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State Fails to Collect on Drunken Drivers

(SALEM) - Oregon prides itself on having tough laws against drunken driving, but the reality has been that many people convicted of drinking and getting behind the wheel have been getting off cheaply.

The state's courts, citing budget constraints, are frequently choosing not to go after monetary penalties levied against convicted drunken drivers.

The result is that less than a quarter of the fees and fines assessed against offenders have actually been collected in the past three years, state officials say.

That translates to about $40 million in unpaid penalties during that time, officials say.

New Plans Announced For Oregon State Hospital

(SALEM) - Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and House Speaker Karen Minnis (R-Wood Village) have announced a proposed restructure of Oregon`s mental health system that includes constructing several new state hospital facilities.

The proposal calls for siting one 620-bed facility in the North Willamette Valley region, one 360-bed facility south of Linn County on the west side of the Cascades, and at least two non-hospital-level 16-bed secure residential treatment settings east of the Cascades. The public will be offered opportunities to comment on the proposal during the next several weeks.

The proposal is based on information submitted by KMD Architects of San Francisco, the consultant commissioned by the Governor and Legislature to lead the review of the current public mental health system and develop a master plan for redesigning the system. The anticipated cost is between $324 and $334 million.

Op-Ed: Moving Pictures, a New Challenge to an Old Medium

(SALEM) - In the winter of '88, I was brought into the world of television news. Almost twenty years later, having worked for many television stations, and even being the recipient of numerous broadcast journalism awards, I still find myself learning new techniques and styles and I still see the work improving even if in very subtle ways.

Before becoming a TV news photographer, most people attend a college with specialty journalism courses covering the dynamics of creating a hard-hitting television news story, including all of the in`s and out's of the complex art of video photography.

Governor Pledges `Every Possible Action` to Minimize Records Loss

Kulongoski says he will work to protect consumers from ID fraud, and hold criminals accountable.

(SALEM) - In response to the recent attack on state taxpayers` records by a `Trojan horse` virus, Governor Ted Kulongoski issued the following statement Tuesday:

`I was angry when I learned that a former employee of the Department of Revenue had illegally downloaded pornography on a state-owned computer, infecting the Department`s records with a Trojan horse virus. Though the Department acted correctly in immediately firing that employee, the virus captured some taxpayers` records, resulting in the potential compromise of more than 1,300 Oregon taxpayers` personal information.

ICE Arrests About 2,000 Illegal Immigrants

(BOSTON) - A swarm of federal immigration agents sped silently, headlights off, down a Boston side street early Wednesday and surrounded an apartment house.

"Police! Policia! Police!" yelled Daniel Monico, a deportation officer, holding his badge to a window where someone had pulled back the curtain. "Open the door!"

Moments later, agents led a dazed-looking Jose Ferreira Da Silva, 35, out in handcuffs. The Brazilian had been arrested in 2002 and deported, but had slipped back into the country. He now faces up to 20 years in prison.

In a blitz that began May 26th, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested nearly 2,100 illegal immigrants across the country. Officials said the raids are aimed at child molesters, gang members and other violent criminals, as well as people like Da Silva who sneaked back into the country after a judge threw them out.

The crackdown is called Operation Return to Sender.

Salem Firefighters Seeing More Bark Fires

(SALEM) - Due to a recent fire that could of have meant a huge dollar loss to a commercial building, we want to remind everyone that discarding of cigarettes by throwing them out your window or throwing them on the ground is illegal and has a huge potential of causing a grass or building fire.

Salem Firefighters fought a recent fire at the Marion Blood Plasma Center at 351 Belmont Street NE.

The fire started in the barkdust next to the building. When firefighters arrived they discovered the fire spreading up the exterior wall of the building.

Salem Hospital Celebrates Success in Saving Additional Lives

(SALEM) - 86 employees of Salem Hospital, volunteers and family members stood up, with electric candles, in the darkened hospital auditorium Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM.

The candleholders represented the additional lives that have been saved at Salem Hospital, as a result of the hospital's work on the 100,000 Lives Campaign and other quality-improvement measures.

The 100,000 Lives Campaign, launched by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, called upon hospitals to follow a set of six proven sets of actions, that when employed consistently, could save lives.

Heroic Actions of State Troopers Recognized

(SALEM) - Two Oregon State Police troopers were in the right place at the right time last April, when they saved three people whose boat had overturned in the Willamette River.

On Friday, the Oregon State Police Harold R. Berg Lifesaving Award was given to Salem-area Fish & Wildlife Division Troopers Adam Turnbo and Trooper Andrew Goffrier for their actions on that day.

Troopers Turnbo and Goffrier were on boat patrol along the Willamette River April 9th 2006 when they spotted an overturned canoe with three adults hanging onto the side. All three were wearing lifejackets, which the troopers believed help them survive.

Health Advisories Lifted for Water Contact at Three Coastal Locations

State health officials gave a clean bill of health to Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach and D River State Park Beach in Lincoln City.

(SALEM) - Health advisories for contact with ocean water at Cannon Beach in Clatsop County, Rockaway Beach in Tillamook County and D River State Park Beach in Lincoln County were lifted Thursday afternoon by the Oregon Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The advisories were issued on Wednesday after water samples at Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach and D River State Park Beach showed higher-than-normal levels of enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria, in the marine water. Subsequent testing showed the contamination had subsided and the waters did not pose a higher-than- normal risk associated with water-contact activities.

Music Scholarships Awarded to Eight Salem-Keizer High School Students

The Harold J. Withnell Music Scholarship-named in honor of Dick Withnell's late father, a high school band teacher, was inspired by the movie, Mr. Holland's Opus.

(SALEM) - Eight Salem-Keizer high school students were presented with the Harold J. Withnell Music Scholarship.

The awards were handed out on May 16th by Dick and Gayle Withnell.

Along with the student finalists, district music supervisor Karl Raschkes, music teachers and principals from the respective high schools, parents and community representatives were in attendance.