OLYMPIA—More high school students are graduating and fewer are dropping out, according to a new report released by state education officials.
About 74 percent of students in the Washington class of 2005 graduated within four years, an improvement of about 4 percent over the previous year. Officials said the numbers reflect both an improvement in student retention and a change in the way the state keeps track of dropout rates.
"It's better school systems, better educational opportunities for students and better information systems," said Lisa Ireland, data and research analyst for the state school superintendent's office.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members Jozette Chambliss, left, Katrina Hunt, Leona Dotson and Chanda Oatis visit the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter Exhibit Area in the newly renovated Douglass-Truth Library, during its Grand Re-opening Ceremony on Oct. 14. In 1965, the local chapter of AKA donated books to what was then called the Negro Life and History Collection. The chapter holds an annual Library Tea to raise funds for the collection — now called the African American Literature Collection — that has grown to contain close to 9,200 items.

SPOKANE—A settlement has been reached in a discrimination lawsuit by Hispanics against a small north-central Washington school district, and a lawyer said only the amount of damages remains to be determined.
Both sides have signed a sweeping consent order that requires a number of steps to prevent discrimination in the combined junior-senior high school in Brewster, north of Wenatchee, said Darrell L. Cochran of Tacoma, who brought the case about a year ago.

Former police Chief Derrick Foxworth has filed a notice of intent to sue the city, claiming he was unfairly demoted and reprimanded because he's a Black man who was in a relationship with a White woman.
Foxworth — who now holds the rank of commander — also claims that city officials were aware of his relationship with the police clerk, which occurred earlier in his career.

For those looking to ease into careers as registered nurses, Legacy Health System offers several internship programs geared towards helping students make a smooth transition from academia to the real world of patient care.
The next acute care and perioperative nurse internship programs will begin next January. Applications and all supplemental application materials will be accepted until Oct. 25. Interviews will be held in November and December.

"It's the cover-up, not the crime." This phrase — the lesson of Watergate…

Local dignitaries join survivors of the 1948 Vanport flood to break ground Oct. 10 on the new Vanport Square development, located at 5225 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Joshua Burton, 9, shows off some of the pictures taken on the Social Change Caravan to New Orleans from which he, his mother and 30 other Katrina survivors and Seattle volunteers recently returned.

A recent study on wages in Oregon again confirms what has been the case for too long: People of color in Oregon and the rest of the Pacific Northwest consistently lag behind Whites in the wages they earn for full-time work.
The study — "Living Wage Jobs in the Current Economy: 2006 Oregon Job Gap" — carried out by the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, found that people of color in Oregon are far less likely than Whites to earn a living wage at their full-time job. A "living wage," according to the report, is based upon the average costs of food, housing, transportation, health care, child care, utilities, taxes and a small amount of savings. "Even as economic reports herald a strong and growing economy," the report states, "this prosperity continues to be a false promise for many families, for whom living wage work remains out of reach. In the Northwest and around the nation, many people — particularly people of color — are finding that working full time does not provide a sufficient salary to meet their basic needs."

As the Nov. 7 general election nears, The Skanner continues to bring readers an overview of ballot measures.
This week's issues include parental notification for abortions, inclusion of all Oregonians in a statewide prescription drug pool to lower costs and term limits for state legislators.
Next week, The Skanner will wrap up its look at statewide ballot issues, which will deal with campaign contributions and state spending.