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Injured Climbers Airlifted by Salem Helicopter Crew

(MOUNT HOOD) - Several climbers involved in a severe fall on Mount Hood have been placed aboard an Oregon National Guard helicopter out of Salem`s 1042nd Medical Company and are receiving medical treatment.

It is believed the two seriously injured patients fell a total of 500' down the mountain. One was reported to have a serious head injury.

The climbing accident happened on the top of Crater Rock. Wasco County dispatch received the 911 call at approximately 9:30 AM.

It is reported from the scene that at least three people were involved in this Mount Hood climbing accident: `One climbing party of three fell, colliding with an additional four man climbing team, who in turn lost control and crashed into the remaining party who was at the end of this domino chain of events.`

Keizer Police Cruiser Smashed in Pursuit

Police in Keizer are searching for the driver of a stolen SUV that was crashed into a patrol car.

(KEIZER) - A Keizer Police sergeant was fortunate Saturday, escaping serious injuries when a driver trying to evade police smashed his SUV into David LeDay`s police cruiser.

It started with an attempted traffic stop. LeDay says he was suspicious that the driver of a black 1985 GMC he was following was intoxicated. He activated the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle, but says the driver the vehicle failed to pull over.

Race For Cash is on in Governor`s Race

(SALEM) - Newly filed campaign finance reports suggest that Oregon's 2006 governor's race could be the most expensive competition for the state's top job in Oregon history.

The candidates raised and spent more than $6 million in the primary. Since then Republican candidate Ron Saxton has raised more than $250,000, far outpacing incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who recorded contributions of about $105,000 since the May 16th election.

State Sen. Ben Westlund, an independent from Bend who is gathering signatures to put his name on the November ballot,has raised $73,958 since May 17th.

Camp Teams Depart for Summer Volunteering

Twenty college students. Eighteen kids camps. One summer.

(SALEM) - For Corban College's five Camp Teams, the whirlwind summer of 2006 has just begun. These four-member teams will spend two months of their summer working at Christian summer camps scattered throughout the Northwest. In rented vehicles, they'll crisscross Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California to counsel at elementary, middle and high school camps.

One team, led by senior Lindsey Coy, even traveled by plane to reach their remote destination. She and her teammates are now working at Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth, Alaska. On Tuesday, June 20th, they'll fly south, return to
campus and pack their van for departure on Saturday, June 24 to summer camps in California.

Kite Fliers Will Gather June 24-25 for the Summer Kite Festival in Lincoln City

This year's theme is A Myriad of Kites. Beginner and expert fliers are invited to fly and help reach the goal of 10,000 kites in the sky.

(LINCOLN CITY) - The featured fliers at the festival will demonstrate their flying skills throughout the weekend. "The One Man Kite Team" Carl Bragiel will fly three dual line kites at one time, with the assistance of his wife Lisa.

Carl is just one of three people in North America who can fly three kites simultaneously. Phil and Barbara Burks will show off their red, white, and blue kites, while Doug and Linda LaRock will fly deltas.

Al Washington, JD Fabich, Bob Serack, Dave and Susan Gomberg, and Penny Lingenfelter will also perform during the Summer Festival.

Op Ed: `Tell It True`
My Mother Taught Me:
Readers Will Believe

Voters Demand Vision, Leadership, Integrity: Bradbury

(SALEM) - `Voters everywhere are media-savvy and spin-weary. They`ve had enough of puppet-master consultants and mudslinging ads.` That`s Oregon`s Secretary of State `telling it true` -- straight to you.

That`s what my mother taught me, too. She was my sharpest critic in earliest days as a news-reporter, in Maine. Yankees are tough-minded; even then they welcomed any propagandizing politician by `total immersion`. `Drown `em rapidly and repeatedly in facts and figures`, was the Maine-way.

That`s very demanding for any newbie-reporter receiving rough-and-ready early experience: `Telling it true` was the only way, for readers ready with rapid rebuttals.

Bradbury continues: `Voters are looking for candidates who will tell them the truth, who will take tough stands...

Saint Petersburg Russia: One Large Classroom

Part 2 in Michael Partick O'Connor's continuing 'Dispatches From Russia.'

(SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia) - It is an honor to be the eyes and ears of Salem-news.com readers during my two week stretch as a fellow at the Summer Literary Seminars Conference. According to organizers, the talent pool this year is exceptional. The event itself is the brainchild of Russian expatriate Mikhail Iossel who fled his native Saint Petersburg during the height of the Cold War.

My workshop is being led by Keizer, Oregon resident Gina Ochsner who has two masterful short story collections to her credit ("The Necessary Grace to Fall and "People I Wanted to Be") and is working on publishing her first novel under contract with Houghton Mifflin.

Get a load of this folks! "Jarhead" author Anthony "Tony" Swafford just walked into the foyer outside my room--this is what makes this conference so great.

OSU Survey Finds Oregon Coastal Airports Vulnerable After Major Earthquake, Tsunami

On the positive side, the airport in Newport stands out as one that may experience some earthquake damage, but its combination of a long runway, elevation of 130 feet and good instrumentation could keep it from shutting down completely.

(CORVALLIS) - Planners counting on the availability of Oregon's coastal airports to stage rescues and bring supplies following a major earthquake and tsunami nearby in the Pacific Ocean may want to think twice about such plans.

Many of Oregon's coastal airports would be out of commission because of earthquake damage, tsunami inundation and debris, or lack of instrumentation for approaches, according to a survey done by Oregon State University earthquake researcher Chris Goldfinger.

Disabled Activists Consider Removal of Illegal Signs a Victory

(SALEM) - As reported earlier this month here on Salem-News.com, disabled workers and volunteers recently scored a victory when the City of Salem conceded that a $40 per month fee permit they had been charging state-issued disabled placard holders was inappropriate.

Our sources now report that City has begun removing the signs stating "Visitors Only" that the City had placed under the standardized disabled parking signs back in October 2004.

Salem Police Warning About Vehicle Sale Overpayment Check Scam

In 2005, 53% of all fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission was Internet-related. The same year, U.S. Treasury adviser McNiven claimed “cybercrime� has become a more profitable industry than illegal drug trafficking.

(SALEM) - It has been my experience that the most popular check scam on the Internet is the Vehicle Sale Overpayment Check Scam.

If you advertise to sell a car/truck/boat or other big-ticket item in a newspaper or magazine, the ad is normally available for viewing anywhere in the world via the Internet.

It is likely that a fraudster (Organized Crime) will view your ad or may try to scam you.