The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers for both local and national disaster responses.

"Our volunteers who are already established locally are the first ones to be deployed when there is national disaster response like Hurricane Gustav," said American Red Cross Serving King and Kitsap Counties Readiness Manager Dave Nichols.  "Now is a good time to fill out an application and get trained to be a disaster volunteer...

Global Rhythms: The Griot's Song, is a one-time only event bringing together three of Mali's most outstanding Griots, or traditional praise singers: Abdoulaye Diabate, Mamadou Diabate, and Yacouba Sissoko. The show is Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Seattle Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave...

The Attorney General's Office is warning Washington residents that they should not provide Social Security numbers, bank accounts or other personal information to callers claiming to be from the government.

Washington consumers who receive benefits have previously reported receiving calls from cons posing as government employees. Government agencies will never call or e-mail you to ask for your bank account or Social Security number; they already have the information...

A Day of Hope and Healing is being held in Seattle to help people overcome their anger, self hate, low self-esteem, rejection, hopelessness, ability to forgive, violence and suicidal thoughts...

What's happening for you in Portland this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below.

What's happening for you in Seattle this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below.

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) _ Crews navigated debris-strewn streets to reach people still stuck in some of the thousands of homes flooded by Hurricane Ike, while authorities in the fourth-largest U.S. city imposed a curfew and warned residents that it would be weeks before Houston is fully back up and running.
Heavy morning rains hampered early rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas of the Texas and Louisiana gulf coasts, while those who had evacuated and tried to return to the Houston area on Sunday found both interstate highways and sidestreets blocked by flooding and debris.
Authorities hoped to spare thousands of Texans -- 140,000 by some estimates who ignored orders to flee ahead of Hurricane Ike -- from another night amid the destruction.
At least seven deaths were blamed on the storm -- two in Louisiana and five in Texas, and authorities worried the toll could rise. Authorities said Sunday three people were found dead in Galveston, including one person found in a submerged vehicle near the airport.
In Houston, a weeklong curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. was announced because most of the city was still without power. Highways, darkened streetlights and pooled water made it difficult to drive.
"In the interest of safety, we're asking people to not be out in the streets in their vehicles or on foot," Chief Harold Hurtt said.
Sunday morning, residents of the tiny community of Seabrook near the Johnson Space Center began trying to return home. They were met by a roadblock, and three Seabrook police officers standing in the rain, turning folks away. At times the line was six to 12 cars deep....

DENVER (AP) _ A man who sparked fears of an assassination plot against presidential contender Barack Obama missed a federal court hearing on a drug charge Friday because he's in the Denver jail on another case.
Tharin Gartrell was to be arraigned on Friday. The hearing has been rescheduled for Sept. 19....

LOS ANGELES (NNPA) - He turned the Nation of Islam towards the East and incorporated the fundamentals of Orthodox Islam to his followers.
Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the spiritual leader of the American Muslim Community, and the son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Sister Clara Muhammad, died on September 9, 2008. He was 74. He assumed the leadership of the Nation of Islam (Nation) in 1975 and began dismantling the Nation bringing it closer to traditional "Orthodox" Islam. He rejected his father's teachings and eventually changed the name of the followers to Bilalian and the "Muhammad Speaks" newspaper to "Bilalian News." Ministers became Imams and mosques became masjids....

Imagine the chaos if a tremendous earthquake …