Rally in Portland protests austerity measures
A crowd of several hundred people marched along the Portland streets to protest austerity measures this Saturday, according to The Oregonian. Some protesters were pepper-sprayed by police when they tried to go off the march’s approved route.
The group gathered in support of causes including health care reform, public education and cutting military spending.
The event was organized by Portland Action Lab, which grew out of the Occupy Portland movement.
Two state officials oversee Clackmas County elections after alleged ballot tampering
Oregon deputy director for elections Brenda Bayes was dispatched to assist election monitor Fred Neal in the Clackamas County Elections Office after news broke Friday that an employee was accused of tampering with ballots to cast additional votes for the Republican party.
Bayes and Neal are joined by a private security guard and a state trooper to oversee ballot processing in Clackamas County, which is considered a swing county.
A state criminal investigation is currently underway, The Oregonian reports.
Suspect of two armed robberies arrested in Portland
The alleged suspect in two armed robbery cases was arrested by Portland police on Sunday, according to The Oregonian. The suspect was arrested after police spotted the stolen vehicle associated with him.
The suspect’s name has not been released.
Bridge worker’s body found
The body of a bridge worker who had fallen into the Columbia River in early October was found Saturday near Washington’s Ocean Beach Highway, The Oregonian reports.
Charles William Wiley Jr.’s body was found by a recreational boater approximately 15 miles from the Lewis and Clark bridge, which he fell from on Oct. 7.
Police say there is no indication of foul play, although it is unknown why Wiley’s safety equipment failed.
Reduced period between low flows and high temperatures could harm aquatic life
According to a new study by Oregon State University researchers, the period between summer’s high temperatures and low flows in rivers has dropped by 20 to 30 days in the last 60 years, The Oregonian reports. Fall’s low flows have gotten increasingly closer to summer’s high temperatures between 1950 and 2010, which researchers believe could harm aquatic life.
Researchers analyzed data on flow and temperature from U.S. Geological Survey Monitoring sites. It is believed reduced snowpack and earlier spring snowmelt is a factor in the change.