BLACKSBURG, Va. - Law enforcement authorities say Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-hui fired 170 bullets in a 9-minute span in killing 30 people. Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said Cho was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police reached him in a Norris Hall classroom alongside some of his victims. Flinchum and Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Steve Flaherty said the new details in a news conference Wednesday -- 10 days after the ... [full story]

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has good news for anglers: Diamond Lake will be stocked in time for the high lakes trout opener on Saturday, Apr. 28. “We’re excited that anglers have the opportunity to take a historic fishing trip to Diamond Lake this weekend,” said Umpqua Fish District Biologist Jim Muck. “The ice is breaking up, and the water quality has improved to the point we can stock ... [full story]

ALBANY, N.Y. - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced he plans to introduce legislation aimed at overhauling the state's abortion policies. Spitzer's plan, the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act, would update the state's abortion law by allowing women to have abortions late in their pregnancies to protect their health, The New York Times reported Thursday. The governor's office said the law would also classify abortion as a matter of professional and medical discretion and ... [full story]

The Forestland Classification Steering Committee will continue its review of the system for categorizing Oregon's forest and rangelands for the purpose of wildfire protection when it meets on May 9 in Sisters. Appointed by the Oregon Department of Forestry, the 29-member panel is tasked with recommending revisions and improvements to the system, which was developed more than 40 years ago.  The committee members represent a broad cross-section of private and public organizations that share an interest ... [full story]

WARSAW, Poland - Poland's former government construction minister committed suicide while police searched her apartment in a corruption investigation, media said. Barbara Blida, 57, accompanied by a female police officer, went to a bathroom of her apartment in the southern Polish town of Siemianowice Wednesday and shot herself, the Croatian news agency Hina reported Thursday, quoting police spokeswoman Magdalena Stanczyk. Blida was a parliamentary deputy and member of the post-communist Leftist Democratic Alliance from 1989 ... [full story]

LONDON - The planned deployment of Britain's Prince Harry to Iraq is under review by British military officers. The London Evening Standard reported that the Ministry of Defense said the 22-year-old prince's deployment is under "constant consideration." Threats against the prince by Iraqi insurgents have led officials to fear his presence on the front lines could endanger troops serving with him, The Sun reported. "There is a groundswell of opinion across senior ranks now that ... [full story]

Governor signs SB 362 that allows all Oregonians to join the pooling program and save money on prescriptions SALEM, Ore. – Thursday Governor Ted Kulongoski was joined by Senator Bill Morrisette, Representative Mitch Greenlick and other healthcare advocates to sign legislation (SB 362) to expand the Oregon Prescription Drug Program to include the private sector, labor unions and all underinsured Oregonians who lack full prescription drug coverage. “By pooling individuals’ buying power for prescriptions, we are ... [full story]

A citizen advisory group of approximately 30 community members will meet in Bend, Oregon on Monday, April 30 to continue discussion of motorized vehicle access on the Deschutes National Forest. The group began meeting last December to assist federal managers with the implementation of a 2005 “Travel Management Rule” for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and the Crooked River National Grassland. Their most recent meeting occurred April 4 in Bend, where recommendations were made regarding ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate Thursday gave final approval to a $124 billion supplemental spending bill that imposes a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. U.S. President George Bush has vowed to veto the measure, which was reported out of conference committee Monday. The Senate voted 51-46 to approve the measure on the heels of a 218-208 House vote Wednesday night. Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., defended the measure, ... [full story]

Governor Ted Kulongoski has proclaimed May “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month” in Oregon. Oregon is joining with other federal, state and local highway safety and law enforcement organizations in a nationwide campaign designed to raise awareness about sharing the road with motorcyclists. “With warmer weather coming, more motorcycles will be on the roads. Drivers of passenger vehicles need to be extra alert,” said Michele O’Leary, motorcycle safety program manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. “Motorcycles are ... [full story]