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Prep School Stonewalls Writer: In May 1986, seven students and two adult hikers from Oregon Episcopal School died on Mount Hood in a severe storm. Families and OES have tried to put the tragedy behind them—but Pauls Toutonghi, an associate professor at Lewis & Clark College and an OES parent, has written a cover story about the deaths for the November issue of Outside magazine—a story OES tried to spike. "We asked Mr. Toutonghi and Outside's editors to consider the negative impact of revisiting this tragedy on the families and friends of those who died, as well as on those who survived," OES head of school Mo Copeland wrote to parents and alumni in an Oct. 3 email. "We are disheartened that the editors chose to publish the article despite requests from OES and several survivors not to do so." Toutonghi says he respects the school's stance and will continue to send his children there.
Veto Vendetta Fuels Campaign Spending: Gov. Kate Brown vetoed only three bills last year, but when she nixed the longtime quest of state Rep. Bill Kennemer (R-Oregon City) to allow psychologists to prescribe drugs, she generated one of the most unusual political expenditures of this cycle. Kennemer, a retired psychologist who is departing the Legislature, spent $25,000 from his campaign account to create a video blasting Brown for her veto. The video has racked up 80,000 views and nearly 600 shares on Facebook. The Oregon Medical Association had panned Kennemer's bill, saying psychologists lack sufficient scientific training. (Only two states allow psychologists to prescribe drugs.) "Gov. Brown didn't believe this bill had adequate protections for patients or provided evidence that it would have improved care," says her campaign spokesman, Christian Gaston.
Former Lawmaker Has Weed Woes: State Sen. Charlie Ringo (D-Beaverton) was a rising star in the Democratic Party when he left the Senate in 2007. Ringo moved his law practice to Bend and later got into the cannabis business, becoming majority owner of High Cascade Farms. On Sept. 21, as first reported by The (Bend) Bulletin, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission canceled High Cascade's license for 13 violations, including "intentional misrepresentations" of what happened to contaminated cannabis that was supposed to be destroyed. The OLCC says cannabis was diverted to an illicit Bend butane hash oil operation, which exploded in March, severely injuring two people. Ringo tells WW he agreed to the license cancellation but "had no knowledge of any diversion to the BHO operation. A perception that we were working with [the people who were injured] is inaccurate."
Olympic Fencer Says Firm Endangered Her Career: Beaverton Olympic fencer Mariel Zagunis filed a lawsuit Oct. 5 alleging a Portland-area junk removal company put her fencing career in jeopardy. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges Zagunis hired Cascadia Junk Removal, a local franchise of 1-800-Got-Junk?, to remove some items from her home. While movers were loading items, Zagunis alleges the lift gate on their truck came crashing down on her foot, fracturing her big toe. As a result of her injury, Zagunis says she's lost earnings and experienced a drop in her world rankings. Prior to the injury, she was the world's No. 1 women's saber fencer. Neither Zagunis' attorney nor Cascadia Junk Removal responded to requests for comment.
