News Digest:
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 10:58 AM PST
OREGON — Cocaine bust largest for Oregon State Police in 3 years
PORTLAND (AP) — A routine weekend traffic stop led to the largest cocaine bust by Oregon State Police in three years, Oregon State Police said.
A veteran state trooper working Interstate 5 near Salem pulled over a 26-year-old motorist for speeding and failing to signal a lane change.
During a search, the trooper found a false compartment in the rear cargo area of the car that contained 30 kilograms of cocaine — about 65 pounds.
State police did not identify the driver because it might compromise a continuing investigation. The agency did not name the trooper.
IDAHO
Lawmaker: Spend $2M more to expand
misdemeanor drug,
DUI courts
BOISE (AP) — A House Republican wants Idaho to spend $2 million to create an additional 275 seats in misdemeanor drug and DUI courts, to help stop minor offenders from sliding into more serious substance-abuse related crimes.
Rep. Jim Clark, from Hayden, says expanding sentencing alternatives will help address Idaho’s 13,000 annual drunken driving arrests. Clark says, ‘‘This could pick up some of that population.’’
Bill would give tuition break to out-of-state reservists
BOISE (AP) — A House committee is considering a bill that would let out-of-state members of the Idaho National Guard pay in-state tuition at Idaho’s public universities and colleges.
Rep. Bill Killen, a Boise Democrat, introduced the bill Tuesday before the House Education Committee on behalf of the Idaho Enlisted Association of the National Guard. He says a tuition break is a way to thank those serving Idaho who don’t live here.
Killen says that 192 of the 4,600 members of the Idaho National Guard come from either Utah, Washington or Oregon. All three of those states provide the same service to Idaho residents in guard duty in those states.
The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at Boise State University is more than $8,000 per year.
