DUIIs increase Super Bowl weekend in Springfield
The Springfield Police Department released the numbers from their “focused patrols” over Super Bowl weekend, which resulted in 11 DUII arrests. Participation from local residents helped in five of those arrests.
This is a large increase from last year, where there were only four arrests made over Super Bowl weekend. A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that Super Bowl weekend has become one of the most dangerous weekends to be on the road. This year, three residents across Oregon died from drunk driving incidents.
Cuts from federal timber money to seriously hinder Lane County Jail system
After the cut from the loss of federal timber money, the Lane County Sheriff announced that half of the beds in the Lane County Jail would be cut in coming months. The sheriff’s patrol staff will also be cut, and people convicted of misdemeanors will no longer be supervised.
This is likely to lead to the jail filling faster than before and offenders being released before they should be to make more room. About 80 members of the sheriff’s office will likely be laid off in the next thirty days. They are expecting a $7 million cut from the timber money, but up to $12 million after cuts from other aspects of their revenue.
Controversial case ends in mistrial
The case of Angelica Swartout and the alleged murder of her newborn baby ended in a mistrial Wednesday afternoon after four days of deliberation by the jury. Swartout is back in jail for the moment, with a new trial date set for April 16.
Swartout is accused of killing her newborn in October of 2010 in the bathroom of the hotel she worked in. She originally claimed that she gave birth to a stillborn at a hospital, which came under suspicion when she could not produce birth or death certificates.
Her story changed a number of times until she eventually claimed she was never pregnant at all, and thus never gave birth. The remains of her alleged child were never found.
Man identified in burglary shooting
In a botched burglary attempt, Shawn Connelly, 44, of Springfield was killed by the man who lived in the house. Connelly and Darrin Dubouch, 39, of Coburg broke into the house around 2:30 p.m. last Thursday.
Neighbors heard shots, and then a man, who was later identified as Dubouch, run out of the house. When police arrived, Connelly was dead and Dubouch was found later in a nearby woods.