LACEY—After months of combing through insurance plans, comparing drug prices and breaking into tears as she sought advice, Beth Beck joined thousands of Americans who signed up for the government's new prescription drug program Monday.

Margaret Carter

Oregon State Sen. Margaret Carter is joining The Skanner as vice president of corporate affairs and will lend her clout, intellect, connections and energy to The Skanner's mission of Challenging People to Shape A Better Future Now.

Two Portland Development Commission employees have filed complaints against the commission, claiming race discrimination and retaliation.

Tyrone Henry, a contract/appliance manager, and Christina Cain, a senior executive assistant, have filed complaints with the state Bureau of Labor and Industries.

City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, center, talks with reporters Tuesday night after successfully running for re-election.

Although only 34 percent of Multnomah County voters cast their ballots in Tuesday's election, the election went on anyway. As a result, Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski will run against Republican Ron Saxton in the governor's race in November; county chair Diane Linn will give up her seat to newcomer Ted Wheeler; and city commissioners Erik Sten and Dan Saltzman will remain on the Portland City Council.

OLYMPIA— Washington's closely watched same-sex marriage case was argued before the state Supreme Court in March of 2005, and the long, long wait for a decision continues.

Some court-watchers are now speculating that this hot potato could stay under wraps until after the November election.
Gay marriage and gay rights were a front-burner issue in the Legislature this year, and the buzz over the Oscar-nominated "Brokeback Mountain" seemed to galvanize attention.

The 10th Annual Clark College Women's Conference is set for Saturday, May 20, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Gaiser Hall at Clark College in Vancouver.

This year's event, "From Little Princess to Desperate Housewife:Confronting Images of Women," features a keynote address by comedian and activist Debbie Wooten.

Mercy Corps will celebrate 25 years of helping the world's most vulnerable populations with the opening of the photo exhibit, "Women Before the Lens: Transformation and Hope from Around the World," presented by Art on Alberta, on Saturday, May 20.

Plaintiff Juanita Wynne, center, with her attorneys is the only African American server at McCormick & Schmick's Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley. She is suing the company for racial discrimination.

McCormick& Schmick's Seafood Restaurants Inc., a group of 61 upscale restaurants across the nation, has been charged with violating federal and state laws against racediscriminationin employment in a class action lawsuit filed May 11 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

Claiming that the restaurant chain fails to hire qualified African Americans and instead favors White job applicants and employees in an effort to present a "White image" to the public, African American job applicants and current employees filed Wynne et al. v. McCormick & Schmick'sSeafood Restaurants, Inc..

When a church member has an addiction, where can he or she turn?

That question will be the focus of a gathering to discuss building team ministries for church members with addictions.
Scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, in Westminster Presbyterian Church, the talk is entitled, "Consultation on Building Addiction Team Ministries in Congregations and Faith Communities."

Local author and genealogist Stephen Hanks will highlight "Jump-Start Your African American History," a genealogy workshop scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the North Portland Library, 512 N. Killingsworth St.