A parolee from the Merlin area who played the central role in a disturbing animal abuse case in 2008 is back in custody, this time on a murder charge.

A Josephine County grand jury last week indicted Harley Davidson Hopkins, 39, on a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm in the Dec. 12 slaying of 54-year-old Gary Allen Dingus in the Wolf Creek area.

Cooper Gagnon and Evan Neufeld combined for 53 points as Hidden Valley rolled over Mazama 76-59 on Friday in Murphy to stay perfect in Skyline Conference boys’ basketball play.

Gagnon scored 22 points in the first half and ended with a game-high 31. Neufeld scored all 22 of his points in the first three quarters.

“It was a good offensive showing for us,” said Hidden Valley coach Jordan Kasler. “[Gagnon] did a good job getting to the rim.”

A man accused of shooting at a pedestrian on Interstate 5 in Douglas County, trying to carjack vehicles including an ambulance, voicing concerns about foreigners and saying he smokes marijuana every day was captured by law enforcement Thursday.

The Rogue Valley Symphony will be joined by two vocalists to perform songs of love in three February concerts.

Soprano Cadie J. Bryan and tenor Kameron Lopreore will perform both operatic and musical theater, solos and duets with the orchestra in a program of American love songs, love dances and duets, Austrian operetta arias and waltzes.