The members of Praise-n-Action make a joyful noise at the recent St. Johns Community Day Celebration. The event, hosted by St. Johns All Nations Church of God in Christ, featured classic cars, vendors and live music for a positive focus on the community.

Music by Blue Lake returns this summer with free concerts on Friday evenings, Aug. 18 and 25, at…

A state survey shows that nearly 9 percent of inmates in Oregon's 30 county-run jails are…

Nearly 300 grandmothers from sub-Saharan Africa and Canada shared wisdom and tears last Sunday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada.
The three-day gathering of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign culminated with a march and rally, and the African grannies celebrated with song and dance.

More than 2.4 million African Americans have an uncorrected vision problem, which puts them at risk…

The Portland Development Commission, which has been criticized by some City Council members recently for failing to pay prevailing wages on many of its projects, will examine whether it should adopt a prevailing wage policy. A decision is expected in November.
PDC commissioners decided Wednesday to study the prevailing wage issue, which was the focus of a recent Multnomah County Circuit Court ruling and is before the Oregon State Court of Appeals.
Proposed by the PDC staff, the study will examine the differences in wage standards established by the federal government and the average market wages locally for specific construction trades.
It also will explore how minority- and women-owned construction companies would be affected if they are required to include prevailing wage rates in their bids for PDC projects.
"Minority contracting issues are very high on our list of priorities," said Rochelle Lessner, policy and public affairs director for the PDC. "What we want to hear is how it (establishing a prevailing wages rate policy) would affect minority contractors. The issue has been raised as a concern."

When Keith Jackson attended a weeklong basketball camp 25 years ago, little did he know it would change his life.
The 15-year-old didn't become a great sports star, but while he was learning the fundamentals of basketball, he also explored the fundamentals of being a productive citizen.
"We talked about family, drugs, alcohol, books, education — it was unbelievable," Jackson said. "Even back then when we were snotty-nosed chaps on the track at Whitaker School, Tony (Hopson) and Ray (O'Leary) were having us lay back, look up in the sky and imagine the (SEI) center."

De La Salle North Catholic High School — a North Portland institution that has bucked trends with a rigorous academic program and a demanding on-the-job internship requirement – is seeing its perseverance pay off. The school reached an arrangement with Portland Public Schools to relocate to the empty Kenton Elementary School Building.

The First American Corp., America's largest provider of business information, and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the oldest and largest minority real estate trade association in the United States, announced recently that First American has been named as a NAREB strategic business information and title services partner.
The alliance will extend innovative business resources to NAREB's national network of Realtist members and help increase homeownership opportunities in traditionally underserved African American communities.

Staff members at the Marie Smith Health and Social Center produced an oral history documentary highlighting the lives of 15 seniors living in North and Northeast Portland and are planning two previews.
The project comes after a year of planning and working with caregivers and volunteers in the community to interview clients interested in the project. The two showings will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, and at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, in the Marie Smith Center, 4616 N. Albina St.