TOLEDO, Oregon — The city council for the small Oregon coast city of Toledo planned to meet Wednesday to discuss a racist letter sent to several city leaders. 

Toledo has a population just under 4,000 residents and is located outside of Newport. It’s led by a guy who knows just about everyone — or so he thought. 

Last week, Toledo Mayor Rod Cross got a shock in his mailbox at home, with a letter entitled “The Brown Round Up, Part One.”

“If you see a bunch of brown folks getting in a car, write down the plate number,” it read, in part. “… Starting the last part of January 2025, this nation will commence the largest roundup of brown illegals in our history.” 

It continues on, explaining how to “help” that effort. “For example, parking in a church parking lot and taking down license plates and car makes and models of folks that are brown (as well as at) schools as you wait in line to pick up the kiddos or the grandkids. If you see brown folks, record the plate number.” 

Cross said the letter was sent to his home and the homes of other members of the Toledo City Council.

“I’m a proud American veteran. And this country does not stand for that,” he said. 

With a sigh, Cross recalled, “I’m like, ‘Is this a joke going on?'” 

Though the letter had a Portland post office stamp, the P.O. box on the return address is fake. 

It showed up in the mailbox of Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke, who said it’s been turned over to Lincoln City police. 

“I want people to know that Lincoln City is an inclusive and welcoming community,” she told KGW.
 
Lincoln County said, “Our commission and our office are disgusted by and reject this call for wholesale racial targeting.”

“I think small towns were targeted. I think the targeted places that they thought there might be a receptive audience,” Cross said. “I also think that they targeted small towns because of, to be honest, our lack of resources to investigate this.”

Cross added that the whole thing came as a surprise: “In Lincoln County, I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation about illegal immigration, and I’ve lived in Lincoln County for 28 years. So, this was this was striking to me because I don’t hear anything about this from even our constituents.” 

But the letters come as President-elect Donald Trump promises “the largest mass deportation program in history” when he takes office for his second term in January, while his incoming border czar, Tom Homan, is already making plans to mobilize federal agents. 

However, Oregon and Washington are sanctuary states; state law prevents local jails from working with federal immigration enforcement.

Cross said he understands how broken the U.S. immigration system is, but he said if someone has a concern, he wants to hear from them. 

“Our residents, my number one goal is to keep them safe,” he said. 

RED LAKE, Minn. — A Red Lake Anishinaabe family is making waves — literally and figuratively — through a story of bravery, heritage and the power of Girl Scouts.

For three generations of the Delaney family — grandmother Charlene, mother Erin and daughter Illona — each day is a lesson in courage and connection.

“We are three very intelligent women who are passionate,” said Charlene.

That passion came to life in a harrowing moment at Big Marine Lake in Scandia.

During a family outing, Charlene jumped into the water, only to realize she couldn’t swim back to the pontoon.

“I thought myself a fairly good swimmer,” Charlene said. “But the pontoon was getting further and further away. I didn’t think I was going to make it back.”

Erin quickly jumped into the water, determined to save her mother. But her panic put them both in danger.

“I remember yelling, ‘I’m drowning!’” Erin recalled. “Her face, I will never forget its color and how it looked and sounded like gurgling when the water was going across her face.”

It was Illona, then just 16 years old, who saved them both.

“I didn’t think — just do,” Illona said. “If you hesitate, you risk more of a chance they’re going to die.”

Illona dove into the water with precision, forming a chain to bring her mother and grandmother to safety. Her bravery earned her the Girl Scouts’ prestigious Bronze Cross, making her the first Indigenous recipient in the local council’s history.

“Thinking about it now, it wasn’t a miracle,” Erin said. “It was courage and determination.”

But Illona’s impact didn’t stop there. She created a lake safety program for tribal health, teaches youth swimming lessons at the YMCA, and is working on her Girl Scouts Gold Award to educate communities statewide about water safety.

“You’ll find your purpose,” Illona said. “No matter what, you’ll find your purpose.”

Once Illona achieves her Gold Award, she will join the ranks of her mother and grandmother, officially making her the third generation in Girl Scouting.

Her efforts have already inspired many. One young swimmer told her, “I want to be a lifeguard.”

“Water is life, and everything circles around water,” Illona said, reflecting on her heritage and mission.

The YMCA where Illona works received a grant to support swimming lessons for special needs and refugee families following recent drownings in those communities.

In a story of courage, connection and culture, this family’s journey serves as a powerful reminder: Even small ripples can create waves of impact.

MINNEAPOLIS — Three Minnesota men are facing federal charges for allegedly hacking the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) practitioners and physicians’ system, known as RICS, and ordering at least 300 pints of promethazine with codeine. 

The federal indictment charges Oscar Becerra-Ruiz, Jasper William Johnson, and Raujaun Keon Varner, all ages 19 to 23, with conspiracy to acquire and obtain controlled substances by fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, from December 2022 to August 2023, the three men stole physicians’ information to set up customer accounts in the physicians’ names with several online pharmaceutical wholesalers. Then, prosecutors say, they placed dozens of orders of promethazine with codeine, had them shipped to fake physicians’ offices across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and sold them here and across the U.S.

According to the indictment, the 300 pints have an approximate street value of $750,000.

A spokesperson for the DEA confirmed that no patient information was compromised in the security breach.

According to court records, all three men were previously convicted of various misdemeanors. KARE 11 reached out to the lead defense attorney on the case who declined to comment at this time.