(Newberg, OR)  --  The American Civil Liberties Union is threatening legal action against the Newberg School District for voting to ban Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ Pride flags from school buildings.  The ACLU of Oregon issued a statement yesterday demanding an immediate retraction of the ban.  The ACLU says the flags constitute protected speech and that schools are legally obligated to ensure that Black and LGBTQ students and employees are welcomed.  The Newberg School Board voted 4 to 3 to enact the ban earlier this month, prompting criticism from the ACLU, the teacher's union and the state legislature's Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus.

(Portland, OR)  --  The city of Portland is requiring all city workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.  The Portland City Commissioners signed a joint letter yesterday saying city employees must be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18th.  All employees must either show they are in the process of getting vaccinated or state that they intend to apply for an exemption no later than September 10th.  The move impacts about 68-hundred people who work for the City of Portland.

(Portland, OR)  --  Over three-dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19.  The Oregon Health Authority reported 40 new COVID-19 deaths yesterday from Friday through Sunday, raising the state's death toll to three-thousand-155.  The health department also reported five-thousand-545 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday.  Hospitalizations declined by 23 to one-thousand-120 patients with coronavirus.  There are 39 ICU beds available in the state.

(Gladstone, OR)  --  An investigation is ongoing into the discovery of a body submerged in the Clackamas River at High Rocks.  The Gladstone Fire Department says lifeguards found the body yesterday.  An autopsy has been scheduled.
 

(Beaverton, OR)  --  One man is dead and another is in custody after a shooting at a Beaverton apartment complex.  Beaverton Police responded to a call about a man armed with a gun at the Beaver Creek Apartments early yesterday morning.  After speaking with 38-year-old James Dewhurst, they developed probable cause to believe that Dewhurst had murdered his roommate.  Officers then found 43-year-old Rocky Harkins shot to death inside the apartment.  Multiple guns were recovered.  Dewhurst is charged with Murder.

(Corbett, OR)  --  An elderly driver is seriously injured after his vehicle tumbled 60-feet down an embankment near the Vista House in the Columbia River Gorge yesterday.  Multnomah County Sheriff's deputies say the driver mistook the "reverse" gear for "park," went over the embankment, and fell onto the Historic Columbia River Highway below.  The man is being treated at an area hospital for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.  

(Tillamook, OR)  --  A Tillamook County Commissioner says the county is "in a dire crisis" as new cases of COVID-19 continue to surge.  Commissioners Erin Skaar, Mary Faith Bell and David Yamamoto have issued a news release saying the spread of COVID-19 in Tillamook County has risen to a "critical phase."  The county saw eight new COVID-19 deaths between August 18th and August 28th.  That's three more deaths than the county saw during the entire first 18 months of the pandemic.  Commissioner Skaar tells KATU-2 that the sense of safety the county felt from being a rural, small community earlier in the pandemic is now gone.

(Portland, OR)  --  A woman accused of intentionally running over and killing her husband in a grocery store parking lot will make her first court appearance today.  The Portland Police Bureau says 49-year-old Tera Harris is accused of running over Thurston Harris Friday night during a domestic violence incident in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer store in the St. Johns area.  Harris was dead when Portland Fire & Rescue crews arrived.  Tera Harris will be charged with Domestic Violence Murder in the Second Degree.

(Portland, OR)  --  Multnomah County Commissioners are considering enacting new measures to help fight the surge in COVID-19 cases.  Commissioner Sharon Meieran tells KATU-2 that vaccine requirements are currently on the table.  At the state level, Governor Brown tells KATU-2 that staff members are considering feedback from business owners on what policies could help keep both workers and patrons safe.

(Vancouver, WA)  --  Sentencing is scheduled September 9th for a man convicted of murder and a hate crime for killing a 17-year-old transgender girl in Southwestern Washington state.  A jury returned guilty verdicts Friday against David Bogdanov on charges of second-degree murder and malicious harassment for the death of Nikki Kuhnhausen in 2019.  Bogdanov strangled Kuhnhausen to death after she revealed to him that she'd been born male after the two had engaged in a sexual encounter.  The case prompted Washington state to approve a new law in Kuhnhausen's name aimed at limiting the so-called "gay panic" defense.  The Nikki Kuhnhausen Act was signed into law last year and prevents people from blaming a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity to justify violence carried out against them.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon has nine new deaths related to COVID-19 and two-thousand-57 new infections.  The Oregon Health Authority reported the new numbers yesterday.  The health department also reported five new hospitalizations for the virus, raising Oregon's total number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to one-thousand-85.  There are currently 51 ICU beds available in Oregon, which is a slight improvement from Wednesday.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Oregon Nurses Association is calling on all nurses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the October 18th deadline or get an exemption for medical or religious reasons.  The ONA Board of Directors says the Governor has made vaccinations a legal requirement, and unvaccinated nurses will face termination if they don't comply.  They say the science is clear that vaccinations are safe and effective.

(Portland, OR)  --  A circuit court judge is ruling that Multnomah County can put campaign contribution limits in place.  Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Eric J. Bloch ruled Monday that campaign contribution limit of 500 dollars per individual does not violate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.  The ruling follows a years-long back-and-forth on campaign contribution limits in the courts after Multnomah County voters overwhelmingly approved the limits in a 2016 ballot measure.  The Oregon Supreme Court upheld the limits last April and sent the issue back to the circuit court for further review.

(Portland, OR)  --  The number of young children in Oregon being hospitalized with COVID-19 is on the rise.  The Oregon Health Authority reports that the hospitalization rate for kids younger than five was three per 100-thousand over the last week.  The number has been rising since mid-July.  State Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger says it shows the importance of being vaccinated and wearing masks to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to young children.

(Portland, OR)  --  An updated projection from OHSU shows nearly 12-hundred people will be hospitalized with COVID-19 by September 6th.  That's over a hundred people more than the initial prediction.  Health officials say 45-percent of Oregon's ICU beds are currently filled with COVID-19 patients.  The statewide indoor mask mandate that started August 13th isn't having a significant impact yet.  Oregon's outdoor mask mandate begins today.  Health officials say masking and vaccinations will reduce the surge of patients.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon military veterans who served in the Middle East are upset watching the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the terrorist attacks around the airport in Kabul.  Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs Director Kelly Fitzpatrick says Vietnam-era veterans are comparing it to the fall of Saigon in 1975.  She says it's having a terrible affect on their mental health.  Fitzpatrick encourages them to lean on each other and ask for help.  Oregon has a network of veteran service offices across the state and on tribal lands.  Veterans who need someone to talk to can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255.

(Portland, OR)  --  A serial sexual harasser known as the TriMet Barber is facing new charges again.  Police arrested Jared Walter on Wednesday after he allegedly took pictures of a woman using a restroom at a southeast Portland bar.  She chased him out, but Walter dropped his phone and officers traced it to him.  In addition to invasion of privacy charges he also faces probation violation, which could send him back to jail for more than three years.  Walter has been convicted several times for sexual harassment and earned his nickname after being convicted for cutting women's hair on TriMet trains and buses.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon has 20 new COVID-19 deaths and two-thousand-777 new cases.  The Oregon Health Authority reported the new cases yesterday.  Officials also reported 80 new hospitalizations for a total of one-thousand-80 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which is a new record high.  Just 44 ICU beds remain available statewide.

(Portland, OR)  --  New cases of COVID-19 are continuing to rise in Oregon.  The Oregon Health Authority reports new cases increased 16-percent over the last week.  Hospitalizations are also up for the seventh week in a row, increasing by more than 50 patients to a total of 601 new COVID-19 hospitalizations.  The number of weekly deaths doubled to 87.  The number of positive tests increased to 12-point-three-percent.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon taxpayers could see the largest ever kicker refund in state history.  It's estimated to be one-point-nine billion dollars.  That would mean a median payment of 420 dollars or an average refund of 850 dollars in a tax credit next year.  The kicker is triggered when tax revenue into the state exceeds two-percent of the budget.

(Portland, OR)  --  All events at the Moda Center and the Rose Quarter will require guests ages 12 and older to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test withing 72 hours of the event.  This includes Trail Blazer and Winterhawks games along with concerts. The policy takes effect on September 4th when Megadeath performs at the Moda Center.  The first Blazer pre-season game is October 4th against the Golden State Warriors.  A CDC vaccination card, or a photo of the card, is enough for proof.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon is using outside contractors to get help for hospitals that are overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.  Governor Kate Brown announced yesterday the state is contracting with Jogan Health Solutions to send up to 500 health care personnel to hospitals in Central and Southern Oregon, where the crisis is greatest.  AMN Healthcare has also been hired to bring 60 nurses and clinical personnel to Oregon.  Hospitalizations in the state have jumped 990-percent since July 9th because of the Delta variant.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Hood to Coast relay race is back this weekend after going virtual last year for the first time ever due to the pandemic.  In order to keep runners and supporters safe, the pick-up of race packets is drive-through.  There will also be a staggered start at Timberline Lodge to reduce the size of the groups.  That will cause the race to last longer.  Masks will have to be worn at the start, exchange points and the finish party.  Masks are also encouraged while teams are in their vans.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon is reporting 30 new deaths from COVID-19 along with two-thousand-804 new infections.  The Oregon Health Authority reported the new numbers yesterday.  An additional 63 people are now hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, making for a total of one-thousand hospitalized COVID-19 patients.  That's a record high for the pandemic.  There are currently only 45 ICU beds available in the state.

(Salem, OR)  --  The waiting week will return to Oregon unemployment insurance starting September 5th.  That means people going onto unemployment benefits will have to wait one week before starting to receive benefits.  The waiting week was temporarily eliminated by the Governor during the pandemic to get benefits out faster.  The waiting week is required by Oregon law, and the legislature would have to eliminate it to make it permanent.  Around 11-thousand people will be affected by the change.

(Salem, OR)  --  A memorial is set today for an Oregon State Police Sergeant who died in May following a two-decade battle with severe injuries suffered when he was hit by a car on duty.  Sergeant John Burright died on May 4th.  Burright was helping a disabled vehicle on I-5 in 2001 when he was hit.  Senior Trooper Maria Mignano and Albany Police Officer Jason Hoerauf were also hit and killed in the crash.  Burright suffered critical injuries that ended his career with Oregon State Police.  Today's memorial will be held at the Salem Armory.

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown is issuing a new outdoor mask mandate due to the surge in Delta variant cases of COVID-19.  The new mandate takes effect Friday.  Brown tweeted masks will be required in outdoor public settings when physical distancing isn't possible, regardless of vaccination status.  Brown says the state now has over one-thousand coronavirus patients in Oregon hospitals, which is stretching resources thin.

(Washington, D.C.)  --  Portland State University and the University of Washington will split a one-point-one-million-dollar grant from the EPA to study ways to reduce exposure to wildfire smoke at school and at home.  PSU will study how wildfire smoke can penetrate buildings.  UW will study the effectiveness of portable air cleaners in classrooms along with how kids are taught about smoke, air quality, and health.  The universities are among nine national grant recipients getting seven-million dollars to study wildfire smoke.

(Portland, OR)  --  Two-dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19.  The Oregon Health Authority reported 24 new coronavirus deaths yesterday from Friday through Sunday along with four-thousand-701 new infections.  A record 937 people are currently hospitalized in Oregon with coronavirus, which is 37 more than on Sunday.  Health officials say just seven-percent of the state's ICU beds are currently available for new patients.

(Portland, OR)  --  A dog is recovering after being rescued from an abandoned well in Aloha.  KATU-2 reports the 12-year-old golden retriever Calvin fell into the well yesterday and became stuck.  Calvin was stuck in the well for four hours before rescuers were able to pull him out.  Firefighters from Aloha and Tualatin used a tripod and rope system to lift Calvin to safety.

(Salem, OR)  --  A memorial is scheduled tomorrow for an Oregon State Police Sergeant who died in May following a two-decade battle with severe injuries suffered when he was hit by a car on duty.  Sergeant John Burright died on May 4th.  Burright was helping a disabled vehicle on I-5 in 2001 when he was hit.  Senior Trooper Maria Mignano and Albany Police Officer Jason Hoerauf were also hit and killed in the crash.  Burright suffered critical injuries that ended his career with Oregon State Police.  Tomorrow's memorial will be held at the Salem Armory.

(Portland, OR)  --  Legacy Health is temporarily suspending non-urgent elective surgeries due to a surge in hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients in Oregon.  Legacy announced the two-week pause yesterday, saying the Delta COVID-19 variant is severely straining its hospitals and staff.  Officials say the pause in non-urgent surgeries will help create bed capacity for critically ill patients.

(Portland, OR)  --  Police say they're searching for a possible second shooter in connection to a shooting that came after several hours of dueling demonstrations in downtown Portland.  The Portland Police Bureau says detectives believe there was at least one more shooter involved in the incident Sunday afternoon near Southwest 2nd Avenue and Southwest Yamhill Street.  Police arrested 65-year-old Dennis Anderson after he allegedly used a slur against a Black man standing with left-wing activists at yesterday's protest and then fired multiple shots at the group.  No one was injured.  The Oregonian reports Anderson had been standing on the fringes of the protests between the Proud Boys and left-wing counterprotesters for hours before the shooting, and that he told a reporter that left-wing activists are, quote, "the real fascists."  One witness tells KATU-2 Anderson was trying to show photos of lynchings to children in the area.

(Salem, OR)  --  State lawmakers are moving public hearings regarding Oregon's redistricting process online.  Oregon Senate and House leaders announced the decision yesterday, saying the increase in COVID-19 cases makes it too dangerous to hold the hearings in public.  The hearings are aimed at getting public input on how Congressional District boundaries should be redrawn including a new sixth district.  They are scheduled for September 8th, 9th, 10th and 13th.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 breakthrough cases.  Those are people who were vaccinated but still develop COVID-19.  During the first two weeks of August, there were nearly three-thousand breakthrough cases.  They make up 14-percent of all cases.  Officials say 86-percent of cases in Oregon are in unvaccinated people.  Only six-percent of the breakthrough patients go to the hospital, and less than one-percent of them have died.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon is reporting a record-breaking single-day rise in coronavirus cases.  The Oregon Health Authority confirmed two-thousand-971 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday along with 19 new deaths.  A total of 845 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, which is up twelve from the previous day.  Oregon has now seen two-thousand-975 deaths and 250-thousand-835 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

(Portland, OR)  --  At least 93-percent of Oregon's hospital beds are full and staffing is critically short as the Delta variant causes a surge of patients.  Only 41 ICU beds remain available.  Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen says doctors and nurses in some hospitals will soon have to make triage decisions of whom they can save and whom they cannot.  Allen says unvaccinated people are driving the surge. 

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown is requiring teachers and staff in K-through-12 schools to be fully vaccinated by October 18th.  Brown says she's directed the Oregon Health Authority to create a rule that requires all teachers, support staff, and volunteers in schools to be vaccinated.  Brown says there will not be a testing option for school staff members who are not vaccinated.  Brown says having staff vaccinated is the best way to keep students in school full time. 

(Portland, OR)  --  A southern California man has pleaded guilty for attempting to set fire to the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland during a protest last year.  Police say 35-year-old Kevin Weier placed a piece of burning wood against the building.  He was charged in federal court with damaging government property.  His sentencing is scheduled for December.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  Nearly a dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19.  The Oregon Health Authority reported eleven new coronavirus deaths yesterday, raising the state's death toll from the pandemic to two-thousand-975.  The health department also reported two-thousand-139 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 new hospitalizations for the virus.  Oregon now has 850 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and there are only 41 ICU beds available across the state.

(Portland, OR)  --  The COVID-19 Delta variant is causing a sharp spike in new coronavirus cases in Oregon.  The Oregon Health Authority says there was a 53-percent increase in new cases of COVID-19 last week.  The number of new hospitalizations more than doubled to 546, making it the fifth consecutive week of increases.  There were 46 deaths, which is six more than the previous week.  The number of positive tests increased to eleven-point-eight-percent.
 

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown says Oregon stands ready to take refugees from Afghanistan.  She's asking the Biden administration and Congress to lift admission caps on refugees so more families from Afghanistan can move to the U.S.  She says the lives of Afghan women, girls and translators are at risk if they stay.  Oregon has welcomed more than 75-thousand refugees since 1975.  Brown says Oregon will continue to be a welcoming and inclusive place for all who call the state home.

(Seal Rock, OR)  --  The Oregon Health Authority is warning residents about unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean water at Seal Rock Beach in Lincoln County.  Officials say residents should avoid direct contact with the water on the beach until the advisory is lifted.  The bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and skin rashes.

(Washington, DC)  --  President Biden is nominating an Oregonian to become director of the National Park Service.  Biden announced yesterday he intends to nominate Chuck Sams, making him the first Native American to be nominated to the job.  Sams has worked in state and tribal governments as well as the non-profit natural resource and conservation management fields over 25 years.  He's currently a member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.  He's the former director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.  His nomination needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland Public Schools is requiring that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.  The school district announced yesterday employees will need to submit proof by August 31st unless they have an approved exemption.  People who aren't vaccinated will be regularly tested.  The school district worked with the Portland Association of Teachers and Portland Federation of School Professionals in approving the requirement.  The school district is also finalizing details on vaccine requirements for school volunteers and contractors.

(Portland, OR)  --  Airbnb is taking action to prevent people from renting a house for Halloween parties.  The company says it won't allow one-night reservations over Halloween weekend unless the guest has a history of positive reviews.  They took the same action last year, and in Portland it prevented over 200 people from making one night reservations.

(Portland, OR)  --  Over a dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19.  The Oregon Health Authority reported 15 new coronavirus deaths yesterday, raising the state's death toll from the pandemic to two-thousand-964.  The health department also reported two-thousand-941 new cases of COVID-19 and 86 new hospitalizations for the virus for a total of 838 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon.  Officials say 222 of those patients are in ICUs, and there are only 66 ICU beds available to new patients.  Washington County had the most new cases with 420 followed by Marion County with 363 and Douglas County with 300. 

(Seaside, OR)  --  The Seaside Aquarium is trying to figure out what caused thousands of live sand dollars to wash up on Seaside Beach over the weekend.  The aquarium says the sand dollars washed up with Sunday's afternoon high tides on the south end of the beach near Tillamook Head.  The aquarium says it's not yet clear what caused the incident or whether this is happening on other beaches.  Sand dollars can only live for a few minutes out of the water.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland State University is getting two-million dollars from the National Security Administration to study cybersecurity within the power grid.  PSU's National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity announced the grant yesterday.  The university will use the grant to study potential threats to the so-called "smart grid" that allows for two-way communication between utilities and users.  The study will include the Bonneville Power Administration, Portland General Electric and T-Mobile.

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown is urging school district leaders around the state to follow the mask requirement for K through 12 schools.  Brown says some administrators plan to ignore state law.  Several school boards have passed or are considering resolutions opposing the mask requirement.  Brown says in one district, a superintendent encouraged parents to make false claims that their children needed an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Brown says wearing masks is the best way to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak and keep students in school.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon's unemployment rate dropped from five-point-six percent in June to five-point-two percent in July.  Officials say 20-thousand new jobs were added last month.  Most new jobs were in Government and Leisure and Hospitality sectors.  Oregon has regained seven out of ten jobs that were lost in the spring of 2020.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon is dealing with over four-thousand new coronavirus cases.  The Oregon Health Authority reported four-thousand-396 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday from Friday through Sunday.  That's an average of nearly 15-hundred cases a day.  The health department also reported 14 new deaths from COVID-19.  There are now 752 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, which is nine more than on Sunday.  Lane County had the most new cases with 567, followed by Jackson County with 542 cases and Multnomah County with 504.

(Portland, OR)  --  Three men are under arrest for an alleged kidnapping in downtown Portland on Saturday night.  Witnesses reported seeing a person kidnapped at gunpoint near Southwest Broadway and Taylor and then driven away in a vehicle.  Officers found the vehicle in the John's Landing area, but the victim was gone.  Police found the victim Sunday morning in Clackamas County.  Detectives say the suspects and the victim knew each other.  Hong Dieu Lee, Douglas Bourland, and Edward Simmons were arrested and booked on kidnap and other charges.

(Portland, OR)  --  An investigation is ongoing into a fire that left over 14-hundred residents without electricity in Hayden Island.  Crews responded to an area west of the Jantzen Beach Shopping Center just after midnight this morning to extinguish a fire near the train tracks.  The fire left more than 14-hundred PGE customers in the dark.  Power has since been restored. 

(Seattle, WA)  --  Wildfires in Oregon and Washington have already burned 20 times more land this year than last.  The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center is reporting over one-million charred acres in the two state's this year.  By contrast, over 52-thousand acres were destroyed in 2020.  In that time span, the number of wildfires also doubled, with 37 fires last year and 77 this year, through August 15.  Included in that total is the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, which burned more than 413-thousand acres, making it the largest wildfire in the country before final containment early this week.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon homeowners who are behind in their mortgage payments because of the pandemic won't have to worry about losing their homes until next year.  Governor Kate Brown announced yesterday she's extending the temporary residential mortgage foreclosure moratorium until December 31st due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.  The ban was originally set to expire on September 30th.  Brown said foreclosure would cause serious health, safety, welfare, and financial consequences that could undermine efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.

(Niagra, OR)  --  A group of five people floating on the Santiam River had to be rescued Sunday afternoon when they became stranded in rapids near Niagara Park.  It's a remote section of the river, and damage from last year's wildfires made it difficult to reach.  No one in the group was wearing life jackets.  Two rescuers became stranded when their raft overturned.  An Oregon Army National Guard helicopter was brought in to airlift everyone from the river.  One person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. 

(Vancouver, WA)  --  Trial gets underway today for a man accused of murdering an 18-year-old transgender Vancouver woman in 2019.  David Bogdanov is charged with second-degree murder and malicious harassment in connection to the death of Nikki Kuhnhausen, whose body was found in December of 2019 after she went missing in June earlier that year.  Police believe Bogdanov strangled her to death after she revealed to him that she'd been born male.  The two had been talking on Snapchat and had agreed to meet up on June 6th, which was the last day Kuhnhausen was seen alive.

(Woodland, WA)  --  A repaving project on I-5 in Clark County will cause lengthy delays overnight for the next few weeks.  Work got underway yesterday on I-5 southbound between Woodland and La Center.  For the next three weeks, two lanes will close at 8 p.m. every night, leaving only one lane open.  The speed has been reduced in the area to 55 miles an hour. 

(Lakeview, OR)  --  Officials say the Fox Complex of fires near Lakeview grew to 62-hundred acres over the weekend.  The fire includes the Patton Meadow and Willow Valley fires.  One home was destroyed and 471 homes are threatened.  Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations are in place.  The fire is only one-percent contained.

(Canyonville, OR)  --  Firefighters are increasing containment on the largest fire in the 57-hundred-acre Skyline Ridge Complex about five miles east of Canyonville.  Officials say the Poole Creek Fire is now 34-percent contained.  A control line has been completed around the fire, and mop-up continues on the interior.  A red glow will be visible at night over the interior of the fire, which continues to burn.  Patrols are monitoring the control line to make sure the fire doesn't spread.

(Lakeview, OR)  --  The Bootleg Fire is now completely contained.  The U.S. Forest Service says crews reached 100-percent containment on the massive blaze yesterday following more than a month.  The fire burned more than 413-thousand acres, or just under 650 square miles.

(Tillamook, OR) -- Officials say a wildfire that's burning in the Coast Range 18 miles east of Tillamook has grown to 60 acres. Winds increased fire activity Thursday. Helicopters have been taking water from the Wilson River and air tankers have been using Hagg Lake. The fire is ten-percent contained. Officials say it isn't currently threatening any structures.

(Portland, OR) -- Oregon has set a new record for the number of new daily cases of COVID-19 at two-thousand-387. The Oregon Health Authority reported the record number of new cases yesterday along with nine new deaths. There are currently 670 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, which is five more than Wednesday. So far during the pandemic, there have been two-thousand-928 deaths in Oregon and 236-thousand-698 cases.

(Newberg, OR) -- The Newberg Public Schools Board is voting to ban Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ Pride flags from school buildings. The school board voted 4-to-3 in support of the proposal Tuesday night. Only the American Flag and Oregon state flag will be allowed. The teacher's union, American Civil Liberties Union, and the state legislature's Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus have criticized the decision.

(Lincoln City, WA) -- Chinook Winds Casino and Golf Course is closing its doors due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. The casino says that too many people are getting COVID-19 despite efforts to vaccinate staff members and their families. They hope to reopen on August 26th. Staff will be paid during the two week closure.

(Vancouver, WA) -- Police are searching for a suspect or suspects accused of firing dozens of shots in Vancouver. Police say the shooting happened Wednesday night on Simpson Avenue just south of West Mill Plain Boulevard. Police say some of the shells they found were from high-powered assault rifles. The bullets hit an occupied residence and two vehicles. No one was hurt. Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon's new mask mandate takes effect tomorrow.  All residents will be required to wear a mask in public indoor settings regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.  Governor Kate Brown issued the mandate earlier this week due to rising case numbers being caused by the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.  Health officials say the Delta variant is causing COVID-19 cases to rise to their highest level so far during the pandemic, and masks are the fastest way to reduce the trend.

(Portland, OR)  --  Oregon is reporting eight new COVID-19 deaths along with one-thousand-991 new infections.  The Oregon Health Authority reported the new numbers yesterday.  The health department also reported 30 new hospitalizations for COVID-19, raising Oregon's total number of COVID-19 patients currently being hospitalized to 665.  Since the pandemic began, there have been two-thousand-920 deaths and 234-thousand-393 cases of coronavirus.
 

(Lakeview, OR)  --  Containment of the Bootleg Fire is nearly complete.  Patrols are driving the hundreds of miles of roads around the fire watching for flare-ups.  Crews are starting to break down equipment, so it can be sent to other fires.  Two fires on the southwest corner of the Bootleg Fire, the Walrus and Yainax fires, are also mostly contained.  Burned Area Emergency Response Teams are now moving in to minimize impacts from the fire which include flooding, debris flow potential, and increased soil erosion.  The Bootleg Fire burned  413-thousand-765 acres, or 647 square miles.

(Portland, OR)  --  An excessive heat warning is in effect for Portland and most of Oregon.  Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees in Portland today and tomorrow, and it'll remain hot through the weekend.  The heat warning remains in effect through 10 p.m. Saturday.  Meanwhile, the hot weather is causing delays on maintenance work scheduled for Saturday night on the Interstate Bridge.  The work would have closed I-5 northbound overnight.  The new date for the work hasn't been determined.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland is marking a grim milestone in its ongoing gun violence crisis.  The Oregonian reports the city marked its 56th homicide of the year over the weekend.  That surpasses the 55 homicides seen in Portland in 1994, making 2021 the deadliest year Portland has seen in over two decades with more than four months still left in the year.  Portland's all-time high for annual homicides was 70 deaths back in 1987.

(Portland, OR)  --  Police say the two men who were killed in a Northeast Portland shooting Tuesday morning were cousins.  Police identified the victims yesterday as 45-year-old David Turner and 50-year-old Odion Turner.  The shooting happened on Northeast Milton Street between 82nd and 84th avenues.  Four other people were injured in the shooting and were taken to hospitals.  Police are still searching for suspects.
 

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown is declaring a State of Emergency due to the hot weather in the forecast.  Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees in Portland on Thursday and Friday, and it'll remain hot through the weekend.  The emergency declaration applies statewide and continues through August 20th.

(Oakridge, OR)  --  A group of fires is growing in the Willamette National Forest nine miles north of Oakridge.  Governor Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Middle Fork Complex of fires.  It allows state and local resources to work together on the fires.  So far, 37-hundred acres have burned.  There are Level 1 and Level 3 evacuations in place.

(Portland, OR)  --  Nearly a dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19.  The Oregon Health Authority reported nine new coronavirus deaths yesterday, raising the state's death toll from the pandemic to two-thousand-912.  The health department also reported two-thousand-329 new cases of COVID-19.  Health officials say there are 635 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon, which is the highest number so far during the pandemic. 

(Portland, OR)  --  Police say a record number of illegal guns were seized late last month as part of a drug and firearms investigation.  The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office served a warrant on a house in Clackamas County on July 29th and recovered 337 guns.  They included machine guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and high capacity magazines.  Deputies also located methamphetamine.  This follows an investigation in June where 44 guns were seized from a home in Gresham.  Arrests and charges are expected from the raid in Clackamas County. 

(Portland, OR)  --  Police are searching for an escaped inmate from Portland's Columbia River Correctional Institution.  State Department of Corrections officials say 53-year-old Quoc Ngyuen walked away from a work crew at the prison Tuesday morning.  Nguyen is Asian, five-feet eight-inches tall and 208 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.  He was wearing blue jeans, a blue t-shirt, a yellow vest, and a sweatshirt.  They were all stenciled with the word "Inmate" in orange.

(Salem, OR)  --  Governor Kate Brown is issuing a statewide indoor mask mandate and ordering executive branch employees to be fully vaccinated COVID-19.  Brown announced the directives yesterday in response to models that show Oregon hospitals will soon be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.  The vaccination requirement will also apply to Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries and Department of Justice employees.  She's urging leaders of the legislative and judicial branches to make the same requirement.  The vaccination deadline is October 18th, or six weeks after a COVID-19 vaccine receives full approval from the federal government.  Brown plans a news conference today to make the official announcement.

(Idanha, OR)  --  A fast moving grass fire had residents near Detroit Lake preparing to evacuate Tuesday afternoon.  The fire was near Idanha and Level 2 evacuation warnings were issued.  The Marion County Sheriff's Office says the fire burned three acres and is under control.  The Level 2 evacuation warning will remain in place until the fire is completely put out.   It was nearly a year ago that the Lionshead and Beachie Creek fires destroyed much of Detroit and Idanha.

(Portland, OR)  --  Health officials say Oregon had an average of one-thousand-76 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The Oregon Health Authority reported a total of three-thousand-229 new cases and 14 new deaths yesterday for Friday through Sunday.  There are 575 people hospitalized with coronavirus, which is 21 more than on Sunday.  So far, there have been two-thousand-903 deaths and 230-thousand-103 cases since the pandemic began.

(Portland, OR)  --  In the last six weeks, Portland Police have investigated an average of 30 shootings a week.  That's according to the Portland Police Bureau.  One person died and three people were wounded over the weekend in separate shootings.  So far this year, there have been approximately 732 shootings with 237 people hit by gunfire.  That's just over one person per day.

(Salem, OR)  --   Governor Kate Brown says she supports the decision by Multnomah County to require masks in public indoor spaces.  Brown says local governments are now in control of how they handle the pandemic, and she's urging local leaders to take action to institute mask requirements.  Brown says there's a limited number of hospital beds, and if local leaders don't act and hospital beds become full, she'll consider statewide health measures to stop the Delta variant from spreading.

(Portland, OR)  --  Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury is issuing a requirement for masks to be worn indoors due to a surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant.  The order goes into effect on Friday and applies to everyone five-years old and above regardless of vaccination status.  Kafoury says they will be enforcing the requirement initially with education, but a one-thousand-dollar fine is possible.

(Gresham, OR)  --  A driver is facing multiple charges in connection to a crash that killed another driver in Gresham.  Police say officers arrested 23-year-old Earnest Lott of Portland on charges of criminally negligent homicide, assault and DUII for the crash Sunday morning.  Police say a 33-year-old Dustin Armogeda of Portland was driving through the intersection of Northeast 162nd Avenue and Glisan with a green light when Lott ran a red light at high speed and hit Armogeda's car in the driver's side, killing him.  Lott suffered minor injuries.  His passenger was hospitalized with serious injuries.

(Lakeview, OR)  --  Containment continues to grow on the Bootleg Fire burning in Southern Oregon.  InciWeb says the blaze is now 98-percent contained as of late last night.  The fire has burned 413-thousand-765 acres since it started last month.

(Portland, OR)  --  An investigation is ongoing into a fight involving two groups of people near Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.  Police say people used bear spray, air soft guns, and paintball guns against each other during the fight Sunday night.  Police say they were working a robbery and a homicide and didn't have enough officers to safely respond to the fight.  No arrests were made.  Anyone who was the victim of a crime should report it to Portland Police.

(Salem, OR) -- Oregon is dealing with a backlog of 25-thousand applications for emergency rental assistance. Oregon Housing and Community Services says software that's used to process the applications doesn't work well and it's causing delays. A private vendor has been hired to have more than 60 people speed up the process. They'll handle 85-hundred of the claims. Renters in Oregon who have applied for emergency rental assistance can't be evicted for non-payment until the end of September.

(Portland, OR) -- Police are searching for a suspect in connection to a deadly shooting on a TriMet bus. Police responded to reports of a disturbance on the bus at Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and 26th Avenue yesterday afternoon and found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was taken to a hospital, where he died. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.

(Bethany, OR) -- An 84-year-old man remains hospitalized following a random attack in the Rock Creek community. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says the man was picking berries on West Union Road Friday afternoon when 49-year-old Gregory Bruemmer ran up and "violently shoved" him to the ground. Police say the victim suffered "massive head injuries" and was rushed to a Portland trauma center with life-threatening injuries. Police tracked down and arrested Bruemmer on charges of assault and harassment.

(Salem, OR) -- Some residents in Douglas County are preparing for potential evacuations as the Skyline Ridge Complex Fire continues to burn. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office issued Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notices to residents on Ferguson Creek Road, Moore Ranch Road and Devils Knob Road yesterday. The complex has burned over 24-hundred acres and is 14-percent contained as of late last night.

(Lakeview, OR) -- The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon is nearing full containment after charring over 413-thousand acres. Fire officials say the blaze is now 96-percent contained as of late last night. Firefighters have made significant progress building containment lines on the northeastern edge of the fire, where terrain has made it difficult. Meanwhile, two more fires started last week near the southwestern edge of the Bootleg Fire. The Walrus and Yainax fires were kept from growing with heavy work from helicopters. Firefighters have hose lines surrounding the fires to keep them from growing.

(Portland, OR) -- Nearly half a dozen more Oregonians are dead after contracting COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority reported five new coronavirus deaths yesterday along with one-thousand-213 new COVID-19 infections. Officials say a total of 422 people are hospitalized statewide, which is 43 more than on Tuesday. Over the last week, new cases were up 92-percent. Hospitalizations increased 75-percent and the number of deaths related to COVID-19 doubled. Test positivity is eight-point-two-percent.

(Portland, OR) -- Legacy Health says it's requiring employees, contractors, and volunteers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Yesterday's announcement follows Governor Kate Brown's announcement that health care workers must undergo weekly tests or be vaccinated if they don't want to be tested. Nearly 14-thousand people will fall under Legacy's requirement. It takes effect on September 30th.

(Portland, OR) -- A new report shows the Portland Police Bureau stops a higher percentage of Black drivers for non-moving violations and those drivers are searched more often. Earlier this year, the Police Bureau was ordered to take action to reduce traffic stops for non-moving violations and to tell drivers they have a right to deny their consent of a search. The overall number of traffic stops were down last year because the pandemic had fewer drivers on the roads.

(Salem, OR) -- Governor Kate Brown is directing the Oregon Health Authority to issue a new rule requiring health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or take regular tests for coronavirus. Brown announced the directive yesterday. The new rule will take effect September 30th, which will give health care workers time to get fully vaccinated. The Oregon Nurses Association supports the Governor's decision.

(Paisley, OR) -- A community meeting is scheduled tonight to provide updates on the Bootleg Fire burning in Southern Oregon. InciWeb says Incident Management Team Members will answer questions and provide updates during the virtual meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. A remote broadcast of the meeting will be available at City Hall in Paisley. The Bootleg Fire remains at 84-percent containment and has burned over 413-thousand-700 acres since starting on July 6th.

(North Bend, OR) -- Police on the southern Oregon Coast are investigating the murder of a North Bend Physician. Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier tells The World newspaper that officers found the body of 45-year-old Dr. Craig Jackson early Monday morning when they responded to a medical emergency call at his home. Frasier says Jackson's wife told investigators that two men forced their way into the home and fought with Jackson before fleeing the scene. Multiple agencies are investigating, including Oregon State Police. Jackson was a doctor at a Coos Bay Clinic.

(Portland, OR)  --  COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Oregon.  The Oregon Health Authority reported one-thousand-575 new cases yesterday along with nine new deaths.  There are now 379 people hospitalized with COVID-19, which is an increase of 39 patients since Monday.  There have been two-thousand-872 deaths and 223-thousand-364 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began.  Vaccinations are increasing to an average of five-thousand a day.

(Lakeview, OR)  --  Firefighters continue to make progress against the Bootleg Fire burning in southern Oregon.  An InciWeb update shows the blaze is now at 84-percent containment as of late last night.  The fire has burned more than 413-thousand-700 acres since it started on July 6th.

(Salem, OR)  --  Oregon OHSA is adopting two new temporary rules regarding wildfire smoke and heat.  The wildfire smoke rule requires an employer to take action to protect workers who are outside when the Air Quality Index goes above 101.  The heat rule applies to employer-provided housing.   If the indoor temperature is above 78 degrees, then the employer needs to provide areas where employees can cool off. 

(Washington, D.C.)  --  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a 15-million-dollar pilot program to help farmers dealing with drought in the Klamath Basin.  The money will be used pay producers to reduce irrigation demand.  The USDA will evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine whether changes are needed when future funds are allocated.

(Salem, OR)  --  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack toured an Oregon farm affected by drought and got an update on wildfires in the state yesterday.  Vilsack and Governor Kate Brown toured G&C Farms in Salem and saw how the drought is affecting crops.  Vilsack also attended a wildfire briefing at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem.  Vilsack says he talked with President Biden about the importance of forest management.  Vilsack says the three-point-three-billion dollars included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to fund forest management is only a start.

(Portland, OR)  --  A former Nike marketing manager has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for a scheme to defraud the company.  Court documents show 47-year-old Errol Andam was sentenced to 31 months in prison yesterday followed by three years of supervised release.  He's also being ordered to pay one-point-six-million dollars in restitution as well as 212-thousand dollars to the IRS.  Andam was in charge of "pop-up" retail stores near sports competitions when he carried out the fraud scheme.  He pleaded guilty to creating a private company to run the stores and he directed the business to that company.

(Portland, OR)  --  Mayor Ted Wheeler is directing the Portland Police Bureau to start making plans for a body camera program.  Wheeler released a statement yesterday announcing he is ordering the bureau to begin researching options and getting bids from vendors.  The bureau is also being directed to start exploring what grants might be available to help cover the costs.  The U.S. Department of Justice recommends the use of body cameras.

(Undated)  --  There are currently 97 active large wildfires burning across the country.  Montana leads the way with 25, Idaho has 21 and Oregon has 13.  Oregon is home to the country's largest wildfire, the Bootleg Fire.  It is 84-percent contained after charring over 413-thousand-acres.  Meanwhile, the Dixie Fire in northern California has made its way through 254-thousand acres and is 35-percent contained.  Additionally, the PF Fire in southern Montana is now 100-percent contained after blazing through 66-thousand acres.

(Portland, OR) -- A new study out of Portland State University suggests workplace incivility is on the rise since the start of the pandemic. The study shows an increase in rudeness and discourteous behavior among coworkers at the office. Beyond that, the study shows an increase in these types of behaviors in a virtual office setting, for example on digital conference calls and more. This particular study by PSU focuses on the impact work incivility has on targets of these behaviors.

(Portland, OR) -- Kaiser Permanente employees working in Oregon are exempt from the company's requirement to get vaccinated. A 1989 state law makes Oregon the only state in the country where it's illegal to require vaccinations for employees. The company, meanwhile, says they are working with the Oregon Health Authority and the governor to support vaccinations "to the fullest extent permitted by law." At least one representative with the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems says they believe the state law should be amended amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Portland, OR) -- Police say they didn't break up an illegal street racing event in the city this weekend because there were no life-threatening calls. According to the report, the unsanctioned gathering left the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior and Columbia Boulevards in Northeast Portland blocked for hours Sunday night. While police were aware that the event was happening, they didn't break it up, saying they would have responded if there were specific threats to life. Over the years, there have been several traffic deaths, even shootings, connected to illegal street racing in Portland.

(Portland, OR) -- As COVID-19 cases continue to spike, hospitals across the Portland area are facing staffing shortages and a lack of available beds to treat patients. Local health officials say the issue is having a ripple effect across the region and across the state. Patients are being boarded in hospital emergency departments as hospital staff are trying to accommodate. Over the weekend, more than two-thousand new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Oregon.

(Portland, OR) -- Portland Police are hitting a roadblock in launching their new specialty unit to combat increasing gun violence in the city. Mainly, the department says, they don't have the officers to staff the team. Back in May, when the city approved the Focused Intervention Team without approving any additional funding, not enough officers volunteered to fill the 14-person unit. Last year, city leaders disbanded the gun violence reduction team on account of racial bias.

(Portland, OR) -- Portland's Slow Streets Program is here to stay. That's the word from city officials who say the temporary modifications made to city streets to better protect pedestrians and cyclists are going to be more permanent. Last summer, the Portland Bureau of Transportation installed signs and orange barrels to let drivers know to slow down for bikes and pedestrians. Now those efforts are being rolled out across more locations this summer.

(Portland, OR) -- A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise money for a group of middle schoolers who had their snow cone cart stolen recently. The trio had been operating the cart around the Northeast Portland area for weeks before the theft. One day while out, the cart wound up damaged and they had to leave it near Northeast Broadway and 16th Avenue where it was stolen from later that same night. Now they're looking to raise around two-thousand dollars to either buy or make a new cart for their business.

(Portland, OR) -- Oregon's attorney general is ordering the release of the names and addresses of the 83 confirmed victims who died during last month's extreme heat wave. The state medical examiner had initially denied media requests for those victims' information, citing the state's public records law. The media is arguing the release of the victim information will allow better assessment of the government's preparedness and responsiveness to the heat. The medical examiner says releasing that information could complicate further investigations that may require family cooperation.

(Tokyo, Japan) -- American gymnast and Oregon State alum Jade Carey is bringing home the gold. The 21-year-old from Arizona took top honors in the women's floor exercise competition in Tokyo Sunday local time. This is the fifth medal claimed by the U.S. women's gymnastics team in the 2020 Tokyo Games. After initially stumbling during the final vault, Carey bounced back in a big way with a final score of 14-point-166 in the floor exercise.

(Beaverton, OR) -- The tenth annual Kyron's Car Show in Beaverton is bringing in big dollars to help missing and exploited children. Eleven years ago, Kyron Horman went missing and hasn't been found since. Still, Kyron's parents are holding out hope for his return, sending out flyers and more. Kyron was seven-years-old when he went missing on June 4th, 2010.

(Klamath County, OR) -- Crews are gaining a leg up on the Bootleg Fire that continues burning across Klamath and Lake Counties. As of Sunday, the fire was 74-percent contained, up from 53-percent last week. The Bootleg Fire was burning more than 413-thousand acres as of yesterday. Favorable weather conditions helped crews contain more of the massive fire.