A tip from a concerned citizen about a careless driver led Salem Police Officer Jared Noack to the discovery of 25 pounds of marijuana hidden in the suspect’s vehicle after the driver was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants, authorities reported.   Police found 25 pounds, about $88,000 worth of marijuana - Salem Police photo Mario Alberto Andrade-Cerda, 50, of Salem, was taken into custody Wednesday for suspicion of drunk driving and giving false information to ... [full story]

Guilty plea in scheme involving fraudulent mortgage application and wire fraud. EUGENE, Ore. - A Eugene based mortgage loan officer pleaded guilty Wednesday based on his participation in a scheme involving the use of fraudulent information on loan applications submitted to obtain mortgage loans.   Mark Harless Karin J. Immergut, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced that Mark Todd Harless, 40, of Eugene, Oregon, was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2006. The three ... [full story]

Easy-to-Read Reports Are First of Their Kind in National Initiative to Facilitate Citizen Understanding and Participation in Debates on Fiscal Priorities PORTLAND, Ore.—The City of Portland and the State of Oregon released four-page fiscal snapshots today, as part of a national initiative by the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) to bring clarity to fiscal reporting in municipal, county and state governments. Portland is the first metropolitan city and Oregon the first state government in the ... [full story]

Fire inspectors have determined that a fire which completely destroyed a 2,600 square foot house under construction in northeast Bend on May 14 was human-caused, and the case has been turned over to Bend Police for further investigation. Fire Inspector Dan Derlacki said it is unknown whether the fire was intentional or accidental, and that the blaze does not appear to be related to any other fires. The fire threatened to burn nearby homes but only caused moderate heat ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Congress should not go home for Memorial Day unless it has passed an Iraq war-funding bill, Republicans in the House of Representatives said Thursday. Every Republican member of House signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., demanding that the chamber be kept in session through the upcoming holiday break unless lawmakers negotiate and pass legislation to fund the military in Iraq, Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the House minority leader, ... [full story]

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- Doctors said thousands of people living in U.S. government-provided trailers since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast are at risk for health problems. Angela Orcutt and her young son, Nicky, moved into a travel trailer provided by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Katrina struck Bay St. Louis, Miss., in August 2005, CBS News reported. Orcutt told CBS that her son has been sick with "pretty much ... ... [full story]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Two bombs in southern Afghanistan killed 10 police officers Thursday. A police official said the first bomb killed four officers inside a vehicle on a road in Kandahar, al-Jazeera reported. The second bomb went off 15 minutes later in the same area, killing six officers who had responded to the first explosion, said the official, Gul Zaman, al-Jazeera reported. Witnesses said the bombs appeared to be detonated by remote control. Several people ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- A lobbying reform bill introduced by Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress could force grass-roots organizations to disclose portions of their donor lists. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, introduced Tuesday by Democratic leaders, would force coalitions and associations including the Sierra Club, the National Rifle Association and NARAL Pro-Choice America to disclose lobbying activities, The Hill newspaper reported Thursday. The bill also includes a provision that could require nonprofit ... [full story]

Former Congressman Richard Pombo Warns:  America Cannot Let Congress Get Away With Decreasing America's Domestic Energy Supplies WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Partnership for America grassroots alliance is urging Congress not to repeal a law intended to help America reduce its reliance on foreign energy. The Partnership urged Members of both political parties to retain key energy supply provisions of the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct05). In a letter to all Members of Congress, Paul Poister, ... [full story]

The city of Prineville announced today that residents may return to normal water usage and resume irrigation.  Repair work has been completed on two of the three downed wells, and the third and final repair is expected to be completed tonight. “We ask that residents continue to use the odd/even watering schedule, where houses with odd house numbers water on odd days of the month, and residents with even numbered houses water on even days,” ... [full story]