Oregon City News

Remember the classic movie “A Christmas Story” where all Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder rifle but Santa says “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid?” Well, that exactly the problem with some toys on this year’s “worst” list.

A natural gas leak that had crews scrambling on Wednesday was caused by a backhoe that accidentally broke loose a 1-inch line which was directly connected to a 4-inch line.

According to Clackamas Fire, the backhoe was being operated by a privately contracted construction crew that was working on Warner-Milne Road.

Three blocks in all directions were evacuated, including the Oregon City Police Department.

No one was injured and crews were able to repair the broken line. Folks were let back into the area after the air was monitored inside buildings to make sure there was no natural gas.

Crews are attending to a natural gas leak at 320 Warner Milne Road in Oregon City, south of Molalla Avenue near the courthouse and other government offices.

KATU has received reports that a 4-inch steel natural gas line is leaking into a utility vault - and into the ground.

"That's the big worry for us," said Steve McAdoo, spokesperson for first-responders Clackamas Fire District No. 1. "The gas seeps into the ground, into the soil and pops up wherever it can."

It's always interesting to find out what types of crimes are happening in your neighborhood. Are there a lot of car break-ins? How about burglaries or assaults?

The city has some handy online tools to help you see just what's happening where you live. These sites are also useful if you're in the market for a home and want to find out if it's a good idea to buy in a particular area.

• Crime Mapper - You type in your address and it will show a map pinpointing where different types of crimes have occurred. 
• Neighborhood Crime Stats - You choose the neighborhood you live in, decide what kind of stats you want to see and the results are graphed.