Limited bus service restored between Astoria and Cannon Beach
The Sunset Empire Transportation District on Monday began offering a limited version of its Route 101, a bus service between Astoria and Cannon Beach along Highway 101. Buses will run the route four times a day on weekdays and make stops in Warrenton, Gearhart and Seaside. A more limited weekend version of the route will start Saturday. Financial struggles led the transit district to suspend all bus service in Clatsop County at the end of April, but a $505,000 bail-out from the state will keep some buses running. (Ethan Myers/The Astorian)
4 of 5 people convicted of grisly 2001 Redmond killing released
Four out of the five teenagers convicted of killing Redmond resident Barbara Thomas in a brutal murder in 2001 have been granted release. The fifth was 18, so legally an adult, at the time of the murder and must wait until 2026 to appeal for his release. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a life sentence without parole constituted cruel and unusual punishment when the person who had committed the crime was under 18. In 2021, then Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commuted the sentences of people serving 15 years or more for crimes committed when they were younger than 18. The commutation applied to the four youngest of the so-called “Redmond 5″ and made them eligible to apply for parole. The most recent member of the group to be granted release, Ashley Summers, was 15 at the time and has expressed deep remorse for her part in the killing. (Bryce Dole/The Bend Bulletin)
Vancouver now has a plan to distribute $3.5M in housing funds
The city of Vancouver has finalized its plan for using nearly $3.5 million in grants to support low-income residents and boost housing programs. Nearly two dozen community groups will get their share of money granted to the city by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plan includes money for housing services, rental assistance, economic development, housing projects, public services and public facilities. (Carlos Fuentes/The Columbian)
Reservations will soon be required at Multnomah Falls again
The system designed to limit the crush of visitors to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge resumes May 26. Would-be visitors to Oregon’s tallest falls will need to make a reservation for the parking lot along Interstate 84 on Recreation.gov. Permits cost $2 and allow permittees a one-hour arrival window. Permit-holders can stay as long as they want after parking. (Christopher Keizur/The Portland Tribune)
Related: How wilderness permits changed the Central Oregon wilderness 🎟
Recreational crabbing opens on the Oregon Coast
Recreational crabbing is now open coastwide in Oregon. State officials reopened recreational crabbing for an 8-mile stretch between Winchester Bay and Cape Blanco, which was closed to crabbing on May 1 due to high toxin levels. Crab in the region have recently tested low for domoic acid, a marine toxin produced by algae. In a press release, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said that recreational crabbers should always gut crabs before cooking them. That includes removing the viscera, internal organs and gills. (OPB Staff)
Related: How valuable and volatile commercial crabbing can be along the Oregon Coast 🦀
Why did the duck cross the road? To keep Longview firefighters busy, perhaps
A mama duck in Longview, Washington, had a stressful start to Mother’s Day. She was crossing the road with eight little ducklings following in her wake when five fell through a metal grating and became stranded in a storm drain. John Deveny, a nearby human, noticed the mother duck’s distress and realized what had happened. He called firefighters for assistance. The firefighters pried up the storm drain grate and then one of them climbed in to rescue the little ducks. Moments later, the firefighters reunited the missing ducklings with their mama, and the family waddled off together. The Longview Fire Department obligingly caught the whole thing on camera and posted it online. (OPB Staff)