ARLINGTON, Ore. - The mayor of Arlington, Ore., has drawn criticism for photos on her MySpace page that depict the official in her bra and panties on a town fire engine. Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist The photos of Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, which she said were taken before her election three years ago, are viewable only to MySpace friends of the mayor, but at one point they were visible top all visitors to the social networking Web site, The ... [full story]

The six-man jury deliberating the guilt or innocence of Matt Roloff, television star of TLC’s “Little People, Big World”, in his long-anticipated drunk driving trial was given the boot Thursday after violating court orders by researching terms on the internet, leaving the judge to ultimately make the decision: “not guilty”.   Matt Roloff's mug shot - WCSO photo Jurors deliberated three hours on Wednesday before going home, and continued today for about an hour and a half ... [full story]

A 48-year old Portland man was arrested Wednesday and charged with drunk-driving and other crimes in connection with a near head-on crash one mile west of Government Camp on Highway 26 that sent three people to the hospital, police reported.   Gregory Arnason (inset) was charged with DUII when his vehicle crashed nearly head-on into this van. Arnason was not injured, but all three men in the van were taken to the hospital. OSP photos. The 2008 Nissan Armada ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Law enforcement officials charged a 33-year-old woman with first-degree murder after the discovery of four decomposing bodies in her Washington, D.C., home.U.S. Marshals conducting a routine search during an eviction uncovered the bodies of four young girls, 5, 6, 11 and 17, Wednesday in a Washington Highlands row house occupied by 33-year-old Banita Jacks, The Washington Post reported Thursday.Jacks was scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court Thursday afternoon to face two formal ... [full story]

JERUSALEM -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders must make progress on four fronts to achieve peace in the Middle East, U.S. President George Bush said in Jerusalem.In a statement on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Bush said the two sides must fulfill commitments under the so-called road map to peace. The Palestinians also must build their economy, and their political and security institutions, "(and) they need the help of Israel, the region, and the international community," Bush ... [full story]

CHICAGO -- A man in Chicago was charged with felony identity theft and faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly stealing a young girl's Social Security number.Ambrosio DeJesus-Flores, 39, was caught by police when the girl, 20, attempted to buy a cell phone and collect benefits from Social Security, The Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald reported Thursday.Police reportedly learned that DeJesus-Flores allegedly bought the Social Security number nine years ago and has since ... [full story]

BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military said its aircraft dropped 40,000 pounds of bombs on insurgent strongholds in the Arab Jabour district in southern Baghdad.U.S. officials said it conducted its largest air raid in months targeting al-Qaida and its affiliates operating in Iraq as part of a renewed effort against militant activity, The New York Times said Thursday.Nine U.S. soldiers died in Sunni-dominated regions north of Baghdad as part of the broader push against insurgents operating ... [full story]

LAHORE, Pakistan -- A suicide bomber set off an explosion Thursday outside a courthouse in Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, killing 24 people, including 21 policemen. Thursday marked the start of the Islamic new year and the eve of the holy month of Muharram for Shiites. Authorities said the attack was targeted at police officers. It is the latest in a series of deadly bombings and attacks that have plagued the country. On Dec. 27, ... [full story]

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- The FBI advised Florida police of an alleged bomb threat prompting Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani to change a campaign stop.Giuliani had planned to deliver a tax speech Wednesday at the Harris Corp. in Melbourne, but a bomb threat an hour before his appearance prompted an evacuation of the building, The New York Times said Thursday.The Melbourne Police Department conducted a sweep of the company's headquarters building and found nothing unusual, WKMG-TV, ... [full story]

SCARSDALE, N.Y. -- A 19-year-old business owner from Scarsdale, N.Y., challenged Sen. Barack Obama's use of the "Change Rocks" logo in the senator's presidential campaign.Stefan Doyno trademarked the slogan three years ago as the name for his jewelry business, and said he was shocked to see that Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, use the name as part of his campaign, White Plains (N.Y.) Journal News reported Thursday.Obama's campaign manager reportedly received a letter on Dec. ... [full story]