Today's war veterans are finding an increasingly bleak future when they return home.
In part that's because many of the skills and the experience they gained in military service do not translate to the work world.
A new program recently piloted in Washington State aims to change that by training veterans to find long-term employment through a local labor union.
The Veterans in Piping (VIP) Program was designed by the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters (UA) to help veterans find stable, long-term employment through welding apprenticeships.
"My work history has been a roller coaster since I've got out," said Brandon Andre Thomas, a seven year Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. "This is the first stable employment I've had ...

New Orleans native and Common Ground relief organization co-founder Malik Rahim travels to Seattle Tuesday, Dec. 9 for a fundraiser benefitting Nova High School's spring volunteer construction trip to the Big Easy ... The event features a talk by Rahim and photographs of New Orleans by Seattle photographer Matthew Smith ...

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Do you know what rights you have? Ron Williams' strategy will target those on the receiving end of police use of force, as well as the elected leaders in charge of setting bureau policy. Instead of relying on the police to change tactics, he wants to help empower people to know their constitutional rights.
Oregon Action will be holding the first constitutional rights training session for community members on Dec. 13 ...

New president and secretary of the Portland chapter of the NAACP, Bishop H.L. Hodge, Ph.D.; and Lurene P. Campbell pictured at Reflections Coffeehouse. Other newly-elected officers include First Vice President Shirley Nicoste, and treasurer L.C. Oddie. Oscar Eason Jr., president of the Alaska, Oregon and Washington-area conference, presided over the group's installation ceremonies Nov. 22 at the Emanuel Church of God in Christ. Rev. Leroy Haynes of Allen Temple AME Church gave the keynote address.
Photo by K Julie Keefe

The Acker family pulls together in supporting their sons' school and extracurricular activities. From left, Tina  Marie, Karl Sr., and Karl Acker Jr. Not pictured is the family's youngest son, Kenneth, also an accomplished student and athlete at Grant High School ... Karl Jr. 18, and a senior at Grant High School, is a college-bound scholar-athlete who hopes to attend Florida A&M University majoring in sports medicine, with the goal of becoming a sports therapist or trainer. His GPA is 3.49, earned through two years of advanced placement classes ...

Lawson Peters was born Jan. 28, 1938 to the late Mattie Reader Peters and Robert Peters Sr. in Florence, Ala. He moved to Portland in 1942, where he resided until his death.
Lawson attended Holladay Elementary School and Washington High School. He enjoyed playing sports, especially basketball.
Lawson enlisted into the U. S. Air Force in 1956 and served in the military until Jan. 6, 1960.

A simple, painless swab of the cheek gathers enough DNA to reveal insight into a person's origin and can provide critical information that can save lives. African Ancestry, Inc. and the National Marrow Donor Program are sharing their expertise to help increase ethnic and minority marrow donors ...

Sen. Margaret Carter (D-Portland) and Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) will serve as co-chairs of the Joint Ways and Means Committee in the 75th Oregon Legislative Assembly and will be responsible for leading the work to craft the 2009-2011 biennial budget ....

Only a handful of Oregonians are subject to the federal estate tax, and their ranks will shrink further next year, according to a study released today. Just four out of every 1,000 deaths in Oregon triggered the federal estate tax. The ratio was 13 per 1,000 in 2000, before cuts to the tax were enacted under the Bush Administration ...