Salem-News.com Eugene articles Page 24

Eugene, Oregon Police Find Teen Girl Drowning in Bathtub During Underage Drinking Party

Police say they arrived just in time to save a young girl from drowning in a bathtub.

(EUGENE) - Eugene police say an underage drinking party in north Eugene could have turned deadly Friday night if officers hadn’t arrived when they did.

Police were called to a report of an out of control party, and when officers arrived at the home in the 4800 block of Spring Meadow Ave in north Eugene, they found several underage teens in the home drinking.

Jurassic Crocodile Surfaces from the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon

The remains of the crocodile, believed to be from the species Thalattosuchia and member of the Metriorhynchids group, now belong to the state.

(EUGENE) - An ancient sea-going crocodile has surfaced from the rocks of Crook County in eastern Oregon.

Its discovery by the North American Research Group, whose members were digging for Jurassic-age mollusks known as ammonites, is another confirmation that the Blue Mountains consist of rocks that traveled from somewhere in the Far East, says retired University of Oregon geologist William Orr, who was called in to examine the find for the state.

The remains – about 50 percent of a 6 to 8-foot reptile, including long, needlepoint teeth – were found imbedded in Jurassic rock on private property in the Snowshoe Formation of the Izee Terrane south of Dayville, Ore.

Oregon Man Arrested For Fatal Crash off 126W

The OSP trooper came upon the Toyota after it crashed head-on with a rock wall.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - 30-year old Jeremiah Nathan Wertz was arrested Thursday by Oregon State Police on multiple charges related to a February 4th fatal traffic crash off Highway 126W on Richardson Road.

Drug Investigation Leads to Seizure of Crystal Meth, Cash and Three Arrests

The search led to the discovery of approximately 3 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, marijuana, illegal prescription medications, a firearm and thousands in cash

(EUGENE) - Three people are being charged with drug-related crimes following the execution of a search warrant in the Eugene area. Oregon State Police troopers were assisted during the search warrant execution by OSP SWAT team and OSP detectives of the Governor's Methamphetamine Initiative Team.

Eugene-Area Teen Dies in Skiing Accident at Willamette Pass Resort

The boy received multiple injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by responding medical personnel.

(WILLAMETTE PASS) - A 13-year old Eugene-area boy died Saturday afternoon in a skiing accident at Willamette Pass Resort ski area. The boy's name will be released later Saturday evening.

The victim traveled to the ski area Saturday with his mother reportedly as part of a Boy Scout outing.

According to a witness, the boy was skiing downhill on a lower mountain intermediate run when he attempted to turn and travel across the hill. The boy lost control and struck the root ball of a
downed tree.

Salem Woman Driving Wrong Way on I-5 Kills Two Eugene Symphony Members

The northbound lanes on I-5 were closed until 3:00 AM as northbound traffic was diverted off at the Highway 34 interchange.

(ALBANY, Ore.) - A Salem woman is in custody after a fatal head-on crash near Albany that killed two women. It happened late Sunday night on northbound Interstate 5.

The two victims are members of the Eugene Symphony returning to their homes after a Sunday rehearsal.

69 Percent of Eugene Businesses Fail Recent OLCC Minor Sales Checks

An OLCC inspector and minor volunteer did the compliance testing as part of the OLCC’s priority effort to curtail underage drinking, which is a serious problem in Oregon.

(EUGENE) - Nine of 13 licensed businesses tested in Eugene sold alcohol to a minor during a recent compliance operation conducted by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

“This is an alarming 69 percent sales rate, which is nearly triple the average statewide rate of 25 percent,” said Inspector Mark Jaehnig, of the OLCC’s Eugene office.

Store clerks who sell are cited into court and face at least a $350 fine.

Drunk Man Nearly Gets Away With Trainjacking

Caleb Gary is being held at the Lane County Jail.

(EUGENE) - On Wednesday at about 1:10 AM, deputies from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Judkins Point on the report of an intoxicated subject trying to drive a Union Pacific locomotive engine.

The locomotive was attached to several rail cars.

After being confronted, the subject was reported to be harassing the train crew and refusing to leave.

Oregon Couple Accused of Accepting Kickbacks From California Food Wholesaler

So far no charges have been filed.

(EUGENE) - An Oregon couple is accused of accepting $650,000 in kickbacks from a California food wholesaler.


Farhad "Fred" Monem is the food-purchasing manager for Oregon’s prison system, along with his wife, Karen Monem, allegedly used the kickbacks to pay their mortgage, car payments, credit cards, membership in a golf club and other expenses, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by an IRS investigator in a U.S. District Court in Eugene.

Kiplinger`s Magazine Ranks University of Oregon Among Nation`s 100 Best

The rankings, which appear in the February issue of the magazine, are based on data provided by more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities.

(EUGENE) - The University of Oregon ranks among the 100 best public colleges in the nation according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.

The University of Oregon, which moved up seven places from last year's ranking, is the only public university in the state to make the 2007 list.

According to Kiplinger's website, they "were looking for schools that were academically strong as well as affordable.

In their scoring, academic quality carries more weight than costs (almost two-thirds of the total). We used academic-quality scores and average debt at graduation to break ties."