News Digest

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 11:23 AM PDT

IDAHO - Otter rolls out sagebrush-seed collection plan

BOISE (AP) — Gov. C.L. ‘‘Butch’’ Otter on Tuesday outlined his plan for hundreds of volunteers in November and December to collect sagebrush seeds, in hopes of using them to restore wildfire-damaged rangeland.

In southwestern Idaho, 80 volunteers will be needed for four days in November and December. Sixty volunteers are needed for a similar effort near Twin Falls.

Otter says he wants to help restore more than 2 million acres of territory that burned this year in Idaho.

OREGON

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John Edwards brings campaign to Oregon

SEASIDE (AP) — An exuberant John Edwards brought his presidential campaign back to Oregon Tuesday, drawing a rousing reception from union members and taking heart from a weekend straw poll among state Democratic activists.

Edwards finished second in the poll at a party gathering last weekend, with 47 votes, behind Barack Obama, who had 49.

Hillary Clinton was third with 36, but on Tuesday Edwards acknowledged her leads in polls both nationally and in the key early caucus state Iowa.

Oregon health officials link Banquet pot pies to salmonella

PORTLAND (AP) — Health officials are urging consumers not to eat pot pies made by Banquet because of a link to a multistate outbreak of salmonella.

ConAgra Foods Inc. stopped production Tuesday at the Missouri plant that makes its Banquet pot pies after health officials said the pies may be tied to 139 cases of salmonella in 30 states, including Oregon.

ConAgra maintains that its pies are safe if they’re cooked properly, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a health alert Tuesday to warn consumers about the link with the salmonella cases.

State health officials echoed the department’s concerns.

Banquet brand pot pies are sold in the freezer section at grocery stores and other outlets. They have code numbers beginning with ‘‘5009’’ or would have a ‘‘P9’’ code.

Consumers were urged to discard the items.