UO E-clips, Sept. 26

Home away from dorm UO Housing puts up the 'No Vacancy' sign and arranges apartments for hundreds (Register-Guard): Hauling yet another load of clothes and bedding up to his new room, incoming freshman Michael Munoz summed up what many of his fellow new arrivals thought about their new digs. "I love it," the Los Angeles resident said with a smile. That was good news to the University of Oregon because Munoz was one of about 400 new students who were unable to get a room in one of the on-campus residence halls. So, instead of being part of the annual crush that packs streets around the UO dorms on move-in day, he was about a mile away at the much less hectic, privately owned Stadium Park apartments east of Autzen Stadium.

Oregon's presidential pull wanes this time (Register-Guard): Wondering why your TV isn't delivering many of those punchy Obama and McCain ads you hear about on cable news? Eager to get revved up at a presidential campaign rally like the ones that fired you up last March? Hope you enjoyed your primary spring fling with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, because you're not likely to experience the kind of fall romancing from Obama and John McCain that their predecessors carried on with Oregon in 2000 and 2004. ... University of Oregon political scientist Joe Lowndes thinks there is more to Oregon's move into the "blue state" category than just voting trends and party shifts. He said Oregon voters are sizing up Obama and McCain as individuals and also considering the current president when they comparison-shop for the next one.

Weird: Beavers win, Duck students riot (The Oregonian): Explain this one. Thousands of football fans in Corvallis celebrated the Beavers' Thursday night trouncing of top-ranked University of Southern California with nary a problem. But in Eugene, home of the rival University of Oregon Ducks -- who didn't even play -- about 250 people rioted near campus, throwing beer bottles and cans at police. Eugene police said they worked through the night to break up the crowd and write citations for alcohol-related violations at several parties. So, what started it? Maybe a couple hundred Ducks fans got riled up about the Beavers' shocking win? "I have no idea," said Melinda Kletzok, a police spokeswoman. "I think it just had a lot to do with a party that got out of control."

Oregon Senate Candidates Saturate Airwaves (OPB News): If you've turned on your TV lately, you can't miss a slew of political ads. If you live in Oregon, the airwaves are saturated with an especially nasty slugfest. Democrat Jeff Merkley is trying to unseat Republican Gordon Smith in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the nation. ... Each campaign has accused the other of running misleading ads that bend the truth. But both sides may be to blame, says Al Stavitsky, the director of the University of Oregon's Journalism Center in Portland. Al Stavitsky: "When one candidate is coming at you with some very strong attack ads the other candidate finds it very difficult to take a high ground, so it's really kind of devolved into a real slugging match here."

Duck football player charged with speed racing in car crash (KVAL Channel 13): Three University of Oregon players -- including emerging star quarterback Darron Thomas -- were involved in an early-morning car crash, in which one player is charged with speed racing. Police say the driver of the car, Duck linebacker Eddie Pleasant, was racing someone else when he lost control. Wide receiver Jamere Holland was also in the car. The crash took place after midnight on Gateway Street in Springfield. Officers say Pleasant lost control while speeding, went into oncoming traffic and hit a minivan. Two passengers and a one year old were inside.

Crash victim, Ducks coach speak out over football players car crash (KVAL Channel 13): "If something would have happened to my son, I really don't know what I would have done," says Jacqueline Dalton. Early Thursday morning, Dalton, her boyfriend, and their one-year-old child were driving along Gateway Street in Springfield when they was struck by a Ford Mustang. Inside that Mustang were three University of Oregon football players. Linebacker Eddie Pleasant was the driver. Quarterback Darren Thomas was in the passenger seat. Wide receiver Jamere Holland was in the back seat. Police say Pleasant was racing another car and lost control. … Pleasant was cited for misdemeanor reckless driving and one count of speed racing. University of Oregon head football coach Mike Bellotti made it clear: he feels the other two are not at any fault. "There was only one player driving that car," he says. "The other players were riding in the car. They're innocent victims like everybody else." Bellotti says he's talked to the team about reckless driving. "Kids are gonna make mistakes, that's the unfortunate thing," says Bellotti. "Players are not invincible, and they're not always correct."

History of worldwide wildfires is studied (United Press International): U.S. and European scientists say there was a dramatic decline in wildfires from 1870 to 1970, following a period of increased fires between 1750 and 1870. Led by Jennifer Marlon, a University of Oregon doctoral student, nine researchers from seven institutions in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States analyzed 406 sedimentary charcoal records from lake beds on six continents.