SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A former Oregon lawmaker who was expelled for letting violent, far-right protesters into the state Capitol has pleaded guilty to one count of official misconduct. The Statesman Journal reports that Mike Nearman was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months probation, during which he will need to complete 80 hours of community service and is banned from the Capitol building and grounds. He will also pay $200 in court fees and $2,700 to the Oregon Legislative Administration for damages done during the Dec. 21 riot. Last month Nearman, a Republican from Polk County, became the first member of the Oregon House to be expelled in its 160-year history. The House voted 59-1 to remove him from the Legislature for disorderly behavior.
INDIAN FALLS, Calif. (AP) — Cooler weather is helping calm two gigantic wildfires in the U.S. West. But property losses mounted Tuesday in a tiny California community savaged by flames last weekend and in a remote area of Oregon. They also are both bracing for more hot, dry conditions later in the week. Authorities say teams reviewing damage from the massive Dixie Fire in the mountains of Northern California so far have tallied 36 structures destroyed and seven damaged in Indian Falls. A weather phenomenon has trapped smoke over the fire, helping lower temperatures and keep humidity up. In southern Oregon, better weather also helped the fight against the Bootleg Fire, but new assessments show 161 homes have been destroyed.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s clean energy bill, which is one of the most ambitious timelines for eliminating carbon dioxide emissions in the country, was signed by Gov. Kate Brown. The legislation signed Tuesday lays out a timetable for the state’s two major power companies — Portland General Electric and Pacific Power — to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity sold to Oregon consumers. Additionally, it bans the expansion or new construction of power plants that burn fossil fuels and allocates $50 million in grants for community-based energy projects, among other measures.
RENO, Nev. (AP) — U.S. officials who are trying to adopt out wild horses captured on public land say they are tightening protections to guard against the illegal resale of animals for slaughter. Advocates say the government needs to do more, including ending incentive payments for adoptions. The Bureau of Land Management said in announcing the changes that the agency is committed to the health and safety of adopted wild horses and burros. It says it intends to begin making additional inspections after adoptions, improve screening of potential adopters and other measures. The bureau says an estimated 86,000 wild horses and burros living in 10 Western states is three times as many as public lands can sustain. Advocates dispute that.
