Dairy probed in stinky water; dog adopts pups; doctor donates kidney
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Odd and interesting news from around the West.
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ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — A former western Oregon teacher has been sentenced to 100 days in jail in a sex abuse case involving two girls at West Albany High School.
The Albany Democrat-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2lZwFJ7) in a story on Saturday that 28-year-old James Walter Myrick was also sentenced to three years of probation.
Myrick pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, third-degree attempted sexual abuse, and two counts of first-degree official misconduct.
Myrick was arrested in July following a six-month investigation.
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Information from: Albany Democrat-Herald, http://www.dhonline.com
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joseph Wapner, the retired Los Angeles judge who presided over "The People's Court" with steady force during the heyday of the reality courtroom show, died Sunday at age 97.
Son David Wapner told The Associated Press that his father died at home in his sleep. Joseph Wapner was hospitalized a week ago with breathing problems and had been under home hospice care.
"The People's Court," on which Wapner decided real small-claims from 1981 to 1993, was one of the granddaddies of the syndicated reality shows of today. His affable, no-nonsense approach attracted many fans, putting "The People's Court" in the top five in syndication at its peak.
Before auditioning for the show, Wapner had spent more than 20 years on the bench in Los Angeles, first in Municipal Court and then in Superior Court. At one time he was presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest court in the United States. He retired as judge in November 1979, the day after his 60th birthday.
"Everything on the show is real," Wapner told the AP in a 1986 interview. "There's no script, no rehearsal, no retakes. Everything from beginning to end is like a real courtroom, and I personally consider each case as a trial."
"Sometimes I don't even deliberate," he added. "I just decide from the bench, it's so obvious. The beautiful part is that I have carte blanche."
"The People's Court" cases were tried without lawyers by the rules of Small Claims Court, which has a damage limit of $1,500. Researchers for the producer, Ralph Edwards Productions, checked claims filed in Southern California for interesting cases.
The plaintiff and defendant had to agree to have the case settled on the show and sign a binding arbitration agreement; the show paid for the settlements.
In some metropolitan counties, the number of small claims cases more than tripled during the 1980s; some cited Wapner as a cause.
Johnny Carson invited Wapner him to come on "The Tonight Show" and settle a dispute between himself and David Letterman. Carson wanted to do it as a skit, but Wapner said no and conducted it like a trial.
The dispute was over an old truck that Letterman kept parked by his property in Malibu. Carson said it was an eyesore and had it hauled away. When Letterman got it back, the headlights had been broken.
"I awarded Letterman $24.95," said Wapner.
By the time Wapner left the show, in 1993, interest in the genre had cooled, but trials such as the Simpson trial and the courtroom theatrics of "Judge Judy" revived the TV-court craze starting in 1997.
Wapner returned to "The People's Court" show in 2000 to help celebrate its 3,000th episode, judging the case of a man suing over a piece of sports memorabilia. He said he had seen snippets of Judge Judy's work, but generally never watched such shows.
"I never watched myself," he said. "Why should I watch them?"
He also had a series on the Animal Planet cable channel called "Judge Wapner's Animal Court."
Wapner was a Los Angeles native and received a law degree from the University of Southern California. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mickey, and by two sons, both of whom joined the legal profession. A daughter, Sarah, died in 2015.
During his days as presiding Superior Court judge, Wapner was credited with innovations aimed at saving time for trial participants. A 1971 Los Angeles Times article described his steps to streamline jury selection or even dispense with juries altogether by increasing the number of cases heard solely by a judge chosen to be acceptable to both sides in the case.
His courtroom was also used in 1971 in a brief test of a system to videotape trials to save on the cost of making a trial transcript.
Wapner said he was often amazed at the lengths people would go to to prove a point: "A woman bought a birthday cake for her daughter for $9. She said it was moldy, and the baker offered to refund only $4.50. She picketed the bakery for six hours, then filed the claim. I found against the baker for $9."
He generally turned down guest shots on other shows, saying, "I'm not an actor, I'm a judge."
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PROVO, Utah (AP) — Dozens of deer have been relocated or killed during the first year of an urban deer hunting program in Utah that is helping homeowners maintain their yards.
Some 35 deer were killed and 28 were relocated through the program in Provo that ran from October to December, The Daily Herald reported (http://bit.ly/2lP9gtH).
The program was approved by the Provo Municipal Council in July and has been deemed a success by resident Claire Freedman, who said she has seen fewer urban mule deer causing damage to her backyard.
Freedman said the deer had become a problem over the past few years, with as many as 17 of the animals making a home in her yard at any one time.
"We couldn't keep bushes and flowers," she said. "We had to build a huge fence to keep them out of the flowers. Still they would get in and eat."
Brian Cook of Humphries Archery led the team of bow hunters who killed the animals in what he described as an ethical and strategic process.
"It's very delicate the way you remove the animal," Cook said.
The hunters were required to follow guidelines set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. They used crossbows and would often sit for hours without being able to make a kill because the deer would never get into the position to be taken down as required by state regulations, Cook said.
Freedman said she now only occasionally sees one or two deer in her yard.
Cook said meat from the dead animals goes to families in need.
"You do it for those families," he said.
The cost to relocate and transport the animals is $200 per deer. In its first year, the program cost a total of $14,000.
Provo is contracted for the removal program through 2019 with the possibility for an extension.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com
- By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bill Paxton, a prolific and charismatic actor who had memorable roles in such blockbusters as "Apollo 13" and "Titanic" while also cherishing his work in "One False Move" and other low-budget movies and in the HBO series "Big Love," has died from complications due to surgery. He was 61.
A family representative issued a statement Sunday on the death but provided no further details.
Paxton, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, appeared in dozens of movies and television shows and seemed to be around when history was made both on and off screen. As a boy, he was in the crowd that welcomed President John F. Kennedy in Texas on the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, hours before Kennedy was killed in Dallas. As a young man, he worked in the art department for "B'' movie king Roger Corman, who helped launch the careers of numerous actors and filmmakers.
Paxton's movie credits included some of the signature works of the past 40 years, from "Titanic" and "Apollo 13" to "The Terminator and "Aliens." Television fans knew him for his role as a polygamist, with three wives who expected the best from him, in the HBO series "Big Love," for which he received three Golden Globe nominations.
"Bill Paxton was a big-hearted, thoughtful and honorable person," his "Big Love" co-star Chloe Sevigny said in a statement. "He always had a smile on his face and could entertain any room with his wonderful stories of his many amazing years in Hollywood."
Paxton was currently starring in the CBS drama "Training Day," which premiered Feb. 2. The network has not yet announced whether it will continue to air the completed episodes.
Paxton is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury, and their two children. His first marriage, to Kelly Rowan, ended in divorce.
His death adds a sad note to Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremonies. Paxton was never nominated but appeared in several Oscar-winning movies and was beloved and respected throughout Hollywood and beyond.
"On this Oscar Sunday, watch 'One False Move' or 'A Simple Plan' to see this lovely leading man, at his finest," Paxton's friend Rob Lowe tweeted.
Paxton brought a reliably human dimension to big-budget action adventures and science fiction. He was, sci-fi fans like to point out, the only actor killed by a Predator, a Terminator and an Alien. But Paxton, famously genial and approachable, defined his career less by his marquee status than as a character actor whose regular Joes appeared across the likes of "One False Move," ''A Simple Plan" and "Nightcrawler."
"''I'm a frustrated romantic actor," he told The Associated Press in 2006. "I wanted to play the Bud part in 'Splendor in the Grass,' I wanted to play Romeo — the great, unrequited, tragic love stories. I've gotten to mix it up a bit with the ladies but the romance has been a subplot, running from the tornado or whatever."
"I feel like I'm a regionalist and a populist who's never fit in among the intellectuals," he added. "I think there's where the heart of American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether it was 'One False Move' or 'Frailty' or 'Simple Plan' or 'Traveller.'"
Paxton often spoke warmly of his upbringing, and how his father exposed him early to movies and the stage. His father, John Paxton, also shared his son's knack for being around famous people. A childhood neighbor was the artist Thomas Hart Benton. John Paxton later belonged to the same golfing club as the great Ben Hogan, whom Bill Paxton got to know growing up.
One of the industry's busiest actors, Paxton once said the hardest part of his career wasn't the work itself, but the time in between.
"You know all the time I've been in this business which is a long, long time now, I go from having incredible days like shooting the part of Sam Houston and then all of a sudden I'm home and I'm out of work and it's two o'clock in the afternoon, I'm in my boxer shorts watching Turner Classic Movies," he told the AP in 2015. "And all I can tell you is, thank God for Turner Classic Movies and Robert Osborne. "
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AP Film Writer Jake Coyle, AP National Writer Hillel Italie and AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report.
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SHOSHONE, Idaho (AP) — State officials are investigating claims that a south-central Idaho dairy pumped manure into a canal, and tests are being conducted on water coming from faucets in nearby homes where residents are complaining the water is discolored and has a bad odor.
4 Bros. Dairy intentionally pumped material from the 10,000-cow dairy into the canal, Lynn Harmon of the Big Wood Canal Company in Shoshone told The Times-News (http://bit.ly/2mzjueL) in a story on Saturday. "Apparently, this wastewater has found its way into the drinking water," Harmon said.
The South Central Public Health Department on Wednesday ordered homes within a 20-mile radius of the dairy to boil water.
Dairy owner Andrew Fitzgerald didn't return a call from the newspaper.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency are investigating. Tap water from 20 homes is being tested.
Casey Kelley, fire chief with the Shoshone City Rural Fire Protection District, said he took water samples Wednesday at the district's fire station in the area of concern.
"It came out positive for e-coli bacteria and chloroform," Kelley said. "The water has a definite light green color and a definite smell. We've never had the smell or color before."
Harmon said the dairy had runoff that flowed into canal that was incidental because of flooding, but he said the dairy also pumped material into the canal.
He said he ordered the dairy to stop pumping into the canal and notified the Idaho Department of Agriculture and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Rene Rodriguez, after sending deputies to the dairy, notified county emergency coordinator Payson Reese, the South Central Public Health Department and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
About 40 domestic wells are in the area of concern that extends into eastern Gooding County, Lincoln County Commissioner Rebecca Wood said.
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Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com
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MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A lawsuit contends a former Jackson County commissioner took cash payments for marijuana consulting while in office and bilked investors to finance a pot shop.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court contends Doug Breidenthal committed elder abuse and breached fiduciary duty, the Mail Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2lYWXv8) in a story on Sunday.
The lawsuit was filed by Larry and Mary Nelson of Prescott, Arizona, and Greg Allen. The Nelsons say they gave Breidenthal $150,000, and are seeking triple damages of $450,000 under Oregon's Elder Abuse Statute.
"We put up the house for it," said Larry Nelson, 81. "We're sitting in a spot where he thinks he owns the whole business. We were supposed to be partners."
Allen said he gave Breidenthal $79,000. The total being sought in the lawsuit is $529,000.
"His hypocrisy knows no bounds," said Allen, 53. "This guy's a shape-shifter. He's self-serving, and he talks a good game."
The lawsuit also seeks to freeze American Cannabis Co.'s assets.
Breidenthal, who lost his bid for re-election in the primary last year, didn't respond to the newspaper's repeated contact attempts by phone and email.
American Cannabis Co. was scheduled to open earlier this month, but the Nelsons and Allen confronted Breidenthal. They said Breidenthal locked them out after a meeting with an attorney to resolve problems they found when examining business documents.
Allen said the problems included Breidenthal being the only person listed with two businesses associated with American Cannabis Co., and that Breidenthal's name is the only one on an Oregon Liquor Control license for the pot shop.
Allen said he approached Breidenthal last spring looking for someone local who could introduce him to others in the marijuana industry. Allen has been involved in marijuana ventures in Arizona since 2009, and in Rogue Valley Remedies LLC in Medford.
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An online fundraiser for 14-year-old girl who police say was shot in the head and left in a ditch has grown to over $45,000 in donations.
Deserae Turner is no longer in a medically induced coma as of Friday but remains in critical condition.
Two 16-year-old boys have been charged with aggravated murder, robbery and other counts.
Authorities say they lured Deserae to the ditch in the small town of Smithfield, Utah, last week by promising to sell her a knife.
The Associated Press is not naming the boys because they are juveniles.
A Go-Fund Me page to help the family with medical expenses has nearly reached its goal of $50,000. Friends have also opened an account in her name at America First Credit Union.
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A national campaign to recruit members to the Ku Klux Klan reached Grand Junction, with fliers distributed in at least three neighborhoods during the week of Valentine's Day.
The fliers advised people to "love your own RACE," and to "stop homosexuality & race mixing."
The fliers say they come from the Loyal White Knights KKK and include a phone number and website for those interested in joining the white supremacy group.
Mark Potok, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center, says the KKK has been passing out leaflets for the past two years, with efforts picking up in the last six months or so. He says it's legal for the group to distribute the fliers.
Potok says similar fliers were distributed in other states this month.
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ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — A dog named Daisy that stopped eating after losing her seven puppies in a barn fire is described as being in heaven after adopting eight other pups whose mother died giving birth.
The 2-year-old Daisy is a mix between a Great Pyrenees and border collie. Her seven puppies perished in a barn fire in Roseburg earlier this month.
Recently, a border collie died in surgery trying to give birth to two more pups after delivering eight.
Daisy's owner, Christine Nelson, learned about the orphaned puppies and they met Daisy on Friday.
Nelson tells KVAL-TV (http://bit.ly/2lYI4ZK) that "Daisy is in heaven."
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Information from: KVAL-TV, http://www.kval.com/
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BENTON CITY, Wash. (AP) — An eastern Washington state man who says his miniature horse is a service animal that helps him on walks to improve his health is fighting city officials who say horses aren't allowed.
Tim Fulton tells KING-TV (http://kng5.tv/2lYAjTL) in a story on Friday that his horse Fred senses when Fulton is about to fall and gets in front and lets Fulton lean on him for support.
But Benton City officials say Fred isn't allowed in a residential zone and has issued Fulton a $100 fine.
David Carlson of Disability Rights Washington says the city is violating federal law designed to protect someone with a disability.
Benton City attorney Eric Ferguson in a statement says Fulton hasn't met the requirements needed to keep a horse in a residential zone.
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Information from: KING-TV, http://www.king5.com/
- By LILLIAN SCHROCK Register-Guard
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EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Dressed in a strawberry-red suit, Erik Whedon was preparing to make a PowerPoint presentation about his dream job.
A gregarious 21-year-old and client of The Arc of Lane County, Whedon wants to open a restaurant where actors dressed as Disney characters mingle with customers.
"So kids would get to know what it's like to be in a Disney film," Whedon said. "As you can tell, I'm a Disney fan."
Whedon created the PowerPoint in a new computer literacy class offered to adults at The Arc of Lane County, a chapter of the nationwide nonprofit organization.
The Arc helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, reported the Register-Guard (http://bit.ly/2m8IzAY). In Lane County, The Arc has more than 600 people registered to participate in an array of programs, said Angela Phinney, director of employment services at The Arc.
In August, The Arc received a $10,000 grant from cable provider Comcast to buy six Dell laptops and six iPads, which it put in a new Learning Lab at its E Street location in Springfield.
The Arc of Lane County was one of six chapters selected to receive a Comcast grant to promote digital literacy, said Rebecca Brown, director of community investment for Comcast in Oregon.
"So often we take for granted, those of us without disabilities, how much technology is a part of our everyday lives and how it allows us to connect," she said. "We needed to take a step back and make sure everyone has that same opportunity to connect."
Nationwide, about 83 percent of households have a computer, according to The Arc. But fewer than 25 percent of adults with disabilities have access to a household computer and the internet. The Arc wants to use the computer literacy class to bridge that digital divide.
"It offers people a chance to get to learn about the computers in a safe, supported environment," Phinney said.
The classes are free for participants.
The nonprofit started its Keys to Success program in September with a six-week class. The class starts with computer basics, such as how to care for laptops and how to use flash drives, said Karen Gold, career development specialist at The Arc and the class instructor. Then, Gold talks with the students about Internet safety and preventing identity theft by not giving out personal information. Gold also teaches her students etiquette for email and how to write emails to potential employers.
Some of her students had never typed on a keyboard, so Gold worked on typing skills by having them create a one-page profile in Microsoft Word. Students then created résumés. They used Microsoft Publisher to create invitations to their class graduation. The final project was to create a PowerPoint about their dream job.
The goal for adults who attend classes at The Arc is to find a job, Phinney said. One student created a résumé and filled out an online job application during the computer literacy class. He now has a job at Taco Bell, she said.
"One gentleman was really shy, and the class helped him increase his self-confidence, according to his mother," Phinney said. "And not just on the computer, but how he presents himself to people."
Whedon said he met his best friend in the computer class.
"Everybody here has a disability, and it made me fit in a little bit," he said.
Whedon said he plans to take the advanced class. He wants to learn about malware detectors and how to protect his computer from viruses.
The Keys to Success program went so well in its pilot stage that The Arc is rolling out an advanced class to teach students how to write a cover letter, how to use the computer to build a budget and about using social media, Phinney said. The intermediate course, also spanning six weeks, will begin March 2 and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A new class for beginners will begin March 1 and will meet Mondays and Wednesdays.
So far, 25 students have graduated from the beginner course, Phinney said.
She said each graduate who participates in the course receives a desktop computer donated by NextStep Recycling.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
- By MARISSA HARSHMAN The Columbian
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VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Hoa Ly's interest in medicine began as a 15-year-old diagnosed with dengue fever for the second time — a diagnosis that's fatal for about 30 percent of people.
Hoa was taken to an overcrowded children's hospital in Vietnam. The entire hospital was in quarantine, with armed guards at the doors. There was no medicine, no IVs.
"The kids were just waiting to die," Hoa said. "My room had 20 kids in it. Every day, they replaced about five of them."
Hoa's mother sold everything the family owned and planned her son's escape. She told Hoa — who didn't look as sick as many of the kids — to walk out of the hospital and tell the guards he was going to get food for his younger brother.
Hoa collapsed as soon as he stepped outside of the hospital gate. His mother, waiting in a nearby car, took Hoa straight to the country's elite hospital used by its communist party. She slipped envelopes of money to every person they encountered until Hoa had a hospital bed and medication. He was in a coma for 10 days, but he survived.
Being surrounded by so much suffering and premature death shaped Hoa's future. He purchased used medical books and tried to teach himself about medicine. But few believed a young man with only a fifth-grade education could go on to become a doctor.
But Hoa did just that. He began his pursuit as a 22-year-old refugee in the U.S. who had taught himself English but had no formal education after elementary school, reported The Columbian (http://bit.ly/2miFudt).
Today, Hoa, 50, is a medical director at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. He and his wife, Chi, 50, recently purchased a restaurant, and their two teenage daughters have aspirations of joining the medical field themselves.
They wouldn't be where they are, they said, if not for the open arms that greeted them when they entered the country more than 25 years ago.
"We are very appreciative," Chi said. "We're very happy with our lives. This was a big opportunity for us."
"We really appreciate the opportunity, the people and the culture that fosters unconditional love for people like us," Hoa added.
Escaping Vietnam
Hoa and Chi both came to the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War. As the war escalated in 1972, the fighting became particularly fierce in Hoa's hometown of Da Nang in central Vietnam.
"The city where I lived was like Aleppo every day," Hoa said. "We have no idea who's fighting what, we just hear sirens."
Hoa's family spent the next several years moving from city to city, running from the war. When the war ended in 1975, the country was in chaos. There was economic upheaval. Anyone with a military background was put in labor camps. Families were stripped of their belongings and given $200 to start over.
Hoa's family planned to escape the country in 1979. The family split in two groups; his teenage brother and sister were in the first group and made it safely to a refugee camp in Indonesia. Hoa, who was 13, and his parents were in the second group. They were caught and jailed and stripped of everything they owned except the clothes on their backs.
"We went through government robbery about four times," Hoa said. "They robbed us until we didn't even have shoes."
After the failed escape attempt, Hoa started peddling cigarettes and doughnuts at the train station to help his family. He never returned to school.
Hoa's siblings received a sponsorship and left the refugee camp for the United States. They were eventually able to secure a sponsorship for Hoa and his parents, who left Vietnam for a refugee camp in the Philippines in 1988. Finally, in 1989, Hoa reunited with his family in Los Angeles. He was 22 years old.
Unlike others in his family, Hoa decided to go to college. But as a young refugee whose formal schooling ended in the fifth grade, Hoa didn't know how or where to start. He heard about Pasadena City College and met with a guidance counselor there who helped Hoa begin his 11-year journey to becoming a doctor.
Opportunity
Chi, the youngest of 10 children, arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1992. She was 25 years old.
Just 14 days after arriving in the country, Chi attended a wedding, where she met Hoa.
"We met each other and fell in love quickly," Hoa said.
Hoa helped Chi learn English. She enrolled at Pasadena City College and then a vocational school, where she took English and accounting classes. When Chi's parents moved to Sacramento, California, Chi decided to go to Los Angeles with Hoa, who was working on his bachelor's degree at UCLA.
They rented half of a garage for $235 per month and struggled as they both tried to attend college and work part-time jobs.
"Life became a little more difficult," Hoa said.
Chi's parents eventually moved into the small garage with the couple, who married in 1994. While Chi worked various jobs, including manicurist and sales manager at a fashion boutique, Hoa went on to attend medical school at the University of California at Irvine.
Shortly before Hoa graduated medical school, the couple welcomed their first child — a daughter named Nhi-Nhi. Hoa finished medical school in 2000, and completed his internship and then his residency. Chi went back to work, opening her own beauty salon, and their second daughter, Vi, was born in 2002.
They moved to Las Vegas and, after five years, relocated to the Northwest. Hoa began his career with Legacy Salmon Creek in 2009 as the medical director of the hospitalist program. He has 24 physicians under his leadership.
Chi obtained her nursing assistant certificate and real estate license, but it wasn't until a couple of months ago that Chi's longtime dream to open a restaurant came true.
"The 'Chi's kitchen' we joked about became a reality," Hoa said.
The successful life the Vancouver family has built wouldn't have been possible without the opportunities they received in the U.S., Hoa said. That's why they find it so disheartening to see refugees and immigrants targeted out of fear and frustration, he said.
"Regardless of what's happening politically, each of us has a responsibility to continue to teach love and teach kindness and teach tolerance," Hoa said. "Recognize we're in this together. We're either part of the problem or part of the solution."
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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com
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ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — A former western Oregon teacher has been sentenced to 100 days in jail in a sex abuse case involving two girls at West Albany High School.
The Albany Democrat-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2lZwFJ7) in a story on Saturday that 28-year-old James Walter Myrick was also sentenced to three years of probation.
Myrick pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, third-degree attempted sexual abuse, and two counts of first-degree official misconduct.
Myrick was arrested in July following a six-month investigation.
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Information from: Albany Democrat-Herald, http://www.dhonline.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joseph Wapner, the retired Los Angeles judge who presided over "The People's Court" with steady force during the heyday of the reality courtroom show, died Sunday at age 97.
Son David Wapner told The Associated Press that his father died at home in his sleep. Joseph Wapner was hospitalized a week ago with breathing problems and had been under home hospice care.
"The People's Court," on which Wapner decided real small-claims from 1981 to 1993, was one of the granddaddies of the syndicated reality shows of today. His affable, no-nonsense approach attracted many fans, putting "The People's Court" in the top five in syndication at its peak.
Before auditioning for the show, Wapner had spent more than 20 years on the bench in Los Angeles, first in Municipal Court and then in Superior Court. At one time he was presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest court in the United States. He retired as judge in November 1979, the day after his 60th birthday.
"Everything on the show is real," Wapner told the AP in a 1986 interview. "There's no script, no rehearsal, no retakes. Everything from beginning to end is like a real courtroom, and I personally consider each case as a trial."
"Sometimes I don't even deliberate," he added. "I just decide from the bench, it's so obvious. The beautiful part is that I have carte blanche."
"The People's Court" cases were tried without lawyers by the rules of Small Claims Court, which has a damage limit of $1,500. Researchers for the producer, Ralph Edwards Productions, checked claims filed in Southern California for interesting cases.
The plaintiff and defendant had to agree to have the case settled on the show and sign a binding arbitration agreement; the show paid for the settlements.
In some metropolitan counties, the number of small claims cases more than tripled during the 1980s; some cited Wapner as a cause.
Johnny Carson invited Wapner him to come on "The Tonight Show" and settle a dispute between himself and David Letterman. Carson wanted to do it as a skit, but Wapner said no and conducted it like a trial.
The dispute was over an old truck that Letterman kept parked by his property in Malibu. Carson said it was an eyesore and had it hauled away. When Letterman got it back, the headlights had been broken.
"I awarded Letterman $24.95," said Wapner.
By the time Wapner left the show, in 1993, interest in the genre had cooled, but trials such as the Simpson trial and the courtroom theatrics of "Judge Judy" revived the TV-court craze starting in 1997.
Wapner returned to "The People's Court" show in 2000 to help celebrate its 3,000th episode, judging the case of a man suing over a piece of sports memorabilia. He said he had seen snippets of Judge Judy's work, but generally never watched such shows.
"I never watched myself," he said. "Why should I watch them?"
He also had a series on the Animal Planet cable channel called "Judge Wapner's Animal Court."
Wapner was a Los Angeles native and received a law degree from the University of Southern California. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mickey, and by two sons, both of whom joined the legal profession. A daughter, Sarah, died in 2015.
During his days as presiding Superior Court judge, Wapner was credited with innovations aimed at saving time for trial participants. A 1971 Los Angeles Times article described his steps to streamline jury selection or even dispense with juries altogether by increasing the number of cases heard solely by a judge chosen to be acceptable to both sides in the case.
His courtroom was also used in 1971 in a brief test of a system to videotape trials to save on the cost of making a trial transcript.
Wapner said he was often amazed at the lengths people would go to to prove a point: "A woman bought a birthday cake for her daughter for $9. She said it was moldy, and the baker offered to refund only $4.50. She picketed the bakery for six hours, then filed the claim. I found against the baker for $9."
He generally turned down guest shots on other shows, saying, "I'm not an actor, I'm a judge."
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Dozens of deer have been relocated or killed during the first year of an urban deer hunting program in Utah that is helping homeowners maintain their yards.
Some 35 deer were killed and 28 were relocated through the program in Provo that ran from October to December, The Daily Herald reported (http://bit.ly/2lP9gtH).
The program was approved by the Provo Municipal Council in July and has been deemed a success by resident Claire Freedman, who said she has seen fewer urban mule deer causing damage to her backyard.
Freedman said the deer had become a problem over the past few years, with as many as 17 of the animals making a home in her yard at any one time.
"We couldn't keep bushes and flowers," she said. "We had to build a huge fence to keep them out of the flowers. Still they would get in and eat."
Brian Cook of Humphries Archery led the team of bow hunters who killed the animals in what he described as an ethical and strategic process.
"It's very delicate the way you remove the animal," Cook said.
The hunters were required to follow guidelines set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. They used crossbows and would often sit for hours without being able to make a kill because the deer would never get into the position to be taken down as required by state regulations, Cook said.
Freedman said she now only occasionally sees one or two deer in her yard.
Cook said meat from the dead animals goes to families in need.
"You do it for those families," he said.
The cost to relocate and transport the animals is $200 per deer. In its first year, the program cost a total of $14,000.
Provo is contracted for the removal program through 2019 with the possibility for an extension.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com
- By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bill Paxton, a prolific and charismatic actor who had memorable roles in such blockbusters as "Apollo 13" and "Titanic" while also cherishing his work in "One False Move" and other low-budget movies and in the HBO series "Big Love," has died from complications due to surgery. He was 61.
A family representative issued a statement Sunday on the death but provided no further details.
Paxton, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, appeared in dozens of movies and television shows and seemed to be around when history was made both on and off screen. As a boy, he was in the crowd that welcomed President John F. Kennedy in Texas on the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, hours before Kennedy was killed in Dallas. As a young man, he worked in the art department for "B'' movie king Roger Corman, who helped launch the careers of numerous actors and filmmakers.
Paxton's movie credits included some of the signature works of the past 40 years, from "Titanic" and "Apollo 13" to "The Terminator and "Aliens." Television fans knew him for his role as a polygamist, with three wives who expected the best from him, in the HBO series "Big Love," for which he received three Golden Globe nominations.
"Bill Paxton was a big-hearted, thoughtful and honorable person," his "Big Love" co-star Chloe Sevigny said in a statement. "He always had a smile on his face and could entertain any room with his wonderful stories of his many amazing years in Hollywood."
Paxton was currently starring in the CBS drama "Training Day," which premiered Feb. 2. The network has not yet announced whether it will continue to air the completed episodes.
Paxton is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury, and their two children. His first marriage, to Kelly Rowan, ended in divorce.
His death adds a sad note to Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremonies. Paxton was never nominated but appeared in several Oscar-winning movies and was beloved and respected throughout Hollywood and beyond.
"On this Oscar Sunday, watch 'One False Move' or 'A Simple Plan' to see this lovely leading man, at his finest," Paxton's friend Rob Lowe tweeted.
Paxton brought a reliably human dimension to big-budget action adventures and science fiction. He was, sci-fi fans like to point out, the only actor killed by a Predator, a Terminator and an Alien. But Paxton, famously genial and approachable, defined his career less by his marquee status than as a character actor whose regular Joes appeared across the likes of "One False Move," ''A Simple Plan" and "Nightcrawler."
"''I'm a frustrated romantic actor," he told The Associated Press in 2006. "I wanted to play the Bud part in 'Splendor in the Grass,' I wanted to play Romeo — the great, unrequited, tragic love stories. I've gotten to mix it up a bit with the ladies but the romance has been a subplot, running from the tornado or whatever."
"I feel like I'm a regionalist and a populist who's never fit in among the intellectuals," he added. "I think there's where the heart of American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether it was 'One False Move' or 'Frailty' or 'Simple Plan' or 'Traveller.'"
Paxton often spoke warmly of his upbringing, and how his father exposed him early to movies and the stage. His father, John Paxton, also shared his son's knack for being around famous people. A childhood neighbor was the artist Thomas Hart Benton. John Paxton later belonged to the same golfing club as the great Ben Hogan, whom Bill Paxton got to know growing up.
One of the industry's busiest actors, Paxton once said the hardest part of his career wasn't the work itself, but the time in between.
"You know all the time I've been in this business which is a long, long time now, I go from having incredible days like shooting the part of Sam Houston and then all of a sudden I'm home and I'm out of work and it's two o'clock in the afternoon, I'm in my boxer shorts watching Turner Classic Movies," he told the AP in 2015. "And all I can tell you is, thank God for Turner Classic Movies and Robert Osborne. "
____
AP Film Writer Jake Coyle, AP National Writer Hillel Italie and AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report.
SHOSHONE, Idaho (AP) — State officials are investigating claims that a south-central Idaho dairy pumped manure into a canal, and tests are being conducted on water coming from faucets in nearby homes where residents are complaining the water is discolored and has a bad odor.
4 Bros. Dairy intentionally pumped material from the 10,000-cow dairy into the canal, Lynn Harmon of the Big Wood Canal Company in Shoshone told The Times-News (http://bit.ly/2mzjueL) in a story on Saturday. "Apparently, this wastewater has found its way into the drinking water," Harmon said.
The South Central Public Health Department on Wednesday ordered homes within a 20-mile radius of the dairy to boil water.
Dairy owner Andrew Fitzgerald didn't return a call from the newspaper.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency are investigating. Tap water from 20 homes is being tested.
Casey Kelley, fire chief with the Shoshone City Rural Fire Protection District, said he took water samples Wednesday at the district's fire station in the area of concern.
"It came out positive for e-coli bacteria and chloroform," Kelley said. "The water has a definite light green color and a definite smell. We've never had the smell or color before."
Harmon said the dairy had runoff that flowed into canal that was incidental because of flooding, but he said the dairy also pumped material into the canal.
He said he ordered the dairy to stop pumping into the canal and notified the Idaho Department of Agriculture and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Rene Rodriguez, after sending deputies to the dairy, notified county emergency coordinator Payson Reese, the South Central Public Health Department and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
About 40 domestic wells are in the area of concern that extends into eastern Gooding County, Lincoln County Commissioner Rebecca Wood said.
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Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A lawsuit contends a former Jackson County commissioner took cash payments for marijuana consulting while in office and bilked investors to finance a pot shop.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court contends Doug Breidenthal committed elder abuse and breached fiduciary duty, the Mail Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2lYWXv8) in a story on Sunday.
The lawsuit was filed by Larry and Mary Nelson of Prescott, Arizona, and Greg Allen. The Nelsons say they gave Breidenthal $150,000, and are seeking triple damages of $450,000 under Oregon's Elder Abuse Statute.
"We put up the house for it," said Larry Nelson, 81. "We're sitting in a spot where he thinks he owns the whole business. We were supposed to be partners."
Allen said he gave Breidenthal $79,000. The total being sought in the lawsuit is $529,000.
"His hypocrisy knows no bounds," said Allen, 53. "This guy's a shape-shifter. He's self-serving, and he talks a good game."
The lawsuit also seeks to freeze American Cannabis Co.'s assets.
Breidenthal, who lost his bid for re-election in the primary last year, didn't respond to the newspaper's repeated contact attempts by phone and email.
American Cannabis Co. was scheduled to open earlier this month, but the Nelsons and Allen confronted Breidenthal. They said Breidenthal locked them out after a meeting with an attorney to resolve problems they found when examining business documents.
Allen said the problems included Breidenthal being the only person listed with two businesses associated with American Cannabis Co., and that Breidenthal's name is the only one on an Oregon Liquor Control license for the pot shop.
Allen said he approached Breidenthal last spring looking for someone local who could introduce him to others in the marijuana industry. Allen has been involved in marijuana ventures in Arizona since 2009, and in Rogue Valley Remedies LLC in Medford.
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An online fundraiser for 14-year-old girl who police say was shot in the head and left in a ditch has grown to over $45,000 in donations.
Deserae Turner is no longer in a medically induced coma as of Friday but remains in critical condition.
Two 16-year-old boys have been charged with aggravated murder, robbery and other counts.
Authorities say they lured Deserae to the ditch in the small town of Smithfield, Utah, last week by promising to sell her a knife.
The Associated Press is not naming the boys because they are juveniles.
A Go-Fund Me page to help the family with medical expenses has nearly reached its goal of $50,000. Friends have also opened an account in her name at America First Credit Union.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A national campaign to recruit members to the Ku Klux Klan reached Grand Junction, with fliers distributed in at least three neighborhoods during the week of Valentine's Day.
The fliers advised people to "love your own RACE," and to "stop homosexuality & race mixing."
The fliers say they come from the Loyal White Knights KKK and include a phone number and website for those interested in joining the white supremacy group.
Mark Potok, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center, says the KKK has been passing out leaflets for the past two years, with efforts picking up in the last six months or so. He says it's legal for the group to distribute the fliers.
Potok says similar fliers were distributed in other states this month.
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — A dog named Daisy that stopped eating after losing her seven puppies in a barn fire is described as being in heaven after adopting eight other pups whose mother died giving birth.
The 2-year-old Daisy is a mix between a Great Pyrenees and border collie. Her seven puppies perished in a barn fire in Roseburg earlier this month.
Recently, a border collie died in surgery trying to give birth to two more pups after delivering eight.
Daisy's owner, Christine Nelson, learned about the orphaned puppies and they met Daisy on Friday.
Nelson tells KVAL-TV (http://bit.ly/2lYI4ZK) that "Daisy is in heaven."
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Information from: KVAL-TV, http://www.kval.com/
BENTON CITY, Wash. (AP) — An eastern Washington state man who says his miniature horse is a service animal that helps him on walks to improve his health is fighting city officials who say horses aren't allowed.
Tim Fulton tells KING-TV (http://kng5.tv/2lYAjTL) in a story on Friday that his horse Fred senses when Fulton is about to fall and gets in front and lets Fulton lean on him for support.
But Benton City officials say Fred isn't allowed in a residential zone and has issued Fulton a $100 fine.
David Carlson of Disability Rights Washington says the city is violating federal law designed to protect someone with a disability.
Benton City attorney Eric Ferguson in a statement says Fulton hasn't met the requirements needed to keep a horse in a residential zone.
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Information from: KING-TV, http://www.king5.com/
- By LILLIAN SCHROCK Register-Guard
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Dressed in a strawberry-red suit, Erik Whedon was preparing to make a PowerPoint presentation about his dream job.
A gregarious 21-year-old and client of The Arc of Lane County, Whedon wants to open a restaurant where actors dressed as Disney characters mingle with customers.
"So kids would get to know what it's like to be in a Disney film," Whedon said. "As you can tell, I'm a Disney fan."
Whedon created the PowerPoint in a new computer literacy class offered to adults at The Arc of Lane County, a chapter of the nationwide nonprofit organization.
The Arc helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, reported the Register-Guard (http://bit.ly/2m8IzAY). In Lane County, The Arc has more than 600 people registered to participate in an array of programs, said Angela Phinney, director of employment services at The Arc.
In August, The Arc received a $10,000 grant from cable provider Comcast to buy six Dell laptops and six iPads, which it put in a new Learning Lab at its E Street location in Springfield.
The Arc of Lane County was one of six chapters selected to receive a Comcast grant to promote digital literacy, said Rebecca Brown, director of community investment for Comcast in Oregon.
"So often we take for granted, those of us without disabilities, how much technology is a part of our everyday lives and how it allows us to connect," she said. "We needed to take a step back and make sure everyone has that same opportunity to connect."
Nationwide, about 83 percent of households have a computer, according to The Arc. But fewer than 25 percent of adults with disabilities have access to a household computer and the internet. The Arc wants to use the computer literacy class to bridge that digital divide.
"It offers people a chance to get to learn about the computers in a safe, supported environment," Phinney said.
The classes are free for participants.
The nonprofit started its Keys to Success program in September with a six-week class. The class starts with computer basics, such as how to care for laptops and how to use flash drives, said Karen Gold, career development specialist at The Arc and the class instructor. Then, Gold talks with the students about Internet safety and preventing identity theft by not giving out personal information. Gold also teaches her students etiquette for email and how to write emails to potential employers.
Some of her students had never typed on a keyboard, so Gold worked on typing skills by having them create a one-page profile in Microsoft Word. Students then created résumés. They used Microsoft Publisher to create invitations to their class graduation. The final project was to create a PowerPoint about their dream job.
The goal for adults who attend classes at The Arc is to find a job, Phinney said. One student created a résumé and filled out an online job application during the computer literacy class. He now has a job at Taco Bell, she said.
"One gentleman was really shy, and the class helped him increase his self-confidence, according to his mother," Phinney said. "And not just on the computer, but how he presents himself to people."
Whedon said he met his best friend in the computer class.
"Everybody here has a disability, and it made me fit in a little bit," he said.
Whedon said he plans to take the advanced class. He wants to learn about malware detectors and how to protect his computer from viruses.
The Keys to Success program went so well in its pilot stage that The Arc is rolling out an advanced class to teach students how to write a cover letter, how to use the computer to build a budget and about using social media, Phinney said. The intermediate course, also spanning six weeks, will begin March 2 and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A new class for beginners will begin March 1 and will meet Mondays and Wednesdays.
So far, 25 students have graduated from the beginner course, Phinney said.
She said each graduate who participates in the course receives a desktop computer donated by NextStep Recycling.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
- By MARISSA HARSHMAN The Columbian
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Hoa Ly's interest in medicine began as a 15-year-old diagnosed with dengue fever for the second time — a diagnosis that's fatal for about 30 percent of people.
Hoa was taken to an overcrowded children's hospital in Vietnam. The entire hospital was in quarantine, with armed guards at the doors. There was no medicine, no IVs.
"The kids were just waiting to die," Hoa said. "My room had 20 kids in it. Every day, they replaced about five of them."
Hoa's mother sold everything the family owned and planned her son's escape. She told Hoa — who didn't look as sick as many of the kids — to walk out of the hospital and tell the guards he was going to get food for his younger brother.
Hoa collapsed as soon as he stepped outside of the hospital gate. His mother, waiting in a nearby car, took Hoa straight to the country's elite hospital used by its communist party. She slipped envelopes of money to every person they encountered until Hoa had a hospital bed and medication. He was in a coma for 10 days, but he survived.
Being surrounded by so much suffering and premature death shaped Hoa's future. He purchased used medical books and tried to teach himself about medicine. But few believed a young man with only a fifth-grade education could go on to become a doctor.
But Hoa did just that. He began his pursuit as a 22-year-old refugee in the U.S. who had taught himself English but had no formal education after elementary school, reported The Columbian (http://bit.ly/2miFudt).
Today, Hoa, 50, is a medical director at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. He and his wife, Chi, 50, recently purchased a restaurant, and their two teenage daughters have aspirations of joining the medical field themselves.
They wouldn't be where they are, they said, if not for the open arms that greeted them when they entered the country more than 25 years ago.
"We are very appreciative," Chi said. "We're very happy with our lives. This was a big opportunity for us."
"We really appreciate the opportunity, the people and the culture that fosters unconditional love for people like us," Hoa added.
Escaping Vietnam
Hoa and Chi both came to the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War. As the war escalated in 1972, the fighting became particularly fierce in Hoa's hometown of Da Nang in central Vietnam.
"The city where I lived was like Aleppo every day," Hoa said. "We have no idea who's fighting what, we just hear sirens."
Hoa's family spent the next several years moving from city to city, running from the war. When the war ended in 1975, the country was in chaos. There was economic upheaval. Anyone with a military background was put in labor camps. Families were stripped of their belongings and given $200 to start over.
Hoa's family planned to escape the country in 1979. The family split in two groups; his teenage brother and sister were in the first group and made it safely to a refugee camp in Indonesia. Hoa, who was 13, and his parents were in the second group. They were caught and jailed and stripped of everything they owned except the clothes on their backs.
"We went through government robbery about four times," Hoa said. "They robbed us until we didn't even have shoes."
After the failed escape attempt, Hoa started peddling cigarettes and doughnuts at the train station to help his family. He never returned to school.
Hoa's siblings received a sponsorship and left the refugee camp for the United States. They were eventually able to secure a sponsorship for Hoa and his parents, who left Vietnam for a refugee camp in the Philippines in 1988. Finally, in 1989, Hoa reunited with his family in Los Angeles. He was 22 years old.
Unlike others in his family, Hoa decided to go to college. But as a young refugee whose formal schooling ended in the fifth grade, Hoa didn't know how or where to start. He heard about Pasadena City College and met with a guidance counselor there who helped Hoa begin his 11-year journey to becoming a doctor.
Opportunity
Chi, the youngest of 10 children, arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1992. She was 25 years old.
Just 14 days after arriving in the country, Chi attended a wedding, where she met Hoa.
"We met each other and fell in love quickly," Hoa said.
Hoa helped Chi learn English. She enrolled at Pasadena City College and then a vocational school, where she took English and accounting classes. When Chi's parents moved to Sacramento, California, Chi decided to go to Los Angeles with Hoa, who was working on his bachelor's degree at UCLA.
They rented half of a garage for $235 per month and struggled as they both tried to attend college and work part-time jobs.
"Life became a little more difficult," Hoa said.
Chi's parents eventually moved into the small garage with the couple, who married in 1994. While Chi worked various jobs, including manicurist and sales manager at a fashion boutique, Hoa went on to attend medical school at the University of California at Irvine.
Shortly before Hoa graduated medical school, the couple welcomed their first child — a daughter named Nhi-Nhi. Hoa finished medical school in 2000, and completed his internship and then his residency. Chi went back to work, opening her own beauty salon, and their second daughter, Vi, was born in 2002.
They moved to Las Vegas and, after five years, relocated to the Northwest. Hoa began his career with Legacy Salmon Creek in 2009 as the medical director of the hospitalist program. He has 24 physicians under his leadership.
Chi obtained her nursing assistant certificate and real estate license, but it wasn't until a couple of months ago that Chi's longtime dream to open a restaurant came true.
"The 'Chi's kitchen' we joked about became a reality," Hoa said.
The successful life the Vancouver family has built wouldn't have been possible without the opportunities they received in the U.S., Hoa said. That's why they find it so disheartening to see refugees and immigrants targeted out of fear and frustration, he said.
"Regardless of what's happening politically, each of us has a responsibility to continue to teach love and teach kindness and teach tolerance," Hoa said. "Recognize we're in this together. We're either part of the problem or part of the solution."
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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com
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