News Digest Court reverses Boise Cascade award in owl logging case 1 SALEM — The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a $2 million damage award to Boise Cascade and against the state involving a tem porary logging ban on company land inhabited by northern spot ted owls. The court said the trial court erred in excluding the state’s de fense that the company had not sought a so-called incidental take permit from the federal govern ment. The permit would have given the state leeway to allow some logging jdespite die owl’s status as an endangered species. Portland attorney Phillip Chadsey said the company will appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court. State Department of Forestry rules banned logging on a 56-acre company timber parcel in Clat sop County to protect owls that were nesting on the site. Boise Cascade sought the dam ages on grounds the prohibition deprived it of income and amounted to a taking of property that entided it to compensation. The state argued that the case was prematurely in court because Boise Cascade hadn’t tried to get the federal permit. The permit would have al lowed, but not required, the state to grant an exception to require ments for protecting owl nesting sites. The court didn’t allow the state to make that defense, and a jury in 1997 decided the restrictions de stroyed the company’s ability to make a profit from its land. S.C. governor offers holiday if NAACP calls off boycott 2 COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Jim Hodges has a deal for the NAACP — back off a boycott of South Carolina to force the re moval of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse dome and he will push for a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Hodges made the proposal Wednesday during a speech at an Equal Opportunity Day banquet. “The governor is either very ill-informed or insulting in his intent,” said Rev. Joe Darby, pas tor of the state’s largest African Methodist Episcopalian congre gation, Charleston’s Morris Brown AME Church. Black leaders have for years called on the state to remove the Confederate battle flag, which many consider a symbol of racism and slavery, but state law makers — who would have to vote to remove the flag — have rejected all attempts. To press the issue, the NAACP called for a tourism boycott of the state to begin Jan. 1. So far, at least 80 groups have canceled meetings in the state. Hodges said the creation of a King holiday would be a first step toward the mutual respect need ed for discussions to bring down the flag. “The more strident the rhetoric, the more shrill head lines, the less likely we can make progress toward a final resolu tion,” he said. Charges dismissed against Swiss boy accused of incest 3 GOLDEN, Colo. — A Swiss American boy accused of mo lesting his sister was freed Wednesday by a judge who said the 11-year-old’s right to a speedy trial was violated. Raoul Wuthrich planned to leave for Switzerland as soon as possible to join his parents, who left the United States with the al leged victim and their two other children after the boy’s Aug. 30 arrest. “Raoul is thrilled,” lawyer Dar by Moses said. The Associated Press Going overseas? catch the Oregon daily emerald on the world wide web: www.dailyemerald.com Calendar Thursday, Nov. 11 ■ Music Student Forum Lecture: Acclaimed pianist Robert Levin, Harvard, discusses “Who Cares If Classical Music Dies?” Noon, Beall Concert Hall. Free admis sion. For information, browse musicl.uoregon.edu or call 346 5678. ■ Spanish Civil War Panel: Dis cussion of Spanish Civil War po etry and prose as part of this fall’s interdisciplinary and com munity event, “Looking Back: The Spanish Civil War.” 7 p.m. EMU Ben Linder Room. Free ad mission. For information, call Bonnie Roos, 346-0522. ■ Reading/Book Signing: Au thor Chuck Palahniuk reads from his new novel, “Invisible Monsters.” 7:30 p.m. Browsing Room, Knight Library. For infor mation, call Tom Gerald at 346 4331. Tune-Up Special Includes flat filing, custom wet belting, base repair and hot wax — s€|nr> SkiS * W snowboards M * W Berg'/ /hi/hop 13th & Lawrence* 683-1300