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Oregon Rose Among All-America Rose Selections

Group celebrates 70th Anniversary With Two Winning Roses for 2008 Season, one is from Medford.

(SAN FRANCISCO) - Gold. It's the color of success, sunshine and is associated with feelings of joy, intelligence and energy. As a rose color, it's known for friendship, delight and the promise of a new beginning. For 2008, All-America Rose Selections celebrates those sentiments with the introduction of its 2008 Winners: "Dream Come True" and "Mardi Gras," at this year's Garden Writers Association Symposium in Oklahoma City.

One of the winners, "Mardi Gras," was hybridized by Keith Zary and is introduced by Jackson & Perkins Wholesale, Inc. of Medford, Oregon.

Oregon Gasoline Prices Move Downward

Average prices are leveling. The national average is down by a couple cents, Oregon's savings are much less.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Gasoline prices nationwide have settled down in the past week, dropping the average price for a gallon of regular by two cents to $2.79. Oregon's average price fell by only a half cent to $2.87.

Salem’s average price of $2.835 is the cheapest in Oregon. Portland’s average for a gallon of regular is currently $2.843. Eugene/Springfield drivers are paying $2.860 for regular, while Medford/Ashland’s current cost is $2.947. Vancouver, Washington residents are paying $2.922 for a gallon of self-serve regular gas.

Commercial Truck Carrying Glass Crashes and Closes Interstate 5

Motorists traveling south on Interstate 5 on Monday evening received an unexpected delay following a commercial truck crash north of Grants Pass.

(GRANTS PASS, Ore.) - Police say that around 6:50 PM Monday, a 1999 Freightliner truck owned by Sherman Bros. of Coburg Oregon, was traveling northbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 74 when the operator, 28-year old Wayland Brent Rumble of Grants Pass, lost control as he entered into a right hand curve. The truck struck the center concrete barrier which separates the north and southbound lanes.

The force of the impact caused the loaded glass to detach from the trailer and travel over the center median into the southbound lanes, investigators said. The truck came to rest against the center median, blocking the left lane of travel for northbound traffic. The large load of glass covered both southbound lanes of Interstate 5 making it impassable to traffic.

Crash Kills Truck Driver Near Hermiston (UPDATED)

The driver has been identified as 43-year old David C. Contreras of Pasco, Washington.

(HERMISTON, Ore.) - Police say a commercial truck driver died Monday night after driving off Highway 207 near E. Punkin Center Road northeast of Hermiston and striking some trees, resulting in a vehicle fire. The victim has not been positively identified.

Congressional Hearings on Blackwater USA Begin Today (VIDEO)

Contractor receiving criticism and review today. DynCorp International and Triple Canopy also provide protective services to the State Department, the committee is also looking at their history.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A Congressional Committee is investigating the private military contractor Blackwater USA today and its affiliated companies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Blackwater's contract to provide protective services to the State Department says they can only fire their weapons in defense. Incident reports compiled by Blackwater reveal that Blackwater has been involved in at least 195 "escalation of force" incidents in Iraq since 2005 that involved the firing of shots by Blackwater forces. This is an average of 1.4 shooting incidents per week.

Sexual Harassment at Salem Assisted Living Facility

Farmington Center's employees forced to quit over Sexual Harassment, EEOC Charges.

(Seattle) - The EEOC filed a lawsuit today against an Oregon-based company with sixteen "assisted living" facilities throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

The suit alleges that several female employees who worked as caregivers at Farmington Center's "Farmington Square" facility in Salem, Oregon were relentlessly harassed by the husband of one of Farmington Center's residents, who rubbed up against them, gave them unwanted hugs, grabbed their breasts, and made sexual remarks including asking them to strip and perform pole dances for him, and wear "teddies" when they served meals.

Marines` New Running Suit Made in Oregon

InSport Wins $14 Million Contract to Outfit All Marines.

(BEAVERTON, Ore.) - InSport, Inc., announced today that they will manufacture a new running suit for the Marine Corps under a $14 million contract recently awarded to the company by the United States Marine Corps.

Senate Sponsors Healthy Americans Act

Wyden, Bennett, Grassley, Stabenow, Landrieu and Coleman join bipartisan effort to ensure that every American has quality, affordable health care.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The bipartisan Senate effort to reform the nation’s ailing health care system grew today as U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) announced that the Healthy Americans Act (S.334) gained four Senate co-sponsors, including two influential members of the Senate Finance Committee.

U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) join a growing list of co-sponsors which already include: U.S. Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN).

Oregon`s Fall Colors Rich and Vibrant

Oregon has a number of places to enjoy the colors of fall.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Unlike New England and other regions with influxes of tourists coming to see the leaves turn, Oregon's fall foliage is not as well known. We Oregonians know better, though, and many of us will venture out to hear leaves crunch under our feet and take in the beauty of fall colors with our cameras.

Sex and Tragedy: Saga of Britney Spears

She's facing a number of legal and personal issues that could lead to jail, and she loses custody of her kids today.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Britney Spears will lose custody of her two children today at noon. It is the latest bad news for the young pop star whose life continues to illustrate the complexities that often accompany child stardom.

Spears wasn't a child star in the traditional sense, but she was only 17 when she reached #1 on the U.S. pop music charts with her 1999 debut album, "Baby One More Time." Today she is in trouble over statements made by one of her former bodyguards who alleged that she used drugs in front of her kids, 2-year old Sean Preston and 1-year old Jayden James.