Sandidge-Crowell is considered suspicious.  Police are looking for Sandidge-Crowell and the owner of the home, 61-year-old Gary Lewis.  Officials say both people live at the home, but Lewis reportedly has tried to evict Sandidge-Crowell.  Detectives say they found evidence of foul play at the Northeast 66th Avenue house.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  A man who owns a pickup truck involved in a hit-and-run that seriously injured a pedestrian could face charges.  Multnomah County sheriff's deputies say 67-year-old Charles Francis Gillespie of Happy Valley turned himself in yesterday.  Thirty-three-year-old Dorena Hernandez was hit as she was crossing at the intersection of Foster and 172nd Avenue late Sunday night.  She's being treated for serious injuries but is expected to survive.  Gillespie was released, pending charges.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The honeymoon fund for Jon Meis [[ meez ]] continues to grow.  Meis is credited with possibly saving lives after he pepper-sprayed and tackled an active gunman who killed one person and wounded two others at Seattle Pacific University last Thursday.  The GoFundMe online fundraising effort began after news of Meis's actions and his planned marriage became widespread.  The goal for Meis and his fiancee was five-thousand dollars, but donations have reached nearly 48-thousand.  A GoFundMe account has also been set up for the 19-year-old woman who was critically wounded in the shooting.

(Portland, OR)  --    The crash happened shortly before 4:00 p.m. yesterday, near the Greyhound bus station.  Witnesses told police the woman was hit after she entered a crosswalk at Northwest Sixth Avenue and Glisan Street.  The woman's name hasn't been released.

(Portland, OR)  --  Police say the disappearance of a Northeast Portland woman is considered suspicious.  A search warrant was executed yesterday at the home of a 59-year-old Renee Sandidge on Northeast 66th Avenue.  Police were called to her home Saturday morning for a welfare check, and officials say there was evidence that prompted them to contact homicide investigators.  Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding Sandidge, who's described as white, five-feet-two, 100 pounds, with red hair and brown eyes.

(West Linn, OR)  --  Two people are being treated for serious injuries following a single-vehicle crash in West Linn.  Officials say both people were trapped inside the car after it struck a power pole on Southwest Petes Mountain Road around 5:17 p.m. yesterday.  Both are listed in critical condition at Portland hospitals.  Clackamas County sheriff's deputies are investigating.

(Portland, OR)  --  Debris removal will resume this morning on the Historic Columbia River Highway.  A section of the highway near the Stark Street Bridge was closed Thursday following a landslide.  Cleanup was halted yesterday because of dangerous conditions caused by rocks still falling from the hillside.  Debris-removal specialists are being brought in from Seattle.

(Troutdale, OR)  --  Officials say it will be several days before the Historic Columbia River Highway near the Stark Street Bridge in Troutdale is open again.  A landslide forced closure of the highway yesterday morning, just east of the bridge.  The Oregon Department of Transportation says there's still a threat of more rocks falling onto the roadway.  Officials say at least one-thousand yards of rocks fell onto the highway.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland police say a four-year-old boy who died after falling from a third-story apartment window was leaning against the screen while talking to a friend.  Authorities say the screen broke, causing Addison Rojas-Casteneda to fall to the ground Wednesday evening at the Miraflores  Apartments on North Newell.  The boy died after arriving at a hospital.

(Gig Harbor, WA)  --  Casey Kasem is in critical condition as he continues to battle an infected bedsore.  Officials at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor say the ailing radio legend is on I-V antibiotics, blood pressure and pain medication while he's being treated for the wound.  Kasem is reportedly "alert" and "appears comfortable."  The retired radio personality arrived at the hospital Sunday.  Kasem's children have been involved in a dramatic personal and legal battle with his current wife, Jean, over both his care and access to the star.

A new report says Oregon is above the national average when it comes to consumption of alcoholic beverages.  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says the average Oregonian drinks two-point-65 gallons of alcohol per year, good for 18th place among the 50 states and the nation's capital.  The national average is two-point-33 gallons.  New Hampshire has the highest rate of alcohol consumption with four-point-65 gallons per person, while Washington state is 35th with two-point-25 gallons. 

(Dayton, OR)  --  An employee at a Yamhill County meat-packing plant is in a Portland hospital after being attacked by a ram.  The animal was set to be slaughtered at Ben's Custom Meat Processing in Dayton when it head-butted the employee.  KPTV reports the man was airlifted to OHSU Hospital yesterday morning.  There's no word on his condition.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  A 79-year-old man is heading to prison after racking up his 14th DUII conviction.  Alfonso Rivera Nieto told Portland Judge Angel Lopez he'll never drink and drive again, but Lopez sentenced Nieto to four years behind bars.  Nieto's first DUII conviction was in 1968.  "The Oregonian" reports Nieto has had his driver's license revoked for life five times.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland police say a four-year-old child who fell from a third-story apartment window has died.  Portland Fire & Rescue workers took the boy to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center after he fell around 7 o'clock last night from a window at the Miraflores Apartments on North Newell Avenue.  The child died shortly afterward.  Police are investigating to determine whether the fall was accidental.

(Portland, OR)  --  Traffic in Portland is among the most congested in the nation.  That's according to the TomTom Travel Index for 2014, which ranks Portland's traffic congestion the ninth-worst in the U.S.  Topping the list is Los Angeles, with San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose', and New York rounding out the top five.  The TomTom Traffic Index says it takes Portland-area drivers more than 20-percent longer to reach their destinations during peak times than when traffic is flowing freely.
 

(Seattle, WA)  --  A Seattle marijuana cooperative is being sued by the Hershey Corporation for trademark infringement.  The candy company says Conscious Care Cooperative uses trademarks and designs that are similar to those of Hershey's Reese's and Mr. Goodbar brands, using names like "Reefer's Peanut Butter Cups."  In its lawsuit, Hershey also says it fears consumers may inadvertently consume the cooperative's products thinking that they're ordinary chocolate candy.  There's been no comment from Conscious Care Cooperative.

(Portland, OR)  --  A long custody battle between Kaine Horman and his ex-wife is over.  The father of Kyron Horman has been granted custody of the five-year-old daughter he fathered with Kyron's stepmother, Terri Horman.  The couple divorced in December.  The custody decision was rendered four years after then-seven-year-old Kyron Horman disappeared from Skyline Elementary School in Northwest Portland.

(Portland, OR)  --  An organization pushing for privatized liquor sales in Oregon is withdrawing its effort for this year.  Oregonians for Competition says it has halted its effort to gather signatures to get the initiative placed on the November ballot.  Legal problems have made it difficult for the group to get the necessary 87-thousand signatures by July 3rd to have the item placed on the ballot in November.  The group says it may try to have the initiative put before voters in 2016.

 A new study shows Portland is among the areas of the nation ranked highest in teacher absences.  The study, conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality, shows Portland teachers miss 14 school days per year on average.  "USA Today" reports the figure doesn't account for serious, long-term illnesses or pregnancies, but does include training days.  According to the study, Portland has more than 600 teachers who miss more than 18 days per school year.

(Gresham, OR)  --  A city fee that helps fund public safety in Gresham will remain in place.  The Gresham City Council has voted to renew the seven-dollar-50-cent monthly utility fee and make it permanent.  Keeping the fee in effect will help stave off cuts to police and fire services.  Voters in Gresham recently defeated a property-tax increase to fund public safety services.

(Salem, OR)  --  About 80-thousand people who signed up for health insurance through Cover Oregon will have to re-enroll.  That's according to a Cover Oregon spokesperson, who says the re-enrollment will take place this fall after the state shifts to the federal healthcare exchange.  Officials say Cover Oregon personnel are working to determine whether they can have customers' information show up in the system, which would make it unnecessary to have it re-entered.

(Wenatchee, WA)  --  A lawsuit is being filed against the city of Wenatchee, Washington, contending the city doesn't have the right to ban marijuana businesses.  The suit is being filed by the owner of SMP Retail, which is hoping to open a state-licensed pot store in Wenatchee.  The city says anyone who wants to obtain a city business license must comply with federal law.  Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even though it was legalized in Washington state under Initiative 502.  The lawsuit is being monitored closely, as it could impact laws in states that legalize marijuana in the future.

(Salem, OR)  --  Salem police are searching for a man who's described as armed and dangerous.  Authorities say 20-year-old Sir Diamond Damien Gipson holed himself up inside a home on Lancaster Drive Northeast yesterday following a domestic disturbance.  A SWAT team was dispatched to the area, but police say Gipson managed to escape somehow.  Gipson is described as African-American, around five-feet-ten inches tall, and weighing around 150 pounds.

(Portland, OR)  --  Bail is set at three-million dollars for a 17-year-old accused of attempting to rape a woman during a home invasion in Northeast Portland.  Police say the assailant was chased out of the Green Leaf Springs Apartments by the victim's fiance after the Monday attack.  Investigators say Justin Dejohn Hubbard is also linked to the rape of a 16-year-old high school student in March.  The student was assaulted while walking to Parkrose High.

(Beaverton, OR)  --  A motorcyclist is listed in serious condition following a hit-and-run crash in Beaverton.  Police say the motorcycle was westbound on Tualatin Valley Highway early yesterday morning when the driver of an eastbound truck began to turn left on Southwest 139th and struck the rider.  The suspect reportedly left the truck running and fled on foot.  Police say the suspect, 33-year-old Oscar Ottoniel Bravo Matias, was found shortly afterward and arrested.

(Toledo, OR)  --  Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash of a small plane that left two people dead and one injured in Lincoln County.  Authorities say the plane went down around 4:20 Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Toledo.  The pilot, 51-year-old Douglas Nebert, and his four-year-old granddaughter, Zoey Wahl, died at the scene.  Nebert's stepdaughter, April Gleason of Seattle, was airlifted to a hospital.

(Port Orchard, WA)  --  Longtime radio and TV personality Casey Kasem is in a Gig Harbor, Washington hospital.  Kasem, who has been staying with his wife, Jean, at a friend's home in Kitsap County, was taken yesterday to the hospital.  His daughter, Kerri, was cleared Friday by a judge to see her father after she registered concern for his medical care.  As Kasem was being wheeled on a gurney to an ambulance, Jean Kasem shouted to Kerri Kasem and reporters on the scene and threw raw meat in Kerri's direction.

(Olympia, WA)  --  Consumers in Washington state are finding it more convenient to buy liquor these days, but liquor prices remain high.  The statewide average price in March for a liter of spirits was up 38 cents from the same time in 2013.  The "Bellingham Herald" quotes state Department of Revenue officials as saying the number of liters sold increased by more than one-million in the first 16 months following privatization, which took effect on June 1st, 2012.  However, sales have been slowing down in recent months.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland police are investigating a crash involving a motorcycle that left the rider dead.  The crash happened around 2:00 a.m. yesterday at the intersection of Southeast 29th Avenue and Powell Boulevard.  Police say the motorcyclist was thrown from his bike after he crossed into opposite-lane traffic at high speed and slammed into a station wagon.  The motorcyclist died at the scene.  No one else was injured.