By , (This September 9 story corrects in 20th paragraph that Detroit, Oregon, is east of Salem, not west)(Reuters) - An unprecedented spate of fierce, wind-driven wildfires in Oregon have all but destroyed five small towns, leaving a potentially high death toll in their wake, the governor said on Wednesday, as initial casualty reports began to surface.Hundreds of miles away in northern California, three fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday from a lightning-sparked conflagration that raged with renewed intensity this week after firefighters had made significant headway containing it.While...…By , (This September 9 story corrects in 20th paragraph that Detroit, Oregon, is east of Salem, not west)(Reuters) - An unprecedented spate of fierce, wind-driven wildfires in Oregon have all but destroyed five small towns, leaving a potentially high death toll in their wake, the governor said on Wednesday, as initial casualty reports began to surface.Hundreds of miles away in northern California, three fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday from a lightning-sparked conflagration that raged with renewed intensity this week after firefighters had made significant headway containing it.While...WW…

By (Reuters) - Oregon State Police on Thursday said they were withdrawing protection from Portland’s federal courthouse over frustration at a prosecutor’s decision not to indict many people arrested in protests there.The state police were deployed to Portland two weeks ago under an agreement between Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Vice President Mike Pence to withdraw federal agents after weeks of clashes with protesters. President Donald Trump threatened to send National Guard troops to Portland, if requested by Oregon authorities, if local law enforcement was unable to protect the federal...…By (Reuters) - Oregon State Police on Thursday said they were withdrawing protection from Portland’s federal courthouse over frustration at a prosecutor’s decision not to indict many people arrested in protests there.The state police were deployed to Portland two weeks ago under an agreement between Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Vice President Mike Pence to withdraw federal agents after weeks of clashes with protesters. President Donald Trump threatened to send National Guard troops to Portland, if requested by Oregon authorities, if local law enforcement was unable to protect the federal...WW…

By , (Reuters) - Some Americans worried about possible violence after the U.S. presidential election are forming community watch groups, others are working on conflict de-escalation and still others are purchasing guns, according to two dozen voters, online groups and data surveyed by Reuters.A common fear is that the Nov. 3 contest between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden remains undecided, leading to protests that could escalate into civil unrest, or even sectarian conflict.An illustration of those concerns came in Michigan on Thursday, with the announcement that...…By , (Reuters) - Some Americans worried about possible violence after the U.S. presidential election are forming community watch groups, others are working on conflict de-escalation and still others are purchasing guns, according to two dozen voters, online groups and data surveyed by Reuters.A common fear is that the Nov. 3 contest between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden remains undecided, leading to protests that could escalate into civil unrest, or even sectarian conflict.An illustration of those concerns came in Michigan on Thursday, with the announcement that...WW…

By PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Hundreds of supporters of the right-wing Proud Boys group rallied in Portland, Oregon on Saturday in a largely peaceful event but police and left-wing protesters later clashed in the city’s downtown.The Proud Boys rally in a north Portland park ended after a few hours of speeches and chants, many against anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter groups which held a counter-protest two miles to the south.Rocks and cans were thrown at police in downtown Portland on Saturday night and more than a dozen people were arrested, according to a Multnomah County Sheriff’s...…By PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Hundreds of supporters of the right-wing Proud Boys group rallied in Portland, Oregon on Saturday in a largely peaceful event but police and left-wing protesters later clashed in the city’s downtown.The Proud Boys rally in a north Portland park ended after a few hours of speeches and chants, many against anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter groups which held a counter-protest two miles to the south.Rocks and cans were thrown at police in downtown Portland on Saturday night and more than a dozen people were arrested, according to a Multnomah County Sheriff’s...WW…

By (Reuters) - A Nebraska school district said on Saturday it had canceled classes after staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest state to see instruction disrupted after resuming in-person learning.Three staff members have the virus that causes COVID-19 and 24 more are in quarantine for exposure in the Broken Bow School District about 190 miles (300 km) west of Omaha, superintendent Darren Tobey said in a statement. Preschool and grade 6 to 12 classes are canceled until Aug. 24.President Donald Trump has made reopening schools a re-election campaign issue,...…By (Reuters) - A Nebraska school district said on Saturday it had canceled classes after staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest state to see instruction disrupted after resuming in-person learning.Three staff members have the virus that causes COVID-19 and 24 more are in quarantine for exposure in the Broken Bow School District about 190 miles (300 km) west of Omaha, superintendent Darren Tobey said in a statement. Preschool and grade 6 to 12 classes are canceled until Aug. 24.President Donald Trump has made reopening schools a re-election campaign issue,...WW…

By (Reuters) - An Arizona school district that ignored state safety guidelines and voted to begin in-person learning on Aug. 17 has had to cancel classes after staff said it was unsafe to return and called in sick.Greater Phoenix’s J.O. Combs Unified School District cancelled all instruction for Monday due to “insufficient staffing,” days after its board disregarded state benchmarks on when students can safely return to classes during the pandemic.The “sick out” underlined the difficulties in returning to in-person learning in the United States after schools in Tennessee, Georgia, and...…By (Reuters) - An Arizona school district that ignored state safety guidelines and voted to begin in-person learning on Aug. 17 has had to cancel classes after staff said it was unsafe to return and called in sick.Greater Phoenix’s J.O. Combs Unified School District cancelled all instruction for Monday due to “insufficient staffing,” days after its board disregarded state benchmarks on when students can safely return to classes during the pandemic.The “sick out” underlined the difficulties in returning to in-person learning in the United States after schools in Tennessee, Georgia, and...WW…

By (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday dropped a shooting charge against an Albuquerque man suspected of shooting a protester and called for further investigations after allegations the protester was armed at the time he was shot.Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez said he had serious concerns an initial police investigation into the Monday shooting did not identify who owned multiple weapons collected at the scene, including knives, nor interview key bystanders and police.Torrez dropped an initial aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge against Steven Baca,...…By (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday dropped a shooting charge against an Albuquerque man suspected of shooting a protester and called for further investigations after allegations the protester was armed at the time he was shot.Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez said he had serious concerns an initial police investigation into the Monday shooting did not identify who owned multiple weapons collected at the scene, including knives, nor interview key bystanders and police.Torrez dropped an initial aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge against Steven Baca,...WW…

By (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday dropped a shooting charge against an Albuquerque man suspected of shooting a protester and called for further investigations after allegations the protester was armed at the time he was shot.Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez said he had serious concerns an initial police investigation into the Monday shooting did not identify who owned multiple weapons collected at the scene, including knives, nor interview key bystanders and police.Torrez dropped an initial aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge against Steven Baca,...…By (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday dropped a shooting charge against an Albuquerque man suspected of shooting a protester and called for further investigations after allegations the protester was armed at the time he was shot.Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez said he had serious concerns an initial police investigation into the Monday shooting did not identify who owned multiple weapons collected at the scene, including knives, nor interview key bystanders and police.Torrez dropped an initial aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge against Steven Baca,...WW…

Former council candidate charged with shooting of New Mexico protesterWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisementAlbuquerque police have arrested a former city council candidate and charged him with shooting and critically injuring a protester in a group that was calling for the removal of a statue of a Spanish conquistador, according to reports.Stephen Ray Baca, 31, was booked into a city jail on a...…Former council candidate charged with shooting of New Mexico protesterWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisementAlbuquerque police have arrested a former city council candidate and charged him with shooting and critically injuring a protester in a group that was calling for the removal of a statue of a Spanish conquistador, according to reports.Stephen Ray Baca, 31, was booked into a city jail on a...WW…

By (Reuters) - Arizona again told hospitals to activate the coronavirus emergency plans after cases spiked following reopening, turning it into a U.S. virus hotspot along with neighboring Southwest states.The state’s stay-at-home order ended on May 15, and its cases have increased 115 percent since then, leading a former state health chief to warn Arizona may need new social distancing measures or field hospitals.State health director Cara Christ on Saturday told hospitals to “fully activate” emergency plans - a message she last sent on March 25 - after Arizona’s largest medical network...…By (Reuters) - Arizona again told hospitals to activate the coronavirus emergency plans after cases spiked following reopening, turning it into a U.S. virus hotspot along with neighboring Southwest states.The state’s stay-at-home order ended on May 15, and its cases have increased 115 percent since then, leading a former state health chief to warn Arizona may need new social distancing measures or field hospitals.State health director Cara Christ on Saturday told hospitals to “fully activate” emergency plans - a message she last sent on March 25 - after Arizona’s largest medical network...WW…