Tag Archives: Oregon

The Oregon Capitol Chronicle reports: In a unanimous decision, the court rejected arguments from five Republican senators that Measure 113, a voter-approved 2022 law meant to dissuade lawmakers from walking out and shutting down the legislative process, was poorly worded and would give them another term in office. Instead, the court agreed with state attorneys, who urged justices to consider …

“Whether it’s George Washington, whether it was Madison, whether it was Abraham Lincoln, whether it was Ronald Reagan—who was the first president I got to vote for—you go back through history and you look at the men and the struggles that they faced and the faith that they had. “Those are the type of people that you want in government …

Portland’s Fox affiliate reports: A 46-year-old former pastor at a church in Aurora was indicted Wednesday on 16 counts of sexual assault, and at least some of the victims were children, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. According to deputies, Seferino Tosie’s victims attended Missionary Memorial Church in Aurora where he worked as a pastor. Following his indictment, another …

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports: A new memorial stone in Yakima’s Calvary Catholic Cemetery is meant to prompt “quiet reflection and prayer” for clergy sex abuse victims. It also has generated criticism from statewide victims’ advocates and a demand to update the list of diocesan sex offenders. Yakima Bishop Joseph Tyson [photo] dedicated the monument. The granite memorial, on the south …

Via press release from the Justice Department: An Oregon man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for attempting to run over three people with a car as part of a week-long crime spree targeting the LGBTQI+ community around Boise, Idaho, in October 2022. According to court records, on Oct. 8, 2022, while …

The Washington Post reports: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who has spent nearly three decades in Congress, announced Monday night that he does not plan to seek reelection next year. He was first elected to Congress in a special election in 1996 to succeed then-Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who had been elected to the Senate. Known for his signature bow ties …

NBC News reports: A Portland man was arrested for allegedly planning a shooting at a rock climbing festival over the weekend in Oregon, authorities said. Samson Zebturiah Garner, 39, was arrested Thursday after “evidence of a planned attack,” including a rifle and two handguns, were found in his vehicle. Garner was allegedly planning to attack a three day climbing festival …

The Beaverton Valley Times reports: A Beaverton pastor was jailed last week after being accused of inappropriately touching two young girls who were members of his congregation. A Washington County grand jury indicted Christopher Michael Pruitt, 39, of Beaverton on six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse Wednesday, Oct. 11. Pruitt allegedly touched two …

Oregon Public Radio reports: Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer [photo] resigned Monday, three days after OPB revealed he has been posting offensive content in a private Facebook group for current and former law enforcement officers. Sawyer notified City Manager Spencer Nebel and City Council President Jan Kaplan of his resignation in an email just before 9 a.m. “I am sorry – …

Portland’s CBS affiliate reports: The former pastor and co-founder of North Clackamas Bible Community was sentenced to 160 months in prison after he was found guilty for sex abuse, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday. Michael Sperou, 72, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration on May 19. It’s the third time since 2015 …

CNN reports: Millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon have had their data compromised in the sprawling cyberattack that has also hit the US federal government, state agencies said late Thursday. The breach has affected 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards, and anyone with that documentation in Louisiana, authorities said. Casey Tingle, a senior official in …

The Associated Press reports: Ending a walkout that held up key bills for six weeks, Republicans showed up for work in the Oregon Senate on Thursday. The longest walkout in the Oregon Legislature’s history happened despite voters passing a ballot measure in 2022 that disqualifies lawmakers with 10 or more unexcused absences from reelection. “A whole bunch of legislators aren’t …

Oregon Live reports: A Multnomah County jury on Friday found a pastor of a religious group guilty of sexually abusing a former member when she was a child – the third time a jury has reached a verdict against Michael Sperou. Though he was found guilty of sexually abusing one victim, six other women came forward years ago with their …

The Salem Statesman Journal reports: The Oregon Senate failed to reach quorum again Thursday, meaning six additional Republican senators have now disqualified themselves from running for reelection under Article IV, Section 15 of the Oregon Constitution. Senators Lynn Findley, R-Vale; Bill Hansell, R-Athena; Tim Knopp, R-Bend; Art Robinson, R-Cave Junction; Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer; and Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, all hit 10 …

The Associated Press reports: A walkout by most Republican members of the Oregon Senate reached a fourth straight day Saturday, delaying action by the majority Democrats on bills on gun safety, abortion rights and gender-affirming health care. The GOP’s boycott prevented a quorum, and Senate President Rob Wagner adjourned the body until Sunday morning. Republican lawmakers have used walkouts in …

Oregon Live reports: Six men were arrested this week in a child-predator sting, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Friday. At least two of the men worked in settings with children, the sheriff’s office said. In an undercover mission, detectives posed as underage boys and girls on dating apps and social media, according to the sheriff’s office. People messaged the …

Law & Crime reports: A 26-year-old member of the far-right Proud Boys organization in Oregon was convicted this week of multiple felonies for his role in inciting and participating in a brawl during a “Patriot Rally” he helped organize in the summer of 2021. Following a three-day trial, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy Baggio on Thursday found Tusitala “Tiny” …

Portland’s NPR affiliate reports: A Portland-area woman convicted of assaulting a Eugene cookie shop owner has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Today, Lane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Morgan sentenced 46-year-old Amy Verlee Hall of Gresham to 46 months after a 12-member jury found her guilty of assault, criminal trespass, harassment, burglary, and disorderly conduct on Jan. …

The Oregonian reports: Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that she would commute the sentences of all 17 individuals on Oregon’s death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the latest in her end-of-term string of clemency decisions. “I have long believed that justice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in …

Oregon Public Radio reports: In an unusual sight, people packed into the Crook County Library on Thursday night for a meeting of its board. The topic at hand had drawn the standing room crowd: namely, whether or not to segregate LGBTQ-friendly children’s books into a separate section. By the end of the night, the crowd had spoken overwhelmingly in support …