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September 30, 2012
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Once of La Pine, now top enlisted soldier in the Army National Guard
A BENDITE IN BAVARIA
By Megan Kehoe The Bulletin
A former La Pine man became the first Oregonian to attain the highest enlisted soldier position in the Army National Guard. Oregon National Guard
Reporter samples Oktoberfest • D1
• A list of 850 felons classified as low risks to commit another crime has been provided to the Oregon Commission on Public Safety in an effort to save the state money; some district attorneys, however, are questioning the statistics Offenders who made the ‘low-risk’ list Here’s a look at a few of the local offenders who were listed as low risk of committing another crime after their release from prison.
Crook County
Command Sgt. Maj. Brunk W. Conley was promoted Wednesday to command sergeant major of the entire Army National Guard, making him the 10th man in history to fill the position.
“I don’t think they make a better word than ‘proud,’ ” said Brunk J. Conley, his father, who lives in La Pine. “In my estimation, they picked the right man for the job.” See Guard / A5
OREGON’S INMATES
Who’s a low risk to reoffend?
Deschutes County
Jefferson County
Richard Lynn Breneman, 72
Steven Blaylock, 48
Darrell Middlekauff, 49
Patrick Olstad, 43
Eric Wisehart, 41
Alfred Bagley, 68
Manslaughter 1 Shot and killed his roommate in 2009 Serving 120 months
Murder Killed his wife and dumped her body in the North Santiam River Serving life in prison
Aggravated murder Killed his wife, buried her body in a barrel Serving life in prison
Assault 1 Stabbed man six times, fled to Portland, has more than 100 prior convictions Serving 90 months
Aggravated theft, racketeering Defrauded more than 20 victims of more than $2.5 million Serving 75 months
Felony DUII Has racked up 11 DUIIs Serving 19 months
Source: Oregon District Attorneys Association
Greg Cross / The Bulletin
By Sheila G. Miller
What do convicted murderers Steven Blaylock and Darrell Middlekauff, thief Eric Wisehart and bank robber Sterling Dubuque have in common? They are among 850 felons sent to Oregon prisons in 2011 who are considered a low risk to commit another crime, according to a diagnostic tool called the public
Inside • A broader sampling of crimes committed by “low risk” inmates, A5
safety checklist. The information was provided to the Oregon Commission on Public Safety, which Gov. John Kitzhaber has asked to investigate new policies and practices
The lowest airfare? Try asking the crowd By Randall Stross
that would curb the growth of the Oregon Department of Corrections’ budget, which currently stands at more than $1.4 billion for the biennium. Now district attorneys around the state are questioning the statistics and debating whether the commission should use the information in developing policies that could affect Oregonians’ safety. When they looked at the list of
the so-called low-risk offenders, many didn’t appear low risk at all. But some commission members, including the chief justice of the State Supreme Court and the head of the Department of Corrections, say the policymaking hasn’t begun yet, and the tool, however confusing, is accurate. A tool that uses information like age, gender and criminal
Officials say security was lax prior to deadly attack in Libya
New York Times News Service
Travel search sites have made it easy to find the lowest available fares ever since pioneers like Expedia and Travelocity opened shop. Many others, like Kayak and Hipmunk, have since joined in. Travelers with complex travel plans may have noticed, however, that the search results aren’t necessarily consistent. This has created an opportunity for Flightfox, a startup that uses a contest format to come up with the best fare that the crowd — all Flightfox-approved users — can find. A traveler goes to Flightfox.com and sets up a competition, supplying the desired itinerary and clarifying a few preferences, like a willingness to “fly on any airline to save money” or a tolerance of “long layovers to save money.” See Airfares / A4
TOP NEWS SYRIA: Historic market burns, A3 OBITUARY: N.Y. Times publisher, C6
background to determine the likelihood of felons who will reoffend may seem a strange way to save the state money. Some commission members believe it could help prevent unnecessarily long sentences for property and drug crimes, while some district attorneys think the state already does a good job of putting only the worst offenders in prison. See Offenders / A5
To fight crime, city to trade in its police By Kate Zernike New York Times News Service
By Abigail Hauslohner
The U.S. mission after the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
The Washington Post
On the eve of his death, U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was ebullient as he returned for the first time in his new role to Benghazi, the eastern Libyan city that embraced him as a savior during last year’s civil war. He moved around the coastal town in an armored vehicle and held a marathon of meetings, his handful of bodyguards trailing discreetly behind. But as Stevens met with Benghazi civic leaders, U.S.
New York Times News Service file photo
officials appear to have underestimated the threat facing both the ambassador and other Americans. They had not reinforced the American mission to meet strict safety
The Bulletin
INDEX
TODAY’S WEATHER Sunny High 75, Low 47 Page C8
standards for government buildings overseas. Nor had they posted a U.S. Marine detachment, as at other missions in high-threat regions. See Libya / A4
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Milestones Obituaries Opinion
CAMDEN, N.J. — Two gruesome murders of children last month served as reminders of this city’s reputation as the most dangerous in America. Others can be found along the blocks of row houses spray-painted “RIP,” empty liquor bottles clustered on their porches in memorial to murder victims. The police acknowledge that they have all but ceded these streets to crime, with murders on track to break records this year. And now, in a desperate move to regain control, city officials are planning to disband the Police Department. The reason, officials say, is that generous union contracts have made it financially impossible to keep enough officers on the street. See Camden / A6
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Vol. 109, No. 274, 50 pages, 7 sections
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The Bulletin
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