School pulls slavery game; Jonbenet's dad sues CBS; incest sentence
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Odd and interesting news from around the West.
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BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A Bozeman man who faces a charge of assaulting his former girlfriend is now charged with impersonating an animal control officer in an attempt to pick up her cat from a veterinarian's office.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports 48-year-old Shane Stenerud was arrested Monday and charged with felony impersonation of a public servant. He did not enter a plea. Stenerud was released from jail Tuesday after posting bail.
Prosecutors allege Stenerud called a veterinary hospital saying he was investigating a case of animal cruelty and wanted to pick up the cat that belonged to him and his former girlfriend. He reportedly asked that they not release it to her.
Deputy Gallatin County Attorney Jordan Salo said Stenerud faces a misdemeanor count of domestic assault and two counts of violating a restraining order involving his former girlfriend.
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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle,
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities in Las Vegas are searching for a stolen, undercover police car that had a handgun, a Las Vegas police badge and tan patrol uniform in it when it was taken from a garage during a residential burglary.
Las Vegas police say the white 2007 Nissan Maxima was stolen late Monday afternoon near Southern Nevada Community College in Summerlin west of downtown.
The unmarked car equipped with police lights and a siren has a Nevada license plate 003UHM. In addition to the badge and a 9mm black handgun, a police department employee had stored inside the vehicle a Taser, police radio, police ID card, yellow police jacket and tactical vest with police insignia.
Police said Wednesday that anyone stopped by an unmarked police car should request a photo ID and call 911 to verify the legitimacy of the officer.
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PHOENIX (AP) — A Phoenix school district is blocking an online game that simulated slavery after parents complained about its use in the classroom.
Phoenix Elementary School District officials said they are unsure how the game got into the classroom, but they blocked access to it on Tuesday after meeting with parents.
The game "Mission US: Flight to Freedom" put users into the persona of a 14-year-old girl attempting to escape a Kentucky plantation. Students had to navigate the plantation master's demands while plotting an escape down a river. If the attempt was unsuccessful, the girl would be sold back into slavery.
De'Lon Brooks told The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Republic that his son, an Emerson Elementary School student, told him about the game last week.
"As a parent and as someone who grew up under civil-rights (movement) members, I couldn't allow my son to be subjected to that without my permission," Brooks said.
District spokeswoman Sara Bresnahan said the district is only aware of one seventh-grade classroom that played the game, but they were checking with teachers across the district's 13 elementary schools.
"My personal opinion is the content should not be used on our schools at all, so I'll be taking that recommendation to the administration," Bresnahan told KPHO-TV. "In the meantime the district very quickly pulled all the content."
The district's online repository of teaching tools did not include the game, but it did include a similar game about a 14-year-old Jewish girl immigrating to New York from Russia, Bresnahan said.
The creators of the game did immediately respond to The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Republic's request for comment. An online description of the game stated that it aimed to help students "develop a more personal, memorable, and meaningful connection with complex historical content."
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The board for New Mexico's largest school district is opposing the state's proposed changes to science teaching standards that substitute references to rising global temperatures and climate change with statements about climate "fluctuations."
The policy committee of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday voted in favor of sending a letter to the Public Education Department criticizing the proposal, the Albuquerque Journal reported .
The Public Education Department has suggested several custom additions and deletions as it moves forward with adopting a set of science standards developed by a consortium of states and the National Academy of Sciences. The state's proposal also omits references to evolution and the age of Earth.
Board member Barbara Petersen said the letter will show teachers that they have support to "teach real science" because educators sometimes face resistance to teaching evolution.
The vote on the matter was not unanimous. Board member Peggy Muller-Aragon was the sole dissenter, and she voiced support for the proposed changes. She said the district should focus on the positive and not be adversarial.
"I have looked and thought these look good to me because they kind of leave things a little bit open for the other side," Muller-Aragon said.
Education Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski said the department is open to feedback and the proposed changes are not set in stone.
"I think it is incumbent on us to have a very hard look at all the feedback that comes in — both in terms of the standards themselves and in terms of the roll-out and the implementation and the resources and the partnership," Ruszkowski said.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal,
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PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah judge is deciding whether an 18-year-old accused of filming a high school classmate's suicide will stand trial for murder.
Prosecutors say that while Tyerell Przybycien didn't wield a murder weapon, he's responsible for the death of a troubled girl who he pushed into taking her own life.
Defense attorneys, though, contend the 16-year-old girl made her own choice, and while Przybycien's role wasn't commendable it wasn't murder.
Judge James Brady is expected to rule in the coming days.
Przybycien is charged with buying the rope and helping her tie a noose, then recording a 10-minute cellphone video of her death on May 6.
Prosecutors say he'd previously told a friend that helping her would be "like getting away with murder."
- Associated Press
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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A movie that chronicles a 2013 wildfire that killed 19 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ firefighters debuts next week on the heels of another fire tragedy in California that has riveted the nation.
"Only the Brave" is based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died while fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥.
Actors from the movie appeared at a red carpet event in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ on Tuesday as relentless fires ravage wineries, rural towns and neighborhoods in Northern California — an event not lost on the cast and crew of the picture.
"When I turn the news on this morning, to see images that look like they were taken from our film, is surreal," director Joseph Kosinski said.
Fire officials say the wildfires in California have killed more than 20 people and destroyed at least 3,500 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and businesses since they started Sunday.
Cast members Josh Brolin, Miles Teller and James Badge Dale attended the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ premiere with some of the firefighters' families and the lone member of the crew who survived.
On June 30, 2013, the 19 elite ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ wildland firefighters were stationed in a relatively safe position on a ridgetop that already had burned. But for unknown reasons and without notifying anyone, they moved down the mountainside through an unburned area where they were trapped by a wall of flames when winds shifted the fire toward them.
Kosinski said he didn't want to make a sad movie and that he wanted it to celebrate the joy the men had for firefighting and the brotherhood they shared.
The lone survivor, Brendan McDonough, said seeing the movie was cathartic for him and he thought the movie "did our brothers justice."
"I think they really created an authentic film that really shows just what the job is about, what the lifestyle is, what the families go through," McDonough said.
McDonough served as the lookout for the crew when they descended into the brush-choked area. He notified the crew of the rapidly changing weather that sent winds swirling erratically and caused the fire to cut off their escape route.
Then, he swiftly left his post for safety. Fire managers have said he did exactly what he was supposed to.
Brolin plays Eric Marsh, who was the crew's superintendent and the oldest member of the group.
Brolin said he loves any project that has to do with firefighters and making people conscious that "these guys are putting themselves in peril constantly ... for the safety of their communities."
Jane Marsh, Marsh's mother, said she spent three hours with Brolin before they started filming the movie, which was shot in New Mexico.
"Even though I cried all through it when I first saw it in August, he portrayed Eric really well," Marsh said.
- By JUSTIN PRITCHARD Associated Press
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators took an important step Wednesday to clear the road for everyday people to get self-driving cars.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles published proposed rules that would govern the technology within California, where for several years manufacturers have been testing hundreds of prototypes on roads and highways.
That testing requires a trained safety driver behind the wheel, just in case the onboard computers and sensors fail. Though companies are not ready to unleash the technology for regular drivers — most say it remains a few years away — the nation's largest state expects to have a final regulatory framework in place by June.
That framework, which could be tweaked in coming weeks, also would let companies begin testing prototypes with neither a steering wheel nor pedals — and indeed nobody at all inside. The public is unlikely to get that advanced version of the technology until several years after the deployment of cars that look and feel more like traditional, human-controlled vehicles.
Consumers probably won't be able to walk into a dealership and buy a fully driverless vehicle next year. Major automakers like Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Nissan and Volvo have all said it will be closer to 2020 before those vehicles are available, and even then, they could be confined to ride-hailing fleets and other shared applications.
Tesla Inc. says the cars it's making now have the hardware they need for full self-driving. The company is still testing the software and won't make it available to owners without regulatory approval.
Still, Wednesday's announcement puts California on the verge of finalizing rules for public access which were due more than two years ago. The delay reflects both the developing nature of the technology as well as how the federal government — which is responsible for regulating the safety of the vehicles — has struggled to write its own rules.
Legislation intended to clear away federal regulations that could impede a new era of self-driving cars has moved quickly through Congress. The House has passed a bill that would permit automakers to seek exemptions to safety regulations, such as to make cars without a steering wheel, so they could sell hundreds of thousands of self-driving cars. A Senate committee approved a similar measure last week by a voice vote.
California's proposed rules must still undergo a 15-day public comment period, which could result in further changes, and then a protracted review by other state attorneys. Department of Motor Vehicles attorney Brian Soublet told reporters that the rules should be final before June, if not before.
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Joan Lowy in Washington and Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed.
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Contact Justin Pritchard at .
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The cougar mascot at Mormon-owned Brigham Young University has become a social media sensation thanks to a video of him dancing to a hip hop song at a football game with the college dance team.
The video from Cosmo the Cougar's Friday night's performance to the song "Rolex" by Ayo & Teo has been shared tens of thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports () that the BYU dance team, the Cougarettes, isn't revealing the mascot's identity other than saying it's a man with no formal dance training who is a senior at the university.
Much of the intrigue seems to come from a perception that Mormons don't dance like the mascot does in the video. Cougarette captain Shaye Edwards laughs at that idea, saying, "Do they really think that we don't dance at BYU?"
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune,
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EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A citizen advisory committee has voted to rename Eugene's downtown plaza in honor of Ken Kesey, the author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and "Sometimes a Great Notion."
The Register-Guard reports ( ) the recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which will discuss the matter next week.
The square is named Broadway Plaza, but in recent years many have been calling it Kesey Square.
The square includes a statue of the local author reading to his grandchildren. It was dedicated in 2003, two years after his death in Eugene.
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Information from: The Register-Guard,
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KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man accused of having an incestuous relationship with his adult daughter has been sentenced to two years in prison after accepting a plea agreement.
The Herald and News reports ( ) that 52-year-old Eric Lee Gates of Klamath Falls pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with a suspended license. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the incest charges.
Gates was arrested May 2015, after authorities said he had a sexual relationship with his daughter, Chalena Moody. The 28-year-old daughter is also charged with incest in Klamath County, but no trial date has been scheduled.
Gates and his daughter faced similar charges in Lane County in 2014. Both were sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Court records show the defendants had at least two children together.
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Information from: Herald and News,
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MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — Commissioners in Jackson County, Oregon, are considering whether to change the name of Dead Indian Memorial Road.
John Vial, the county's director of parks and roads, tells the Mail Tribune () he fields emails and phone calls each month from people complaining about the name.
The newspaper reports that white settlers in the 1850s found two deceased Native Americans in the area where the road was later built. Historians believe they likely were killed by another tribe.
Locals began calling the road Dead Indian Road after it was constructed in 1870. County commissioners changed it to Dead Indian Memorial Road in 1993, but the name remains controversial.
In the past few months, the word "Dead" has been painted over on signs marking the road that stretches from Ashland to Highway 140 near Lake of the Woods.
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Information from: Mail Tribune,
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PROVO, Utah (AP) — The race for Provo mayor is a showdown between two women, meaning the predominantly Mormon city will have a woman mayor for the first time in its 157-year history.
The race is between former city councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett and school board member Michelle Kaufusi.
Kaufusi found out about the city's all-male mayoral history when she went to Provo City Hall to file her paperwork, she said. A city official told her she was one of the first women to run for the job.
"I really didn't believe them," Kaufusi said. "I knew that in the city office there was a wall with all the mayors' pictures from the very beginning of time. So I went and found the wall and sure enough, it's all men. So I'm like, 'Now I'm in even more. This makes me want to win even more.'"
Women's representation across Utah County is the lowest in the Wasatch Front, the Salt Lake Tribune reported () Monday. About 5 percent of mayors in the Utah County are women, compared to 19 percent in Salt Lake County.
Another city guaranteed a female leader is Woodland Hills, where Mayor Wendy Pray is running unopposed. Eagle Mountain, Highland City and Vineyard City also have viable female candidates for the position.
"I think if one of us can break the glass ceiling, it will open the door for a lot more involvement from women," Kaufusi said.
Most of Utah County's female mayoral candidates have over a decade of experience in their cities, serving previously on their city councils, planning commissions or Parent Teacher Associations before taking a shot at the top local office.
Utah's general election is Nov. 7.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune,
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SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who in September tossed a sick dog out of a minivan in West Seattle.
KOMO-TV reports ( ) the Humane Society of the United States, which is offering the reward, said Tuesday the dog was in medical distress and was suffering when thrown from a stopped vehicle.
The incident occurred on Sept. 24. Authorities say a witness reported the dog was thrown from a purple Dodge minivan. The suspect is described as a heavyset African-American man with dreadlocks.
The Seattle Animal Shelter says the dog did not survive.
The dog was an adult unneutered male, American pit bull terrier.
- By TARA MELTON Alamogordo Daily News
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ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A new craze has hit Alamogordo, one that involves residents of all ages painting and hiding rocks throughout the community.
"My sister lives in Illinois and they do the rock thing there, she was telling me about it. I thought it would be neat for kids here because there's not a lot for kids to do around here," said Patricia Glore, founder of the Alamo Rocks Facebook page. "So we painted rocks for two weeks, hid about 50 of them and then I started the page."
As residents found the hidden rocks, they also found instructions painted to the back of the rocks directing them to the Alamo Rocks page. Currently, the group has over 2,300 members.
"This is something I do with my great grandkids," Glore said. "(My great grandson) found his first rock by himself yesterday and he was so excited. This gives them something to do outside of the house, so they're not stuck indoors playing on tablets and watching TV."
Organizations such as the Alamogordo Public Library and Alamo Jump have jumped onboard with the craze, hosting rock painting parties for the community.
"I love that this is something anyone of any age can do," said Youth Services Librarian Ami Jones. "One of the things that sold me early on was a photo of a big burly dad sitting at a table with his little girl, painting rocks together. You don't have to be a great artist — I'm sure not — and kids are so excited when they see a picture on Facebook of someone holding the rock they painted. It even gets people exploring businesses and area attractions that they might not have known about. How many kids couldn't tell you where City Hall was, before they started finding rocks there?"
David Quinlan, owner of Alamo Jump, said this is great because it's an inexpensive family-building activity.
"It's great seeing parents and kids sitting down at the same table, exchanging ideas on what to paint and then trying to put their vision onto a rock via paint, glitter, glue," Quinlan said. "The most important thing to us is seeing the true joy the kids have in participating. From painting rocks to finding rocks, there is non-stop joy and excitement around this. We put out rocks multiple times a week in front of our business and to watch as a kid walks by, finds it and literally jumps and shouts — there isn't anything like it."
Rock painting, hiding and hunting isn't only for children, a lot of adults are finding joy with the activity too.
"One of our members wrote yesterday that his wife's mom had passed away not too long ago and she didn't get to see her mom before she died, so she was wanting a sign from her mother," Glore said. "So he went to work that day and happened to find a pink rock, a color that her mother always wore. She's keeping that rock."
Getting involved with Alamo Rocks is simple, gather rocks, acrylic paint and join the Alamo Rocks Facebook page to post pictures and review suggested guidelines.
"The best part is seeing that someone found a rock you hid," Jones said. "So we really encourage people to post pictures to the Alamo Rocks page — whether they are going to keep it or rehide it. The biggest fear is that someone felt spiteful and just threw yours or your child's hard work into the trash."
The group is currently putting a list together of area businesses that do not want rocks hidden on their property or inside their business. The rule of thumb is if you're unsure if it's OK to hide a rock there, ask the business. At the Alamogordo Public Library, rocks can be hidden outside the building or inside the children's room.
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Information from: Alamogordo Daily News,
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The father of JonBenet Ramsey has filed a lawsuit against CBS and the people involved with a two-part special about her unsolved murder.
The Boulder Daily Camera reported ( ) Tuesday that the special, called "The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey," advanced the theory that JonBenet was killed in 1996 by her brother, who was 9 at the time.
Burke Ramsey, the brother, has filed his own defamation lawsuit as well. A ruling on a defense motion to dismiss that suit is pending.
JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in the basement of her family's Boulder home. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever charged in the case.
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Information from: Daily Camera,
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BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A Bozeman man who faces a charge of assaulting his former girlfriend is now charged with impersonating an animal control officer in an attempt to pick up her cat from a veterinarian's office.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports 48-year-old Shane Stenerud was arrested Monday and charged with felony impersonation of a public servant. He did not enter a plea. Stenerud was released from jail Tuesday after posting bail.
Prosecutors allege Stenerud called a veterinary hospital saying he was investigating a case of animal cruelty and wanted to pick up the cat that belonged to him and his former girlfriend. He reportedly asked that they not release it to her.
Deputy Gallatin County Attorney Jordan Salo said Stenerud faces a misdemeanor count of domestic assault and two counts of violating a restraining order involving his former girlfriend.
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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle,
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities in Las Vegas are searching for a stolen, undercover police car that had a handgun, a Las Vegas police badge and tan patrol uniform in it when it was taken from a garage during a residential burglary.
Las Vegas police say the white 2007 Nissan Maxima was stolen late Monday afternoon near Southern Nevada Community College in Summerlin west of downtown.
The unmarked car equipped with police lights and a siren has a Nevada license plate 003UHM. In addition to the badge and a 9mm black handgun, a police department employee had stored inside the vehicle a Taser, police radio, police ID card, yellow police jacket and tactical vest with police insignia.
Police said Wednesday that anyone stopped by an unmarked police car should request a photo ID and call 911 to verify the legitimacy of the officer.
PHOENIX (AP) — A Phoenix school district is blocking an online game that simulated slavery after parents complained about its use in the classroom.
Phoenix Elementary School District officials said they are unsure how the game got into the classroom, but they blocked access to it on Tuesday after meeting with parents.
The game "Mission US: Flight to Freedom" put users into the persona of a 14-year-old girl attempting to escape a Kentucky plantation. Students had to navigate the plantation master's demands while plotting an escape down a river. If the attempt was unsuccessful, the girl would be sold back into slavery.
De'Lon Brooks told The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Republic that his son, an Emerson Elementary School student, told him about the game last week.
"As a parent and as someone who grew up under civil-rights (movement) members, I couldn't allow my son to be subjected to that without my permission," Brooks said.
District spokeswoman Sara Bresnahan said the district is only aware of one seventh-grade classroom that played the game, but they were checking with teachers across the district's 13 elementary schools.
"My personal opinion is the content should not be used on our schools at all, so I'll be taking that recommendation to the administration," Bresnahan told KPHO-TV. "In the meantime the district very quickly pulled all the content."
The district's online repository of teaching tools did not include the game, but it did include a similar game about a 14-year-old Jewish girl immigrating to New York from Russia, Bresnahan said.
The creators of the game did immediately respond to The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Republic's request for comment. An online description of the game stated that it aimed to help students "develop a more personal, memorable, and meaningful connection with complex historical content."
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The board for New Mexico's largest school district is opposing the state's proposed changes to science teaching standards that substitute references to rising global temperatures and climate change with statements about climate "fluctuations."
The policy committee of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday voted in favor of sending a letter to the Public Education Department criticizing the proposal, the Albuquerque Journal reported .
The Public Education Department has suggested several custom additions and deletions as it moves forward with adopting a set of science standards developed by a consortium of states and the National Academy of Sciences. The state's proposal also omits references to evolution and the age of Earth.
Board member Barbara Petersen said the letter will show teachers that they have support to "teach real science" because educators sometimes face resistance to teaching evolution.
The vote on the matter was not unanimous. Board member Peggy Muller-Aragon was the sole dissenter, and she voiced support for the proposed changes. She said the district should focus on the positive and not be adversarial.
"I have looked and thought these look good to me because they kind of leave things a little bit open for the other side," Muller-Aragon said.
Education Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski said the department is open to feedback and the proposed changes are not set in stone.
"I think it is incumbent on us to have a very hard look at all the feedback that comes in — both in terms of the standards themselves and in terms of the roll-out and the implementation and the resources and the partnership," Ruszkowski said.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal,
PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah judge is deciding whether an 18-year-old accused of filming a high school classmate's suicide will stand trial for murder.
Prosecutors say that while Tyerell Przybycien didn't wield a murder weapon, he's responsible for the death of a troubled girl who he pushed into taking her own life.
Defense attorneys, though, contend the 16-year-old girl made her own choice, and while Przybycien's role wasn't commendable it wasn't murder.
Judge James Brady is expected to rule in the coming days.
Przybycien is charged with buying the rope and helping her tie a noose, then recording a 10-minute cellphone video of her death on May 6.
Prosecutors say he'd previously told a friend that helping her would be "like getting away with murder."
- Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A movie that chronicles a 2013 wildfire that killed 19 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ firefighters debuts next week on the heels of another fire tragedy in California that has riveted the nation.
"Only the Brave" is based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died while fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥.
Actors from the movie appeared at a red carpet event in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ on Tuesday as relentless fires ravage wineries, rural towns and neighborhoods in Northern California — an event not lost on the cast and crew of the picture.
"When I turn the news on this morning, to see images that look like they were taken from our film, is surreal," director Joseph Kosinski said.
Fire officials say the wildfires in California have killed more than 20 people and destroyed at least 3,500 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and businesses since they started Sunday.
Cast members Josh Brolin, Miles Teller and James Badge Dale attended the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ premiere with some of the firefighters' families and the lone member of the crew who survived.
On June 30, 2013, the 19 elite ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ wildland firefighters were stationed in a relatively safe position on a ridgetop that already had burned. But for unknown reasons and without notifying anyone, they moved down the mountainside through an unburned area where they were trapped by a wall of flames when winds shifted the fire toward them.
Kosinski said he didn't want to make a sad movie and that he wanted it to celebrate the joy the men had for firefighting and the brotherhood they shared.
The lone survivor, Brendan McDonough, said seeing the movie was cathartic for him and he thought the movie "did our brothers justice."
"I think they really created an authentic film that really shows just what the job is about, what the lifestyle is, what the families go through," McDonough said.
McDonough served as the lookout for the crew when they descended into the brush-choked area. He notified the crew of the rapidly changing weather that sent winds swirling erratically and caused the fire to cut off their escape route.
Then, he swiftly left his post for safety. Fire managers have said he did exactly what he was supposed to.
Brolin plays Eric Marsh, who was the crew's superintendent and the oldest member of the group.
Brolin said he loves any project that has to do with firefighters and making people conscious that "these guys are putting themselves in peril constantly ... for the safety of their communities."
Jane Marsh, Marsh's mother, said she spent three hours with Brolin before they started filming the movie, which was shot in New Mexico.
"Even though I cried all through it when I first saw it in August, he portrayed Eric really well," Marsh said.
- By JUSTIN PRITCHARD Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators took an important step Wednesday to clear the road for everyday people to get self-driving cars.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles published proposed rules that would govern the technology within California, where for several years manufacturers have been testing hundreds of prototypes on roads and highways.
That testing requires a trained safety driver behind the wheel, just in case the onboard computers and sensors fail. Though companies are not ready to unleash the technology for regular drivers — most say it remains a few years away — the nation's largest state expects to have a final regulatory framework in place by June.
That framework, which could be tweaked in coming weeks, also would let companies begin testing prototypes with neither a steering wheel nor pedals — and indeed nobody at all inside. The public is unlikely to get that advanced version of the technology until several years after the deployment of cars that look and feel more like traditional, human-controlled vehicles.
Consumers probably won't be able to walk into a dealership and buy a fully driverless vehicle next year. Major automakers like Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Nissan and Volvo have all said it will be closer to 2020 before those vehicles are available, and even then, they could be confined to ride-hailing fleets and other shared applications.
Tesla Inc. says the cars it's making now have the hardware they need for full self-driving. The company is still testing the software and won't make it available to owners without regulatory approval.
Still, Wednesday's announcement puts California on the verge of finalizing rules for public access which were due more than two years ago. The delay reflects both the developing nature of the technology as well as how the federal government — which is responsible for regulating the safety of the vehicles — has struggled to write its own rules.
Legislation intended to clear away federal regulations that could impede a new era of self-driving cars has moved quickly through Congress. The House has passed a bill that would permit automakers to seek exemptions to safety regulations, such as to make cars without a steering wheel, so they could sell hundreds of thousands of self-driving cars. A Senate committee approved a similar measure last week by a voice vote.
California's proposed rules must still undergo a 15-day public comment period, which could result in further changes, and then a protracted review by other state attorneys. Department of Motor Vehicles attorney Brian Soublet told reporters that the rules should be final before June, if not before.
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Joan Lowy in Washington and Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed.
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Contact Justin Pritchard at .
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The cougar mascot at Mormon-owned Brigham Young University has become a social media sensation thanks to a video of him dancing to a hip hop song at a football game with the college dance team.
The video from Cosmo the Cougar's Friday night's performance to the song "Rolex" by Ayo & Teo has been shared tens of thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports () that the BYU dance team, the Cougarettes, isn't revealing the mascot's identity other than saying it's a man with no formal dance training who is a senior at the university.
Much of the intrigue seems to come from a perception that Mormons don't dance like the mascot does in the video. Cougarette captain Shaye Edwards laughs at that idea, saying, "Do they really think that we don't dance at BYU?"
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune,
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A citizen advisory committee has voted to rename Eugene's downtown plaza in honor of Ken Kesey, the author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and "Sometimes a Great Notion."
The Register-Guard reports ( ) the recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which will discuss the matter next week.
The square is named Broadway Plaza, but in recent years many have been calling it Kesey Square.
The square includes a statue of the local author reading to his grandchildren. It was dedicated in 2003, two years after his death in Eugene.
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Information from: The Register-Guard,
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man accused of having an incestuous relationship with his adult daughter has been sentenced to two years in prison after accepting a plea agreement.
The Herald and News reports ( ) that 52-year-old Eric Lee Gates of Klamath Falls pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with a suspended license. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the incest charges.
Gates was arrested May 2015, after authorities said he had a sexual relationship with his daughter, Chalena Moody. The 28-year-old daughter is also charged with incest in Klamath County, but no trial date has been scheduled.
Gates and his daughter faced similar charges in Lane County in 2014. Both were sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Court records show the defendants had at least two children together.
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Information from: Herald and News,
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — Commissioners in Jackson County, Oregon, are considering whether to change the name of Dead Indian Memorial Road.
John Vial, the county's director of parks and roads, tells the Mail Tribune () he fields emails and phone calls each month from people complaining about the name.
The newspaper reports that white settlers in the 1850s found two deceased Native Americans in the area where the road was later built. Historians believe they likely were killed by another tribe.
Locals began calling the road Dead Indian Road after it was constructed in 1870. County commissioners changed it to Dead Indian Memorial Road in 1993, but the name remains controversial.
In the past few months, the word "Dead" has been painted over on signs marking the road that stretches from Ashland to Highway 140 near Lake of the Woods.
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Information from: Mail Tribune,
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The race for Provo mayor is a showdown between two women, meaning the predominantly Mormon city will have a woman mayor for the first time in its 157-year history.
The race is between former city councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett and school board member Michelle Kaufusi.
Kaufusi found out about the city's all-male mayoral history when she went to Provo City Hall to file her paperwork, she said. A city official told her she was one of the first women to run for the job.
"I really didn't believe them," Kaufusi said. "I knew that in the city office there was a wall with all the mayors' pictures from the very beginning of time. So I went and found the wall and sure enough, it's all men. So I'm like, 'Now I'm in even more. This makes me want to win even more.'"
Women's representation across Utah County is the lowest in the Wasatch Front, the Salt Lake Tribune reported () Monday. About 5 percent of mayors in the Utah County are women, compared to 19 percent in Salt Lake County.
Another city guaranteed a female leader is Woodland Hills, where Mayor Wendy Pray is running unopposed. Eagle Mountain, Highland City and Vineyard City also have viable female candidates for the position.
"I think if one of us can break the glass ceiling, it will open the door for a lot more involvement from women," Kaufusi said.
Most of Utah County's female mayoral candidates have over a decade of experience in their cities, serving previously on their city councils, planning commissions or Parent Teacher Associations before taking a shot at the top local office.
Utah's general election is Nov. 7.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune,
SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who in September tossed a sick dog out of a minivan in West Seattle.
KOMO-TV reports ( ) the Humane Society of the United States, which is offering the reward, said Tuesday the dog was in medical distress and was suffering when thrown from a stopped vehicle.
The incident occurred on Sept. 24. Authorities say a witness reported the dog was thrown from a purple Dodge minivan. The suspect is described as a heavyset African-American man with dreadlocks.
The Seattle Animal Shelter says the dog did not survive.
The dog was an adult unneutered male, American pit bull terrier.
- By TARA MELTON Alamogordo Daily News
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A new craze has hit Alamogordo, one that involves residents of all ages painting and hiding rocks throughout the community.
"My sister lives in Illinois and they do the rock thing there, she was telling me about it. I thought it would be neat for kids here because there's not a lot for kids to do around here," said Patricia Glore, founder of the Alamo Rocks Facebook page. "So we painted rocks for two weeks, hid about 50 of them and then I started the page."
As residents found the hidden rocks, they also found instructions painted to the back of the rocks directing them to the Alamo Rocks page. Currently, the group has over 2,300 members.
"This is something I do with my great grandkids," Glore said. "(My great grandson) found his first rock by himself yesterday and he was so excited. This gives them something to do outside of the house, so they're not stuck indoors playing on tablets and watching TV."
Organizations such as the Alamogordo Public Library and Alamo Jump have jumped onboard with the craze, hosting rock painting parties for the community.
"I love that this is something anyone of any age can do," said Youth Services Librarian Ami Jones. "One of the things that sold me early on was a photo of a big burly dad sitting at a table with his little girl, painting rocks together. You don't have to be a great artist — I'm sure not — and kids are so excited when they see a picture on Facebook of someone holding the rock they painted. It even gets people exploring businesses and area attractions that they might not have known about. How many kids couldn't tell you where City Hall was, before they started finding rocks there?"
David Quinlan, owner of Alamo Jump, said this is great because it's an inexpensive family-building activity.
"It's great seeing parents and kids sitting down at the same table, exchanging ideas on what to paint and then trying to put their vision onto a rock via paint, glitter, glue," Quinlan said. "The most important thing to us is seeing the true joy the kids have in participating. From painting rocks to finding rocks, there is non-stop joy and excitement around this. We put out rocks multiple times a week in front of our business and to watch as a kid walks by, finds it and literally jumps and shouts — there isn't anything like it."
Rock painting, hiding and hunting isn't only for children, a lot of adults are finding joy with the activity too.
"One of our members wrote yesterday that his wife's mom had passed away not too long ago and she didn't get to see her mom before she died, so she was wanting a sign from her mother," Glore said. "So he went to work that day and happened to find a pink rock, a color that her mother always wore. She's keeping that rock."
Getting involved with Alamo Rocks is simple, gather rocks, acrylic paint and join the Alamo Rocks Facebook page to post pictures and review suggested guidelines.
"The best part is seeing that someone found a rock you hid," Jones said. "So we really encourage people to post pictures to the Alamo Rocks page — whether they are going to keep it or rehide it. The biggest fear is that someone felt spiteful and just threw yours or your child's hard work into the trash."
The group is currently putting a list together of area businesses that do not want rocks hidden on their property or inside their business. The rule of thumb is if you're unsure if it's OK to hide a rock there, ask the business. At the Alamogordo Public Library, rocks can be hidden outside the building or inside the children's room.
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Information from: Alamogordo Daily News,
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The father of JonBenet Ramsey has filed a lawsuit against CBS and the people involved with a two-part special about her unsolved murder.
The Boulder Daily Camera reported ( ) Tuesday that the special, called "The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey," advanced the theory that JonBenet was killed in 1996 by her brother, who was 9 at the time.
Burke Ramsey, the brother, has filed his own defamation lawsuit as well. A ruling on a defense motion to dismiss that suit is pending.
JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in the basement of her family's Boulder home. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever charged in the case.
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Information from: Daily Camera,
Outdoor sleeping site in Tucson faces pushback
