The Rev. Al Sharpton receives NorthStar community Service Award from Smith, Leavell and Hazel Trice Edney, NNPA News Service Editor-in-Chief, who presented the award.
Photo Credit: Roy Lewis
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, giving four top awards during its annual Newsmaker of the Year Awards Gala, was told by those same honorees that its contributions to justice in America are yet untold. . . .

Struggling newspapers should be allowed to operate as nonprofits similar to public broadcasting stations, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., proposed Tuesday.
Cardin introduced a bill that would allow newspapers to choose tax-exempt status. They would no longer be able to make political endorsements, but could report on all issues including political campaigns.
Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax-exempt, and contributions to support coverage could be tax deductible.
Cardin said in a statement that the bill is aimed at preserving local newspapers, not large newspaper conglomerates. . . .

Governor Ted Kulongoski this week announced a new feature of the state's recovery Web site that provides the public with the ability to track how state and local governments are spending federal stimulus dollars provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). . . .

The future of children rests in an educator's hands. Yet, too many of Oregon's beginning teachers and administrators are routinely thrust into situations where they are merely given a key to a classroom and a pat on the back as they start their career. The Beginning Teacher and Administrator Mentor Program aims to change this trend by supporting nearly 1,000 new educators in the most crucial stage of their careers by providing them an experienced educator mentor. . . .

Paying your fare to ride the bus, ferry or light rail throughout the Puget Sound region will soon be as simple as swiping a single card, following approval today by the Metropolitan King County Council of a plan for rollout later this spring of the long-awaited ORCA regional fare coordination system. . . .

Chelsea Deloney, an 18-year-old English major at Concordia University, has been crowned as the winner of the 2009 Miss Black Oregon USA Scholarship Competition. In ceremonies held Feb. 28 at the Scottish Rite Center, Deloney thrilled judges during the question-and-answer portion of the competition. Contestants were also judged on a personal interview, health and fitness, talent, and deportment in an evening gown. . . .

There was once a time when child welfare caseworkers handled many of their own legal issues, causing legal errors, case delays and a decrease in the amount of time a caseworker spent with families.
A Department of Justice funded program put an end to that. But with a forecast of sharply falling tax revenue in the next biennium, officials say they don't know if this reform effort will survive. . . .

Rep. Chip Shields (D-Portland) this week introduced a bipartisan bill that will provide oversight of how state-chartered banks are spending  money disbursed through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).
The move comes at the same time another new bill would create a statewide "stimulus czar" to oversee the influx of money expected from President Barack Obama's economic plan. . . .

As the real estate meltdown affects more and more Portland-area families, local agencies are working to educate homeowners about foreclosure and mortgage scams.
Consumer complaints about moneylenders and collection agencies have bubbled to the top in the Oregon Department of Justice Top 10 Consumer Complaint Annual Report for 2009. . . .

Tiana Townsell, 24, a graduate of Western Washington University in marketing and advertising, has been crowned as the winner of the 2009 Miss Black Washington USA Scholarship Competition. In ceremonies held Feb. 28 at the Scottish Rite Center in Portland, contestants were judged on a personal interview, health and fitness, talent, a question and answer session with the judges, and deportment in an evening gown. She will advance to represent . . .