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--> --> Oregon in brief Man still missing after accident ASTORIA - A man who disappeared after a car drove off the edge of a pier at the Port of Astoria had not been found Tuesday. The Astoria Police Department is not releasing the name of the man. He worked as a crew member on a fishing boat from out of the area that was moored at the pier. The man was one of three people in the car who were returning to the pier at about midnight Sunday. The vehicle reportedly missed a turn and drove off the west side of the pier and fell into about 25 feet of water. The driver, Sean Pettefer, of Astoria, and one of the passengers, Rafael Salom, of San Diego, were able to free themselves from the car. Mile-long debris seen on Mt. Hood THE DALLES - A debris avalanche more than a mile long has scarred the face of Mount Hood, according to a longtime mountain climber who examined the slide during a recent hike. The slide may have occurred earlier this year, only becoming visible with retreating snow and ice cover. Darryl Lloyd, who lives near Hood River, said the avalanche on Newton Clark Glacier is about a mile and a half long, and about a quarter-mile wide at its greatest extent. "The avalanche left a large dark track that trends eastward across Newton Clark Glacier and averages perhaps 500 feet or more in width," he wrote in an e-mail to The Dalles Chronicle. Yamhill will stop free medical care at jail McMINVILLE - The Yamhill County Jail will no longer offer free medical care to inmates, and will be sending bills to former inmates for services provided while they're in jail, taking to court those who don't pay. Soaring medical costs have hit the jail's beleaguered budget hard, and Jail Commander Curt Gilbert is looking to recoup losses that may run $100,000 a year. "We feel pretty strongly that there's money out there that we can collect," he said. Community Corrections Director Richard Sly, who also serves as co-manager of the jail, expressed doubt there was much to collect, though. He said court-assessed fines sometimes go uncollected because the people they're assessed against simply don't have the money. Virginia surgeon chosen by OHSU PORTLAND - A Virginia surgeon will take over Oregon Health & Science University's liver transplant program after the previous director was demoted amid his accusations that the other surgeon in the program was incompetent. Dr. John M. Ham had been director of the Living Donor Transplant program at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Veterans Affairs hospital in Richmond. He replaces Dr. John M. Rabkin, who had run the program since 1991 but was demoted after he criticized Dr. Susan Orloff, saying her patients had an unacceptably high death rate. Rabkin is suing the university, claiming he was dismissed for raising his concerns. Hospital officials say he was dismissed because of conflict between the two surgeons. Thurston Memorial held up by funds SPRINGFIELD - Construction on the Thurston Memorial to victims of a 1998 school shooting has been delayed because the primary sponsor cannot come up with the $150,000 he pledged. The project is not on hold, said Cherie Kistner, a member of the memorial committee and spokeswoman for the Springfield School District, but the timeline is delayed. The original plan called for construction to begin this summer, with a dedication ceremony in the fall. Kistner said she had no details about the anonymous donor's situation. "Something in their financial situation precludes them from making the actual gift at this time, but their pledge still stands," she said. Associated Press Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing