Around the state
Published 12:00 am Monday, April 16, 2018
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Governor declares 2nd drought emergency — Gov. Kate Brown has declared a drought emergency in the second county in a month. Brown on Friday announced a drought emergency in Grant County due to low snowpack, lack of precipitation, low streamflows and warming temperatures. The declaration comes after Brown announced a drought emergency in Klamath County on March 13. They’re the first state drought declarations since 2015. The governor’s drought declarations allow increased flexibility in how water is managed to ensure that limited supplies are used as efficiently as possible. The drought declarations also position farmers and ranchers in the county for federal aid as Oregon braces for the upcoming wildfire season.
Earthquake hits near Silverton — No injuries or property damage have been reported following a 3.1 magnitude earthquake near the state capital. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the earthquake hit about 4 miles southwest of Silverton at 8:45 p.m. Saturday. Some nearby residents said they felt the earthquake, which also struck near Salem. In nearby Mollala, northeast of this site, a magnitude 4.0 quake also hit in December. Experts have said for years that Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are due for a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher.
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Man arrested in nail gun attack case — A man authorities say attacked a co-worker with a nail gun at a home construction site in northwestern Oregon has been taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder and assault. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said deputies on Saturday morning arrested Jesus Ascencio Molina, 24. Authorities said the attack occurred at about 10 a.m. Friday in Happy Valley. The victim was flown by helicopter to a hospital. That man’s name hasn’t been released. Molina was being held in the Clackamas County jail Saturday with no bail.
2 dead in Salem shooting — Authorities in Western Oregon say two men died and another was injured in a shooting in Salem. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a reported shooting at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday at Bar Fly’s Grill. Deputies arrived and found two men who had been shot. Both were transported to a hospital where one died. Authorities said they later found a third man dead in a parking lot about a mile away, and it’s believed all three men were involved in the same incident.