northwest briefs

Oregon driver, 76, dies after fall and exposure

SALEM, Ore. - The Marion County sheriff's office said a 76-year-old Salem man who went for a drive apparently fell and hit his head as he got out of the car, then lay outside in below-freezing temperatures before he was found. The man died at a Salem hospital.

Sgt. Chris Baldridge said the family of George Burwick reports he left his home on Tuesday evening. A relative said Burwick had been suffering from some memory loss and may have parked his car because he was lost. Deputies said it appears the man got out of his vehicle, tripped and hit his head. By the time a passer-by called for help Wednesday morning, the sheriff's office thinks he had spent several hours in the cold. The Wednesday morning low in Salem was 21 degrees.

Baldridge said Thursday the official cause of death was not yet known, but no foul play was suspected.

Photographer pleads guilty to 'sexting' with girl

MISSOULA, Mont. - A Missoula portrait photographer has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor obscenity counts for exchanging sexual text messages and photos with a 17-year-old girl for months after he took her senior pictures.

Dax Cody Kuehn, 33, entered his pleas Monday in Justice Court in Missoula County. The girl told investigators that Kuehn started flirting with her when he shot her senior pictures in August 2012, and over the next several months they exchanged sexual text messages and, eventually, naked photos of each other.

Deputy County Attorney Jason Marks said the reason Kuehn wasn't charged with a felony was because no photos of the girl were found on his phones. Marks said he will seek a probationary sentence when Kuehn is sentenced on Dec. 10. Kuehn declined comment.

Man flees crash, climbs power pole, is shocked

HARBOR, Ore. - Oregon State Police said a man who crashed a car on U.S. Highway 101 in southern Oregon ran from the wreck to a nearby trailer park where he climbed a power pole and suffered an electric shock that knocked him to the ground.

Lt. Gregg Hastings said the 53-year-old Brookings man was flown to a Portland hospital for treatment of serious injuries, including those suffered when he contacted the electrical wires and fell to the ground early Thursday near the small town of Harbor.

The spokesman said a state trooper, a Curry County deputy and local medics restrained the man before he was flown to the hospital. Hastings said a preliminary investigation indicates drugs including methamphetamine may be involved.

Deer rescued from thin ice of Liberty Lake

LIBERY LAKE, Wash. - Yes, it's cold this week across Washington, but the ice on Liberty Lake near Spokane wasn't strong enough to support a deer. Firefighters used ice rescue techniques to save the stranded animal. During their first attempt Thursday morning, firefighters in ice suits actually fell through the ice. Then a homeowner offered his paddle board and firefighters used an ice rescue sled to reach the doe. They were able to get a line around the deer and pull her to shore, where she had enough strength to walk into the forest. Firefighters said the deer appeared to be fine.