NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
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Might Oregon kill ‘kicker
tax’ rebate to help education?
PORTLAND (AP) —
Momentum is building to
end the only-in-Oregon
approach of issuing tax
rebates in order to build
reserves for schools.
The Oregonian/Oregon-
Live reports that if Ore-
gon economists’ predic-
tions hold, taxpayers will
receive up to $724 million
worth of “kicker” rebates
when they file their income
taxes in 2020.
Right now, the median
state resident with roughly
$36,000 a year in adjusted
gross income can expect a
tax credit of about $175 in
2020.
But it’s possible voters
will decide to instead send
the money to a rainy day
fund for schools that the
state could tap during eco-
nomic downturns.
Business leaders who
gathered in Portland on
BRIEFLY
ity it will be for Demo-
crats to change the kicker,
as they aim to pass major
climate change legislation
and raise billions in fees
and taxes to fund Medicaid
and education.
Sen. Mark Hass, D-Bea-
verton, is chair of the Ore-
gon Senate Committee on
Finance and Revenue. On
Tuesday, he expressed sup-
port for the idea of ending
the kicker.
“I would love to redi-
rect it to the rainy-day
fund,” Hass said on Tues-
day, noting that Oregon’s
dependence on income
taxes exposes the state to
wild fluctuations in reve-
nue. “The next best thing to
a major structural reform is
to have a strong rainy-day
fund to cushion the inevita-
ble downturns we have. It’s
poor public policy to begin
with.”
Monday
said
polling
showed more than 60 per-
cent of respondents would
support such a change. Jer-
emy Rogers, vice president
of the Oregon Business
Council, told attendees
at the Oregon Leadership
Summit that lawmakers
could refer the question
to voters in the May 2019
election.
It was the latest sign that
the idea is gaining momen-
tum, six years after voters
approved ending the kicker
rebate on corporate taxes.
Under Oregon’s Con-
stitution, the unique kicker
tax rebate is triggered when
tax revenues for a two-year
budget cycle come in more
than 2 percent above econ-
omists’ forecast from the
start of the cycle.
One question heading
into the legislative ses-
sion is how high a prior-
Lawsuit: Family dog died from pharmacy error
PORTLAND (AP) — A
Portland area couple, who
say their Labrador retriever
died after a Walmart phar-
macy gave them the
wrong medicine has filed a
$10,000 lawsuit.
The
Oregonian/Ore-
gonLive reports Elise and
Nick Carter say the phar-
what happened.
The suit says Bailey’s
veterinarian diagnosed the
10-year-old with diabetes
on Nov. 29, 2016, and the
Carters went to the Wood
Village Walmart Super-
center pharmacy to have a
Novalin N insulin prescrip-
tion filled.
macy made an error that
cost them and their three
children their family dog,
Bailey.
Walmart
spokesman
Randy Hargrove told the
newspaper that because the
suit was just filed, the com-
pany hasn’t had an oppor-
tunity yet to investigate
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Freezing fog, then
cloudy; cold
Low clouds, fog
breaking
Mostly cloudy and
chilly
Cloudy, rain and
ice possible
A chance for snow
or fl urries
32° 17°
34° 23°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
37° 25°
37° 32°
43° 35°
Train carrying
load of logs derails
in Oregon’s capital
SALEM (AP) — A train
carrying a load of logs
derailed near downtown
Salem, causing authorities to
close several roads.
The derailment occurred
Tuesday night in an indus-
trial area a few blocks north
of downtown.
Several railroad cars
loaded with dozens of heavy
logs remained off the tracks
Wednesday, but the logs had
not spilled off the railroad
cars.
By late Tuesday night,
two Salem thoroughfares
had reopened to traffic. Rail-
road crews decoupled the
derailed cars from the rest of
the train, allowing the loco-
motive and numerous cars to
continue on their way.
A crane stood nearby to
pluck logs from the railroad
cars so they could be moved
back onto the tracks.
Trains frequently pass
through Oregon’s capital city.
Salem police said no haz-
ardous materials were on
board the derailed train.
‘Decorative panel’
falls from tram,
hits pedestrian
PORTLAND (AP) —
Authorities say a 35-square-
foot metal panel fell an esti-
mated 130 feet from the
Portland Aerial Tram, hit-
ting a 21-year-old woman in
the head as she walked down
the stairway of a Southwest
Portland pedestrian bridge.
The Oregonian/Oregon-
Live reports Portland Fire
& Rescue responded to the
incident at about 11:45 a.m.
Tuesday.
The woman had walked
across the Darlene Hooley
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
35° 21°
34° 24°
37° 25°
36° 29°
OREGON FORECAST
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
44/29
41/21
32/18
37/16
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
32/20
Lewiston
43/25
33/21
Astoria
47/30
Pullman
Yakima 35/16
34/19
Portland
Hermiston
44/29
The Dalles 35/21
Salem
Pendleton 27/10
Corvallis
42/22
29/15
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
42/24
33/14
32/15
Ontario
31/16
Caldwell
Burns
34°
30°
41°
29°
63° (1946) 1° (2013)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
42/23
0.00"
0.01"
0.27"
6.97"
8.77"
8.74"
WINDS (in mph)
29/15
24/2
0.00"
0.01"
0.23"
8.88"
15.33"
11.70"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
44/24
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
TEMP.
32/17
37/23
27°
24°
41°
28°
66° (1944) 1° (1972)
HERMISTON
Enterprise
Today
48/26
Fri.
NE 3-6
N 3-6
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
NE 3-6
NNW 3-6
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
36/16
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
New
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Tyler Watson, a 20-year-
old Oregonian, settled his
age discrimination lawsuit
last month against Dick’s
Sporting Goods. In February,
the retailer changed its fire-
arms policy, raising the min-
imum age to buy a gun to 21.
Soon after the change,
Watson attempted to by a
.22 caliber Ruger rifle and
was turned away.
The legal age to buy a
gun in Oregon is 18, but
Dick’s made the decision to
raise the minimum age after
the store learned a 19-year-
old school shooter in Park-
7:21 a.m.
4:11 p.m.
6:29 a.m.
4:13 p.m.
First
Full
WINSTON (AP) —
Authorities say a 57-year-
old man died in an industrial
accident at a logging site
south of Eugene.
The World reports some-
one called 911 at about 9:30
a.m. Tuesday requesting
medical help for a man who
was injured while working
on a piece of equipment.
Richard Allen Smith of
Tenmile died at the scene.
The Douglas County
Medical Examiner’s Office
Three jail officers
acquitted in
inmate’s death
MADRAS (AP) — A
judge has found three Jeffer-
son County Jail corrections
officers not guilty of crimi-
nally negligent homicide in a
man’s death.
KTVZ-TV reports Crook
County Circuit Judge Daina
Vitolins decided Tuesday that
evidence presented at trial was
insufficient to prove the dep-
uties’ failure to more quickly
summon medical care was
the cause of James Wippel’s
death.
Prosecutors accused Cpl.
Anthony Hansen and dep-
uties Michael Durkan and
Cory Skidgel of ignoring
medical issues leading to
the death of the 59-year-old
from a burst ulcer.
The Portland man was
arrested on drug charges in
April 2017. Wippel died two
days later at the jail.
Vitolins said no one was
able to testify to the critical
question of when it was too
late for medical treatment to
save Wippel.
Dec 15
land, Florida, had legally
bought a firearm from one
of its stores. The corporation
encouraged the government
to similarly raise the federal
age for purchase.
Lawyers for both Watson
and Dick’s declined to com-
ment, saying the settlement
details are confidential.
Jim Oleske, a professor at
Lewis and Clark Law School
specializing in anti-discrimi-
nation law, said people settle
for a variety of reasons, but
he thinks Watson had a good
case against Dick’s.
“From the text of the stat-
ute, it looked like a very
strong case,” said Oleske.
Oleske said it’s unusual
that Dick’s hasn’t changed
its policy as a result of the
settlement.
“Any other individual
could go into any one of
their stores, attempt to make
a purchase and if they’re
turned away bring a law-
suit,” he said. “The question
is, why is Dick’s settling?”
Earlier this week, Forbes
reported that Dick’s is consid-
ering removing all hunting gear
from its stores, and has already
done so in 10 pilot stores.
Walmart also raised the
minimum age to buy a fire-
arm and Watson has a similar
lawsuit pending against them.
McKay Creek Estates
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Dec 6
Authorities: Man
dies at logging site
is investigating the death.
Last
FREE Cognitive
Screening
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 80° in Key West, Fla. Low -30° in Daniel, Wyo.
Pedestrian Bridge when she
was hit by the falling metal.
Fire bureau spokesperson
Lt. Rich Chatman said the
woman suffered minor inju-
ries and didn’t ask for further
treatment.
It’s unclear what caused
the piece to plunge the esti-
mated 130 feet to the bridge
below.
The tram, which opened
in 2006, is owned by the city.
Some 10,000 people ride it
between Oregon Health &
Science University’s Mar-
quam Hill and waterfront
campuses each day.
Dick’s Sporting Goods settles lawsuit
over gun sale age restrictions
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
41/20
Aberdeen
31/17
33/17
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
44/28
AP Photo/Andrew Selsky
A train carrying a load of logs is derailed Wednesday
near Salem, causing authorities to close several roads.
43° 35°
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Dec 22
Dec 29
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Is Mom a
little more
forgetful
lately?
There are many early warning signs of a
potential memory disorder, such as Alzheimer’s
disease. That’s why we’re offering a FREE
and CONFIDENTIAL cognitive screening. We
encourage anyone who is concerned about
cognitive decline to take this short, in-person
screening. The screening is administered by a
qualified health care professional.
To schedule your cognitive screening today, please call (541) 704-7146.
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
ice
50s
cold front
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