This is News 8 at 11 with Pete Shulberg, Tracy Berry, meteorologist Jim Little with Up to the Minute Weather, and Scott Lin with the latest in sports. Good evening. There were more than a few scary moments tonight as a fire burned out of control at a school bus storage depot. Right next to the fire set a huge propane tank and firefighters feared an explosion. It happened in an industrial area in northeast Portland. Carmen Jeffrey joins us live to tell us what happened. Carmen? Pete and Tracy, this is the Laidlaw Transit Company on 66th and Columbia. This is where the fire happened tonight. Now Laidlaw is one of the companies that provides buses for the Portland Unified School District. This is where some of those buses are stored. Now each night workers drive the buses up to a huge propane tank which sits in the middle of the complex. They fill the buses with propane fuel and then they park them. That's pretty much standard operating procedure, but what happened here tonight was anything but standard. The rounded top of the 18,000 gallon propane tank could be seen above the confusion. Only 25 feet away sat a burning school bus. For an hour firefighters fought desperately to keep the fire from spreading to the tank, knowing an explosion would be deadly. Workers at nearby businesses saw the flames and scrambled. Well, it was big enough to scare you when you know what's over there. So you want to get out of the area as quick as you can. Saw flames rather high, 150, 200 feet in the air, a lot of smoke, smoldering, etc. and there again followed by a few explosions. We were just watching it burn. It was close to their main fuel tank and all of a sudden there were two rather large explosions which we assumed were the propane tanks on one of the buses that were burning. The Portland Fire Bureau quickly closed off streets surrounding the bus depot. Evacuations were started but called off when firefighters brought the blaze under control. Only a charred skeleton remained of what had once been a school bus. They were fueling one of the buses and a leak occurred where not exactly certain where, whether it was a line or a tank, but the fire started while they were fueling the rig. When the fire broke out the workers became so frantic they tried to take this bus and use it to push the other bus out of the way. As you can see it didn't work. Fire investigators circled the debris looking for clues as to how the leak could have started. There were no injuries but the worker fueling the bus at the time says he's grateful to be alive. The fire caused about $100,000 damage. Now I did have a chance to talk with that worker who had been fueling the bus. He says for the most part everything had gone smoothly. He had stuck the nozzle into the bus and had climbed on the bus to wait for the tank to fill when he noticed that a fire had started. Pete, Tracy? Carmen, how real was the threat tonight of a huge explosion there? Apparently very real. The firemen called the situation dangerous and volatile. They had evacuated this area from 52nd until 80th, north and south. They weren't sure what was going to happen. They wanted people out of the way in case it would blow. It was certainly a very real threat. Alright thanks Carmen. No one injured tonight in northeast Portland. But a much higher price was paid today in Kansas City, Missouri. Two huge explosions rocked a construction site there before dawn. Six firefighters were killed. Guards first noticed two prowlers at the old rock quarry. First a pickup caught on fire, then the trailers holding 45,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. That's a chemical used in dynamite. It produced a blast so strong that windows were blown out 10 miles away from the explosion site. I pitched the roof and blew the side down my building so I'd take it here. The second explosion it just looked like somebody threw an M-80 in a bonfire or something. There was embers flying everywhere and it looked like it blew the fire out. Many are questioning tonight why the firefighters were sent into such a dangerous situation. This why a police search for the two men believed to have purposely set that deadly blast. Another Portland crack house is out of business tonight. Shut down by police. This afternoon city employees began boarding up the house located on Northeast Roseland. Authorities say it was a small time crack cocaine operation with gang ties. Two weeks ago police raided the house but turned up few drugs. However they did find several building code violations enabling them to shut down the place. Whatever applies or the combination of whatever applies is what we'll do to reclaim this area, to get people to move on, to assist in discouraging drug trafficking. This is the sixth time the city has used condemnation proceedings to shut down a suspected drug house. Oregon's governor has big plans to rebuild the state's prison system. The new corrections package was unveiled in Salem today and as Ann Jaco reports it could amount to the biggest build up in prison space in the state's history. Governor Goldschmidt wants 1,100 new prison beds and he wants lottery money to fund it. Goldschmidt says crime is giving Oregon a bad reputation. Oregon's economic development director agrees. I don't think that we as Oregonians can afford to allow that to continue and I think we need to do whatever is necessary and if that's to use 60 million dollars of the lottery funds and I think the governor is taking the lead I think we ought to do it. The new prison beds would be built at Eastern Oregon State Prison, the State Pen, an unspecified county jail and 500 beds at a new minimum security facility but not near Portland or Salem. Really you want a big highway nearby and you want a community of sufficient size that you can support the staff needs. Goldschmidt says it's a continuation of the largest prison expansion in Oregon history. Since 1987 the state has spent 20 million dollars on prisons, nearly a million dollars outside Portland for a minimum security facility, 16 million to renovate the Eastern Oregon State Prison in Pendleton and 3.6 million dollars for a jail in Baker. Prison prisons aren't the only concern. Goldschmidt also wants to spend 46 million to beef up the state police narcotics unit, fund more electronic bracelets for house arrests and put more beds in the state hospital for criminally insane. For all this he'll need the legislature's okay to break the spending limit. But I think they are going to discover that the promises that collectively we're making to one another around this state to deal with a crime problem are not going to be inexpensive to handle and you're going to see it in this budget and I think you will see it in other places as well. The governor's total price tag for his proposed corrections package, 100 million dollars. But he can't do it alone. He'll not only need lawmakers approval for the money, he'll need their continuing commitment to finance the programs once they're operating. And Jagger, News 8. Meanwhile new proposals to change the way criminals are sentenced in Oregon began their public airing today. If adopted by the legislature the new sentencing guidelines would mean those convicted for violent crimes would spend more time behind bars. Now repeat offenders would face a mandatory sentence of over nine years. Currently those offenders are spending an average of less than five years in prison. But those convicted of less violent crimes could be serving less time. It's a parole matrix and essentially takes the parole board out of the factor of trying to make the decision of what the length of sentence would be and eliminates them from that decision. But at the first of a series of hearings today not everybody thought new guidelines were a solution. We have to bury ourselves in the statistical clinical purity of a predictive chart and expect to solve the problem of crime which is essentially a human and social problem. Even supporters admit however that for the guidelines to work well more prison space is needed. A New Mexico infant tonight recovers from a one of a kind transplant. We'll have an update just ahead. Thanks for a gift idea for the person who has everything Rodeo Drive to the rescue. Panasonic presents the smooth operators. The smooth operators are cordless rechargeable razors that shave remarkably close either wet or dry. It takes a smooth operator to unite the old fashioned closeness of a warm wet shave with the convenience and comfort of an electric. Try this with any plugged in razor. Smooth operator wet dry razors from Panasonic. Smoother than you ever thought you'd be. Introducing a new unit of measurement. The new Honda Civic four door sedan. It's easy to use. Put the car you're interested in buying next to the new Civic four door and see if it measures up for the very best in quality performance and comfort by your Honda from one of these local Honda dealers. Waiting long. Not at all. It's so good to see you. It's been a month. My appointment book. Is bursting. Life is too hectic. But you look fabulous. I adore your outfit. I brought you an early Christmas present. For me? Bill Blass perfume. I wouldn't be caught dead without it. Bill Blass perfume. Dazzle someone with holiday jewels. Twenty two fifty with any purchase from the Ultima two counter. Available at Meyer and Frank. A tense night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That's where doctors are monitoring the condition of a three year old girl. Little Rolandria Dodge of New Mexico arrived here to undergo a unique transplant. Doctors replace all the major organs in her abdomen, a new liver, pancreas, small and large intestines and part of her stomach. Only once before has this operation been performed. Rolandria entered the world with a disease that prevents her from digesting food and liquid. She has spent all her life in hospitals. Doctors say today's operation is her only hope. Democrats have a new leader in the U.S. Senate and they say part of his appeal is his ability to communicate. George Mitchell, U.S. Senator from Maine, will be replacing Robert Byrd who's stepping down after 12 years as majority leader. Mitchell's prestige rose during the Iran-Contra hearings when he demonstrated his eloquence and savvy. I do know that the ability to communicate our views, to present our position through the medium of television is an attribute of leadership in American politics in the 20th century. Meanwhile tonight at a Washington D.C. dinner in his honor, President Reagan predicted it was only a matter of time when the Republicans gained a majority in Congress and asked support for his successor, George Bush. I know that you will continue to do honor to America and that you will give George Bush the same friendship, support and solidarity that you gave me. Mr. Reagan portrayed George Bush and Dan Quayle as a team that will continue his conservative legacy. In Portland, the showdown is set for tomorrow. That's when the City Council debates a controversial limit on some types of styrofoam. Production of some products such as fast food containers, egg cartons or packing materials has been found to deplete the earth's ozone layer. The debate gets underway in council chambers at 9.45 tomorrow morning. In Beverly Hills, holiday shopping is already in full swing and customers have been checking out the latest and exclusive gifts. And as Don Kriegel reports, the toys are for adults. Most of the people out shopping were doing a lot more looking than actual spending. Most of these people are involved in Christmas shopping foreplay. They're getting warmed up for Christmas. You never buy the first time around. You have to wait and go home and say, oh, I can't live without it. And then you go back. One of this year's newest gift ideas is this exercise bike, which lets you row and ride at the same time with a tailwind that has a fan blowing air up your back. And how about this new special fork for eating pasta? You just reel in all that linguine and slurp. For neater types, there's this computer generated chess game where you don't need a partner. The computer beats the pants off you with no hands. The Hammacher Schlemmer store in Beverly Hills is well known for wild and new risk taking gift ideas. They've got clocks that tell your children bedtime stories. Bubble making machines and bangles with music. They even sell a hot dog stand for about $5,000. You'll never guess who just ordered one. We just sent one to Saudi Arabia. A hot dog cart to Saudi Arabia? I think it's for picnics and things. For children, there's no blockbuster toy this year. But if you own your own plantation, you can ride around the cotton fields in this mini rover, $9,000. In Los Angeles, Doug Kriegel for NBC News. Just think how dumb all those presents would look under the tree, too. Well, after a week's of rain, looks like another nice day on tap tomorrow. Jim's up next with the details. And a holiday tradition comes alive tonight, the picturesque Piddick. This is Betty Johnson. And this is her twin sister, Barb. While they're identical, they have different phone needs, which is why they both have Telechoice from U.S. West Communications. With Telechoice, you can get the package you want from as many as 14 different phone services. Just call 1-800-242-5000. It's never been so easy or economical, whether you're Betty, a Betty, or Barb. Telechoice from U.S. West Communications. I never looked at professional football as a popularity contest. I look at it as my job. I don't care that my opponents like me. I care that they respect me, though. Come on! Some people like to play rougher than others. For them, we offer the Nissan Pathfinder and hardbody truck and a free NFL Tough Guys video with a Pathfinder or hardbody test drive. See your nearest Nissan dealer if you think you're ready to play. Here at Viadent, we make an excellent anti-plack toothpaste. How we make it is a little unusual. What's unusual is this, the sanguinaria root. It's a fantastic ingredient, and it's ours exclusively. And it's the plaque-cleaning power in Viadent. In university lab tests, it's been shown to be effective against 98% of major kinds of plaque bacteria. This might not be so pretty, but brushing with Viadent works like crazy. And to us, that's beautiful. Viadent, the anti-plack specialist. Hey, when you pick up a fresh pop of all those pizzas, it's cold. In fact, it's not even cooked. So you go home and you throw it in the oven. Whereas your takeout pizza is already hot. So you get it home where it's cold. Which only makes you want to throw it out. Of course, with pop of all those take-and-bake pizzas, you also get that great fresh-baked aroma. Here, have a whiff. Now, isn't that terrific? Pick up a large half-and-half, half pepperoni, half Hawaiian. Now just $6.99. As the holiday season approaches, Portland's Piddick Mansion is getting into the musical spirit of things. For the next month, the mansion will showcase various operas. Its rooms will take on the sights and sounds of some of the world's favorites. Piddick is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day during the holiday season. And if you hear Santa singing in Aria, you'll know why. What opera was that music from, though? The Christmas opera. Yes. The Christmas opera, Jim. Listen, it's cold enough to feel like the holidays out there tonight. It's getting foggy, too. That's going to be a problem. We're seeing a little frost around. So foggy weather tomorrow, frosty streets, maybe a little slow-going as you come to work. Maybe allow a little extra time. Let's take a look at our satellite picture. You can see the weather over the last 18 hours. And here's a look at the moisture as it moves on in. And you can see the high-pressure building over the Pacific Northwest. And it looks like it's going to kind of move on through. Here's the high actually beginning to settle on into Nevada now. We're getting some strong offshore winds in Southern California. I guess he wins there. Here's the weather front. It continues to move our direction. It looks like it'll be in here for Thursday, so an increasing chance of rain then. Right now we have foggy skies in the Portland area. And the temperature is 34 degrees. The dew point temperature is 34 also. That gives us a relative humidity of 100 percent. The winds are west at 6. The barometric pressure is steady now. It's at 30.51. High today was 53. That's above average. 49 is average for this time of year. 41 was the low last night. Of course, we're colder than that now. 37 is average for this time of year. So we're below average. For the month of November, we have about 7.92 inches. That puts us a little over 3 inches above average. And that makes us now for 1988 almost to 30 inches. We're about an inch and a quarter below where we would expect to be on the average at this time of year. High freezing level this afternoon. And that's giving us kind of an inversion. Here's a look at weather as of 11 o'clock. Clear along the coast, but fog from the South Puget Sound down through the Willamette Valley and down into Medford, the Rogue Valley as well. Fog being reported in Klamath Falls. But elsewhere east of the Cascades, most are reporting fair or clear skies. High temperatures today in the 50s along the coast. Through the Willamette Valley, 53 in Portland where we saw plenty of sunshine. It was a little slower to burn off in Salem and clear out. 48 was the high there. Just brief clearing in Eugene, 45 there. Medford never saw the sun today and just 36 degrees for a high temperature. So the temperature was dependent on cloud cover. East of the Cascades, some cool spots. Only 36 degrees at Burns today. It was 48 at Pendleton. The weather around the Portland metropolitan area with the sunshine. We had temperatures mostly in the upper 40s and the low 50s, although 58 was the high temperature report today from Oregon City. 58 also from Tigard. So some warm spots. Overnight, low temperatures last night. Down into the teens, it added 10 degrees. In some instances, 10 degrees was the low last night at Burns 11 at Lakeview. Through the Willamette Valley, lows last night in the low 30s and we'll see some frost once again tomorrow morning in some spots. Around the nation, generally fair weather in the southern tier states, although some rain has developed along a front that's moving across the Texas Gulf Coast area and into the Gulf now. Still getting some snow up in the northern tier states. Snow advisories are out tonight for Wisconsin. Another six inches of snow possible there. And it's kind of windy in southern California. The offshore Santa Ana winds 80 degrees this afternoon in Los Angeles. Here's our winds of loft chart. Here's the ridge of high pressure, but this will slide onto the east. There's a trough out here. We're going to lose it in our forecast for Thursday, but we get into the southwesterly flow. So this weather system that is out there will be moving in on Thursday and look for this to continue to move closer. So we'll see increasing clouds on Thursday and later on during the day. It looks like a little rain. Tomorrow, not a bad day. Some areas will see the fog very persistent, but the coast will be sunny after some morning fog tomorrow. Cloudy and a little rain on the north on Thursday. Highs in the 50s. Along the coast, small craft advisories are posted. East of the Cascades, areas of valley fog otherwise fair, increasing clouds on Thursday. Sunday tomorrow, increasing clouds on Thursday for the Cascades. For the Gorge, Sunday tomorrow, increasing clouds on Thursday for the Willamette Valley. Foggy tomorrow, just partial afternoon clearing mainly the north end. Morning fog and then increasing clouds and an increasing chance for rain as the day wears on on Thursday. For the Portland, Vancouver area, patchy morning fog near the Gorge here. We'll get some east winds to clear things out. 10 to 20 tomorrow. And then increasing clouds and increasing chances for rain on Thursday. High tomorrow about 55, around 50 on Thursday. Drive carefully in the fog. We say that a lot this time of year. Well the Winterhawks and the Blazers put their winning streaks on the line tonight. But for one of the teams that didn't turn out the way they wanted, Scott's up next. A world of holiday tradition awaits you at Washington Square. Come, shop more than 130 of the finest stores, including 20 exciting stores and restaurants at Square Two. They're brimming with all the brightest and newest gifts. See beautiful animated scenes of customs from Sweden, Germany, England and Mexico. And enjoy holiday traditions of your very own. This year at your Dodge dealer, we're committed to you more than ever. It's the new spirit of Dodge and it shows in everything we do. It shows in our commitment to bring you the best, like our unequaled front-wheel-drive Dodge Caravan with available seven-passenger seating, an optional V-6 engine and sticker prices starting at only $10,592. Join us in our commitment to quality and service. It all comes together here at your Northwest Quality Dodge Dealers, where the new spirit shows. You've been waiting for this time to come, and you know that time is here. You're living in real time, take-home time. Available at the fine jewelry department of Myron Frank, Portland. Blazers started that long road trip tonight, and if tonight has any indication, it's going to be a long one. Might be a long road trip, that's for sure. First game of a six-game road trip, and the Blazers dug themselves a hole in the second quarter, then made a miraculous comeback, but they saw their four-game winning streak come to an end in Milwaukee. 1-19, 1-14 was the final score. The Bucs nearly put the game away in the second quarter. Sidney Moncrief scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half. Milwaukee started to pull away. Clyde Drexler was ice cold. Here he misses, and Ricky Pierce gets a layup at the other end. The Bucs led by 18 in the second quarter. A trailblazer turnover led to another layup a short time later. Terry Cummings scores on the three-on-one break. Cummings led Milwaukee with 29 points. The Bucs were up 66-45. Milwaukee went up by 22 early in the third quarter, but Drexler warmed up in the third period, scoring 10 of his 17 points. However, Portland still trailed by 11, entering the fourth quarter. Coach Mike Schuller put Drexler and Terry Porter on the bench. They never moved from there, as Craig Neal and Danny Young played the entire final period. With that duo at guard, the Blazers rallied. Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth scored time and time again. Kersey finished as the game's top scorer. He had 30 points on the night. Good night for Jerome. Duckworth was right behind with 29 points. Those two really made the Bucs work for it down the stretch, and work they did. The Blazers were able to get within one, but Milwaukee was able to hold on. Cummings hit a clutch jumper down low late in the game and added two free throws with 46 seconds remaining. Milwaukee holds off Portland to win 119-114. The Blazers gave it a go, but didn't get going soon enough. Again, Cummings led the Bucs with 29 points. The other Bucs were in double figures. It's hard to figure out why Porter and Drexler were on the bench the entire fourth quarter. They had 37 points when they were exiled. The Blazers play in Philadelphia tomorrow night. In Seattle tonight, Jerry Reynolds scored eight of his 25 points during a 13-0 run at the end of the third quarter. Here he scores, then steals the inbounds pass and scores again to help the Sonics beat the Utah Jazz 109-102. And in Charlotte, the Hornets beat the Heat in the first ever meeting of the two new expansion teams. Talk about a thriller. Drex Chapman scored 22 points to help Charlotte snap a 10-game losing streak. The Hornets kept the Miami Heat winless. 99-84 was the final score. Let's run through the scores for you. Again, it was Milwaukee over Portland by five, the Sonics over the Jazz, and Charlotte over Miami. Atlanta beat San Antonio by 16. Armand Gilliam scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Suns past the Rockets in Houston. The Pacers beat the Pistons. Alex English scored 41 to lead the Nuggets past the Knicks. The Bulls fell to the Warriors. The Kings beat the Clippers. And Boston beat New Jersey. The Oregon Ducks lost tonight to Athletes in Action 93-88. The touring AIA squad had lost 14 in a row until it beat the Ducks. Two former NBA players, Lorenzo Romar, the former Husky, and Rod Foster, the former UCLA Bruin, combined to score 52 points to lead Athletes in Action. Frank Johnson led the Ducks with 30 points. The game does not count on Oregon's season record. In other games, sixth-rated Iowa beat Drake by 16. Illinois won easily. And Florida State rolled past Florida International. Idaho, unbeaten Idaho, also was a winner. The Vandals beat Washington State by 10. In women's action tonight, Portland State beat St. Martin's 87-60. Turning to hockey, the Winterhawks won their sixth consecutive game tonight as they skated past the Saskatoon Blades 12-3. Brent Fleetwood scored the hat trick for Portland. Dennis Holland and Mark Grayeyes each had two goals and an assist. While James Hamish Black had a goal and four assists. The Hawks are now 17-4 and 1. They lead the Western Division by three points and will play again tomorrow night against Prince Albert. Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux was given a big pay raise today. The Penguins more than tripled his salary to put him in the class of Wayne Gretzky at about $2 million a year. Lemieux is last season's NHL Most Valuable Player and he wanted to be paid as such. Alabama linebacker Derek Thomas today won the fourth annual Dick Butkus Award as the nation's top college linebacker. And Thomas set school records with 22 sacks resulting in 179 yards in lost yardage. And finally, an NCAA study has revealed that football and basketball players at NCAA Division 1 schools spend more time per week in their sports than they do preparing for and attending classes. Mixed up priorities perhaps, certainly some food for thought. Yeah, okay, thanks Scott. Well, heard the expression rolling in the dough. Well, for one man that's no joke. Story just ahead. Building a safer automobile Cadillac style. At Cadillac our automobiles are renowned for their style and comfort. Available anti-lock brakes, energy absorbing crush zones. But we never lose sight of something which is just as important. Rigid safety cages, door impact beams. That the ultimate comfort in a Cadillac. VA passing power, rear seat shoulder belts. Is peace of mind. Why do we ski Timberline so often midweek? I guess it's the breathtaking view of the mountain. I think it's the uncrowded slopes. These midweek skiers aren't giving you the whole picture. Every midweek skier wins great prizes with Timberline's great weekday giveaway. Prizes from Subaru, Pepsi, GI Joe's, Columbia Sportswear, American Airlines, San Francisco Vacations, head skis, Bolle eyewear, thousands of dollars in prizes. Come ski midweek at Timberline and win. Additional prizes provided by Rippling River Resort at Welch's, Oregon. Rippling River always in season. If you're fascinated by it. Oh my goodness, look what they're saying here. It's on, Donna Hugh. She was 53 and he was 17. It's called a toy boy affair. These women are not looking for lasting relationships, just a little fun. More and more of these adventurous women are enjoying the excitement and the sizzle of loving a younger man. Meet the women and their playboys next time. Wednesday at four here on Channel 8. What's the bottom line? Your Portland Metro Toyota dealer's 89 intro sale with introductory deals on the all new Toyota trucks. The trucks that hold their value better than any other. That outsell their nearest competitor to the one. That have been completely redesigned from the ground up. And these are the trucks that now have extra value packages. No better trucks. No better deals. No better time. And that's the bottom line. Jim the forecast. Okay, here's a quick look at the satellite picture. You can see high pressure over the northwest. Another dry day. Then on Thursday we'll see that front moving in. Look for clouds and chance for rain later in the day. All right, thanks Jim. Well, the New Hampshire man found himself in a sticky situation today and he couldn't have been happier. Kim and Barry Siever won a contest with a local radio station. Actually Kim won. But since she's eight months pregnant, Barry took over. Step one, get coated with honey, honey. Step two, take the plunge. Start rolling in the dough. In this case, play money to be exchanged for the real stuff. It's illegal to use real money. It's the Treasury Department. We called them and checked with them. And they said, unfortunately, if we did use real money, they would be here to arrest us about ten minutes later. The tasty total, $13,474.00. A very sweet deal. Yeah, no kidding. Gee, that Monopoly money looked nice anyway. They take it their way. Thanks for watching. Good night. Good night. Good evening. I'm Ted Kahn.