Allison Skahan, 15 and Julia LaVallie, 14, both of Glenwood, Wash., talk about Spelman College with Kristin Wyckoff, assistant director of admission and orientation services for Spelman during the Portland National College Fair.

African dances, lively spirituals and beloved gospel and children's songs from Africa will be performed by the African Children's Choir, which is visiting Portland and Vancouver through Nov. 19. The African Children's Choir is a nonprofit humanitarian and relief organization dedicated to helping Africa's most vulnerable children today so they can help Africa tomorrow.

Nine high school students who have a deep interest in photography and filmmaking are exhibiting their work throughout November in an exhibition called "Seeing is Believing.". This is the inaugural exhibition of photography and filmmaking for Caldera, a non-profit organization that nurtures the creativity of underserved youth.

The Seattle Seahawks face the Oakland Raiders in a nationally televised game. The Seahawks won 12-0…

Take a peek at the design for the interior renovation of The Seattle Public Library's Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch during an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the branch, 1134 33rd Ave.
Justine Kim, library project manager and designers from Heliotrope Architects will explain the design. Library patrons can stop by any time during the open house to view the design and ask questions.

Oregon State Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown raises her arms in victory as the results of the election came in.

NEW YORK -- Ed Bradley, the award-winning television journalist who broke racial barriers at CBS News and created a distinctive, powerful body of work during his 26 years on "60 Minutes," died Nov. 9. He was 65.

Deborah Starr Hodges, left, an employee of Self-Enhancement Inc., distributes decorative cupcakes to her grandchildren Naiheem Barrett, 3, center, and Nailah Barrett, 5. SEI sponsored a Halloween "Harvest Party" for the neighborhood that included games; inflated, bouncing pirate ships; free candy; and prizes.

The area's strong economy is producing jobs, but many of these don't pay enough to cover basic living costs.
That's a major finding of the 2006 Hunger Factors Assessment, a biennial survey of emergency food box recipients in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.
"People are hungry because they don't make enough to cover basic living costs," said Rachel Bristol, chief executive officer, Oregon Food Bank. "The high cost of housing, health care, child care and fuel make it difficult for low-income individuals and families to have enough to pay for food."
The Oregon Food Bank Network conducts the Hunger Factors Survey every two years to assess the factors that create the need for food assistance. This year, 121 food pantries distributed the survey to emergency food box recipients during a three-week period in April.
Oregon Food Bank analyzed the data from the 3,676 completed surveys, which represent a balanced sampling of households served throughout Oregon as well as Clark County.
Nearly a third (29 percent) of the recipients said they need help because their wages are too low. This is a major change from 2002, during the economic downturn, when 19 percent of recipients named low wages as a reason for needing help feeding their families. 

More than 10,000 African refugees have realized a long-held dream: They have opened a home of their own called "Africa House." Designed to be a one-stop social service center by and for Africans, Africa House will serve as a "home away from home" for the 20,000 Africans who live in Portland and the surrounding area, half of whom are refugees.