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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services West Medford neighbors welcome program to feed homeless, but want bathrooms added Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Boyfriend gets 20 years for abuse of toddler Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Boyfriend gets 20 years for abuse of toddler Pursuit of stolen car in Medford ends with crash, power outage Emergency services, March 19 Medford police add details on Tuesday fatal shooting Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. 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Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Dana Milbank: GOP budget is one big gimmick George Will: Kasich waits in the wings Kathleen Parker: Hillary and the Media: Act 2016 Michael Gerson: Tom Cotton letter to Iran: The roughest of drafts Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Religion briefs A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Food Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts More fast food perils Pork perfection: Consider pork steaks instead of ham for the Easter dinner table Home and Garden Hello, honey: Invite bees for a lush garden Understand home inspection Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Garden Cameos: Now is the perfect time to spot wildflowers Paul Rogers: It’s time to assess the damage to yards Health A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Theater Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Music Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Emergency Services ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon ... Emergency Services ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon ... PORTLAND Portland man sentenced to 6 months for aiming lasers at planes Comment By Steven Dubois The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Steven Dubois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Steven Dubois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News   PORTLAND — An Oregon man who said he dealt with the grief from his girlfriend's death by pointing a high-powered laser pointer at commercial airliners has been sentenced to six months in federal prison. Stephen Bukucs, 40, of Portland, spoke at length Monday about his girlfriend's death from an epileptic seizure after years of declining health. Following the death, the former security guard said he withdrew from his friends and family, abused prescription painkillers for a back injury and developed what would become an unhealthy interest in the laser pointer. "At the time I did these things, I was a mental and emotional wreck," he told U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman. Police arrested Bukucs in 2013 after he pointed the laser at two flights arriving at Portland International Airport. A United pilot on a flight with more than 150 passengers compared the laser's intensity to the sun in the way it lit the darkened cockpit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Peifer said Bukucs told FBI agents he pointed lasers at planes at least 20 times before. Bukucs would listen to the police scanner through an earpiece and then duck into his apartment to avoid capture. "He admitted that he was playing a cat-and-mouse game with the police; that was how he got excitement out of this," Peifer told the judge. Authorities caught Bukucs after flying decoy airplanes. A laser struck one of the decoys, and the plane relayed the light's origin to police on the ground. Investigators installed surveillance cameras that recorded Bukucs in action. Though aware the laser could annoy pilots, Bukucs said he did not have malicious intent. "I was just being stupid," he said. "I look back now and I'm so embarrassed by my actions." The judge said the trend of people pointing lasers at planes has yet to cause a crash, but the risk is real when a pilot is trying to land at a busy airport. "A variety of people commit this crime in a variety of ways," Mosman said. "There are stupid teenagers who do it once; there are people who have done it maliciously, secretly hoping to bring down an aircraft." Mosman said he considered Bukucs' case to lie somewhere in the middle. He rejected the prosecutor's request for a two-year prison sentence, granting some leniency because Bukucs was suffering from mental illness at the time of the crime. The judge, however, said it was a tough case to figure. "If someone's hungry and they steal bread, then their condition makes sense in terms of how it impacted their crime," he said. "And if someone is addicted to cocaine and they steal to buy more cocaine, then you can see some kind of connection between their condition and the crime they committed. "When someone is profoundly depressed over the death of their fiancee, and points a laser at an airplane, that connection is harder to make." By Steven Dubois The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Steven Dubois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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