Posted: Sunday, May 3, 2009 12:00 am
False arrest lawsuits
THE STORY SO FAR: Two lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene against the city and former Corvallis police officer Dave Cox claiming false arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants. In both cases, the people arrested passed a breath test for alcohol and a urine test for illegal drugs.
THE LATEST: The first suit, filed by Brian and Aslan Noakes, was settled out of court in February for just under $65,000. The second suit, filed by Carl Feher of Corvallis, is still in the discovery phase, with no trial date yet on the docket. Dan Rayfield of the Albany law firm of Weatherford Thompson, the plaintiff's attorney in both cases, thinks this one might go all the way to trial. Unlike the Noakes case, he said, the city's insurance company has made no attempt at a financial settlement. "There's no offers on the table right now," he said. "Negotiations are nonexistent in this case." On Monday, Rayfield is scheduled to testify before the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill that would allow the expungement of drunken driving arrests from the criminal records of innocent motorists.
Corvallis sister city water project
STORY SO FAR: The people of Corvallis' sister city in Gondar, Ethiopia, suffer from a chronic lack of clean water. This is made worse by the effects of deforestation around its primary water source, the Angereb Reservoir.
Since forging the sister city relationship in 2005, Corvallis members of the sister city partnership have enlisted the aid of allies such as the Oregon State University School of Forestry, whose experts helped to craft a master plan for the 23,000-acre watershed, which now has been fenced off to prevent cattle grazing and logging. In 2008, more than 50,000 seedlings were planted in the watershed. This year 350,000 seedlings have been grown in the nursery and will be planted between June and September.
THE LATEST: Mike Schnee, a board member of the Corvallis-Gondar Sister Cities Association, announced last week that the Henry Family Foundation of Iowa has $12,300 gift for watershed reforestation project
Seed will be obtained for nursery production this fall, and the seedlings will be planted during the summer of 2010. With gifts from the Henry Family Foundation, Starker Forests, the OSU International Forestry Students Association, the Ralph Hull Foundation and private donations, more than $26,000 has been raised for the reforestation project.
United Way raises 90 percent of goal
THE STORY SO FAR: The United Way of Benton County launched its annual workplace giving campaign last fall. Its goal was to equal or surpass the 2007-08 campaign's total of $450,000 in pledges and donations. The umbrella fundraising agency makes grants to support local social service agencies and other nonprofit organizations.
THE LATEST: With all but two of 91 companies having reported their results, United Way Executive Director Jennifer Moore said the campaign had raised 90 percent of its financial target. Moore said she was hoping to close the gap substantially when the final results come in, despite the poor economy. "It's looking pretty good," she said. "We're down a little bit, but not a lot." The complete tally should be ready by mid-May, with United Way grants going out to Benton County nonprofits in June.
Marine's redeployment cancelled
THE STORY SO FAR: Benjamin "Benji" Lewis of Corvallis, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served two combat tours in Iraq. But when the military attempted to reploy him, he refused, saying that he realized that he no longer supported the war.
THE LATEST: After being called back to duty, Lewis said Monday that the military has since canceled his redeployment - a move he sees as a bid to silence his story and dissent. He vowed to keep on with his speaking engagements. He is set to discuss the issue at noon Tuesday in room 132 of Strand Agricultural Hall at Oregon State University.
Lewis's appearance is part of a statewide speaking tour to describe his experiences in Iraq, including the first siege in Fallujah, and how what lead to his about-face on the legality and morality of the war. His appearance is co-sponsored by a chapter of Veterans for Peace.