"The opportunity to experience the Afghan culture and to show a different view of Americans to young children was a great way to spend Mother's Day," said Loomis, an administrative assistant here deployed from the Portland District Corps of Engineers.

Should Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield be allowed to raise their health insurance rates 22 percent? Next month the Oregon Insurance Division plans a public hearing on the proposed hike, which would affect nearly 60,000 Oregonians.
It's the only public meeting in recent memory that the Insurance Division has held for a rate hike, according to Laura Etherton, of the consumer group OSPIRG.
Public hearings on big rate hikes could become the rule if the Oregon Senate passes bill 717, which would require the Insurance Division to hold such meetings when insurance companies request rate increases.

Former NBA All-Star James Donaldson wants to share his secrets to success.
In his new book, "Standing Above the Crowd," Donaldson opens up about not backing down from a challenge, the importance of mentors and the keys to keep yourself focused during a time when many people are switching careers.Here, the all-star talks to The Skanner News about his awkward and uncertain youth, career transitions and how he fed into an interesting piece of trivia from his days as a pro baller.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Syrian officials say their government has sent an Iranian-born Al-Jazeera correspondent, who also has American and Canadian citizenship, to Tehran following her detention last month in Damascus.

A gathering April 30, organized by The Restore The Village campaign and Multnomah County's department of Juvenile Justice was just one of many events called to bring healing to Portland's communities of color.  

Some believe the stepped up gang enforcement and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are linked and that young Black males – including Muslim converts and anyone with any link to gang activity – are set to be even more surveilled, spied on and entrapped by the FBI and Portland Police in the near future.

If you're thinking of opening up your own business – whether it be a food cart or beauty salon – the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council is holding a free, day-long seminar that will attempt to allay fears and give a healthy dose of reality to the life-altering decision.The free event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17 at The Hilton in Vancouver, Wa. Register at www.swwdc.org.

Black pioneers were among the first non-Native people to settle the West. More than 40 of them are buried in Salem's Pioneer Cemetery. But while a few found a welcome and freedom in Oregon, many others did not.

Yes it's election time again. And this time it's all about schools – well mostly.