Cops: Video games lured teen for sex; female general; double burnout
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Odd and interesting news from the West.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Zoo has taken in a 2-month-old bobcat kitten that was removed from the wild near Eagle Point, Oregon by well-intentioned but misguided humans.
The zoo said in a statement Thursday that the kitten will remain behind the scenes while he awaits transport to another zoo that can house him permanently.
The cub was taken from the woods in July and wildlife authorities determined that after the human contact, he could not survive on his own if released back into the wild.
The zoo says that cubs that appear abandoned actually probably have their mother nearby and anyone who finds an animal in distress should call authorities.
Bobcats -- named for their short, bobbed tails -- can appear cuddly but are fierce predators that can take down small deer.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah businessman sentenced to more than a decade in prison after being convicted of lying to banks has agreed to a settlement worth more than $275 million in a separate lawsuit brought against him by federal regulators.
Jeremy Johnson of St. George has agreed to surrender personal and corporate assets to the Federal Trade Commission so he can focus on appealing his criminal conviction, attorney Karra Porter said.
Johnson was convicted in March of eight counts of making false statements to banks, though the jury cleared him of dozens more charges, including fraud and conspiracy.
Federal prosecutors called Johnson a con man who lied after his company was blacklisted by credit card companies. Johnson insisted he was upfront and transparent.
Porter said Johnson's parents have also had most of their assets seized, but settled for the return of $750,000, which will be used to pay for his appeal.
Johnson's wife, Sharla, will move out of their St. George mansion, but she will be able to keep a car and other property.
"The federal government has destroyed this family," said Porter, who represented the Johnson family — but not Johnson himself — in the FTC lawsuit. She is now representing Johnson's appeals in his criminal case and said that's where the family's focus now lies.
"We were not going to admit any wrongdoing, because we have spent years proving that the FTC case lacked merit," she said in a news release. "So we did not agree to any language that the FTC would have won its case."
Family members have also created a website to raise money and speak in favor of Johnson. They have vowed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary, according to the news release.
Federal regulators said Johnson and others charged consumers' credit cards recurring monthly or one-time fees that were not properly disclosed on various websites.
An FTC spokesman said the agency might have a comment once a judge approves the settlements.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah National Guard is getting its first female general.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2aYWKmE ) that Col. Christine M. Burckle will be promoted to brigadier general and take command of the Utah Air National Guard on Saturday. Her promotion will be marked with a ceremony at Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City.
Burckle will be the Utah National Guard's first female general and will command 1,400 airmen in the 151st Air Refueling Wing.
Burckle received her commission from the University of North Carolina in 1988 and spent much of her career as a navigator on air refueling jets. She served in the first Gulf War, Bosnia and to Afghanistan.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Department of Health has such a large backlog of applications for medical marijuana identification cards the state auditor has called it a public health emergency.
The average time for processing a medical marijuana ID card is now 43 days, which is down from the 60-day average in June but still exceeds the 30-day limit set by state law, The Albuquerque Journal reported (http://bit.ly/2b12tX7).
The department is working to process applications for both new patients and those seeking renewals, agency spokesman David Morgan said. "We take our mission to provide safe access to medicine for New Mexico's qualified medical cannabis patients seriously," Morgan said.
Patients enrolled in New Mexico's medical marijuana program have increased rapidly from about 14,000 in 2015 to 26,568 as of June. Current state law requires the Department of Health to approve or deny applications for ID cards within 30 days. Cards expire after one year, so qualified patients must also apply for renewals.
The agency submitted a written update to the interim legislative committee that met Thursday. Some lawmakers criticized the department for not sending any officials.
"It's obvious the Department of Health is not putting the focus on the patient," said Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, vice chairwoman of the interim Disabilities Concerns Subcommittee.
Morgan said agency officials plan to attend a separate legislative hearing later this month, and it would have been a challenge to appear before two legislative committees so close together.
Auditor Tim Keller on Thursday called the backlog a health emergency and said it could lead to costly lawsuits. Keller said the Department of Health has been treating the issue as a bureaucratic headache instead of as an emergency.
"It's been a slow sweeping under the rug of this issue," he said.
Some lawmakers at the committee suggested pursuing changes to the state's medical marijuana laws, including the renewal requirement, but Rodriguez said for now that doesn't matter.
"The law says 30 days - not 43 days," she said. "To me, that's a violation of the law."
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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LOWMAN, Idaho (AP) — Firefighters have started two simultaneous emergency burns trying to stop an 81-square-mile wildfire that on Friday moved to within a few miles of a small town in mountainous central Idaho.
The burnouts started late Thursday on the east and west sides of Rock Creek are intended to consume fuel in the drainage that funnels into Lowman, where firefighters have set up sprinkler systems to protect homes.
The burnouts are "progressing pretty well," fire spokesman Patrick Lair said. "That's really the big push for the next several days — to complete that."
Nearly 1,500 firefighters are battling the blaze burning timber in rugged terrain. Numerous fire lines have had to be abandoned as flames moved north.
About 25 miles of State Highway 21 remains closed, from 6 miles north of Idaho City to south of Lowman. It's a heavily traveled route between highly populated southwest Idaho and vacation areas in the center of the state.
County Highway 17, also called the Banks-Lowman Road, is an alternate route that remains open. Officials have said they'll try to keep it open even if that requires using pilot vehicles to guide motorists.
Lair said crews are trying to prevent the fire from reaching a fuel-filled canyon called Hole in the Wall to the west of Lowman that, if ignited, could shut down the road.
"It very well could," Lair said. "We're doing are darned best to prevent it."
No evacuations have been ordered, but Boise County Sheriff Jim Kaczmarek has told residents to be alert.
"It's a fluid situation and we have contingency plans for whatever happens," he said. "What we won't be doing is having two roads closed at once."
Kaczmarek suggested residents sign up through the county's website to receive emergency notifications on their home or cellphones. He said many county residents already have.
The fire has destroyed a state-operated backcountry yurt. The $60,000 yurt is a round, tent-like structure with a dome roof and plastic skin. It's not clear what day it was destroyed.
There are six yurts in the system that the state operates on the Boise National Forest under an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and that are booked months in advance for winter use by backcountry skiers.
At least two other yurts have survived. Lair said Friday crews have not been able to check on the condition of the three other yurts.
Meanwhile, officials with the nearby Sawtooth National Forest ordered fire restrictions to start Monday due to increasing wildfire danger.
The restrictions allow campfires or stove fires only at designated recreation sites. Smoking is also limited to inside vehicles, buildings or areas clear of flammable materials.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police have arrested a man on sex abuse charges in connection with a 2010 sexual assault that was reported by a 21-year-old victim this spring.
Police said Friday that 27-year-old Wesley Zhang first contacted the woman in 2006, when she was 11, using an online video game.
The girl lived in Washington state at the time, but Zhang sexually abused her by phone and over Skype when she turned 14.
The following year, police say, he lured her to Oregon and sexually assaulted her.
Zhang was arrested Thursday and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on one count of second-degree sex abuse and three counts of luring a minor.
Zhang used the online aliases "Furclaw" and "David Cole."
Police believe there may be other victims.
- By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press
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SEATTLE (AP) — While most of the country is actively engaged in the election process, an entire class of individuals -- inmates in Washington state jails -- can't participate because the officials charged with overseeing them have failed to provide the tools and information needed to make that happen, according to a new report.
An investigation by Disability Rights Washington found that only a handful of Washington state's 38 county jails have a policy for facilitating the voting process for inmates and few of those facilities actually follow those procedures, the report said.
The result is that thousands of citizens who have the constitutional right to vote are not able to register, receive ballots or case a vote, the report said.
Unlike prison inmates, who have generally have felony convictions and have lost their voting rights, most jail inmates are awaiting trial or have been found guilty of a misdemeanor charge, so they maintain their voting rights.
"Given jails control of all information and materials coming into and out of their facilities, it is not surprising that when staff do not have a plan about how to inform people how they can register, get voting information, and cast a ballot while locked up in this highly restrictive environment, people do not vote," said David Carlson, the group's legal director and author of the report.
The lack of voting support disproportionately impacts people with disabilities, since people held in jails are four times more likely to have a disability than the general public, Carlson said.
People with disabilities are one of the largest voting blocks in the country, but they often face barriers do to a lack of accessibility, said Mark Stroh, the group's executive director.
"Much work is being done by various non-profits and political groups to get out the vote during this election cycle, and this is true in the disability community as well, but one area being ignored is the voting rights of people in our jails," he said.
Lori Augino, director of elections at the Washington Secretary of State's office, said Disability Rights Washington has been invited to share their concerns at their next Disability Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 18.
Three Washington jails are the exception, the investigation found. Jails in Spokane and Kittitas counties, and the South Correctional Entity Regional Jail in Des Moines, Washington, have policies for providing voting access to inmates and actually facilitate voter registration, receipt of ballots and casting votes, the report said.
Officials in Spokane said they have a program in which a group of officers helps inmates register to vote and get voting information.
When the group visited the Island County Jail to ask about its voting policies, jail officials immediately took steps to improve access to the process, the report said. The jail worked with the county election office to start a voter education program in the jail and put up voter registration pamphlets.
The jail now provides inmates with mail-in ballots, the report said.
The group is asking other jails and election offices around the state to follow the Island County Jail's lead to ensure inmates can participate in the upcoming election.
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Follow Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle
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PHOENIX (AP) — A measles outbreak at a federal immigration detention center in Pinal County will officially be over on Saturday.
The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/2aYpKL9 ) that Saturday marks the end of a second 21-day incubation period since the last case of measles was confirmed at the Eloy Detention Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility managed by the Corrections Corporation of America.
Measles sickened 22 detainees and workers at the center since May 27, which is located about 60 miles south of Phoenix. Health officials say they typically wait 42 days after the last exposure before declaring an outbreak over.
Officials with CCA say all CCA and ICE employees at the facility have been vaccinated and as a precaution, new detainees continue to receive measles vaccinations prior to entering the facility.
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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
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NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State University is moving ahead with plans to build a $50 million expansion to house its marine science initiative in a tsunami inundation zone in Newport despite warnings from a state geologist that the site could make it vulnerable to a major earthquake and put it in the path of a subsequent tsunami.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Friday (http://bit.ly/2anBSW8) that President Ed Ray, the dean of Oregon public university presidents, believes the 100,000 square foot expansion at the mouth of the Yaquina Bay will be a "national and global showcase" for seismic design standards.
OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center sits at about 15 to 18 feet above sea level.
The school needs final approval from the City of Newport to start construction, which could begin next year.
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Transit police say a rifle was discovered under a bench on a Bay Area Rapid Transit platform.
KNTV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2aTCulH ) that BART police say an employee spotted a case under a bench at the MacArthur station during the Thursday morning commute. A .22-caliber Winchester rifle was found inside.
BART did not say whether the rifle was loaded. Police say it is not known to be associated with a crime.
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Information from: KNTV-TV.
- By SCOTT MABEN The Spokesman-Review
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BONNERS FERRY, Idaho (AP) — It's noon, time for the weekday Mass at St. Ann's Catholic Church.
But the church building is gone. Just a dusty gravel lot remains. The only clue to what happened here is the charred timbers of a detached bell tower along El Paso Street, reported The Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/2asLjih).
Fourteen weeks after an arsonist burned the church to the ground, the small north Idaho parish is forging on with prayer and song and hopes of rebuilding next year.
For now, they worship on weekends in a Methodist church next door. During the week, the Rev. Carlos Perez leads Mass under a wooden pavilion next to his residence.
On a Wednesday in July, four women and three men attend the 20-minute service, sitting on folding white chairs. It's a pleasant day to be outside in the shade. Birds chirp and a train wails in the distance.
"God is in our midst. He's always in us, in good times and in bad times," Father Perez says in his brief homily.
Carol Davis, who helps arrange chairs for the daily Mass, said she misses the quiet space for prayer in the sanctuary of the old church.
"It's disheartening," Davis said. "But at night there is weeping, in the morning rejoicing. When this is over, we will rejoice."
"It's sort of being on a permanent retreat," she added. "We're actually meeting like they did before churches, so it's kind of nice that way."
Another parishioner, Karen Amidei, said she's grateful for the shelter of the pavilion for Mass on Tuesday through Friday.
"One thing people miss the most is not being able to kneel. I've heard that from a lot of people," Amidei said. "A lot of our comforts have been taken away."
No one has been charged with setting the church ablaze. But Perez and others in this small town know that investigators suspect a man already in jail on unrelated burglary charges. The man's lawyer confirmed authorities are looking hard at her client, whose criminal history goes back almost 20 years.
"They will" charge him, Perez said with confidence. "He has to pay for this big crime. It is against the faith of the people."
The FBI confirms that there is a "person of interest" in custody on unrelated charges, and that there's no threat to public safety. The Boundary County Prosecutor's Office has not commented.
Waiting, waiting
Sitting in his office after Mass, Perez said he was depressed for several weeks following the April 21 fire.
"I feel better, but I was very sad," he said. "It is very hard for me and for the community to have services outside. Thank God the weather is good."
Two days after the smoke cleared, Bishop Peter F. Christensen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise came to town and assured the congregation they could rebuild. That was a great relief to parishioners, who worried they'd have to drive to Sandpoint for Mass.
Perez said he hopes to break ground on the new church next April. He's waiting to hear from insurers on how much money they'll have for the project.
"We are waiting, waiting, waiting," he said.
The plan is to rebuild on an undeveloped corner of the same block. To do that, the church may need to ask the City Council to vacate an alley right of way through the property and agree to relocate water, sewer and electric lines. The cost of moving utilities could cost the church roughly $75,000.
"As a city we really want to see it rebuilt, and I know we'll sure do anything we can to help the process along," City Administrator Mike Klaus said.
St. Ann's is working with a Post Falls architect on some design ideas. Perez said he would prefer a traditional-looking church with room for about 300 people. He recently visited the new Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Suncrest, Washington, which the Diocese of Spokane dedicated July 3.
"It's beautiful," he said. "I like it."
Perez also hopes for a more practical temporary solution on the church property, before winter sets in. He's looking for a couple of portable trailers that can be placed side by side to create an interior space large enough for about 100 people. He'd need to celebrate Mass twice each Sunday morning to accommodate everyone, as well as work through some fire safety and snow load concerns.
Little survived
St. Ann's and a Lutheran church in Bonners Ferry were vandalized about a month before the arson. Perez found strange symbols scrawled in butter around the altar and bread left at the front door and on the kitchen floor in the basement. The intruder also drew symbols on an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and scratched the eyes in a picture of the church's namesake saint.
During the April fire, firefighters saw similar signs of vandalism in the St. Ann's basement where the fire had been set.
The church was busy the night before the fire with choir practice and a religious education class in the church basement. Perez said the arsonist could have sneaked in and hid until everyone else had left.
Next door in the rectory, he retired late after watching a Spanish-language show he likes. Sometime after midnight he heard a boom. Perez looked out but saw nothing.
A few minutes later he heard a louder boom and felt the house shake.
The priest grabbed his phone and went to the side door facing the church.
"I saw the flame that came from the stained glass of Our Lady of Guadalupe," Perez said. "Oh, my God, that image, my friends. I have that image here," he said, pointing to his temple.
He called 911, but the church already was beyond saving. The fire smoldered through the day and into that evening.
In his nine years at St. Ann's, Perez and his parishioners had worked hard and spent close to $400,000 to renovate the building. They put on a new roof, replaced windows, added insulation and remodeled the basement.
Virtually everything was lost to the flames, but a few relics survived and will be incorporated into the new church. They include a large cross in stained glass from the choir loft, a ceramic image of the Blessed Mother and another window of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Also, a metal cross atop the church, which crumpled to the ground as firefighters doused hot spots on the church, was salvaged and will find a home in the new church.
- By AMBER PEABODY Cody Enterprise
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CODY, Wyo. (AP) — In preparation for his first season of T-ball this spring, Kasen Asay picked out a pair of cleats.
But when the salesperson asked if the shoes were for baseball the 4-year-old responded, "No, I'm fighting steers."
And that's just what he's been doing most nights at the Cody Nite Rodeo this summer, which isn't much of a surprise to those who know him.
Bulls run in his blood, reported the Cody Enterprise (http://bit.ly/2aKPMm5). His dad is pro bull rider Kanin Asay and bullfighter Dusty Tuckness is a close family friend.
Depending on the day, Kasen wants to both ride and fight bulls when he gets older. More recently he's been leaning toward fighting them.
"Uncle Dusty is who he looks up to and wants to be just like," Kanin said. "This has been Kasen's idea. He's been raised around it all his life and surrounded by it 24/7. It's something we support as long as he's interested."
Kanin said Kasen shows no fear around the large animals, which has caused concern for his parents from time to time.
"We know we have to watch him around bulls," he said. "They don't see him, and their size and force doesn't scare him. He has no fear."
Tuckness made Kasen the baggies he wears in the arena for a Halloween costume a few years back. The baggies sport a variety of patches including Bullfighters Only and Team Wyoming.
"Dusty is his big hero," mom Sydney said. "He plays with him and spoils him a lot too."
Kasen said the six-time Bullfighter of the Year also gave him some tips for fighting steers.
"He showed me how to step around them," he said. "Then I give them (the steer riders) the rope and run fast to get it."
He's even been in the arena with Tuckness.
"He fighted with me," Kasen said. "He's cool and showed me how to fake."
Kasen also has some experience with bull riding. Sydney said a few years ago he got to sit on an old mini bull named "Spud." Kasen was on the bull three times.
"He loved it," she said. "He rode the bull three times in the chute. The third time it was dumping rain and he still wanted to get on. There was no fear or hesitation."
He also won mutton bustin' during a rodeo earlier this year in Texas and received a buckle. To get his buckle, Kasen had to kiss Miss Rodeo Texas, which he said was "not fun."
Mom disagrees though.
"You loved it," she told him. And Kasen only smiled in response.
Before each rodeo bullfighter Justin Josey does Kasen's makeup.
"It's OK on my face but I have to scrub hard to get it off," he said.
At the end of the rodeo he goes out front with the bullfighters to sign autographs, which is one of his favorite parts, Sydney said.
During a recent June rodeo he ran out to participate in the calf scramble and said afterward, "I about had it. I almost got its ear and twisted it."
Then it was time to get down to business. Josey carried Kasen out into the arena, raising him above his head when Kasen was introduced to the crowd.
"I waved at all the people," he said.
Josey set Kasen on the ground in preparation for the riding to begin, holding his hand. Then the first steer came out of the chute and Kasen took off to collect the rider's rope.
"He said good job and don't get hooked," Kasen said of Josey. "He's cool and tells me to run fast."
The young steer fighter showed no fear, and at one point it appeared Josey had to hold him back so he didn't get too close to one of the animals coming out of the chute.
During the event, Kasen said one steer came close to him but he knew just what to do.
"The white and black one got close but I watch for him and I just step around him."
When it was over, Kasen was pumped up on adrenaline and said he "did a good job" and wasn't nervous.
Then a friend waved him over, prompting the end of the interview.
"No more questions," he said as he ran off to play.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Zoo has taken in a 2-month-old bobcat kitten that was removed from the wild near Eagle Point, Oregon by well-intentioned but misguided humans.
The zoo said in a statement Thursday that the kitten will remain behind the scenes while he awaits transport to another zoo that can house him permanently.
The cub was taken from the woods in July and wildlife authorities determined that after the human contact, he could not survive on his own if released back into the wild.
The zoo says that cubs that appear abandoned actually probably have their mother nearby and anyone who finds an animal in distress should call authorities.
Bobcats -- named for their short, bobbed tails -- can appear cuddly but are fierce predators that can take down small deer.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah businessman sentenced to more than a decade in prison after being convicted of lying to banks has agreed to a settlement worth more than $275 million in a separate lawsuit brought against him by federal regulators.
Jeremy Johnson of St. George has agreed to surrender personal and corporate assets to the Federal Trade Commission so he can focus on appealing his criminal conviction, attorney Karra Porter said.
Johnson was convicted in March of eight counts of making false statements to banks, though the jury cleared him of dozens more charges, including fraud and conspiracy.
Federal prosecutors called Johnson a con man who lied after his company was blacklisted by credit card companies. Johnson insisted he was upfront and transparent.
Porter said Johnson's parents have also had most of their assets seized, but settled for the return of $750,000, which will be used to pay for his appeal.
Johnson's wife, Sharla, will move out of their St. George mansion, but she will be able to keep a car and other property.
"The federal government has destroyed this family," said Porter, who represented the Johnson family — but not Johnson himself — in the FTC lawsuit. She is now representing Johnson's appeals in his criminal case and said that's where the family's focus now lies.
"We were not going to admit any wrongdoing, because we have spent years proving that the FTC case lacked merit," she said in a news release. "So we did not agree to any language that the FTC would have won its case."
Family members have also created a website to raise money and speak in favor of Johnson. They have vowed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary, according to the news release.
Federal regulators said Johnson and others charged consumers' credit cards recurring monthly or one-time fees that were not properly disclosed on various websites.
An FTC spokesman said the agency might have a comment once a judge approves the settlements.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah National Guard is getting its first female general.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2aYWKmE ) that Col. Christine M. Burckle will be promoted to brigadier general and take command of the Utah Air National Guard on Saturday. Her promotion will be marked with a ceremony at Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City.
Burckle will be the Utah National Guard's first female general and will command 1,400 airmen in the 151st Air Refueling Wing.
Burckle received her commission from the University of North Carolina in 1988 and spent much of her career as a navigator on air refueling jets. She served in the first Gulf War, Bosnia and to Afghanistan.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Department of Health has such a large backlog of applications for medical marijuana identification cards the state auditor has called it a public health emergency.
The average time for processing a medical marijuana ID card is now 43 days, which is down from the 60-day average in June but still exceeds the 30-day limit set by state law, The Albuquerque Journal reported (http://bit.ly/2b12tX7).
The department is working to process applications for both new patients and those seeking renewals, agency spokesman David Morgan said. "We take our mission to provide safe access to medicine for New Mexico's qualified medical cannabis patients seriously," Morgan said.
Patients enrolled in New Mexico's medical marijuana program have increased rapidly from about 14,000 in 2015 to 26,568 as of June. Current state law requires the Department of Health to approve or deny applications for ID cards within 30 days. Cards expire after one year, so qualified patients must also apply for renewals.
The agency submitted a written update to the interim legislative committee that met Thursday. Some lawmakers criticized the department for not sending any officials.
"It's obvious the Department of Health is not putting the focus on the patient," said Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, vice chairwoman of the interim Disabilities Concerns Subcommittee.
Morgan said agency officials plan to attend a separate legislative hearing later this month, and it would have been a challenge to appear before two legislative committees so close together.
Auditor Tim Keller on Thursday called the backlog a health emergency and said it could lead to costly lawsuits. Keller said the Department of Health has been treating the issue as a bureaucratic headache instead of as an emergency.
"It's been a slow sweeping under the rug of this issue," he said.
Some lawmakers at the committee suggested pursuing changes to the state's medical marijuana laws, including the renewal requirement, but Rodriguez said for now that doesn't matter.
"The law says 30 days - not 43 days," she said. "To me, that's a violation of the law."
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
LOWMAN, Idaho (AP) — Firefighters have started two simultaneous emergency burns trying to stop an 81-square-mile wildfire that on Friday moved to within a few miles of a small town in mountainous central Idaho.
The burnouts started late Thursday on the east and west sides of Rock Creek are intended to consume fuel in the drainage that funnels into Lowman, where firefighters have set up sprinkler systems to protect homes.
The burnouts are "progressing pretty well," fire spokesman Patrick Lair said. "That's really the big push for the next several days — to complete that."
Nearly 1,500 firefighters are battling the blaze burning timber in rugged terrain. Numerous fire lines have had to be abandoned as flames moved north.
About 25 miles of State Highway 21 remains closed, from 6 miles north of Idaho City to south of Lowman. It's a heavily traveled route between highly populated southwest Idaho and vacation areas in the center of the state.
County Highway 17, also called the Banks-Lowman Road, is an alternate route that remains open. Officials have said they'll try to keep it open even if that requires using pilot vehicles to guide motorists.
Lair said crews are trying to prevent the fire from reaching a fuel-filled canyon called Hole in the Wall to the west of Lowman that, if ignited, could shut down the road.
"It very well could," Lair said. "We're doing are darned best to prevent it."
No evacuations have been ordered, but Boise County Sheriff Jim Kaczmarek has told residents to be alert.
"It's a fluid situation and we have contingency plans for whatever happens," he said. "What we won't be doing is having two roads closed at once."
Kaczmarek suggested residents sign up through the county's website to receive emergency notifications on their home or cellphones. He said many county residents already have.
The fire has destroyed a state-operated backcountry yurt. The $60,000 yurt is a round, tent-like structure with a dome roof and plastic skin. It's not clear what day it was destroyed.
There are six yurts in the system that the state operates on the Boise National Forest under an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and that are booked months in advance for winter use by backcountry skiers.
At least two other yurts have survived. Lair said Friday crews have not been able to check on the condition of the three other yurts.
Meanwhile, officials with the nearby Sawtooth National Forest ordered fire restrictions to start Monday due to increasing wildfire danger.
The restrictions allow campfires or stove fires only at designated recreation sites. Smoking is also limited to inside vehicles, buildings or areas clear of flammable materials.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland police have arrested a man on sex abuse charges in connection with a 2010 sexual assault that was reported by a 21-year-old victim this spring.
Police said Friday that 27-year-old Wesley Zhang first contacted the woman in 2006, when she was 11, using an online video game.
The girl lived in Washington state at the time, but Zhang sexually abused her by phone and over Skype when she turned 14.
The following year, police say, he lured her to Oregon and sexually assaulted her.
Zhang was arrested Thursday and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on one count of second-degree sex abuse and three counts of luring a minor.
Zhang used the online aliases "Furclaw" and "David Cole."
Police believe there may be other victims.
- By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — While most of the country is actively engaged in the election process, an entire class of individuals -- inmates in Washington state jails -- can't participate because the officials charged with overseeing them have failed to provide the tools and information needed to make that happen, according to a new report.
An investigation by Disability Rights Washington found that only a handful of Washington state's 38 county jails have a policy for facilitating the voting process for inmates and few of those facilities actually follow those procedures, the report said.
The result is that thousands of citizens who have the constitutional right to vote are not able to register, receive ballots or case a vote, the report said.
Unlike prison inmates, who have generally have felony convictions and have lost their voting rights, most jail inmates are awaiting trial or have been found guilty of a misdemeanor charge, so they maintain their voting rights.
"Given jails control of all information and materials coming into and out of their facilities, it is not surprising that when staff do not have a plan about how to inform people how they can register, get voting information, and cast a ballot while locked up in this highly restrictive environment, people do not vote," said David Carlson, the group's legal director and author of the report.
The lack of voting support disproportionately impacts people with disabilities, since people held in jails are four times more likely to have a disability than the general public, Carlson said.
People with disabilities are one of the largest voting blocks in the country, but they often face barriers do to a lack of accessibility, said Mark Stroh, the group's executive director.
"Much work is being done by various non-profits and political groups to get out the vote during this election cycle, and this is true in the disability community as well, but one area being ignored is the voting rights of people in our jails," he said.
Lori Augino, director of elections at the Washington Secretary of State's office, said Disability Rights Washington has been invited to share their concerns at their next Disability Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 18.
Three Washington jails are the exception, the investigation found. Jails in Spokane and Kittitas counties, and the South Correctional Entity Regional Jail in Des Moines, Washington, have policies for providing voting access to inmates and actually facilitate voter registration, receipt of ballots and casting votes, the report said.
Officials in Spokane said they have a program in which a group of officers helps inmates register to vote and get voting information.
When the group visited the Island County Jail to ask about its voting policies, jail officials immediately took steps to improve access to the process, the report said. The jail worked with the county election office to start a voter education program in the jail and put up voter registration pamphlets.
The jail now provides inmates with mail-in ballots, the report said.
The group is asking other jails and election offices around the state to follow the Island County Jail's lead to ensure inmates can participate in the upcoming election.
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Follow Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle
PHOENIX (AP) — A measles outbreak at a federal immigration detention center in Pinal County will officially be over on Saturday.
The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/2aYpKL9 ) that Saturday marks the end of a second 21-day incubation period since the last case of measles was confirmed at the Eloy Detention Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility managed by the Corrections Corporation of America.
Measles sickened 22 detainees and workers at the center since May 27, which is located about 60 miles south of Phoenix. Health officials say they typically wait 42 days after the last exposure before declaring an outbreak over.
Officials with CCA say all CCA and ICE employees at the facility have been vaccinated and as a precaution, new detainees continue to receive measles vaccinations prior to entering the facility.
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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State University is moving ahead with plans to build a $50 million expansion to house its marine science initiative in a tsunami inundation zone in Newport despite warnings from a state geologist that the site could make it vulnerable to a major earthquake and put it in the path of a subsequent tsunami.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Friday (http://bit.ly/2anBSW8) that President Ed Ray, the dean of Oregon public university presidents, believes the 100,000 square foot expansion at the mouth of the Yaquina Bay will be a "national and global showcase" for seismic design standards.
OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center sits at about 15 to 18 feet above sea level.
The school needs final approval from the City of Newport to start construction, which could begin next year.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Transit police say a rifle was discovered under a bench on a Bay Area Rapid Transit platform.
KNTV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2aTCulH ) that BART police say an employee spotted a case under a bench at the MacArthur station during the Thursday morning commute. A .22-caliber Winchester rifle was found inside.
BART did not say whether the rifle was loaded. Police say it is not known to be associated with a crime.
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Information from: KNTV-TV.
- By SCOTT MABEN The Spokesman-Review
BONNERS FERRY, Idaho (AP) — It's noon, time for the weekday Mass at St. Ann's Catholic Church.
But the church building is gone. Just a dusty gravel lot remains. The only clue to what happened here is the charred timbers of a detached bell tower along El Paso Street, reported The Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/2asLjih).
Fourteen weeks after an arsonist burned the church to the ground, the small north Idaho parish is forging on with prayer and song and hopes of rebuilding next year.
For now, they worship on weekends in a Methodist church next door. During the week, the Rev. Carlos Perez leads Mass under a wooden pavilion next to his residence.
On a Wednesday in July, four women and three men attend the 20-minute service, sitting on folding white chairs. It's a pleasant day to be outside in the shade. Birds chirp and a train wails in the distance.
"God is in our midst. He's always in us, in good times and in bad times," Father Perez says in his brief homily.
Carol Davis, who helps arrange chairs for the daily Mass, said she misses the quiet space for prayer in the sanctuary of the old church.
"It's disheartening," Davis said. "But at night there is weeping, in the morning rejoicing. When this is over, we will rejoice."
"It's sort of being on a permanent retreat," she added. "We're actually meeting like they did before churches, so it's kind of nice that way."
Another parishioner, Karen Amidei, said she's grateful for the shelter of the pavilion for Mass on Tuesday through Friday.
"One thing people miss the most is not being able to kneel. I've heard that from a lot of people," Amidei said. "A lot of our comforts have been taken away."
No one has been charged with setting the church ablaze. But Perez and others in this small town know that investigators suspect a man already in jail on unrelated burglary charges. The man's lawyer confirmed authorities are looking hard at her client, whose criminal history goes back almost 20 years.
"They will" charge him, Perez said with confidence. "He has to pay for this big crime. It is against the faith of the people."
The FBI confirms that there is a "person of interest" in custody on unrelated charges, and that there's no threat to public safety. The Boundary County Prosecutor's Office has not commented.
Waiting, waiting
Sitting in his office after Mass, Perez said he was depressed for several weeks following the April 21 fire.
"I feel better, but I was very sad," he said. "It is very hard for me and for the community to have services outside. Thank God the weather is good."
Two days after the smoke cleared, Bishop Peter F. Christensen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise came to town and assured the congregation they could rebuild. That was a great relief to parishioners, who worried they'd have to drive to Sandpoint for Mass.
Perez said he hopes to break ground on the new church next April. He's waiting to hear from insurers on how much money they'll have for the project.
"We are waiting, waiting, waiting," he said.
The plan is to rebuild on an undeveloped corner of the same block. To do that, the church may need to ask the City Council to vacate an alley right of way through the property and agree to relocate water, sewer and electric lines. The cost of moving utilities could cost the church roughly $75,000.
"As a city we really want to see it rebuilt, and I know we'll sure do anything we can to help the process along," City Administrator Mike Klaus said.
St. Ann's is working with a Post Falls architect on some design ideas. Perez said he would prefer a traditional-looking church with room for about 300 people. He recently visited the new Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Suncrest, Washington, which the Diocese of Spokane dedicated July 3.
"It's beautiful," he said. "I like it."
Perez also hopes for a more practical temporary solution on the church property, before winter sets in. He's looking for a couple of portable trailers that can be placed side by side to create an interior space large enough for about 100 people. He'd need to celebrate Mass twice each Sunday morning to accommodate everyone, as well as work through some fire safety and snow load concerns.
Little survived
St. Ann's and a Lutheran church in Bonners Ferry were vandalized about a month before the arson. Perez found strange symbols scrawled in butter around the altar and bread left at the front door and on the kitchen floor in the basement. The intruder also drew symbols on an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and scratched the eyes in a picture of the church's namesake saint.
During the April fire, firefighters saw similar signs of vandalism in the St. Ann's basement where the fire had been set.
The church was busy the night before the fire with choir practice and a religious education class in the church basement. Perez said the arsonist could have sneaked in and hid until everyone else had left.
Next door in the rectory, he retired late after watching a Spanish-language show he likes. Sometime after midnight he heard a boom. Perez looked out but saw nothing.
A few minutes later he heard a louder boom and felt the house shake.
The priest grabbed his phone and went to the side door facing the church.
"I saw the flame that came from the stained glass of Our Lady of Guadalupe," Perez said. "Oh, my God, that image, my friends. I have that image here," he said, pointing to his temple.
He called 911, but the church already was beyond saving. The fire smoldered through the day and into that evening.
In his nine years at St. Ann's, Perez and his parishioners had worked hard and spent close to $400,000 to renovate the building. They put on a new roof, replaced windows, added insulation and remodeled the basement.
Virtually everything was lost to the flames, but a few relics survived and will be incorporated into the new church. They include a large cross in stained glass from the choir loft, a ceramic image of the Blessed Mother and another window of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Also, a metal cross atop the church, which crumpled to the ground as firefighters doused hot spots on the church, was salvaged and will find a home in the new church.
- By AMBER PEABODY Cody Enterprise
CODY, Wyo. (AP) — In preparation for his first season of T-ball this spring, Kasen Asay picked out a pair of cleats.
But when the salesperson asked if the shoes were for baseball the 4-year-old responded, "No, I'm fighting steers."
And that's just what he's been doing most nights at the Cody Nite Rodeo this summer, which isn't much of a surprise to those who know him.
Bulls run in his blood, reported the Cody Enterprise (http://bit.ly/2aKPMm5). His dad is pro bull rider Kanin Asay and bullfighter Dusty Tuckness is a close family friend.
Depending on the day, Kasen wants to both ride and fight bulls when he gets older. More recently he's been leaning toward fighting them.
"Uncle Dusty is who he looks up to and wants to be just like," Kanin said. "This has been Kasen's idea. He's been raised around it all his life and surrounded by it 24/7. It's something we support as long as he's interested."
Kanin said Kasen shows no fear around the large animals, which has caused concern for his parents from time to time.
"We know we have to watch him around bulls," he said. "They don't see him, and their size and force doesn't scare him. He has no fear."
Tuckness made Kasen the baggies he wears in the arena for a Halloween costume a few years back. The baggies sport a variety of patches including Bullfighters Only and Team Wyoming.
"Dusty is his big hero," mom Sydney said. "He plays with him and spoils him a lot too."
Kasen said the six-time Bullfighter of the Year also gave him some tips for fighting steers.
"He showed me how to step around them," he said. "Then I give them (the steer riders) the rope and run fast to get it."
He's even been in the arena with Tuckness.
"He fighted with me," Kasen said. "He's cool and showed me how to fake."
Kasen also has some experience with bull riding. Sydney said a few years ago he got to sit on an old mini bull named "Spud." Kasen was on the bull three times.
"He loved it," she said. "He rode the bull three times in the chute. The third time it was dumping rain and he still wanted to get on. There was no fear or hesitation."
He also won mutton bustin' during a rodeo earlier this year in Texas and received a buckle. To get his buckle, Kasen had to kiss Miss Rodeo Texas, which he said was "not fun."
Mom disagrees though.
"You loved it," she told him. And Kasen only smiled in response.
Before each rodeo bullfighter Justin Josey does Kasen's makeup.
"It's OK on my face but I have to scrub hard to get it off," he said.
At the end of the rodeo he goes out front with the bullfighters to sign autographs, which is one of his favorite parts, Sydney said.
During a recent June rodeo he ran out to participate in the calf scramble and said afterward, "I about had it. I almost got its ear and twisted it."
Then it was time to get down to business. Josey carried Kasen out into the arena, raising him above his head when Kasen was introduced to the crowd.
"I waved at all the people," he said.
Josey set Kasen on the ground in preparation for the riding to begin, holding his hand. Then the first steer came out of the chute and Kasen took off to collect the rider's rope.
"He said good job and don't get hooked," Kasen said of Josey. "He's cool and tells me to run fast."
The young steer fighter showed no fear, and at one point it appeared Josey had to hold him back so he didn't get too close to one of the animals coming out of the chute.
During the event, Kasen said one steer came close to him but he knew just what to do.
"The white and black one got close but I watch for him and I just step around him."
When it was over, Kasen was pumped up on adrenaline and said he "did a good job" and wasn't nervous.
Then a friend waved him over, prompting the end of the interview.
"No more questions," he said as he ran off to play.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
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