In brief: Oregon city sues Uber, wants service halted until licensure

EUGENE, Ore. – Officials in this city have sued ride-sharing service Uber, seeking a court order to stop the service from operating in the area until it meets minimum safety requirements.

The Register-Guard reported the lawsuit filed Thursday in Lane County Circuit Court also seeks a court ruling that Uber must obtain a city license.

Uber has maintained that it is basically a technology company that links customers to drivers, which it calls independent contractors. The ride-sharing service has said the city’s policies and regulations don’t apply to it.

Senate approves bill to speed child abuse intervention

OLYMPIA – The Senate has passed a bill seeking quicker intervention by the state in cases of suspected child abuse.

Senate Bill 5888 passed unanimously Thursday and now heads to the House for consideration. The measure is known as “Aiden’s Act,” named for Aiden Barnum, a Port Orchard child who is permanently disabled following abuse he suffered during infancy.

Under the measure, cases of suspected child abuse are immediately reviewed when a social worker decides not to remove a child if additional allegations of abuse are reported. If the review finds there were any errors in the case by employees of the Department of Social and Health Services, a formal employee investigation would occur.

Oregon man accused of taking two bicycles, dwarf goat

PORTLAND – Authorities suspect a man accused of stealing two bicycles also took a dwarf goat.

Police said the 18-year-old, Oleg Stepanovich Plyushchev, tried to sell the bikes on Craigslist.

Investigators say that following Plyushchev’s arrest Tuesday, detectives learned he was connected to the theft of a dwarf goat named Penelope that was taken from its owner’s yard.

Price on Cobain childhood home drops to $400,000

The price for Kurt Cobain’s childhood home on East First Street in Aberdeen, originally listed at $500,000 in September 2013, was reduced to $400,000 on Tuesday.

Cobain’s mother, Wendy O’Connor, put the house on the market nearly a year and a half ago. Nancy Taylor of Aberdeen Realty, the company managing the sale, said the price was dropped to $400,000 on Tuesday.

Bill would allow corporations in Idaho to pursue social causes

BOISE – An Idaho legislative panel is endorsing a plan to allow some corporations to make decisions based on social or moral causes instead of only maximizing profits.

The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee endorsed the bill on Thursday.

Currently, Idaho law requires corporations to base decisions, such as hiring more personnel, on increasing profits or risk facing a lawsuit from stakeholders. But under the bill, businesses in the new category – known as benefit corporations – would be exempt for making decisions based on improving society.

Montana lawmaker proposes raising speed limit to 80 mph

HELENA – A Bozeman senator has proposed higher speed limits and fines for speeding on highways.

Sen. Scott Sales introduced Senate Bill 375 in committee Thursday. The measure would increase the highway speed limit for passenger vehicles from 75 mph to 80 mph. Trucks would be allowed to drive 70 mph on secondary roads, up from 60 or 65 mph.