Ashland bait bike — Police in Ashland are finding their pricey new “bait bike” is proving irresistible to thieves. The new bicycle is worth $1,500. Police said Thursday that they had arrested three people in three incidents of bike theft over the previous 24 hours. They say a 46-year-old Ashland woman, a 20-year-old Rogue River man and a 25-year-old male transient were arrested within minutes of taking the bike. The department has used lower-value bait bikes, but Deputy Chief Tighe O’Meara said using a bike worth more than $1,000 makes its theft a felony with a possible five-year sentence. O’Meara told the (Medford) Mail Tribune that police hope to catch higher-level criminals in organized operations that target expensive bikes. Police said bicycle owners’ best defense is locking their bikes.

Teen struck by blow dart — Police in McMinnville said a teen reported that he was hit in the back by a blow dart as he ran along the shoulder of a road with his high school cross country team. KPTV reported that police said the incident happened Tuesday evening at Joe Dancer Park in the town southwest of Portland. The boy was not seriously hurt. The teen told the television station he first thought one of his friends had tossed a rock at him, then he reached back and pulled out the dart. He said a small, older, light blue pickup had passed him at about the same time. The teen’s family turned the 3½-inch-long dart over to police.

Salem gang shooting — Investigators said the shooting of two people in the parking lot of a Salem restaurant was a result of gangs fighting. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the gunfire erupted shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday at a Red Robin. The two wounded people survived, and they were later released from the Salem Hospital. No one has been arrested. The Sheriff’s Office said there’s no evidence of immediate danger to the public.

OLCC surcharge extended — The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is extending a surcharge of 50 cents per bottle of liquor for another two years. The OLCC’s unanimous decision Thursday means the extra tax will expire June 30, 2017. The 50-cent tax was added to the sale of each bottle of liquor in 2009 as a way of temporarily boosting revenue during the economic downturn. It’s projected to generate about $125 million by the time it expires in 2017. OLCC chairman Rob Patridge said the surcharge will help deliver a stable revenue stream.

Bus driver cited in fatal crash — Police issued two traffic citations to the driver of a charter bus that fatally struck a woman in downtown Portland in June. The Portland Police Bureau said Thursday that 68-year-old Charles Start was cited for driving carelessly and failing to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian. The crash killed 18-year-old Monserrat Hernandez-Garcia of Vancouver, Washington. According to news reports, she died three days before her high school graduation while on her way to work at Bridgeport Brewing in the Pearl District. Her mother has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Start and his employer, Seattle-based MTR Western LLC. Investigators said the crash occurred as the driver was turning from Northwest Glisan Street onto Northwest Sixth Avenue.