Capitol protests — The Oregon Supreme Court will hear arguments this week about overnight protests on the front steps of the state Capitol. The Salem Statesman Journal reports the case arises from the arrests of six people who held an overnight vigil in 2009 in protest of deploying National Guard troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. Legislative leaders had barred such activity between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The six were found guilty of criminal trespass, carrying a $500 fine. One of the six argues the restriction violates Oregon’s free speech provisions. The Oregon Court of Appeals rejected that argument. The others contend they should be allowed to question legislative leaders about enforcement of the restriction. The appeals court supported them on that point. The Supreme Court takes up the case Thursday.

State trooper shooting — A prosecutor says an Oregon state trooper was justified in firing at a 27-year-old St. Helens man who displayed a handgun after a high-speed chase. Josiah Max Fischer was killed May 3 after the brief chase that started near Scappoose. Columbia County District Attorney R. Stephen Atchison said Monday the trooper who fired, Justin Oxenrider, saw that Fischer had a gun and was “attempting to point the gun at him.”

Rescue from burning car— Oregon state troopers say motorists kicked at the windows of a burning car and used a baseball bat to smash a sunroof Monday, rescuing a Washington state woman from a vehicle that crashed on Interstate 84. Troopers say several people stopped after the wreck near Cascade Locks. The travelers couldn’t get to the woman by kicking out a window, so they rolled the car and one of them smashed the sunroof with a bat. He cut her safety belt, and they pulled her from the flames. State police say 60-year-old Ketsy Roeder of Kennewick, Wash., was treated at a Portland hospital, and her life is not in danger.

Cross burning — Portland police say somebody used trash and tree branches to form a 3-foot-tall cross on a downtown sidewalk, and then ignited it. The cross was amid traffic cones and street closure signs from the weekend Grand Floral Parade. Officers extinguished the fire Monday morning and said no buildings were threatened. They said there was no motive apparent for the act.

Weed fire spreads to home — Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue says a man burning weeds with a propane torch accidentally set his home on fire. The torch touched off a pine tree next to the house Sunday and flames spread up the side of the house and into the attic. All the residents got out. Firefighters rescued the family dog. The man had recognized the fire danger and wet down the tree, but it caught fire anyway.

— From wire reports