KWSO News for Wed., Dec. 8, 2021

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A Redmond [Central Oregon] man accused in a September fatal shooting pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in a Deschutes County courtroom today [TUESDAY]. As Emily Cureton Cook [like puritan took] reports, the case has sparked protests for racial justice. “Barry Washington Jr., a Black man, was killed by a single gunshot outside a nightclub in downtown Bend. He was 22, and unarmed at the time of his death. The accused shooter is 27-year old Ian Cranston, who is white. Cranston pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, manslaughter, assault and unlawful use of a deadly weapon.  [CHANTING] About 50 demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse during Cranston’s arraignment. Josie Stanfield is a black woman and leader of the Central Oregon Diversity project: STANFIELD: It’s important for us to bring race into this. Is Because Black People are not as safe as white people in America of course, but especially in our community because we are such a small percent of the population  :09 Stanfield encouraged the crowd to show up for Cranston’s next court appearance, set for Friday. Emily Cureton Cook reporting.”

Snohomish County will pay $1.75 million to the spouse of a Tulalip tribal member who died while struggling with police. The Seattle Times reports the payment settles a lawsuit over allegations that officers used excessive force on Cecil Lacy Jr. when they held him down, even as he said he couldn’t breathe. The lawsuit questioned the independence of an investigation into Lacy’s death conducted by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team. The lawsuit alleged the detectives, the county medical examiner and prosecutors conspired with a union-appointed attorney to leave Lacy’s last words — “I can’t breathe” — out of investigative documents.

Ten earthquakes were recorded Tuesday off the Oregon coast, the largest reaching magnitude-5.8. The the earthquake activity was from 200 to 250 miles west of Newport. No tsunamis were expected, according to the National Weather Service and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says the activity was eye-catching but nothing to be extra concerned about. The agency said the area, called the Blanco Fracture Zone, is very active and has had 49 earthquakes above magnitude 4.5 in the last five years. All the earthquakes were recorded about 10 kilometers below the surface. No injuries or damage was reported by the US Geological Survey.

The National Weather Service says snow levels will start dropping in Northwest Oregon this morning ((WED)), to around 35-hundred feet. And meteorologist Tyler Kranz says by tonight ((WED)) the snow could get down to around 15-hundred feet. “Kranz: “So if you’re going over the Cascades, through any of the passes, if you’re even driving to the coast, through the coast range, you should be prepared for those potential winter driving conditions.” The snow should stay down around that level through Friday. Kranz says don’t be surprised if there’s a light dusting Thursday or Friday in Portland’s West Hills, at about a thousand feet. But he says there shouldn’t be any buildup on the roadways at those lower elevations. He says the mountain resorts could see up to a couple feet of snow by the time the weekend rolls around.

In Sports: The Madras High School Buff Boys basketball team traveled to Trinity Lutheran yesterday and came away with a 73-66 victory. Next up for the boys is a rematch against Ridgeview this Friday at 7pm. Madras High School Girls wrestling is on the road to La Pine today with matches starting at 4pm. The Warm Springs K-8 Eagles boy’s basketball is in action today with the 7^th & 8^th Grade A teams traveling to Trinity Bend with games starting at 3pm and the 7^th & 8^th Grade B teams hosting Sisters today at 4pm.