Last modified: Friday, August 29, 2008 11:10 AM PDT

News Digest:

GOOD AFTERNOON

OREGON

Oregon soldier killed in Afghanistan

PORTLAND (AP) — Military officials say a 20-year-old soldier from Beaverton was killed in Afghanistan after his patrol took on small-arms and rocket propelled grenade fire.

The U.S. Department of Defense said that Pvt. Tan Q. Ngo died Wednesday in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Ngo was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, in Hohenfels, Germany.

No other information was immediately available.

Ore. police say 62-year-old killed in his home

PORTLAND (AP) — The Oregon State Police say a 62-year-old man has been killed in his Columbia County home.

The police said Thursday that Vernon McCullough was found dead Monday night at the home between Rainier and Deer Island where he lived alone.

The police said an autopsy showed the cause of death was ‘‘homicidal violence,’’ but no other information was being released.

IDAHO

Idaho sues former Mazda dealership

POST FALLS  (AP) — State officials have filed a lawsuit against a company that operated a car dealership in northern Idaho, accusing it of bilking 19 customers by pocketing money intended for third-party service contracts.

The Idaho Attorney General Consumer Protection Division filed the lawsuit earlier this month in First District Court against Shiloh Corp. and its president, Mark Gibson.

The lawsuit states that the company, which ran Post Falls Mazda, ‘‘retained more than $50,000 of consumers’ money for goods or services that were never provided.’’

Idaho Power: Equipment failure led to wildfire

BOISE  (AP) — An equipment failure on Idaho Power Co. electricity lines contributed to Monday’s wildfire in which one woman died and more than a dozen homes were destroyed or damaged. LaMont Keen, the utility’s chief executive officer, said at a press conference that defective hardware known as a jump cable ‘‘was a factor in this accidental and devastating fire.’’