Rep. John Conyers of Michigan

WASHINGTON—Renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which eliminated many anti-Black voting practices in Mississippi and other states, suffered a setback last week when House Republicans disagreed on whether to require bilingual ballots and federal oversight of Southern states.
The dissension in a closed caucus meeting grew so intense it forced Republican leaders to postpone indefinitely a scheduled vote on renewing the act.

Tony Hopson

What will happen to the children who attend schools participating in the SUN program? With Multnomah County's portion reduced by $1.7 million, the answer is, well … clouded.
"We are trying to figure out what the short-term plan will look like," said Diana Hall, program supervisor in the county's Department of School and Community Partnerships, which operates the SUN program.

John Edwards

Former U.S. Senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards will deliver the keynote address at The National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women's annual legislative conference breakfast.
Edwards, who ran for vice president in 2004, is now director of the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Funding for a new initiative that will result in significantly reduced diesel emissions in Oregon could result in cleaner air and healthier residents in North Portland.
Diesel emissions contribute to asthma and other health problems experienced by residents in the area, which includes many industrial sites.
The effort to curtail diesel emissions is being led by a group called Oregon Solutions North Portland Diesel Emissions Reduction Project.

It's ugly, it's destructive and it's everywhere. Graffiti is a problem that goes well beyond the frustration of the property and business owners who have become victims.
"Graffiti has a dramatic effect on just about everything," said Officer Matt Miller, graffiti investigator for the Portland Police Bureau. "Ninety-nine percent of the victims I've talked to associate it with gangs, and they think their neighborhood is being taken over."

Amalia Alarcón will be the new director of the city of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement.
Appointed by Mayor Tom Potter, Alarcón served as interim director after Jimmy Brown was appointed manager of the Portland Water Bureau's community outreach and customer services group in January. She assumes her new duties immediately.

Stefon Spruill Sr., right, plays defense on Hezeki Ross, 10, at King School Park June 24 during the annual Good in the Neighborhood festival.

Oregon's school food policies received a grade of "F" in a nationwide evaluation by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization failed the school system because Oregon has no statewide nutrition standards for foods sold outside the national school meals programs. While some school districts have policies addressing foods sold in schools, many districts do not. The state follows only U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations.

Author, actress and director Perri Gaffney, left, entertains an admiring crowd June 27 at the North Portland Library. Gaffney was on hand to read from her own works while her audience enjoyed a spot of tea.

Thousands of children each year are injured or killed by guns not properly stored. Experts in the Doernbecher Children's Safety Center urge families with guns to store them unloaded and locked in places where children can't gain access.
They also recommend families follow guidelines suggested by the Asking Saves Lives campaign, which offers solutions to gun violence and urges parents to ask friends and neighbors whether there are guns in the house before allowing their children to play.