A lot of people are afraid of clowns. Frankly, many Portlanders are afraid of Black people. Imagine if they saw a Black clown speaking Spanish.

The Affordable Care Act kicked in this week as state health exchanges across the country opened for business Oct. 1. Americans now have until Dec. 15 to sign up for a healthcare plan that starts Jan. 1, 2014.

Next June around 500 Black Publishers will arrive in Portland for the biggest event on their annual calendars: the 2014 NNPA National Convention.  It will be the first time that the convention has come to Portland.

Arsalan Iftikhar will speak about Muslim Identity and Islamophobia at 7pm, Monday, Sept. 30, in the Templeton Student Center at Lewis & Clark College.  The event is free and open to everyone. 

Better People's 13th semi-annual Educational Forum, "Marijuana: Should It Be Legal?" will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday Oct. 3 at the Metropolitan Public Defender's Office, 630 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 500 in downtown Portland.  

Multnomah Youth Commissioners for 2013 were sworn-in Monday evening at a special ceremony which included City and County Commissioners, Portland Mayor Hales and Multnomah County Chair Marissa Madrigal. 

The US Navy will hold a hearing Wednesday to examine charges against suspect Master Sergeant Nathaniel L. Cosby in the death of Ivanice Harris. The Article 32 hearing will decide which charges will be send to a Court Martial.

This Wednesday the organization Parents of Murdered Children and Other Survivors of Homicide unveils their new memorial garden in Oregon City with a special event marking National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.

The Oregon Historical Society last weekend bestowed its annual History Makers Awards, this year honoring Bernie and Bobbie Dore Foster for their work publishing the Skanner News for the past 38 years.