News Digest
Monday, April 7, 2008 10:50 AM PDT
GOOD AFTERNOON
OREGON - Klamath DA says cuts might lead to focus on Measure 11 cases
KLAMATH FALLS (AP) — District Attorney Ed Caleb of Klamath County says budget cuts might force him to scale back the prosecution of smaller crimes to save money for the major ones, such as rape and murder.
The county’s budget committee is under pressure to make up a $2.2 million shortfall in the $16.8 million requested budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year. For Caleb, that could mean a 12 percent reduction in his $1.3 million budget.
Reward offered in Oregon poaching case
GLENDALE (AP) — The reward has risen to $6,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the illegal shooting of four bull elk near Glendale.
Two private parties have put up $2,000 each, hunters Tom and Chris Tipton added another $1,000 and so has the Umpqua Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association. Sgt. Dean Perske of the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division says the reward money shows that local hunters are fed up with poachers.
IDAHO
N. Idaho hospitals facing more charity care
LEWISTON (AP) — Some hospitals in northern Idaho and eastern Washington are grappling with increasing financial pressures because of patients who can’t afford medical care.
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, St. Mary’s Hospital in Cottonwood, Clearwater Valley Hospital in Orofino, Tri-State Memorial Hospital in Clarkston, Wash., and Pullman Memorial Hospital provided a combined $5.26 million in charity care in the most recent fiscal year.
That’s more than double the $2.46 million they spent on charity care five years ago.
The hospitals also had about $8.65 million in bad debt compared with $3.93 million five years ago.
