KWSO News for Thu., Dec. 9, 2021

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A white man has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder in the shooting death of a Black man outside a nightclub in Bend. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports Ian Cranston of Redmond pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges Tuesday in a Deschutes County courtroom. Barry Washington Jr. was killed by a gunshot in downtown Bend after midnight on Sept. 19. Police who responded to the scene arrested 27-year-old Cranston, who is white. Prosecutors say the men did not appear to know each other before the incident on the sidewalk outside The Capitol nightclub.

It won’t surprise you to hear that getting a prescription filled in Oregon is getting more expensive each year. But according to a soon-to-be-released state report, drug price increases overall are getting fewer, and smaller. Jefferson Public Radio’s Liam Moriarty explains. “An Oregon law passed in 20-18 requires pharmaceutical companies and health insurers to file data with the state about prescription drug prices. Each December, that information is compiled into a report and given to lawmakers, and the public. At a virtual hearing on Wednesday, state officials gave a preview of some highlights of the 20-21 report. Numi Lee Griffith is a senior policy advisor at the Department of Consumer and Business Services. She said the data show a sharp reduction in reported price hikes over the past few years  GRIFFITH CUT2: What we have seen is that there has been a drop in the number of price increases, as well as a drop in the magnitude of price increases. (:08) Griffith suggested that’s at least partly due to drugmakers launching new drugs at a higher price to begin with, so they have to report fewer increases later … The data also show that by far, cancer treatments make up most of the new high-cost drugs being introduced … The 20-21 Prescription Drug Price Transparency report is slated to be released on Dec. 15. I’m Liam Moriarty reporting”

Health officials say the first person known to have to become infected with the COVID-19 omicron variant in King County has experienced mild illness and did not report any recent travel. Public Health — Seattle & King County officials said in a blog post Wednesday that the lack travel suggests the omicron variant has been spreading locally. Health officials on Saturday identified the case saying in was in a person in her 20s who had been fully vaccinated. Officials have also said two cases were identified in Thurston and Pierce counties. Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah is again urging people to get vaccinated and get booster shots to maximize protection from all variants.

After four generations of farming in central Washington, now a Japanese-American family who owned and leased land for a time is returning their operation to the Yakama Nation. Correspondent Anna King reports. “Lon Inaba’s [Lon like Ron ee-NAH-bah] family started farming near Wapato in the early 1900s. They cleared sagebrush and built irrigation systems during the winter. The Yakama Nation and tribal people helped the Inabas farm. First by giving them access to land – when federal laws wouldn’t let them farm elsewhere. And second, by giving them a place to farm after they were confined to a camp in Wyoming during WWII. Now, the Inabas have sold their farm back to the Yakama Nation. Lon Inaba says his family’s farm will now help teach the reservation’s younger generations. Lon Inaba: “It’s something that I’m proud of and I want to share that pride in where you’re coming from and what you’re able to do for your communities.” [:12] Inaba hopes that the farm can soon be used to give other tribal nations food sovereignty too. I’m Anna King.”

The reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons who poisoned at least eight wolves in eastern Oregon this year has grown to nearly $43,000. Three groups – Wolves of the Rockies, Trap Free Montana and The 06 Legacy Project – added $10,000 to the existing reward Monday. An additional $6,977 in reward money from the Greater Hells Canyon Council, Humane Society of the United States and private donations was announced Tuesday. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the eight dead wolves were found this year in Union County, whose largest city is La Grande. Investigators have asked anyone with information about the poisonings to contact the Oregon State Police.