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Oregon Average Drops Below $4 Per Gallon

The price of crude keeps falling despite Russia's military presence in Georgia. In fact, it's the first time in a decade that military action in an oil sensitive region hasn't resulted in an oil market rally.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Oregon's statewide average for regular unleaded is less than $4 per gallon for the first time since the last week of May. The statewide average falls seven cents this week to $3.99, and only one measured metro area in Oregon, Medford/Ashland, has an average above $4.

The national average declines for the 26th day in a row, also dropping seven cents this week to $3.80 a gallon." AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds says, "Oregon's average is down 28 cents in the past month, while the national average has lost 30 cents. The national average should easily dip below $3.75 a gallon as soon as this week, and could drop another 15 cents per gallon by Labor Day."

Understanding the Russian Invasion of Georgia

Both countries blame each other for genocide.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Accusations are flying as to who is responsible for the bloodshed in Georgia, a country that many Russians say has become a puppet government of the U.S. and other western nations.

Both the United States and Israel have been providing Georgia with military hardware under increasingly friendly political arrangements in recent years. We can only hope that this did not give the former Soviet Republic's leaders a false sense of courage against its neighbor to the north: Mother Russia. It may turn out to be a fatal mistake.

Despite its current alliances, the violence in Georgia undoubtedly evolves from tensions that have been simmering since the end of the Cold War in the 1980s.

Linn County Sheriff Says Horses on Scio Property Were Neglected & Malnourished

Three Scio residents were arrested in the animal abuse case.

(SCIO, Ore.) - Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller says deputies there are investigating an animal neglect case involving several malnourished horses.

Mueller reports that on July 30th, the Sheriff’s Office received word that a horse located on Robinson Drive in Scio was not being cared for properly.

"Upon investigating the complaint the Sheriff’s Office found seven horses in a pasture not quite two acres in size. Four of the horses were found to be healthy but the remaining three were malnourished and in poor condition."

Oregon Air Show is a High Flying Success

More than 22,000 attended the event Friday night and the crowds increased as the weekend passed.

(HILLSBORO, Ore.) - The Oregon Air Show was held in Hillsboro this weekend under beautiful summer skies. There were amazing stunts and gleaming airplanes and as always, those who attended stayed busy keeping up on the dazzling array of aviation magic and suspense.

The cover photo in this story was shot by Q Madp of IraqWarHeroes.org. I immediately recognized the plane as "MiG Magic" and I had the pleasure of spending a day with this stunt pilot once. Former Oregonian Bill Reesman came to Yuma, Arizona in 1996 and I was able to board a Lear jet and fly wing to wing with this blood red Russian MiG-17 jet fighter for twenty minutes.

Coast Guard Responds to Sinking Vessel Near Cannon Beach

The men had life jackets and other emergency equipment that the Coast Guard says make a huge difference.

(CANNON BEACH, Ore.) - The Coast Guard assisted a capsized vessel with four men on board off of Cannon Beach, Oregon, Sunday morning. The Coast Guard Group in Astoria says they received a mayday call at 6:10 AM, from a 22-foot dory with four men on board. The caller said they were taking on water outside of the surf line off of Cannon Beach and were in need of immediate assistance.

The Coast Guard 13th District Command Center also received a position from the vessel's Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) that had been activated by one of the men. This allowed rescue agencies to be alerted with accurate information concerning the location of the boat.

Isaac Hayes Dead at 65

A long musical career ground to a halt with the loss of icon Isaac Hayes.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) - Legendary singer/songwriter and the voice of "Chef" on South Park, Isaac Hayes, has been pronounced dead at the age of 65. The man who composed the award-winning theme for the film Shaft was found dead at his home yesterday.

Media reports indicate that his wife Adjowa and their young son found him unconscious on the floor near a running treadmill, at their home in Memphis, Tennessee. Isaac Hayes was transported to a hospital and he was pronounced dead in the afternoon. Early reports suggest he may have had a "simultaneous" heart attack and stroke.

Will Russia Repeat Horrors of Afghanistan in Georgia?

If the ghosts of Afghanistan were given voices, they would warn against the behavior of Russian military forces.

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - I will never forget the horror stories about the Russians in Afghanistan. People there harbor a hatred so fierce and venomous toward the former Soviets that it is hard to describe with words. The patterns of abuse carried out by Russian soldiers at war is well documented and it rings of some of the most primitive and cruel behavior ever recorded.

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan for a decade, beginning in 1979. It happened because the Afghans weren't towing the Communist line. I hate to wonder how many similarities there are between what is happening in Georgia today and what happened to Afghanistan.

UN Urges Immediate Russian Withdrawal From Georgia

The Secretary-General urged all sides to immediately enter negotiations to try to obtain a peaceful settlement of their conflict, and he welcomed international efforts to end the crisis.

(GENEVA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate end to the fighting engulfing Georgia, voicing fears that the deadly violence has spread beyond the country's South Ossetia region and urging all sides to seek a peaceful solution to their conflict.

In a statement issued last night, Mr. Ban said he was alarmed by “the escalation of hostilities in Georgia which have resulted in large numbers of casualties and massive destruction in South Ossetia and other regions of Georgia.”

Olympic Coach Hugh McCutcheon`s Family Members Attacked in Beijing

Chinese officials called the attack a random incident and claimed that it was not related to the Olympic Games.

(BEIJING, China) - Chinese officials confirm that a knife wielding man killed one man and seriously injured two women in central Beijing Saturday. The man reportedly jumped to his death from an ancient tower, U.S. Olympic officials said.

The man who was killed, Todd Bachman, is the father-in-law of Olympic Men's Indoor Volleyball Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon. Todd Bachman's wife, Barbara, suffered serious injuries in the knife attack also. There are conflicting reports about her condition. Initially her wounds were considered "serious and life-threatening" but there are also reports that she is in stable condition.

Lightning Starts Fires in NE Oregon

‏Reconnaissance observation flights are scheduled to scout for holdover lightning fires that pop up as the day heats up.

(PENDLETON, Ore.) - Firefighters are busy working on over 50 active fires scattered across lands protected by Oregon Department of Forestry, Umatilla National Forest, and Washington Department of Natural Resources. These fires are a result of the recent lighting activity and range in size from a single burning snag to 460 acres of grass and timber.

Fire managers are concerned with the steep terrain and heavy fuels that could provide potential for fire growth. The Eagle Creek Fire, located off Wildhorse Road six miles SE of Athena, Oregon, has burned 460 acres and is 40% contained. The Buckaroo Fire, burning 10 miles west of Dale, Oregon on the north side of the North Fork of the John Day River, is at 100 acres and 20% contained. 93 acres have burned on the Cable Creek Fire six miles east of Ukiah. Oregon. The fire burned in timber and grass along Cable Creek and Hwy 244 and is 70% contained.