OLYMPIA—Tens of thousands of released felons barred from voting in Washington state are at the center of a legal battle over whether unpaid fines alone should keep them from the polls.

Portland General Electric severed its ties with bankrupt Enron Corp. on Monday and issued its common stock as an independent company.

PGE, Oregon's largest and oldest utility, issued 62.5 million shares. About 43 percent were given to Enron creditors that have settled their claims.

Former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber's campaign to radically reform health care drew about 200 people to its first meeting in Portland on Sunday.

The effort is a grass roots campaign that aims to gather citizens' ideas on how to create a better health care system and use their activism to pressure politicians to adopt their concept.

Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth has been accused by city officials of sexual misconduct against a female officer before he became chief. A nine-page legal notice released by the city alleges that Foxworth sent a series of graphic e-mails to Angela Oswalt.

Oswalt, 46, a longtime Police Bureau veteran, claims that she feared for her job unless she succumbed to Foxworth's advances.

A new study of a little-understood treatment for heart disease may have a positive outcome for African Americans, said a participating physician.

Portland school officials had some good news and bad news for parents this week. The good news: Schools will remain open for the full school year, classes will stay about the same size and curriculum improvements will continue.

The city Office of Neighborhood Involvement's Crime Prevention Program takes its efforts to a whole new level this month when it hosts "Ready. Safe. Go.," a daylong crime prevention training conference.

Former King County Council member Bruce Laing, left, state Rep. Eric Pettigrew, King County Councilor Larry Gossett, King County Council Chair Larry Phillips, King County Executive Ron Sims and state Sen. Adam Kline were honored April 2.

Police are investigating whether a man working for two city council hopefuls broke any laws while helping them qualify for Portland's new public campaign system, the city auditor said this week.

Jim Schlotfeldt is the new senior vice president and chief financial officer for Albina Community Bancorp.

Schlotfeldt brings over 20 years' experience in the financial services industry to Albina. A vice-president and chief financial officer of a community credit union for the past eight years, Schlotfeldtwill oversee the bank's accounting, auditing, financial analysis, fiscal reporting and budgeting activities.