PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An overhaul of the way Oregon compensates foster parents means a big raise for most but some foster parents who care for some of the sickest children are facing deep cuts.

Six members of the Metropolitan King County Council today introduced legislation directing the County Executive to end the provision of animal sheltering services by April 1, 2010, and end the provision of animal control services to the cities by that same date unless new agreements are made that allow the County to recover the full costs of field services.

Con artists are taking a particular phone scam to a new level, attempting to scam restaurants, auto-repair shops and more. Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington has received numerous reports in recent months about con artists misusing Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) to place fraudulent orders and scam businesses over the telephone.

At a news conference Monday, members of the multi-agency Metro Gang Task Force displayed the guns and illicit drugs seized in the arrests of more than 24 alleged gang members. Gang experts skeptical that bust will deter other dealers from taking over the drug ring's market share.

Bellevue College is embarking on a unique pilot program in the hopes of saving students money for the costs of their college textbooks.

Former Clark County Sheriff's Department Commander Clifford B. Evelyn, fired from his job in June of this year, had repeatedly detailed shortcomings by Wexford Health Sources in fulfilling the terms of their contract to provide health care to county inmates more than a year before the county's own performance audit did, records obtained by The Skanner News show ...

Two actors from Portland Center Stage's production of "Ragtime" will perform a song at the unveiling of the Golden West Building's history exhibit, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at Carleton Hart Architects, 322 NW 8^th Ave. The renovated exhibit documents the Golden West Hotel, once the cultural center of Portland's African American community

The Oregon Black Pioneers holds its annual fundraiser Saturday. Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Grand Theater in Salem, featuring a dramatic performance of the lives of women through history.

Elyse Umemoto returned to her home state Tuesday to come to terms with what happened to her and to endorse Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna's proposal to ramp up penalties for the most dangerous, repeat domestic abusers.

For many African Americans living in Vancouver, their roots in this community go back to the Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. The Vancouver NAACP is now providing the public an opportunity to hear from these "First Families" in a yet-to-be completed collection of first-hand accounts of what it was like to live in post-war Vancouver...