Ore. woman convicted of feeding the bears – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News

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Ore. woman convicted of feeding the bears Jun 03, 2009 12:00 AM A A NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - A Yachats woman on trial for feeding black bears outside her home has been convicted of harassing wildlife. But 61-year-old Karen Noyes was found not guilty Tuesday of recklessly endangering another person. Neighbors and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife say the woman repeatedly ignored requests to stop feeding the animals. Bears fed by people often lose their natural fear of humans and become nuisances. Neighbors say that's exactly what happened last summer. One woman testified that a bear got stuck in her dog door. And a neighbor who raises birds testified that a bear stormed a barn and killed 60 turkeys. Noyes is scheduled to be sentenced June 25.