BEAVERTON, Ore. -- More superdelegates say they are are backing Sen. Barack Obama in the wake of his strong showing in this week's U.S. Democratic presidential primaries. As Obama campaigned in Oregon Friday, he picked up nine more superdelegate endorsements, including one former supporter of Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton. By various counts, it either gave Obama his first lead in the crucial superdelegate count or enabled to pull even with her.Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), ... [full story]

NEWBERG-DUNDEE, Ore. – Police believe speed and alcohol may have contributed to a three-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon which took the life of one woman and seriously injured three men. According to Oregon State Police (OSP) Sgt. Brad Hessel, 51-year old Carma Colleen Smith, of Dayton, was pronounced dead at the scene.   Police believe speed and alcohol may have contributed to a 3-vehicle crash on Highway 99W Sunday afternoon which resulted in the death of one ... [full story]

LEBANON, Ore. – A 38-year old Lebanon woman died late Tuesday night after she was struck by a car as she attempted to cross Highway 20, police reported. According to an Oregon State Police (OSP) news release, Tricia Michelle Harris was hit by a 1993 Dodge Dynasty driven by Dana Jeanette Meacham, 33, of Sweet Home. Meacham was traveling east in the right-hand lane of Highway 20 near milepost 19 about 11 p.m., May 6, when ... [full story]

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. – Police recently announced the body that washed ashore onto a Lincoln City beach on April 8 has been positively identified as that of 16-year-old Ross Barfuss, an Aloha teen that entered the heavy surf off the Oregon coast to help an 11-year-old child caught in a riptide a month earlier. The teenager’s body washed ashore near the Nordic Oceanfront Inn in Lincoln Center last month, but remained unidentified until DNA samples ... [full story]

LANE COUNTY, Ore. – Police are asking the public’s help to solve two incidents of elk poaching that took place in late April and early May in Lane County, Oregon.   Three elk have been shot and left to waste in Lane County, Oregon in recent weeks - OSP photo  Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish & Wildlife Division said a dead cow elk was found on Seneca Jones Timber Company property south of Oakridge, Oregon in the ... [full story]

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Obama campaign will launch an ambitious new field program across Oregon this week designed to empower volunteers to support the campaign with innovative internet tools.  The campaign will identify and train Obama Oregon Community Organizers (Obama OCOs) in an effort to assist supporters in reaching out to their friends and neighbors to talk about Senator Obama’s commitment to bringing change we can believe in to Washington. Today, the campaign is unveiling ... [full story]

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]

SALEM, Ore. – Beginning April 15, residential and small-farm customers of Portland General Electric (PGE) will see their rates decrease by over 6%, a savings of $5.80 per month for an average customer using 900 kWh monthly, the Public Utility Commission announced Tuesday. The reduction was made possible due to the restoration of Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) interim benefits. “We will continue to make a case for Oregon to equitably share the benefits of the low-cost ... [full story]

Jose Guadalupe Amezcua is sentenced for laundering money he believed to be drug-sales proceeds EUGENE, Ore. – Jose Guadalupe Amezcua, 45, of Springfield, Oregon, was sentenced to six-months in a community corrections center Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken for money laundering.  Amezcua also must perform 500 hours of community service as part of a five-year term of probation.  Amezcua pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2007, and admitted that he served as ... [full story]

Across Oregon, 3,000 residents in 35 counties are receiving applications this week that will enable them to learn whether they are eligible for the Oregon Health Plan's Standard benefit package. The Oregon Department of Human Services mailed the applications Monday to people whose names a computer randomly selected from a reservation list on which 91,000-plus Oregon residents signed up during January and February. DHS expects to enroll 10,000 low-income adults during the next several months. ... [full story]

PORTLAND, Ore. – After considering over three hours of testimony and legal arguments, Judge Michael Mosman on Tuesday sentenced Ryan Bonneau, 31, of Portland, to 30 months in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving two residential real estate transactions in 2004. He will serve a period of five years supervised release after completion of his prison term. Bonneau was indicted in 2006 along with Leann Booth, 49, a Portland real estate ... [full story]