BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Hatchet tosser prompts high school lockdown 

A man tossing a hatchet at a stand of trees prompted a brief lockdown of South Eugene High School on Monday - for the second time in four days.

Police said the same man prompted a lockdown at the school on Thursday when he was seen throwing a hatchet into trees at the Amazon Village Community Center, 2700 Hilyard St.

When officers tried to contact him the first time, he ran toward the high school and disappeared. That time, the school was locked down from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Monday's lockdown lasted only about 10 minutes, beginning at 1:50 p.m. The nearby YMCA also was locked down.

A student told the school resource officer about a man with a hatchet behind the school. The officer saw him and called in patrol officers to fan through the area.

After a brief chase, an officer cornered the man at gunpoint near the YMCA at 2055 Patterson St. and used pepper spray to control him. He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center for treatment when he began having an asthma attack.

Police identified the man as Christiaan Cabot Alexander Brown, 34. He was being held in the Lane County Jail on charges of interfering with police, violating park rules and on two warrants for failing to appear in court on unrelated charges.

New school budget avoids deep cuts

With approval by the Eugene School District Budget Committee on Monday, a draft $126.1 million general operating budget is on its way to the school board.

After deep cuts the past two years, the district was able to forestall reductions in 2004-05 thanks partly to cautious budgeting, an improving state economy and a statewide enrollment drop that means more dollars per pupil.

In fact, the proposed budget - $10 million bigger than the current year's - calls for boosting spending on an ongoing literacy initiative, the English Language Learner program, special education services and Public Employees Retirement System reserves.

The school board is scheduled to hold a public hearing and adopt the budget on June 23.

REGION

Eugene teenager injured in coast dunes collision

COOS BAY - A 15-year-old Eugene youth suffered severe cuts on his arm and underwent surgery on Saturday after being involved in an all terrain vehicle accident on the Oregon Coast, Coos County sheriff's office officials said.

The teen, whose name was not released, was riding south in the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area, south of Spinreel Park, when he jumped a sand dune and collided head on with another rider, Davin M. Agee, 26, of Myrtle Creek.

Agee, who was not injured in the accident, was issued a misdemeanor citation for riding with a suspended license. The juvenile and his parents were issued a warning. Juveniles without a license must be accompanied by a licensed adult while riding an ATV or attend a required safety class, sheriff's officials said.