News Stories for Mon., Oct. 1, 2017

Sheriff Joe Lombardo says the death toll from the Las Vegas shooting has risen to 58, with 515 people injured. A gunman opened fire on a Las Vegas country music festival Sunday night. The gunman opened fire from inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Authorities say 64-year-old Stephen Craig Paddock killed himself after the shooting. Police have yet to determine a motive.  President Donald Trump says he will travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday.

A new law that takes aim at distracted driving in Oregon has gone into effect. While it’s long been illegal to talk or text behind the wheel without using a hands-free device, a 2015 Oregon court ruling meant police couldn’t pull drivers over for using their mobile electronic device for other purposes. That included uploading photos to social media or even reading a book on an e-reader. The new law clarifies it is illegal to drive while holding any electronic device. As part of the bill, lawmakers increased potential fines on distracted driving.

Officials are considering a utility company’s request to pass on to ratepayers $220 million in relicensing expenses for a three-dam hydroelectric project on the Idaho-Oregon border. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has set an Oct. 11 settlement conference for Boise-based Idaho Power’s request concerning its stalled relicensing application for the Hells Canyon Complex on the Snake River. Oregon officials are refusing to agree to the relicensing until salmon and steelhead can access four Oregon tributaries that feed into the Hells Canyon Complex, as required by Oregon law for the relicensing. But Idaho lawmakers have prohibited moving federally protected salmon and steelhead upstream of the dams, which could force restoration work on Idaho’s environmentally degraded middle section of the Snake River.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s back to work for the Supreme Court, which kicks off its new year on Monday with a conservative majority. The nine justices, including freshman Neil Gorsuch, will start by looking at a case involving workplace complaints. Other cases coming up will examine gay rights and religious freedoms, the government’s ability to track people without search warrants, and states’ rights to allow betting on professional and college sporting events.

Wildfire forecasters say cool, damp weather has brought relief to the northwestern U.S., western Montana and northern Idaho after a trying summer, but the fall fire season is getting underway in Southern California. The National Interagency Fire Center said Sunday the risk of big wildfires will be above average for Southern California through December. The risk is also high in central and northeastern Montana, which is still in the grip of a severe drought.

The Kah-Nee-Ta Invitational High School Cross Country meet was held at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort on Saturday. For the girls, Bend took first place, Summit was second, followed by Gladstone and Madras. For the boys, Bend took first, followed by Redmond and Madras. The White Buffaloes’ Tyler Anderson came in at fourth place.

In football Friday night, Harrison Manu caught three touchdown passes from Madras quarterback Liam White, but Estacada scored five straight touchdowns and the Rangers beat the White Buffs 46-21. White finished the game with 166 passing yards, Manu had 81 receiving yards and Treyvon Easterling recorded 49 rushing yards. Madras next plays at Gladstone on Friday.