The Skanner News is looking for local readers to take part in a focus group to help us in planning our company's growth over the next year, with the group meeting Saturday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at our offices at 415 N Killingsworth St.

The program to boost the 2-ounce frogs dwindling population was spearheaded in 2008 by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- As the nation turned to Republicans in the Congress, Oregon stood pat and re-elected all of its incumbents, five out of six of them Democrats. It turned to a familiar Democratic hand rather than a fresh GOP face for governor, and it did nothing venturesome in ballot measures.

This week, attorneys representing the family of the late Aaron Campbell filed a lawsuit against the city of Portland and four officers involved in his shooting death in January. The family is seeking compensation for "unreasonable force" violations under the Fourth Amendment and wrongful death under state law.

In Washington state, voters delivered approvals and disapprovals to a number of ballot initiatives, but largely supported measures that retain the status quo.

Wednesday afternoon saw the critical Oregon governor race bust open with a Kitzhaber win, while observers scratched their heads over what looked like an even Democrat-Republican split in both the Oregon Senate and the House of Representatives.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Maurice Lucas, the fierce power forward known as "The Enforcer" who helped lead the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, has died after a long fight with bladder cancer. He was 58.

On Wednesday, Portland City Councilors unanimously passed an ordinance that would allow the city to seize and sell property used during a crime of prostitution or human trafficking.

After announcing last week that the city of Portland would be working with the U.S. Attorney's office to prosecute some illegal gun cases at the federal level, Mayor Sam Adams told The Skanner News that prison reform and prevention should accompany any enforcement crackdowns.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Former state legislator Kevin Mannix defended his ballot proposal to hand down harsher mandatory sentences for sex offenders and drunken drivers at a Salem debate on Friday.