Thursday Mid-Morning News Report (AUDIO)

Salem-News.com

(SALEM) - (Audio transcript)

HERE ARE TODAY'S TOP STORY`S FROM SALEM-NEWS.COM, WITH KEVIN HAYS REPORTING...

LENGTH: 2:32

AN 82-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AND HER RESCUER WERE INJURED YESTERDAY IN A FIRE AT THE LOVING HANDS ADULT FOSTER CARE HOME IN SOUTHEAST SALEM.

THE FIRE WAS TRACED TO AN ASHTRAY THAT WAS DUPMED INTO A GARBAGE CAN NEXT TO A GALLON OF GASOLINE.

DAMAGE TO THE HOME IS ESTIMATED AT $150,000 DOLLARS.

A BURNING TRASH CAN IN A ROOM AT THE MARRIOTT HOTEL IN SOUTHEAST SALEM FORCED THE EVACUATION OF GUEST AND EMPLOYEES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SMALL FIRE, WAS STARTED BY A CIGARETTE ASHTRAY THAT WAS DUMPED INTO A PLASTIC TRASHCAN THAT ALSO CONTAINED COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS.

TAYLOR HICKS, THE MOP-TOPPED MANIC DANCER WHO WOOED TV AUDIENCES WITH HIS RAW SINGING STYLE AND BIOSTEROUS PERSONALITY, WAS NAMED THE NEW AMERICAN IDOL WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

THE 29-YEAR-OLD HICKS BECAME THE LATEST IN A STRING OF SOUTHERN AND MIDWESTERN CONTESTANTS TO WIN THE FOX TALENT CONTEST.

IN THE PAST WEEK, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR UNLEADED GASOLINE FELL MORE THAN 6-CENTS TO $2.87 A GALLON.

NOT SO IN OREGON, WHERE THE PRICE ROSE FOUR CENTS TO $3.10 A GALLON.

OREGON`S AVERAGE PRICE IS THE FIFTH HIGHEST IN THE NATION. HAWAII IS THE HIGHEST AT $3.40, AND OKLAHOMA IS THE LOWEST AT $2.63.

DESPITE PROBLEMS WITH PESTS, THE WEATHER, AND HIGH FUEL COSTS, 29 OF OREGON`S 36 COUNTIES POSTED INCREASED AGRUCUTURAL SALES IN 2005.

MARION COUNTY RETAINED ITS SPOT AS THE STATE`S LARGEST AGRICULTURAL COUNTY, WITH $540 MILLION DOLLARS IN SALES.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP FIVE WERE, CLACKAMAS, WASHINGTON, UMATILLA, AND YAMHILL COUNTY.

THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER IS UNITING THREE GENERATIONS OF ONE SALEM FAMILY.

FOR THE RATZLAFF FAMILY THEIR GOAL IS SIMPLE “ SURVIVE CANCER.

JOHN, IS CURRENTLY BATTLING HODGKIN LYMPH OMA, JOHN`S FOUR YEAR OLD GRANDSON, CONNER, WILL BE UNERGOING INTENSIVE TREATMENT FOR LEUKEMIA, AND JOHN`S 83-YEAR-OLD MOTHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER, WHICH IS NOW IN REMISSION.

RELAY FOR LIFE OF SALEM WANTED CONNER TO BE THEIR GRAND MARSHALL FOR THIS YEARS EVENT, HOWEVER JOHN SAID CONNER WILL BE TOO WEAK TO ATTEND THE EVENT BECAUSE OF HIS TREATMENT FOR LEUKEMIA.

THE SALEM RELAY FOR LIFE WILL BE HELD AT CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FROM NOON TO NOON FRIDAY JUNE 16TH TO SATURDAY JUNE 17TH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SALEMRELAY.ORG

THE LATEST SALEM-AREA NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS, AND TRAFFIC IS ON DEMAND AT SALEM-NEWS-DOT-COM.

I`M KEVIN HAYS REPORTING FOR SALEM-NEWS-DOT-COM HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!