SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- A 34-year old Springfield man died Thursday night from injuries suffered after losing control of his motorcycle and colliding into a highway guardrail near Jasper on Parkway Road south of Springfield.   Alcohol may have been involved in this crash that took the life of a Springfield man, who appeared to be eluding troopers during an attempted traffic stop for speeding - OSP photo  The driver, whose name is withheld pending notification of family members, ... [full story]

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- On the last day of the 2008 National Work Zone Awareness Week, a 26-year old Springfield woman died early Friday morning from injuries she suffered during a crash in a highway work zone located northbound Interstate 5 in the Springfield area.   A 26-year old Springfield woman died about 3 a.m. Friday morning when she crashed in a construction zone. She was not wearing a seat belt, troopers said. - OSP photoAccording to ... [full story]

Public health officials warned consumers not to eat certain unsweetened puffed rice and puffed wheat cereals made by the Malt-O-Meal company. The cereal has been identified as the source of an outbreak of salmonellosis, with cases reported in a number of states. These cereals are sold at grocery stores and other outlets throughout the country. The recall does not include the hot porridge that most consumers might associate with the Malt-O-Meal brand. The recalled brands ... [full story]

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Fire destroyed Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign headquarters in downtown Terre Haute, Ind., early Friday, fire officials said.Two women were reported in the headquarters when flames ignited but both got out safely, John Gardner, the Terre Haute Fire Department public information officer, told WTHI-TV in Terre Haute. However, one of the women's cars reportedly caught fire.There was no immediate word on what started the blaze."When they arrived on the scene, flames ... [full story]

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Thirty people aboard a French yacht have been freed peacefully by pirates who kidnapped them off the coast of Somalia, officials said.About a dozen pirates commandeered the luxury yacht last week when it was sailing to the Mediterranean from the Seychelles, EuroNews.net reported. It was reported there were no passengers on the ship when it was taken over.Waters near the Somalian coast are very dangerous, even though they reportedly are monitored by ... [full story]

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Senate is debating reform of the country's 61-year-old citizenship law that stripped some 170,000 people known as "Lost Canadians" of their rights.Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government introduced Bill C-37 to amend the Citizenship Act in December, and it was approved by the House of Commons, the Ottawa Citizen reported.The Lost Canadians include about 30,000 war brides and their children who came to the country after World War II, as ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Two of Republican presidential contender John McCain's top advisers and fundraisers acknowledge they have had lucrative foreign lobbying contracts.While legal, some experts say such cross-representation situations pose potential ethical problems, The Washington Times reported Friday."I'm not sure it's a good idea that one person plays all these roles," said Toni-Michelle C. Travis, a political analyst and professor of government at George Mason University told the Times. "The entanglements become greater and greater, and ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus and his boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, differ about when troop withdrawals from Iraq could resume.Gates, testifying before a Senate committee Thursday, said he hoped troop reductions in Iraq could resume after a "brief," 45-day pause this summer, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.However, Petraeus, during two days of testimony, said drawdowns would resume only when conditions permit and did not offer a timetable. President George Bush said ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Navy officer was on leave Friday after testifying in a Washington federal court she moonlighted as a call girl while on duty at the Naval Academy.Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca C. Dickinson, 38, told the jury she worked for Deborah Jeane Palfrey's escort service for six months, using the name "Renee" while having sex for money, The Washington Post reported. She said she quit in 2006 partly because of "other responsibilities."Palfrey is on ... [full story]

GARY, Ind. -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, though a Republican, says he has high regard for Sen. Barack Obama in his bid for the Democratic presidential nod.Powell said in a television interview broadcast Thursday he admired the way Obama handled a speech on race and his controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, The New York Times reported Friday.Powell said he valued Obama's council and was impressed with the way he has ... [full story]