Region in brief: Pierce County to slash 300 jobs in leaner budget

TACOMA – The Pierce County Council has approved a budget that will cut more than 300 jobs, raises fees and sets up major consolidation of the county government services.

The News Tribune of Tacoma reported that the council approved the $269.3 million 2010 budget Tuesday, a budget 7 percent smaller than this year’s.

The cuts will mean longer lines at county buildings and fewer sheriff’s deputies as staff is reduced and furloughs are taken.

The budget passed on a unanimous vote. The county has faced a drop in sales tax revenue, planning fees and other income slashed by the recession.

Council Chairman Roger Bush said it’s an ugly budget.

Officer says fall led to firing of Taser

EUGENE, Ore. – A Eugene police officer who shot a Taser at a Chinese student in the man’s own apartment says a fall led him to use the stun gun.

The Eugene Register-Guard wrote that a police report released Thursday details officer Judd Warden’s account of the Sept. 22 indecent. The student – whose name has not been released – was confronted in a town house by Eugene officers who thought he and his roommate were trespassing.

Officers later discovered the student and his roommate had begun renting the place that day.

In the report, Warden contends that he fired the Taser after the student did not respond to repeated commands to show his hands. Warden adds that he didn’t know if he fell to the ground after tripping on the student’s legs, if he fell on his own feet, or if the student “swept” the officer’s feet with his legs.

School officials said the student is learning basic English at Oregon.

Graveyard robbed of 217 brass vases

YAKIMA – Yakima County sheriff’s deputies are looking for three people suspected in robbing a cemetery of 217 brass vases worth around $106,000.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports the three people attempted to sell what looked like destroyed vases to a local junk yard.

The sheriff’s office says the brass vases were taken from headstone markers.

The robbery of the 217 vases happened on Nov. 5 at the West Hill Memorial Park cemetery.