BELLEVUE, Wash. — Barack Obama, the Democrats' rock-star senator and potential White House contender, on Thursday brought his "Audacity of Hope'' road tour to a longtime Republican stronghold that could send a Democrat to Congress for the first time.
Obama, a boyish 45 and with only two years under his belt in the Senate, has gotten a star buildup by his party and the national media after writing a book, touring his ancestral homeland in Kenya and announcing Sunday that he's considering a presidential bid in 2008.
He was the big draw at a campaign rally for Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who has a commanding lead in the polls for re-election next month, and Darcy Burner, a former Microsoft program manager who hopes the national anti-Republican tide can help her oust freshman Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.

Washington school districts on Monday asked the courts to throw out the state's system of financing special education, saying over 120,000 students are being shortchanged by Olympia.
A loss could cost the state at least $100 million a year in more generous budgets.

If anything was learned from Katrina, it's that public and private agencies must work together to prepare for a disaster.
That was the message during a conference in King County last week entitled, "Katrina's Lesson: Reach Our Vulnerable Residents NOW."
"If we learned anything from Katrina, it is that we need to know how to reach our vulnerable residents now if we're going to meet their needs in a disaster," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "King County is committed to building a resilient community where everyone is supported in a crisis and no one is left behind."

The subject was housing at the seventh annual African American Alliance for Homeownership Fair last weekend, and several of those who visited the fair in Legacy Emanuel Hospital's atrium were glad they did.
Karen Hudson and Charlene McGee each won a $2,500 gift certificate toward the purchase of a new or existing home, and others received other home-related prizes.

For the first time in more than four years, the Housing Authority of Portland will open a new waiting list to receive federal Section 8 rent vouchers.
Applications for a chance to join the waiting list must be submitted before Nov. 17. By applying for the waiting list, applicants will enter a lottery-style drawing to be held next January. The first 3,000 names picked through the lottery will be placed on the waiting list.
"Rent assistance is a very precious resource," said Steve Rudman, executive director. "We are providing access in the fairest way we know, and we encourage anyone in need to apply."

One in seven youth online is sexually solicited, and one in three youth will encounter unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material online, according to a recent study conducted by the University of New Hampshire.
To combat unwanted contact over the Internet, Qwest is joining the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to establish an "online classroom."

In celebration of Pratt Fine Arts Center's 30th anniversary of continuous operation as Seattle's art education and resource center, the center will hold an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 4 at the center, 1902 S. Main St. The open house will feature demonstrations.

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NOTICE
A man calling himself Michael Lawrence has been attempting to gain access to various events in the Seattle area by claiming to be a photographer for The Skanner. Mr. Lawrence is not, and has never been, affiliated with The Skanner in any way. Please ask for and inspect the press credentials of anyone claiming to represent The Skanner. Should you encounter Mr. Lawrence, please call The Skanner's Seattle office, 206-533-9888.

Ron Saxton, abruptly canceled a meeting that was scheduled months ago with some Oregon's more low profile prominent African American business owners and professionals. No explanation, just simply a call from one of his staffers at 2:30 p.m. indicating that Saxton would not be in attendance at the meeting that he had previously agreed to.