This is KGW News at noon New
information this noon about four women
who disappeared then turned up
dead in Oregon Just hours ago,
the Multnomah County DA's office
announced law enforcement has
found a link between the victims.
These are the four women
that we're talking about,
Kristen Smith, Charity Perry,
Bridget Webster, and Ashley Rehl.
Their bodies were found between February
and May at various locations in Oregon.
The DA's office says no
charges have been filed.
Investigators have identified a person
of interest linked to all four women,
but they haven't released that person's name.
Mike Benner is working this story.
He will have an update coming
up on the news at 4:00.
Well, Cannon Beach is back open today
after a cougar sighting forced police
to shut down part of the beach.
Oregon State Police and Fish and
Wildlife spotted tracks leading away
from Haystack Rock earlier today,
and the Coast Guard says it didn't
spot the big cat during a flyover.
But this is what it looked like yesterday.
A photographer shared this
picture of the cougar.
It was just walking around on Haystack Rock.
He tells us he warned a family nearby
and after that word spread quickly.
We talked to his daughter,
who couldn't believe what was going on.
Me and my mom saw four cars
in front and there was like,
policemen, lifeguards,
and I'm like, what the heck?
And then my dad says he
photographed a cougar.
I'm like, huh,
No one could believe it, but it's true.
The cougar was also spotted on
Friday at Nehalem Bay State Park.
Well, the hot, dry conditions
keeping firefighters
busy across the northwest.
Several fires sparked over the weekend,
including this one in Skemania County.
The good news here at noon is that
evacuation levels have dropped.
The socalled Bear Creek fire started
yesterday afternoon near Carson, WA.
Some homeowners on Bear Creek Rd.
Had to evacuate immediately,
but those evacuation levels
are now down to a level 2.
Firefighters quick work kept flames
from spreading into the gorge,
and the fire only burned 5 acres.
Evacuation levels also
dropped for A to level 1.
Rather for people living
southeast of Estacada,
A viewer shared this video of a
firefighting plane scooping water
out of the North Fork reservoir.
The 224 fires started yesterday
afternoon in a rural area just off Hwy.
224. So far, it's burned 20 acres.
The largest fire burning in the
state is in Southern Oregon.
The flat fire started Saturday in the
Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest,
and it quickly spread to
more than 4000 acres.
It's about an hour's Dr.
East of Gold Beach,
around 40 structures are at risk.
This fire definitely a notorious
trouble spot for firefighters.
We've seen three recent mega fires here
that have burned more than 100,000 acres.
Rod is tracking the fire danger and
is here now with the latest on which
areas are under a red flag warning.
Yeah, so just this is a reminder
fire danger is high because in this
case today of gusty West winds.
I'll show you the winds in a moment,
but everything in red under a red
flag warning for high fire danger the
remainder of today into this evening.
This includes backing up into
the gorge on the Washington side,
the White Salmon area,
and then spilling down into Wasco
County in Oregon and back up
into the Columbia Basin again.
It's because the cooler air that
we are enjoying today has been
moving in and bringing gusty West
winds with it at this hour.
So right now for example,
West winds gusting to 33 out
in the dows and then Pendleton
also and that red flag warning,
West winds gusting to 32.
Our futurecast wind map shows the wind
direction from the West northwest.
This is later today at 6:00 PM.
Goldendale 33, Lyle 34,
Hood River 30, excuse me 28.
Mile per hour wind gusts.
So that is kind of the wind zone.
That's why that red flag warnings up.
Of course the cooler weather coming
in eventually will be good news.
It's just the gusty winds today.
By the way Radar,
it's.
I haven't seen any reports of
precipitation reaching the
ground here in the Flatso Valley.
But radar is showing there's a
light shower South of Battleground
and some of the cumulus clouds
that are broken producing some
light rain at this hour over the
coast range and up around Longview.
Here they are.
With our bird's eye view from the RELS,
excuse me,
Rose City Camera 72 is the temperature
we still could hold in the upper 70s.
They're just getting up to 80 this afternoon.
Eventually we'll see increasing sunshine,
I think in the coming hours.
But certainly, Brenda,
a nice cool off.
We'll talk more about how hot it
was over the weekend coming up
on my complete forecast.
See you then. Thank you, Rod.
Right now we have a couple traffic
alerts for you. Starting tonight.
The northbound lanes going over the
Fremont Bridge will close from 10:00
PM to 5:00 AM for the next four days.
O dot is inspecting the bridge.
Drivers will have to detour on the
Highway 30 during the closure and a
reminder that the Lewis and Clark bridge
connecting Rainier OR and Longview,
WA is also closed.
Repairs could take more than a week.
Pedestrian cyclists and emergency
vehicles can cross.
As for everyone else, though,
there's a significant detour,
either I5 through Portland or
Highway One O 1 through Astoria.
The Wakayakum County ferry will also
be running service twice an hour,
24 hours a day, while the bridge is closed.
Well, dozens of Washington lawmakers
are pressuring the state to
roll back regulations they blame
for sky high gas prices.
According to AAA Washington,
drivers are paying an average
of 493 a gallon.
That's the highest in the nation.
State Senator Jeff Wilson is 1 of
43 lawmakers who signed a letter
urging the Department of Ecology.
To ease new climate regulations,
it's recommending 8 rule changes to
the state's Cap and Invest program.
It requires companies to pay for the
carbon they release by creating a
limited number of carbon permits to be
auctioned at least four times a year.
Senator Wilson says there are things
the Ecology Department can do
right now to lower the price of gas
before the next auction in August.
One of my beliefs is that's a direct
reflection of the high cost of the
carbon auctions that have been
happening just this year. Lawmakers
are also calling on the Department of
Ecology to honor exemptions for the
agriculture and maritime industries.
A pile of debris is to blame for this early
morning House fire in Southeast Portland.
It started just before
five on 33rd and Franklin.
The debris caught fire outside the house,
then spread to the inside.
Flames tore through the back of the home,
causing substantial damage.
A neighbor told our photographer that the
homeowners are currently out of town.
Well, just 90 minutes before that fire,
there was another one in Southeast Portland.
This one was on 34th and Washington.
It destroyed A2 story vacant house.
The fire also brought down
multiple power lines.
An investigator is out there right now
trying to figure out how the fire started.
Well, this weekend, Portland was
filled with pride,
celebrating L GB TQ plus people.
The city's big parade
rolled through downtown,
and Thomas Schultz was there,
taking in the sights and sounds.
Overtime, it becomes more
difficult to see family.
Some choose Thanksgiving or Christmas
to bundle up inside and spend
time with those closest to them.
Others choose warm sunny
days in the middle of July,
like a huge family reunion that
happens here at the parade.
Not just community,
family spent with people closest to them.
Yeah, we're here every year.
Ryan Tolaski Brown and his husband
David have been married a while,
8/20/18 I think.
Their wedding ordained by Jamie,
who married her wife in February.
Their wedding was officiated
by David and Ryan.
Jamie and Rachel are like family.
As time goes on, families grow.
And in big families,
it can feel like there's always
a new relative to get to know.
Family is a lot of toddlers.
It feels like we're getting older.
Rachel and Jamie have been going
to Pride events for 25 years.
A lots changed during that time.
When we first start going
to Pride 2530 years ago,
the police were not on our side.
It's great to see the police actually
marching with us and being there
as part of our community now,
not just marching.
Riding along too.
Everyone can be in it. Lawson
Elkins is here with family, friends.
She may only be 9, but she's wise.
It celebrates how everyone has equality
beyond her years.
But many no, Pride isn't as accepted
in other areas of the country,
making this parade even more impactful.
I get super important,
especially now with the way LGBTQ
rights are under attack in this
country is together with family,
some of whom are from out of town.
To support and uplift each other.
This is our power in numbers now,
Porter says. Costs have increased.
Insurance is up 20% this year from last.
But she says attendance of the
parade is higher than ever before,
and louder too in downtown Portland.
Thomas Schultz, KGW News.