Senator calls allegations ‘soap opera’ — Days before an Oregon state senator was due to leave his post over sexual misconduct allegations, the Republican from rural downstate published a newsletter casting himself as a victim of politics. Sen. Jeff Kruse of Roseburg had previously announced he was resigning March 15 after an investigation determined he had harassed women with unwelcome physical contact. But on Friday, he said he resigned without the extent of his due process so as not to distract from the legislative session’s business. He also made a plea for his legacy to be remembered aside from his swift downfall, which he called a scripted “soap opera” designed for political gain. The independent investigator in response urged the public to read the report detailing years of inappropriate behavior.

Soldier surprises wife on anniversary — A soldier gave his wife, an emergency room nurse at Salem Hospital, quite the anniversary gift. Sgt. 1st Class Jason Johnson returned early from his overseas deployment to surprise his wife, Sandi, inside the emergency department of the hospital. The heartwarming homecoming was captured on video by Dan Johnson, Jason’s brother, and posted March 6 on Salem Health’s Facebook page. The surprise happened Jan. 7, the date of the couple’s one-year wedding anniversary. Johnson was deployed to the Middle East with Golf Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment, the medevac helicopter unit based in Salem. Johnson is a flight medic and platoon sergeant for the unit, which conducts medical evacuations, search and rescues, and wildland fire suppression operations using HH-60M Blackhawk helicopters.