Mistrial declared in airport gun case
A jury says they can’t decide whether a Canyon County commissioner knowingly broke the law when he carried a loaded handgun through a security checkpoint at Boise airport.
Police gave David Ferdinand a misdemeanor citation and confiscated the .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver at the airport in February.
The case went to trial after a district judge denied Ferdinand’s motion to have the misdemeanor dismissed.
Defense attorney David Leroy says Ferdinand was unaware the firearm was in his backpack when he passed through airport security on Feb. 28.
Judge Thomas Watson declared the case a mistrial Friday after jurors failed to reach an unanimous decision.
The case is scheduled to go back to trial.
SALEM, Ore.
Oregon state Capitol damaged by fire
A fire broke out early Saturday at the Oregon state Capitol, leaving the building with smoke, water and fire damage, including to the governor’s ceremonial office and the offices of some of his high-ranking staff members.
The fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. Saturday by Willamette University students living across the street and was put out in about 20 minutes, said Capt. Calvin Curths, of the State Police. Five janitors working inside the building exited safely after being alerted by a fire alarm.
Police said late Saturday a preliminary investigation indicates the fire was not intentionally set. Extensive renovation work was being done on the Capitol this year, much of it in the area where the fire started.
The Oregon State Capitol burned down twice before, most recently in 1935.
“We were doing some work to really get the old girl fixed up and now this happens,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. “But Oregon has bounced back from fires at our Capitol twice before and we will fix her up again and restore her to her full glory.”
SALEM
New biofuel plant coming on line
A Salem-based commercial-grade biofuel producer is gearing up to produce about 5 million gallons of biofuel each year – and just in time.
The increased capacity at the SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel plant will trigger renewable fuel standards set by the Oregon Legislature that require locally produced biodiesel to be included in all normal petroleum diesel sold in the state.
The biodiesel comes from used cooking oil and crops grown in Oregon.
The new plant was built using $6 million in financing from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Biodiesel produces less carbon dioxide than petroleum when it burns and is made in part from recycled materials.
ROUNDUP, Mont.
Crews struggle to contain wildfire
Crews are battling a stubborn central Montana wildfire that threatens ranch homes, small subdivisions and vacation cabins in the Bull Mountains north of Billings.
The Dunn Mountain fire has repeatedly jumped fire lines intended to halt its advance.
The Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office has warned people living along Fattig Creek Road to be prepared for possible evacuation, fire information officer Jennifer Costich said Saturday.
As of early Saturday evening, fire crews were successful in keeping the flames east of Fattig Road and protecting the threatened homes, Costich said.
Thus far the only structure lost to the Dunn Mountain fire is a wooden railroad bridge that burned Thursday. One cow died in the fire.
The 126-square-mile fire was active all night Friday and into Saturday, and crews were out all night, Costich said.
In all, 282 people are assigned to the fire along with five helicopters, 39 fire engines, 10 water tenders, six graders and five bulldozers, Costich said.
MERIDIAN, Idaho
Middle school joins Rachel’s Challenge
A new cafeteria policy at a southern Idaho middle school is part of a national program inspired by a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shootings.
Rachel’s Challenge initiative is based on the life and diaries of Rachel Scott, who was killed during the shootings.
The program encourages students to be less judgmental and more accepting.
As part of the program, students at Lowell Scott Middle School in Meridian are being forced to sit with their homeroom class during lunch.
Principal Linda Ventura said the policy is to make sure all students are included and not isolated.
Seventh-grader Allana Hobbs says she thinks the school should allow students to sit where they want at least some days.
But Hobbs says she has met new friends because of the policy.