Red-tailed hawk

The story: For five days last month, a North Albany resident watched as an injured red-tailed hawk hobbled around her property on Spring Hill Road. Dawn Cox did not want to try to catch it, fearing its talons and beak. After making several phone calls to find out what could be done about the bird and getting no good answers, Cox called the Democrat-Herald, which contacted Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in north Corvallis. Cyndi Leech from the center captured the bird on June 25. She said at the time the bird had a torn crop, an extension of the esophagus and a broken leg. Leech stitched the crop up after getting the bird back to the center.

The latest: Dr. Sabra Thomas of All Creatures Great and Small in Corvallis performed surgery on the bird's leg, and it is now wearing a splint and "doing really well." The splint will be on for a week and when it is removed, the bird will need a couple more weeks to recover, Leech said. The bird is over a year old but has not been sexed. From information on the band found on its leg, she said, the bird was used in falconry. The center is trying to track down its owner. That has proved difficult as the last number on the band cannot be read because of age and dirt. The owner could have released the hawk into the wild, but if that was the case, the owner should have removed the band, Leech said. The bird also could have escaped or been hit by a car while returning home. Anyone who thinks the bird belongs to them can call the center at (541) 757-4186.

Cathy Ingalls

Lebanon recording lawsuit

The story: Lebanon Councilor Ray Weldon sued the city of Lebanon and City Manager John Hitt in January for a copy of a conversation between himself and Hitt in 2007 that Hitt secretly taped, refused to provide and later said had been deleted.

The latest: Weldon's attorney, Paul Meadowbrook of Albany, filed an amended complaint June 30 seeking to have Hitt enjoined from violating Oregon's public records law. The suit asks for a judgment declaring the city violated Oregon law by refusing to provide a recording of the conversation and by making the copy contingent on payment of an $1,800 restoration fee. It asks for judgment declaring that Hitt violated Oregon law by destroying the recording. Meadowbrook said the initial complaint was based on a criminal statute that prevents tampering with public records, and the suit sought damages for Hitt's claim that Weldon would have to pay to restore the record. The amended complaint alleges Hitt violated rules set by the state archivist on how long certain records must be kept, and seeks attorney fees only.

Jennifer Moody