VANCOUVER, Wash.—Youth entering grades four through nine are invited to participate in a free…

The University of Portland is one of six colleges and universities nationwide participating in a pilot program using Flexcar, a car-sharing company designed to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and save energy in the region.

NEW YORK—Justin Gatlin's coach Trevor Graham said the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was alerted to repeatedly test the star sprinter until "you find whatever they had put in his body."

Students at AME Zion Church's Vacation Bible School take a pause from their studies this week.

A collection of Makonde woodcarvings is now on display through Sept. 17 at the World Forestry Center in Washington Park. The Makonde people, from the east African nations of Tanzania and Mozambique, are renowned for their masterful woodcarvings.

CHENEY, Wash.—For a moment, it appeared Shaun Alexander was simply acting like a spoiled, reigning league MVP with a new, $62 million contract.
Alexander emerged from the Seattle Seahawks' locker room to a crowd of about 100 autograph seekers at Eastern Washington University. Unlike many of his teammates, a smiling Alexander shuffled past everyone.
"Sorry. Gotta go," Alexander said sheepishly.

Nearly a full year after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, thousands of survivors remain displaced and scattered throughout the United States. In Washington State alone, it is estimated that over 5,000 survivors, living at or below poverty level, are living here in isolation.
Many of these survivors long to return home, even temporarily, in hope of reuniting with lost family.
As one survivor said, "I would love to return to New Orleans and seek out my kinfolk."

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation says it will add $58 million to expand its $1 billion Millennium Scholars program to target low-income and minority students seeking a graduate degree in public health.
It's the first time the foundation has added money to the scholarship program since it was established in 1999.

The Dolls Drill Team performs for the crowd at the Lake City Pioneer Days Parade on Aug. 5. The annual summer festival includes a street fair, a vintage car show, live music and the Rotary Children's and Grand Performance parades.

A group of African American women from rural Alabama have created an art form that is causing a national sensation — and it has arisen out of something as traditional as apple pie — quilts.
The women of Gees Bend, Ala. Are showing their extraordinary quilts at the Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third St. S., through Sept. 2. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.