BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Man pushes way into home, robs resident

SPRINGFIELD - A man who opened his door to strangers was robbed of $150 on Thursday.

The 62-year-old victim called Springfield police at 1:12 a.m. and said he had been robbed. He said a man knocked at the door of his trailer home on South 54th Street and claimed to know the victim's sister. He asked for a glass of water.

The victim opened the door slightly and the man pushed his way in. He grabbed the victim by the neck and said he had a gun, although the victim never saw one. He demanded cash and marijuana.

The victim gave him the cash in his wallet. The man walked to the refrigerator and took two plastic bags from inside. The victim told police the plastic bags did not contain marijuana.

The man rode away on a bicycle with a second person who had been waiting outside. The victim was not physically injured.

REGION

Traffic accident closes

northbound lanes of I-5

ALBANY - One person died in a traffic accident that closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 on Thursday night.

The wreck took place about 9 p.m. near the exit for Highway 34 and Lebanon, according to the Oregon State Police. Northbound traffic was being detoured at Exit 216. The lanes were expected to be closed for several hours.

Police said a northbound truck hauling glass lost its load, backing up traffic. A northbound Ford Explorer crashed into a stopped Chevrolet pickup truck. The pickup crashed into the rear of a stopped truck, and the pickup caught on fire, killing its driver. The driver of the Explorer was injured and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis. The truck driver was uninjured.

Police were continuing their investigation at midnight.

Health advisory lifted

for Odell Lake algae 

A health advisory prompted by high algae levels found in the eastern half of Odell Lake has been lifted, the state Department of Human Services announced Thursday.

The advisory went into effect on July 19.

Water sampling by the U.S. Forest Service has confirmed reduced levels of blue-green algae that can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals, said Dave Stone, DHS toxicologist. Those reduced levels are not likely to be associated with dangerous toxin concentrations in the water, according to World Health Organization guidelines.

Stone advises people who use Oregon water bodies to always be alert of signs of algae blooms. People and their pets should avoid water contact if there are visible clumps of algae in the water.