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Heavy Rain and Potential Flooding Expected in Portland Metro Area

Tips for residents of Portland.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The National Weather Service forecast calls for heavy rain and potential flooding of Johnson Creek tonight or early Thursday morning. These conditions could create a number of driving hazards in the Portland metro area.


The Portland Bureau of Transportation crews have staged barricades at several locations in anticipation of heavy rain and flooding, and sandbag pile locations are re-stocked with sand and sandbags.

Other City bureaus will partner to respond to conditions as necessary.

Vernonia Schools Prepare for the Worst

School officials say they will keep a watchful eye on the river levels throughout the night; they also say they can use some financial assistance.

(VERNONIA, Ore.) - The Vernonia School District is prepared for the worst. Thirteen months after the flood of 2007 the District is taking no chances on being caught off guard.

Dr. Kenneth Cox, Superintendent, says, "We have been monitoring the weather and the river levels and have made arrangements to deal with whatever comes."

He says that as a safety precaution, there will be no school tomorrow, Thursday January 8th due to the potential for water over the roadways throughout the Vernonia School District.

UN Calls Israel’s Daily 3-Hour Truces in Gaza Good First Step, But Not Nearly Enough

The Security Council today continued its high-level meeting on the crisis, with several foreign ministers in attendance.

(NEW YORK) - The daily three-hour pause that Israel began today on the 12th day of its Gaza offensive against Hamas was a good first step but totally insufficient for the United Nations to aid the 1.5 million civilians living in “increasingly appalling” conditions amid credible reports of 680 people killed so far and over 3,000 wounded, senior UN officials warned.

They also said that the outline of a way out of the crisis, which started on December 27th with Israeli air strikes against Gaza with the stated aim of stopping Hamas rocket attacks into Israel, was emerging with moves in the Security Council, ceasefire plans proposed by Egypt and France, and continuing diplomatic efforts by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Tennessee Coal Spill: 13 States Have 3 or More Comparable Toxic Coal Dump Sites

At Least 13 States Have 3 or More Under-Regulated “Wet Dumps” on Worst-Of Lists for Toxic Chemicals; One Coal Pollution Dump in Orlando, FL Holds 10 Times More Arsenic Than TN Disaster Site.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Nearly 100 largely unregulated “wet dumps” across the United States that are comparable to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s breached site in Harriman, Tennessee for the storage of toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants have a place on one or more of the “worst site” lists for six toxic metals.

In fact, many of the toxic coal ash “wet dump” sites around the U.S. appear to pose a greater potential danger than the Tennessee site that is now in the headlines.

In the case of deadly arsenic, which has been detected in water polluted by the TVA site disaster in Tennessee, the Stanton Energy Facility in Orlando, FL., has reported dumping roughly 10 times more of the carcinogen in its site between 2000-2006 than the TVA did over the same period in its now ruptured Harriman, TN storage pond site.

Democrats Are Cowards in the Face of Israel`s Brutality

Democrats have silenced dissent and offered unflinching support for Israeli actions, including gross violations of international law.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - The Democratic leadership's strident support for the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip underscores how the Democrats suffer from the same illusions as the outgoing Republican administration: that placing an Arab territory under debilitating sanctions that punish the population as a whole, bombarding heavily populated civilian areas -- resulting in widespread casualties among innocent people -- and invading and occupying territories with a long history of resistance to outsiders will somehow lead to greater moderation from those afflicted.

The reality is that Israel's war against Hamas and the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip is no more likely to result in more rational and compromising positions from the Palestinian side than the firing of rockets by Hamas into Israel will lead to more rational and compromising positions from the Israelis.

`Trapped` PETA Members Ask Salem Shoppers to Get a Feel for Fur

Dripping in 'Blood,' activists say they will show that fur belongs only on Its original owners.

(SALEM, Ore.) - PETA members are headed to Salem to protest fur and educate the public. They will be at the intersection of Liberty and State streets in Salem Thursday, January 8th, at 1:30 PM.

Lying in pools of "blood" and with their bare legs caught in giant traps, three fur-clad PETA members will protest at Liberty and State streets on Thursday.

They say it allows fur-wearers to get a taste of what happens to animals who are trapped or raised for fur. PETA campaigner Nicole Matthews said, "they might think twice about draping themselves in pelts."

Oregon Nurseries Severely Damaged by Winter Storms (PHOTOS)

Oregon's top nursery and greenhouse counties were hit hardest by the storms and suffered the greatest damage.

(WILSONVILLE, Ore.) - 160 Oregon Association of Nurseries growers in 12 Oregon counties reported that damage to nursery structures and crops due to late December storms range from $18 million to $31 million.

Hardest hit by the unusual series of snow and ice storms were many greenhouses and other structures used in the production of nursery and greenhouse crops.

Growers reported the total estimated cost to repair or replace damaged greenhouses and structures equals $10.8 million.

Insulin Homicide VS Insulin Suicide- It`s Almost Impossible

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Pharmacologist, Toxicologist and Physician.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - The recent story of the rich and famous Sunny von Bulow dying after 28 years in an Insulin coma brought back my memories of when I was the Toxicologist for Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon in 1952 while I was a Ph.D. student at the Oregon Medical School. I believe I had the first Insulin homicide in the United States. The sequence of events with Sunny and my case are weirdly similar.

Coast Guard Warns Residents to Prepare for Winter Storms

Safety tips from the Coast Guard as the northwest moves into storm season.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - With severe weather approaching, the Coast Guard reminds boaters and beach-goers to be prepared and stay aware. Strong winds and heavy surf are forecast over the next several days.

Minimize contact with flood water - Standing water from flooding can carry diseases and hazardous chemicals.

If you get your water from a well and water floods into your pump house - check to see if water from the ground went down your well.

Oregon Traffic Deaths Down in `08

Oregon will be well below the national average for the tenth straight year after being at or worse than the national average for 50 straight years.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Despite record-breaking storms at year’s end, Oregon’s highways claimed fewer lives in 2008 than in previous nine years, according to preliminary reports from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Officials were quick to add that even one death is one too many, but making strides in safety is noteworthy. As of December 31, there were 414 confirmed fatalities, with eight reports pending. This represents the lowest loss of lives since 1999 and 1955.

“Our number one mission continues to be safety, and it’s the measure we evaluate ourselves on daily,” said ODOT Director Matt Garrett.