Salem-News.com News Feed http://salem-news.com 2008 Dry and hot weather conditions across central and northern California are increasing the difficulty for firefighters. They continue to battle hundreds of wildfires sparked by dry lightning and thunderstorms two weeks ago. So far, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports hundreds of fires have been contained, but hundreds of other fires continue to burn and they now threaten a number of communities. Accuweather.com forecasters report that the fire in Santa Barbara County is threatening as many as 200 homes in Goleta. Farther to the north, the Big Sur fire has scorched more than 60,000 acres, and it is only 3 percent contained at this point. Among the communities and homes threatened by the wildfires, is the historic town of Big Sur and the town of Lucia. The Associated Press reports that authorities ordered the remaining residents of the communities to leave after the out-of-control wildfire jumped a fire line and threatened more homes Wednesday. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/cal_fires_7-3-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/cal_fires_7-3-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:29:00 PDT A number of Iraqi citizens were released from the Jisr Diyala JSS, following a reconciliation ceremony, June 25th. The JSS are the patrol bases where U.S. soldiers, Iraqi police, and Iraqi army units operate from within the neighborhoods in Baghdad. U.S. officials say the ceremony, which is held once a month, is a chance for the former detainees to reunite with their families and celebrate returning to their villages. Eighteen men were detained after being found guilty of criminal acts in this instance. U.S. officials report that the reintegration process offers these citizens the chance to make amends for the mistakes of their past and start fresh. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/iraqis_freed-7-3-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/iraqis_freed-7-3-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:29:00 PDT In our latest medical marijuana question and answer video, Dr. Phil Leveque and Bonnie King go over a number of questions sent to us by our viewers about the legal ins and outs of medical marijuana in Oregon as well as other states. This is the 21st edition of this special series; and it is the only service of this type available in the world. Dr. Phil Leveque is a physician, toxicologist and pharmacologist, and his experience with this subject is almost unrivaled. Anyone with questions about what is legal and what is not legal in regard to medical marijuana, is encouraged to write to us at the email address listed below. We will do our best to answer your questions through a video segment, or through email. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/leveque_video_21_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/leveque_video_21_6-30-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:14:00 PDT The investigative journalist who revealed both the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam and Abu Ghraib military torture scandal in Iraq, Seymour Hersh, says his sources have revealed that the United States is very close to staging an attack against Iran. He told NPR that Congress' is already funding covert military operations, information that will be part of the upcoming issue of The New Yorker. For his part, Bush dismissed the idea that his administration is planning to attack Iran as "wild speculation". His pattern of grave military errors up until now however, is certainly no reassurance that he isn't lying. Even though former President Jimmy Carter revealed to the world that Israel has hundreds of armed nuclear weapons pointed at targets around the world illegally, our cowboy president George "W" Bush is still injecting lie after lie into the news media about Iran's nuclear program. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/iran_israel_7-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/iran_israel_7-2-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:15:00 PDT It seems fair to state that even years into the war in Iraq, most of us figured we would get through this difficult national period. It wasn't the case for those who lost loved ones in the fighting overseas, but it still looked like the majority of American families might be able at least eventually, see the dawning of a new, better, and more peaceful era. But now the ground is shaking beneath our very feet, and a natural disaster is not causing it, at least not all of it. A man-made disaster fueled by greed among our richest citizens has caused it, and that greed comes in the form of war, oil, oppression, and monetary insecurity. Combine that with the way so many Americans live beyond their means through credit card debt, and you have real serious problems for millions who are used to living well, and have almost no concept yet of how bad things could be. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/utopia_possible_7-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/utopia_possible_7-2-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:00:00 PDT Just at the crest of its popularity Salem-News.com's ever-popular comic strip Nota Bene by Leonard ceases following it's one-hundredth issue. To find out more about the how and why of this historic event, please read the following interview with the creator of Nota Bene, Leonardo of Salem. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/benny_and_sid-1.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/benny_and_sid-1.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:19:00 PDT Just at the crest of its popularity Salem-News.com's ever-popular comic strip Nota Bene by Leonard ceases following it's one-hundredth issue. The creator of Nota Bene, Leonardo of Salem, AKA Glen Bledsoe, has been busy generating the completely unique Oregon cartoon strip since the first edition was published on Salem-News.com August 6th, 2006. Poignant and politically relevant, the series utilizes movie frames highly customized through Glen's unique touch. The new series, Benny and Sid`s Your Public Service Announcements, is more unique; the artwork in the new series is entirely created by Glen from scratch. Few people seem to enjoy their professional careers more than Glen and Karen Bledsoe. When Glen joined Salem-News.com he was working as a university professor. Today he is lending his skills toward an even more important set; elementary school students. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/new_leonardo_7-3-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/new_leonardo_7-3-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:19:00 PDT The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert late Wednesday after a nine-year old Lake Forest boy was abducted and his mother was shot in Lake Forest on Wednesday night. Police report that Ryan Ramos is a Hispanic male. No further description is available. The photo shows Ryan as a boy with dark hair and a slender build. The suspect in both the shooting and the boy's abduction, is the boy's estranged father, 43-year old Lonnie Ramos. He is described as a Hispanic male who is six foot three inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/amber_alert_7-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/amber_alert_7-2-08.php Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:58:00 PDT A Florida newspaper reported that John Lovell had just finished dinner at about 11:15 PM that night in June 2007, when the two men armed with guns quickly entered a Subway shop and demanded cash. It seems like it could have ended there, but instead the men turned to Lovell and demanded his money, and then according to Police, tried to force him into a bathroom. The retired Marine apparently feigned dropping his wallet, and instead of picking it up, brandished a 9mm handgun and brought the robbery to a swift close. http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/marine_shooting_7-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/marine_shooting_7-2-08.php Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:06:00 PDT "...And the band played on"... That familiar phrase --from “the Titanic-disaster when the band played while the ship sank”-- very precisely pronounces our current status re patriotism true to American principles, on July 4th 2008 --well into the 21st Century. We hear the music --meant to reassure us-- and we seek out any possible lifeboat, as the ship sinks; with similar results for far too many passengers. We are very chary about DOING what proves up our real and true devotion to the nation AND its Founding Principles: Making sure the ship does NOT sink --and that our captain knows an iceberg when it towers over us. http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/hank_oped_7-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/hank_oped_7-2-08.php Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:23:00 PDT A war of emerging technologies has been fought on our nation's highways for years. After police began using radar guns to catch speed limit violators, companies answered the call by offering radar detectors and "Fuzz Busters." New radar bands and types are greeted by new and improved devices that utilize new ways to warn drivers and keep them from that inevitable, expensive ticket written on the side of the road. Police used to always drive marked police vehicles, today they drive non marked cars for traffic enforcement in many cases, blurring the lines between real police and potential police impersonators. Police used to have to keep their vehicle's lights on when parked on the side of the road at night. Today all over Oregon, police sit hidden in the dark waiting for potential violators. http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/tkings.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july022008/tkings.php Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:19:00 PDT The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that over 1,450 fires in California have scorched more than 416,200 acres as of early this morning. AccuWeather.com forecasters say smoky conditions will continue to affect central and northern California as well as western Nevada and southern Oregon. Red Bluff, California, Reno, Nevada and Medford, Oregon, all reported lowered visibility due to the smoke being spread by a south-southwest steering flow on Monday. The smoke will continue to cause poor air quality and poor breathing conditions, even for healthy adults, through the week. http://salem-news.com/articles/july012008/cal_fires_7-1-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july012008/cal_fires_7-1-08.php Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:53:00 PDT Children’s and Parent’s Rights organizations from across the nation are scheduled to encroach on Washington DC this August 15th And 16th at the Upper Senate Park. They say they are doing it because government policies do not reflect what is truly best for children and good parents. Organizer Larry Holland says the event is bringing the major issues facing parents to the legislators’ doorsteps, their backyards, and their offices. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/parents_rights_6_30_08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/parents_rights_6_30_08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:38:00 PDT I am a local student who is concerned about global warming and its potential devastating impacts. More and more science is showing us that human action is causing climate change and we must act now to protect our future. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tells us that by acting now, the worst impacts of global warming can still be avoided. As the Earth’s largest polluter, the U.S. has an obligation to reduce the amount of global warming emissions we dump into the atmosphere. It is our responsibility to preserve a sustainable way of life and secure a livable future for many generations to come. Our children and grandchildren do not deserve to inherit environmental despair that threatens their livelihood because of our negligence. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/letter_editor_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/letter_editor_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:33:00 PDT Weather forecasters say a disturbance pushing through the Northwest will break the heat in the north, but will also allow thunderstorms to form into Tuesday. Meanwhile, remaining heat to the south over much of California will continue to fuel fires and the smoke given off, Accuweather.com weather experts reported. An influx of Pacific air from an approaching disturbance brought relief from the heat Monday to coastal areas from northern California to Washington state, while the the Intermountain West remained hot. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/cal_fires_6-30-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/cal_fires_6-30-09.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:15:00 PDT Forecasters at Accuweather.com, say high pressure building in the Midwest region out of the West Tuesday, will bring a blast of heat to the northern Plains. They predict temperatures through Tuesday to be in the 90s across the Intermountain West and the northern Plains. As that heat gives way late Tuesday to a cold front droping out of Canada's Prairie Provinces, a quick-hitting, dynamic storm system will follow the front onto the northern Plains. By Wednesday, storms will move into the upper Mississippi Valley, Accuweather experts say. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/midwest_weather_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/midwest_weather_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:58:00 PDT Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Jim Willis announced today the signing of the new GI Bill for Oregon veterans. The bill significantly expands education benefits for veterans and was praised by Governor Ted Kulongoski. “In Oregon, we’ve done a lot to help our veterans with education benefits,” the Governor said. “This new GI Bill keeps the faith with those who serve our country and will make an invaluable investment in our future.” The new GI Bill has been likened to that of the GI Bill offered to World War II veterans in that it provides for nearly all the costs of attending school. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/gi_bill_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/gi_bill_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:02:00 PDT State Police officials say a Sandy-area woman received non-life threatening injuries late Sunday night when she encountered a black bear at her home. Rick Hargrave with the Oregon Department of Fish And Wildlife, says around 11:00 PM Sunday, the 58-year old woman who lives about five miles northeast of Sandy, heard noises coming from her back porch. "Upon investigating the noises she opened her rear door and found the bear feeding on sunflower seeds stored in an aluminum garbage can." Hargrave says the bear swiped at her, injuring her on the arm, foot and thigh. The bear then ran off. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/bear_attack_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/bear_attack_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:39:00 PDT Migraine headaches are possibly one of the most misunderstood maladies of man. The Merck Manual states “The cause is unknown and the pathophysiology (mechanism) is not fully understood.” Except that it has something to do with brain blood vessel dilation/constriction; nobody seems to know what is going on here. If I’m wrong about this I’m sure I will hear plenty. To save myself professional embarrassment, I checked the Merck Manual. One would think some mad scientist produced the highly diverse pot pourri of drugs which have been used to alleviate these severe and paralyzing headaches, with nausea and vomiting, which affect some 10 million people in the U.S. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/leveque_migraines_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/leveque_migraines_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:09:00 PDT June 30th 2008 is the Centennial anniversary of an event that rocked the very soul of Russia, known as the Tunguska Event, or Tunguska explosion. Historic accounts describe it as a massive explosion that happened near the Podkamennaya or Lower Stony Tunguska River, in an area now known as Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia. It happened June 30th, 1908 around 7:14 AM. That is when Tungus natives and others living in the hills northwest of Russia's Lake Baikal reported seeing a column of bluish light, that they described as being almost as bright as the Sun, moving across the sky. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/tunguska_day_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/tunguska_day_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:16:00 PDT The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Search And Rescue mission on the Sandy River attempting to locate a missing Sandy teenager who is presumed drowned, was concluded late Sunday afternoon. Detective Jim Strovink with the Clackamas Sheriff's Office, says all efforts to locate Patrick Monteith have failed. He says eight ground searchers from Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue volunteered their time and expertise Sunday and continuing the ground search along the banks of the Sandy River. http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/drowning_sandy_6-30-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june302008/drowning_sandy_6-30-08.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:55:00 PDT A teen missing in the Sandy River has officials there moving quickly. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office and Search And Rescue Coordinators resumed the search for the missing teen, Patrick Monteith of Sandy; who was last witnessed by three companions being swept down the Sandy River, east of Marmot, early Saturday afternoon. Jim Strovink with the Clackamas Sheriff says NORSAR, a volunteer canine search group, combed the waters edge as darkness fell late Saturday night. http://salem-news.com/articles/june292008/sandy_teen_6-29-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june292008/sandy_teen_6-29-08.php Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:47:00 PDT The President issued a declaration today ordering federal aid to supplement state and local firefighting efforts in response to wildfires. AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Kristina Baker, says California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported early Sunday that over 1,400 fires have ignited across the state since last weekend's devastating lightning storm. "The fires have charred over 356,000 acres and destroyed 29 residences. The number of homes that remain threatened stands at over 7,500. Firefighters are desperately trying to contain the 29 large blazes across the state that could destroy these residences." http://salem-news.com/articles/june292008/cal_fires_6-29-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june292008/cal_fires_6-29-08.php Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:29:00 PDT Problems in Zimbabwe under the dictator Robert Mugabe are out of hand and military commitments from the west are all tied up. Hope is scarce in this part of the world where Mugabe's henchmen this week broke a one-year old baby's legs in order to punish his father who opposed a Mugabe-friendly councilor in Zimbabwe. The Times reported today that the baby, Blessing Mabhena, aged 11 months, was taken out of a bed and thrown down onto a hard floor with force as his mother, Agnes, hid from the thugs. She later said she was convinced that she was about to be murdered. http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/mugabe_henchmen_6-28-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/mugabe_henchmen_6-28-08.php Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:09:00 PDT The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Sergeant Edward J. O'Brien, U.S. Army, of Omaha, Nebraska. He will be buried July 2nd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/korea_soldier_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/korea_soldier_6-27-08.php Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:00:00 PDT The California National Guard (CNG), with support from National Guard equipment and personnel from various other states is currently providing twelve rotary aircraft, eight fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 200 personnel to assist in extinguishing various northern California wildfires Friday. There are currently 12 rotary-winged aircraft fighting various northern California Wildfires. These include eight aircraft from the CNG and four from other states. http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/guard_fires_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/guard_fires_6-27-08.php Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:29:00 PDT OUR Constitution and its accompanying Bill of Rights is the organizing foundation-structure on which all else has been built in this nation ever since 1776. Countless pages of our history proclaim, without question, that immutable truth for any freedom and for ALL rights: “USE It or LOSE IT!” Did you know that “precedent set by Presidential action and negligence of Congress” can change the Constitutional freedoms you now enjoy? http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/constitution_op_ed_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/constitution_op_ed_6-27-08.php Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:45:00 PDT Oregon State Police and Wasco County District Attorney's Office is asking for the public's help in locating a 22-year old man from The Dalles area, who failed to appear Friday for a hearing related to rape, sodomy and sex abuse charges. Police say 22-year old Alejandro Morales Morales of The Dalles, was one of four suspects arrested related to a June 2007 rape in an orchard near The Dalles. http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/rape_suspect_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/rape_suspect_6-27-08.php Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:43:00 PDT Gene Sharp, an 80-year-old scholar of strategic nonviolent action and veteran of radical pacifist causes, is under attack by a number of foreign governments that claim that he and his small research institute are key players in a Bush administration plot against them. Though there is no truth to these charges, several leftist web sites and publications have been repeating such claims as fact. This raises disturbing questions regarding the ability of progressives challenging Bush foreign policy to distinguish between the very real manifestations of U.S. imperialism and conspiratorial fantasies. http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/zunes_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/zunes_6-27-08.php Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:24:00 PDT With record-breaking temperatures predicted for the next few days, Oregon health officials are reminding residents to take precautions against getting sick from extreme heat. Except for a short hot spell in mid-May this is expected to be the first episode of really hot weather this year. Forecasters predict an abrupt change to higher temperatures after an unseasonably cool spring. http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/heat_wave_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june272008/heat_wave_6-27-08.php Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:23:00 PDT