Community service for dam intruder

Thursday, January 26th, 2012, 9:57am

EUGENE, Ore. - A Eugene man who pleaded guilty to climbing a razor wire fence at night to take pictures in a restricted area atop a dam got two years probation and 60 hours community service Wednesday.

Wiley Roy Nelson, 21, of Eugene faced up to six months in prison for the March 2, 2011, incident.

News that an unidentifed man had accessed a restricted area at Lookout Point Dam attracted national media attention. Security cameras recorded a man wearing a camouflaged jacket climbing over razor wire in the middle of the night with a camera. The surveillance video showed the man taking pictures along the top of the dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offered a $1,000 reward through its Corps Watch program to
anyone who could identify the intruder.

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Storm damage closes forest roads

Submitted by KVAL News

Monday, January 23rd, 2012, 3:43pm

EUGENE, Ore. - Weather closed roads across the Willamette National Forest, and efforts to re-open the routes will take days - if not months.

Forest Service officials also cautioned travelers to use caution as weather continues to pose the threat of flooding, downed trees, debris flows and landslides.

"Conditions are still unstable," said Katie Isacksen with the Willamette National Forest. "More rain is expected in the forecast, so the possibilities of more slides continues. We are urging people to be very cautious when driving Forest roads."

The Aufderheide Drive, Forest Service Road 19, is currently closed. Crews are working to open one lane. It is expected to be opened by Tuesday. The slide is above Kiahanie Campground and near the snow line, so it is not blocking access to developed sites or open routes, Isacksen said.

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'It’s a really good feeling to show people what can be possible'

Submitted by KVAL News

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012, 6:58pm

PORTLAND, Ore. – Ravi Drugan lost both his legs in 2004 in an incident that remains a mystery to this day.

The then 14-year-old boy was hit by 2 trains in Eugene, Ore., but he doesn’t remember how he ended up on the tracks.

“I woke up 3 days later in the hospital, so to this day no one really knows how I ended up on the tracks,” said Drugan.

Drugan’s family thinks he may have been robbed, beaten and left on the tracks. He says he doesn’t remember anything that happened before or after the train severed both his legs.

Drugan’s mother says he was depressed after losing his legs, but the darkness lifted when the former skateboarder found the snow.

“Before, there was a lot of time trying to find out what he wanted to do, but once he found skiing after January of ’09 he’s been awesome,” said Drugan’s mother Kelli Schunk.

“My first day, by the end of the day I was skiing down black diamonds with my dad,” said Drugan.

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Snowslide strands tanker

Submitted by KVAL Communities Staff

Thursday, January 19th, 2012, 10:17am

A snowslide on Highway 20 near Santiam Junction buried a tanker truck on Thursday.

The slide closed the pass about 24 miles west of Sisters, Ore.

GOT WEATHER? Share your videos and photos or send them to KVALNews@KVAL.com

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Snow = skiing at Willamette Pass

Submitted by KVAL Communities Staff

Monday, January 16th, 2012, 4:38pm

Jennifer Winters from KVAL News had the day off and hit the slopes Monday. She sent back this video from Willamette Pass.

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Snowy morning on Hwy 58

Submitted by KVAL Communities Staff

Monday, January 16th, 2012, 11:45am

Residents reported snowy conditions near Pleasant Hill and Dexter.

GOT SNOW? Share your photos so we can show them on TV

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Mush! Story on sled-dog racing to air in February

Submitted by KVAL Communities Staff

Friday, January 13th, 2012, 1:46pm

Mush! Story on sled-dog racing to air in February

Katie Boer and Bill Goetz from KVAL News headed for Central Oregon on Friday, Jan. 13, to shoot an installment of the Extreme Katie series set to air Thursdays at 6 p.m. in February.

Boer and Goetz got a taste of sled-dog racing and other snowsports for the February series on outdoor sports in Oregon.