A Portland rapper honored in 2009 as the West  Coast Hip-Hop ‘artist’ of the year has been given more than seven years in prison.  Nathan Burke, who goes by ‘Kenny Mack’ on stage, pleaded guilty to being a felon in posession of a firearm.  Police say Burke ran from a Portland tavern in a gang-infested area when they did a walk-through.  Before they caught him, he ditched a .45-caliber handgun.  He is a former Los Angeles-area Bloods gang member with several drug and weapons convictions–and several Hip-Hop albums popular with young Oregonians.

Don’t use your own phone.  Newport Police say a man phoned in a bomb threat Friday, saying he had placed a shrapnel device at City Hall.  In another call, he said he would gas the Lincoln County Jail.  Police went out looking for Wayne Beeberger, they say, because–apparently–he was using his own phone.  Beeberger couldn’t be located Friday, and the threatening calls continued into Saturday.  The calls stopped Saturday afternoon when officers located and arrested Beeberger.

Barry Sommer, whose plans to teach a course on Islam at Lane Community College in Eugene were shot down by the college, is going to L.C.C. after all…as a student.  Sommer says he’s going for a PhD in Education, starting–ironically–at L.C.C.  He says he will still teach the class on Islam, at the Lane County Courthouse, Harris Hall, starting Monday, January 24th, in the evening, continuing through February 14th.  Islamic lobbying groups that Sommer says are unindicted co-conspirators in terrorism cases objected to his views on them, and militant Islam, and were able to get the community college to cancel his proposed class.

You could be an antique star.  The PBS series, ‘Antiques Roadshow’, is coming to Eugene on June 4th.  The show will kick off the popular antiques appraisal show’s 16th season next Fall.  The Eugene appearance will be the show’s first in Oregon outside of the Portland metro area.  About three thousand people will be given two free tickets each to the taping, by a lottery system.  Your deadline to apply online is April 18th.  Details are at www.pbs.org.

It could be a big night for the Oregon Ducks this coming Monday night–and for the Eugene Police.  Police say they’ve been planning for general rowdiness–and, at the worst–lawlessness.  Eugene P.D. will have everyone available out in force looking for public drinking and partying, drunk drivers, and riotous revellers.  They’ll be asking bars to use plastic cups that night and not serve bottles, to limit what potential rioters can throw at them—and each other.  The U of O says a tame, official parade–during daylight hours–will be held after the big game–win or lose.

The Oregon Attorney General’s office has found no criminal wrongdoing by four employees of the state Energy Department in awarding a renewable energy contract to the girlfriend of incoming Governor John Kitzhaber, even though she was not one of the top competitors.  Mark Long has joined three others in the department now on paid leave while a personnel investigation is done–to be completed after Kitzhaber takes office.  Girlfriend Cylvia Hayes says she was not targeted by A.G. John Kroger, who is said to have future gubernatorial ambitions himself.

Starting at 9:29pm and reaching totality 11:41 pm. Viewing after 11:41 pm will be optimal. 12:18 am is when the moon will be the dimmest

A total lunar eclipse is when the entire moon is completely inside the Earth’s shadow. Since the sun’s rays are bent by Earth’s atmosphere so that some still reach the moon, the moon is still visible in an eclipse

Two former U of O students have been arrested for taking the oversized head of ESPN analyst Lee Corso from the Civil War football GameDay broadcast set.  The missing mascot head was missing when ESPN went to leave town.  Apparently, the young men who took the big guy had second, sober thoughts about the head heist, because the mega-mascot was left near the Harrisburg home of an OSU employee.  Arrested in the head case were August Cuneo of Eugene and Alex Westerberg of Harrisburg.  They were cited for Theft of a Big Head, and released.

If you have state business, plan to do it online from Wednesday afternoon through Monday morning.  The last budget-balancing state worker furlough day of 2010 is this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is also a state worker holiday.  While most state offices will be closed, state officials say you can do many things online.

Noah Robinson–Art Robinson’s son and campaign manager–is telling supporters in an e-mail about the Robinson campaign’s plan to recycle their lawn signs and magnetic car door signs——-keep them for two years and use them again!!   Robinson, who lost a close contest to Congressman Peter Defazio, says he is already planning another run, in 2012.  Robinson says if the campaign starts now, it will have a better chance in 2012.

People are uneasy in Cottage Grove, where the school mascot is a lion, after a police officer on a routine bike path patrol saw a cougar in a city park.  The officer says the cougar ran across his path and left the area.  Police say there have been other cougar sightings at the same nature park located along the Row River.  Park managers have put up cougar warning signs at park entrances.  Police Chief Mike Grover says park users need to know that part of their nature park experience might be getting stalked by a big cat.

It’s time to get your flu shot.  This year, the CDC recommends that all people over 6 months old get shot.  The vaccine this year protects against H1N1 and two other strains of flu expected to hit the U.S.  In Linn County, the Health Department will immunize uninsured or underinsured kids up to 18, by appointment.  There will be flu shot clinics at senior centers, and at soup kitchens in Lebanon and Sweet Home.  For more information, call 541-967-3888.  Adults, for the most part, will have to pay for their own shots this year.

The race for Governor is too close to call, according to a new poll done for a Portland television station by the firm Survey USA.  It found Chris Dudley leading former Governor John Kitzhaber 46-to-44 percent.  About two months ago, the same poll had Dudley leading by seven points.  But pollsters say Dudley is doing better among older Oregonians, considered more likely to vote.  And Dudley is widening his lead in the money-raising race.

The Oregon State Marine Board wants mid-valley boaters to rate local boat ramps and facilities.  It’s part of a survey done every six years, to help the Marine Board decide where to put its money.  The board makes grants to public and private marinas and boating facilities around Oregon.  There will be a meeting in Albany at the old armory building on August 31st, where members of the Marine Board will listen to the public.  That meeting starts at 7PM.

The search for little Kyron Horman is a criminal investigation, now.  Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies say more than 1300 searchers have completed a fruitless search within a two mile radius of the boy’s school, and those from out of the area will go home.  Searchers have also focused on Sauvie Island, six miles away.  A 25-thousand dollar reward has been posted for information in the case.  A spokesman refused to to say whether investigators think the seven year old was kidnapped.

The owner of a Portland cafe who kicked out a cop sipping coffee last week says he’ll do it again.  John Langley says anarchists are welcome at the Red and Black Cafe, but no cops.  Langley says his policy is designed to keep his anarchist-loving customers ‘safe’ from cops.  He says his intolerance is not discrimination, because cops choose to put on the uniform.  Langley says anarchy is self-accountability, and that his anarchist buddies don’t need or like police.  He says any officer who tries to come in to the cafe will be kicked out.