News Digest:
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:25 AM PST
OREGON — Attorney general: Oregon schools can keep marketing pacts secret
SALEM (AP) — Payments in the sports marketing contracts of Oregon’s two large universities are trade secrets, and the schools can keep the amounts secret, Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers said this week.
The secrecy gives the University of Oregon and Oregon State an advantage over marketing contractors and other schools, an opinion from Myer’s office said, and the value of the revenue the schools get as a result outweighs the public interest of disclosing the information.
See more of this story on Page A5.
Woman pleads guilty to theft from Oregon Little League
PENDLETON (AP) — In a plea bargain, a former Little League official has pleaded guilty to theft and agreed to reimburse $4,000 she stole from the organization.
‘‘Essentially, stealing from kids, in principle, is unacceptable behavior and a high breach of trust within our society, and I hope you have learned from that,’’ Judge Daniel Hill told Lashelle Mostafa of Weston.
Mostafa said she had already paid back $2,000 and would remit the rest as quickly as possible, at a rate of $150 a month.
IDAHO
E. Idaho prosecutor faces charges concerning public money
SODA SPRINGS (AP) — The attorney for an eastern Idaho prosecutor charged with seven felony counts of misuse of public money said he will ask that the charges be dismissed because nothing illegal occurred.
Caribou County Prosecutor Criss James is accused of dismissing citations in exchange for about $3,800 in cash that authorities say he deposited into his personal bank account.
James said the account is for the Caribou County Fair 5-K Run, and that defendants were given the option of making donations rather than paying a fine.
‘‘We’re not saying he was right or wrong, we’re saying it wasn’t a crime,’’ James’ attorney, Ardee Helm, told the Idaho State Journal. ‘‘The attorney general’s office came here and targeted (James) for prosecution.’’
Helm said he’ll ask for the charges to be dismissed at a hearing before 6th District Judge Ronald E. Bush on Friday.
