Region in brief: Libby soldier died in crash
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Military officials have identified the soldier killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship during training off the Virginia coast.
A statement by Fort Bragg on Sunday said 29-year-old Army Staff Sgt. James R. Stright, of Libby, Mont., was killed Thursday night.
Stright was assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), headquartered at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
A Navy spokesman said service members were rappelling down a rope from the helicopter to the USNS Arctic when the helicopter crashed into the ship’s stern. The aircraft ended up on its side.
Stright is survived by his parents, Robert N. and Kathy Stright, of Libby, Mont.
Driver hits parked police car
THE DALLES, Ore. – The driver of a minivan on Interstate 84 fell asleep and veered off the freeway.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the driver then slammed into a parked Oregon State Police car, injuring two troopers and three in the van.
The troopers were parked in a gravel emergency turnaround monitoring traffic Saturday afternoon just east of The Dalles when the minivan veered into the center median, went airborne and hit the back of the patrol car.
Senior Trooper Andrew Vanderwerf and Recruit Trooper Kent Arbon were treated for minor injuries at Mid Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles.
The driver of the van, Lith Tuy, of Salem, and his two passengers were taken to the same hospital and later released.
Regional energy summit set
JACKSON, Wyo. – State lawmakers from around the West are gathering in the northern Wyoming resort town of Jackson over the next few days to figure out how to get better coordinated on energy issues.
Wyoming has put up more than $400,000 to fund the Western States Energy and Environment Symposium.
Wyoming is the leading coal-producing state and has a keen interest in legislation pending in Congress aimed at tackling global warming.
The Senate this week is set to debate a bill intended to cut greenhouse gases by about 80 percent by 2050.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told the gathering of state lawmakers he’s concerned about projections the pending federal legislation will cut jobs in Wyoming and elsewhere in the West.