JENA, La. -- The teenager convicted of beating a student at Jena High School in December 2006 had been convicted as a juvenile for attacking someone a year earlier, then committed three more crimes while on probation for that one, prosecutors say.
That makes Mychal Bell's aggravated second-degree battery conviction his fifth conviction for a violent crime, state District Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. said Friday.
Because of that record, the judge said, he will not reduce the $90,000 bond he set for Mychal Bell, ...

JACKSON, Miss. -- Reputed Ku Klux Klansman James Ford Seale showed no emotion Friday as he was sentenced to three life terms in prison for his role in the 1964 abduction and murder of two Black teenagers in southwest Mississippi.
Seale, 72, was convicted June 14 on federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy in the deaths of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee, two 19-year-olds who disappeared from Franklin County on May 2, 1964.
The young men's decomposing bodies, mostly just skeletal remains, were found more than two months later in a backwater of the Mississippi River.
U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate told Seale the crimes for which he was convicted were "horrific" and "unspeakable."
Wingate said that while the crimes occurred 43 years ago, "justice itself is ageless." ...

WASHINGTON -- The selection of a Chinese sculptor to carve a three-story monument to Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall is raising questions about what part of his legacy should be celebrated.
King promoted peace and understanding among all people. His primary fight, however, was to win particular opportunities for Blacks in the United States by juxtaposing the plight of an oppressed people against a message of freedom and democracy.
A loose-knit but growing group of critics says a Black artist -- or at least an American -- should have been chosen to create the King memorial between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials in the nation's capital. They have been joined by human rights advocates who say King would have abhorred the Chinese government's record on religious and civil liberty.

Twins Eyob and David Lemo, 10, enjoy Free Swim Fridays at Peninsula Park Pool with their friend, Jordan "Philmon" James, 11.  Peninsula Park Pool offers free open swimming every Friday between 1 and 3:15 p.m..

The city of Portland has unveiled a plan to help communities of color connect with their city government. The Office of Neighborhood Involvement will award three grants, totaling $200,000, to community organizations working in ethnic minority and immigrant and refugee communities, to help improve access to city government.
The grant program, called the Diversity and Civic Leadership Organizing Project, aims to build community partnerships, improve ....

As a student at Jefferson High School in the 1970s, Gene Hughes dreamed of becoming a movie director. This month, with a little help from friends in Portland, Hughes finally is shooting his first feature film, "Feet."  "It took me 30 years....

Pier Park skatepark is the hot spot for Northeast Portland's youth this summer. On any given afternoon you can find a hundred or so kids "oohing" and "ahing" at the daredevil skaters showcasing their skills. Glenhaven skatepark in Southeast.....

16. SUMMER FESTIVAL. Hear a live swing jazz band in the park. 17. EDUCATION FIRST. Participate in the Back to School Supplies Drive. Drop off supplies 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friends of the Children 18. BLOCK PARTY. The Oregon Bus Project hosts a door-to-door canvas and block party. Come for breakfast and training before going out to register voters and talk about the Healthy Kids....

Lindbergh High School and Baden Elite Seattle basketball player Danyelle Grayer does some final touchups on a car at a fund-raising carwash Baden Elite held Aug. 11. The carwash will help pay for a college viewing tournament in Las Vegas. The select team, which has high school players from schools in Western Washington, recently won the Open Division of the Nike Grand Finale Tournament. Many past players from the team have gone on to play for Division 1 and Division 2 teams.

The City Council today passed the first pieces of its multi-part package of legislation to maintain safe, exciting Seattle nightlife while managing issues of concern to surrounding neighborhoods. Councilmember Sally Clark, chair of the Economic Development and Neighborhoods Committee, said, "This package was informed by months of deliberation and public input. It will genuinely balance neighborhood quality-of-life issues and our need for an exciting, successful Seattle nightlife scene." Councilmember Jan Drago said, "This package will help downtown residents....