May 19, 2021

Homeless man charged in Palisades brush fire

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. (CNS) — A homeless man who allegedly started the 1,158-acre brush fire in Pacific Palisades on Friday night was arrested after investigators sent to the scene saw him starting other fires in the area the following day, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Tuesday.

Ramon Santos Rodriguez, 48, was charged Tuesday with one felony count each of arson of a structure or forest and arson during a state of emergency. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held in lieu of $350,000 bail while awaiting a June 1 hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to require him to stand trial.

Meanwhile, firefighters made significant overnight progress on the fire, as containment lines were improved and firefighters were able to make access to remote areas to mop up.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard was reopened to the public at 1 p.m. Tuesday, when officials also lifted an evacuation warning issued Sunday for all homes north of Chastain Parkway in the 1500 block to Calle Del Cielo. The warning area included Calle De Sarah, Calle Bellevista and all homes west of Calle Del Cielo and Ave Ashley up to the hills.

Read more: https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/wildfires/2021/05/16/palisades-fire--search-underway-person-suspected-of-starting-fire

May 19, 2021

Feds seize $3.6M from Oregon company over sale of fake N95 masks to state of Maine

PORTLAND, Maine — The federal government has seized $3.6 million from the bank account of a company involved in a deal to sell $4.5 million in overpriced, counterfeit N95 masks to the state of Maine.

The U.S. attorney is seeking to force the company, Med-Tech Resource LLC of Eugene to forfeit the money and reimburse the state for 1.8 million fake respirators purchased by the state. But the company’s CEO already agreed to refund the state, the Portland Press Herald reported.

“We’ll do everything in our power to make everyone whole,” said Michael Modrich, founder and CEO of the 30-year-old medical supply company.

Donald Clark, acting U.S. attorney for Maine, declined to comment on the case Monday, including whether criminal charges will be brought.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2021/05/feds-seize-36m-from-oregon-company-over-sale-of-fake-n95-masks-to-state-of-maine.html

May 19, 2021

The Congressman in Charge of Transportation Fears Oregon Is Squandering Its Chance to Replace the

The Congressman in Charge of Transportation Fears Oregon Is Squandering Its Chance to Replace the Columbia River Bridge


U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) fears Oregon and Washington won’t make it on time to a bridge across the Columbia River.

Nobody is better situated to know—or to help the Pacific Northwest secure Biden Bucks to rebuild the Interstate 5 Bridge. As chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, DeFazio is in a prime position to direct funds from President Joe Biden’s proposed $621 billion in transportation funding.

If Congress passes DeFazio’s preferred spending plan—and given the mandate Biden now has to jump-start the economy, it very well might—it would fund the rebuilding of the 10 most economically significant bridges in the nation. DeFazio estimates that the Interstate 5 Bridge across the Columbia River ranks 11th, but he thinks he could nudge it into the top 10.

Just one problem, DeFazio says: Washington and Oregon lawmakers don’t have a plan for such a bridge, nor do they appear to feel any urgency to make one.

Read more: https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2021/05/12/the-congressman-in-charge-of-transportation-fears-oregon-is-squandering-its-chance-to-replace-the-columbia-river-bridge/
(Williamette Week)

May 19, 2021

Oregon Senate votes to reinstate foreclosure moratorium

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Lawmakers in the Oregon Senate voted in favor of a bill on Monday that would reinstate the state’s moratorium on foreclosures for homeowners dealing with pandemic-related financial hardships.

Under the bill, homeowners could place their mortgage in forbearance at least through the end of June. The moratorium could be extended until the end of the year if Gov. Kate Brown lengthens the statewide emergency period.

The bill passed the Senate 19-9 and now goes to the House.

Lawmakers have pushed the housing crisis to the forefront during the legislative session, and last week sent to the governor a bill that extends the time renters have to pay back rent.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/or-state-wire-oregon-coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-e8bd07e22363fd30434f4f72cc94345b

May 19, 2021

Klamath County voters reject bed tax increase that would have funded tourism

Although 70% of Klamath County voters voted against ballot measure 18-120, which would’ve raised the transient room tax in the county from 8% to 11%, one group that was opposed to the measure said the results in their favor wasn’t a win.

“Nobody won tonight,” said Kate Marquez, chair of the Citizens for Responsible Government. “We need a public process that begins with gathering stakeholders, and we need a measure that clearly states where the funds will be spent.”

Citizens for Responsible Government isn’t opposed to raising the room tax rate. The group instead encouraged no votes because of the vague language in the measure that earmarks 30% of the increase for “county services,” with the other 70% going to tourism promotion, through agencies like Discover Klamath.

“We would like to see a measure that would support Discover Klamath’s efforts,” said Todd Kepple with the opposition group. “And this wasn’t it.”

Read more: https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/klamath-county-voters-reject-bed-tax-increase-that-would-have-funded-tourism/article_a49a7071-be59-5e5b-8be8-1f708ca10afa.html
(Klamath Falls Herald and News)

May 19, 2021

Still no timeline to reopen Oregon Capitol to the public

Despite eased mask recommendations and increasing vaccination rates, don’t expect the Oregon Capitol to reopen to the public anytime soon.

The building was closed in spring 2020 amid rising cases of COVID-19 and has remained closed through multiple special sessions as well as the entire 2021 legislative session to date. The public can still observe the legislative process, as all legislative meetings are live-streamed, and lawmakers take testimony using virtual platforms.

Legislative leaders are awaiting updated guidance from the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Occupational Safety and Health, which regulate workplaces.

According to the “Capitol Operations Safety Plan” released in January by House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, the Capitol will not open its doors to the public until Marion County, where the building is located, enters the lower-risk category in the state’s risk level framework.

Read more: https://www.bendbulletin.com/coronavirus/still-no-timeline-to-reopen-oregon-capitol-to-the-public/article_edd4574b-9f02-5ce2-bd0f-f0d8bf6ed469.html

May 19, 2021

Voting rights champion Stacey Abrams will kick off speaking tour this fall in San Antonio

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic voting rights advocate who helped flip Georgia into a 2020 battleground state, will kick off a fall speaking tour at San Antonio's Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

The former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and author of the bestseller Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change will speak on Monday, September 20, taking questions from both the audience and the community, the Tobin announced Monday.

The event will include "candid conversation and insights on politics, leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice and being a true voice for change,” according to the performance space.

Tickets, including $200 meet-and-greet packages, go on sale Friday, May 21 at 10 a.m.

Read more: https://www.sacurrent.com/ArtSlut/archives/2021/05/17/voting-rights-champion-stacey-abrams-will-kick-off-speaking-tour-this-fall-in-san-antonio

May 19, 2021

Fort Bend County Judge Sets $300,000 Bond For Alleged Tiger Owner

A Fort Bend County judge revoked the bond for a man alleged to own a tiger that roamed a west Houston neighborhood earlier this week, setting a new amount of $300,000 after prosecutors accused the man of breaking the terms of his original bond agreement.

Victor Cuevas was arrested Tuesday and charged with evading arrest after police say the tiger was let loose late Sunday evening, before Cuevas allegedly wrangled the animal into his SUV and fled the scene.

Prosecutors on Friday attempted to revoke his bond on a separate 2017 case that charged Cuevas with murder.

The Friday morning bond hearing was a heated back-and-forth between prosecutors and Cuevas’ lawyer, Michael Elliott.

Read more: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2021/05/14/398146/alleged-tiger-owner-heads-to-jail-as-search-for-tiger-continues/

May 19, 2021

Outspoken Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen announces retirement with parting jab at Cowboys

After 38 years of speaking his mind on the Dallas airwaves, Dale Hansen is calling it quits.

The 72-year-old WFAA sports anchor and commentator announced on Tuesday that he's retiring in September. He did so with a jab at a frequent subject of his criticism — the Dallas Cowboys.

“There's an old proverb that says all good things must come to an end, and it's true, all good things do,” Hansen said, per WFAA. “I've been waiting 25 years for the Cowboys to win another Super Bowl, and I can't wait anymore.”

Hansen covered the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers and Stars after joining WFAA in 1983. He also worked as a color analyst on Cowboys radio broadcasts during their early 1990s run of three Super Bowl wins. But he's best known nationally for his stark commentary on sometimes difficult subject matter.

Hansen frequently challenged Jerry Jones

In 2018, he took on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over his hard-line stance prohibiting Cowboys players from protesting during the national anthem.

Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/outspoken-dallas-sports-anchor-dale-hansen-announces-retirement-with-parting-jab-at-cowboys-003617986.html

May 19, 2021

Outspoken Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen announces retirement with parting jab at Cowboys

After 38 years of speaking his mind on the Dallas airwaves, Dale Hansen is calling it quits.

The 72-year-old WFAA sports anchor and commentator announced on Tuesday that he's retiring in September. He did so with a jab at a frequent subject of his criticism — the Dallas Cowboys.

“There's an old proverb that says all good things must come to an end, and it's true, all good things do,” Hansen said, per WFAA. “I've been waiting 25 years for the Cowboys to win another Super Bowl, and I can't wait anymore.”

Hansen covered the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers and Stars after joining WFAA in 1983. He also worked as a color analyst on Cowboys radio broadcasts during their early 1990s run of three Super Bowl wins. But he's best known nationally for his stark commentary on sometimes difficult subject matter.

Hansen frequently challenged Jerry Jones

In 2018, he took on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over his hard-line stance prohibiting Cowboys players from protesting during the national anthem.

Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/outspoken-dallas-sports-anchor-dale-hansen-announces-retirement-with-parting-jab-at-cowboys-003617986.html