Stories for January 18, 2010
Lead stories
Stories
NYC judge refuses to toss Letterman extortion case
NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge has refused to throw out the criminal case against a TV producer who is accused of blackmailing David Letterman.
NYC judge to rule on tossing Letterman extort case
NEW YORK (AP) -- A television producer accused of blackmailing David Letterman over the late-night comic's love life is set to find out whether a New York City court will toss out the criminal case against him.
2 US troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
KABUL (AP) -- NATO says two U.S. service members have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.
2 boys killed in Tacoma car crash, authorities say
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- Authorities say two brothers -- ages 8 and 11 -- were killed in a crash after leaving a Monster Truck Show at the Tacoma Dome, and the boys' mother is under investigation for vehicular homicide.
Disabled owner of stolen wheelchair offered a replacement
"I'd like to see these guys in jail," he says
"No conscience," mom says of thieves
Japan Airlines files for bankruptcy protection
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection in one of the biggest corporate failures in Japanese history.
Beer bridge talks
Which elected officials met over beer to discuss the proposed new Columbia River bridge? Find out in Tuesday's edition of The Columbian.
Former gov backs Poizner in CA gubernatorial race
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Republican California gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner says he's won the backing of former California Gov. George Deukmejian.
Portland man's body found in backyard sinkhole
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The body of a Portland man has been found in a 35-foot-deep sinkhole partly filled with water in his backyard after a friend called police to say she hadn't heard from him.
Parents rally to lift Idaho cap on charter schools
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A coalition of Idaho parents and teachers are urging Idaho lawmakers to lift the cap that limits the number of charter schools allowed to start each year.
Gov't lets Haitian orphans come to US for care
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is making it easier for Haitian orphans being adopted by Americans to enter the United States.
Leno anticipates return to 11:30, lauds O'Brien
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jay Leno turned serious on his show Monday to discuss the late-night chaos at NBC, explaining events from his standpoint and telling viewers he considered Conan O'Brien a "great guy."
Wizards top Trail Blazers, 97-92
Roy sits out again with sore hamstring
Andre Miller scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half before fouling out with 19 seconds to play, LaMarcus Aldridge also scored 22 points and had a season-high 15 rebounds, but the Trail Blazers saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
US military airdrops supplies into Haiti
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military has airdropped water and food into Haiti after earlier ruling out such a delivery method as too risky.
Sewage spills into canal that feeds Pearl Harbor
HONOLULU (AP) -- Work crews in Hawaii are repairing a broken main that spilled thousands of gallons of sewage into a drainage canal that empties into Pearl Harbor.
NJ medical marijuana bill is signed into law
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has signed legislation granting chronically ill patients legal access to marijuana.
Aircraft carrier Lincoln back at Everett
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is back at its Everett homeport after five days of sea trials.
Army boss testifies at al-Qaida suspect's NY trial
NEW YORK (AP) -- A U.S. Army captain testifying at a New York City trial has blamed a soldier for failing to secure his rifle before a reputed al-Qaida supporter used it to start a shootout with American personnel in Afghanistan.
Conjoined Arizona twins readying for separation
MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Conjoined twin sisters from Arizona have already defied expectations by living past their third birthdays. Now their parents are hoping they'll become one of the first sets of twins sharing a heart to be successfully separated.
Otter aide: Progress on saving Parks and Rec
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's budget chief says the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation may survive, after all.
Obama to give State of the Union speech Jan. 27
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Students from Ill., Kenya die in Mich. plane crash
MANLIUS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Hope College says a student from Kenya was piloting a small plane when it crashed in southwest Michigan, killing himself and a student from Illinois.
New Idaho House group, Tea Party back same ideals
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- As 400 Tea Party activists rallied outside Idaho Capitol to shout down federal government, more than a dozen lawmakers have quietly formed a smaller but equally conservative new group inside the building to pursue similar goals: promote gun rights, kill health care reform, maybe even abolish the Federal Reserve.
Ore. city councilor challenges forest thinning
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An Ashland City Council member has filed a lawsuit challenging a federal forest thinning project approved last year and held up as a model of collaboration.
High surf advisory for North Coast
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A high surf advisory remains in effect for the North Coast through Tuesday afternoon.
Gates says Taliban chief unlikely to reconcile
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he doubts Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar will ever make peace with the elected Afghan government.
Most Haitians seeking US refuge will go back
MIAMI (AP) -- U.S. authorities are stepping up contingency plans for a potential mass migration of Haitians even though there's no immediate signs of such an event.
Ohio patrol: At least 3 dead in small plane crash
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) -- Police say at least three men have died in a small plane crash in the Cleveland area.
Wyclef Jean calls for evacuating Haiti's capital
NEW YORK (AP) -- Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is calling for an evacuation of his homeland's earthquake-ravaged capital and asking for international aid to help set up tent cities nearby.
3 die in plane crash after leaving the Bahamas
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Three people died when a small plane crashed into the sea after taking off from the Bahamas en route to Florida.
4 feared dead in Bahamas plane crash
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Authorities say four people were aboard a small plane that crashed into the sea after taking off from the Bahamas en route to Florida.
Power outages reported in Calif. as storm moves in
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- More than 12,000 Southern California residents have lost power due to a heavy winter storm sweeping through the region that threatens to cause mudslides in fire-ravaged areas.
Defense chief says no US police role in Haiti
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States remains concerned about the possibility of lawlessness and increased violence in Haiti, but is not planning an expanded policing role now.
Court: tracking devices OK in Ore. marijuana case
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal appeals court has ruled that mobile tracking devices can be attached to suspect vehicles as part of a marijuana investigation in Oregon.
Hamtramck builds homes to atone for discrimination
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) -- More than 40 years after her family was forced from their home because they were black, Sallie Sanders has received the keys to a new home in Hamtramck in the Detroit area.
Wife: Pilot husband among 3 killed in Ohio crash
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) -- The wife of a co-pilot aboard a small plane that crashed outside Cleveland says her husband was one of the three people who died.
FAA: At least 3 dead in small plane crash in Ohio
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration says a small plane crashed as it approached the Cleveland area from Gainesville, Fla., killing three people.
Federal judge grants stay of Nevada execution
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A federal judge in Nevada has called off the Feb. 1 execution of a condemned inmate who came within 34 minutes of being put to death in 2005.
Woman's body found in water at Seattle marina
SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle police say the death of a woman whose body was found in the water at a Ballard marina appears to be accidental.
Obama visits American Red Cross headquarters
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has personally thanked some American Red Cross workers for their efforts following the earthquake in Haiti last week.
2-alarm fire burns Lakewood thrift store
LAKEWOOD, Wash. (AP) -- Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire in a large building in Lakewood for more than five hours Monday.
2-alarm fire burning Lakewood thrift store
LAKEWOOD, Wash. (AP) -- Firefighters are pouring water on a two-alarm fire in a large building in Lakewood, at 8406 South Tacoma Way.
Ore. biologists start DNA study on Pacific fisher
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Biologists are tracking a rare and elusive weasel called the Pacific fisher to determine if native animals have bred with other weasels introduced to Oregon from Minnesota.
WA Gov. Gregoire proposes enhanced preschool
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Gov. Chris Gregoire wants all preschools for children ages 3 and 4 to be certified by the state.
Brazil boy stuck by needles to leave hospital
SAO PAULO (AP) -- A 2-year-old Brazilian boy stuck by his stepfather with dozens of sewing needles will be released from the hospital Friday with five needles still on his body.
Doctors to remove 4 more needles from Brazil boy
SAO PAULO (AP) -- Doctors will remove four of the five sewing needles remaining in the body of a 2-year-old Brazilian boy, who was stuck by his stepfather in an alleged plot to spite his wife.
4 foreigners freed after being abducted in Nigeria
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (AP) -- A Nigerian police spokeswoman says four foreign oil-services workers have been released days after being kidnapped in the country's restive southern oil region.
Power restored to tanker; vessel departs Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- An Exxon tanker that lost power Sunday while leaving Alaska's Prince William Sound is under way again.
Bloomberg, Daley announce city volunteerism grants
CHICAGO (AP) -- There's a new effort to increase volunteerism cities nationwide.
Montana innkeepers puzzle over tourism numbers
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Montana innkeepers are puzzling over statistics that show visitation at state and national parks were up last year -- while hotel occupancy rates plunged.
Fish and Wildlife plane crash in Oregon kills 2
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee and a contractor were killed when their small plane crashed in an Oregon forest.
Idaho-registered plane crashes in Oregon; 2 killed
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- The pilot of a small plane registered in Idaho and a passenger were killed in a crash in eastern Oregon.
Police make arrest following crash near Vida
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon State Police arrested a 19-year-old man following a head-on collision that seriously injured a Eugene woman.
Man crushed at Pasco truck freight business
TRI-CITIES, Wash. (AP) -- The Department of Labor and Industries is investigating how a man was crushed to death at freight trucking business in Pasco.
Police arrest suspect in Federal Way shooting
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) -- Police have arrested a suspect in a Federal Way shooting that left one man dead and another wounded.
Chicago man apparently killed by daughter's dogs
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago police are investigating the death of a 56-year-old man who was apparently fatally mauled by his daughter's pit bulls.
North Dakota city skips a day on new calendar
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- North Dakota residents and others relying on a new calendar issued by the city of Grand Forks will get a jump-start on February.
Golden Globes shines with TV audience boost
NEW YORK (AP) -- NBC says its Golden Globes broadcast won a ratings prize: a 14 percent increase in viewers from last year.
Philosophy, finances behind push to trim Idaho PTV
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's plan to cut state funding for Idaho Public Television is not all just about saving money. The proposal also has philosophical ties to Otter's view on government supported television.
Researchers report Yellowstone earthquake swarm
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) -- A moderate swarm of earthquakes is rattling Yellowstone National Park in what researchers at the University of Utah say is a common event.
Puyallup Wal-Mart employee, police dog stabbed
PUYALLUP, Wash. (AP) -- A Wal-Mart employee and a police dog have been stabbed apprehending a shoplifting suspect in Puyallup.
Ore. man's body found in backyard sinkhole
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The body of a Portland man was found in a sinkhole in his back yard after a friend called police to say she had not heard from him.
Idaho Democrats close caucus meetings
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Democratic lawmakers in the Idaho Capitol plan to caucus in secret, just like their Republican colleagues, in a move they say is designed to maximize their effectiveness.
Exxon tanker loses power at Prince William Sound
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- The Coast Guard in Alaska says two escort tugs were able to control an Exxon tanker that lost power early Sunday while leaving Prince William Sound.
Idaho groups mark MLK day with call for equity
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Idaho advocacy groups marked the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with a rally at the Capitol to demand racial equity and human rights.
Boise State announces site for new building
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Boise State University officials say the school is building a new College of Business and Economics building on one of the most prominent boulevards in Boise.
Calif. woman killed in Colo. heli-skiing accident
TELLURIDE, Colo. (AP) -- A California woman died in a Colorado heli-skiing accident after she fell into a creek and apparently drowned when her helmet got stuck between two rocks.
Religious violence erupts again in north Nigeria
JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Religious violence between Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria has erupted again after fighting earlier in the week left at least 27 people dead.
At least 27 die in religious violence in Nigeria
JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Muslim officials say at least 27 people have died and more than 300 others are injured after a wave of religious violence in northern Nigeria.
Pete Domenici Jr. running for NM governor
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- A well-known name in New Mexico politics has joined the race for governor.
UN chief wants more police and troops for Haiti
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he wants to beef up the U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti with 1,500 additional police and 2,000 troops to better respond to the massive earthquake.
Ailing Idaho teen wins Social Security fight
OROFINO, Idaho (AP) -- An 18-year-old Orofino teen with a rare disease that has left him partially blind and deaf has won his year-long fight to get Social Security benefits.
Search team reaches hotel where Washougal man was staying
A team of 10 men, including four doctors and a Marine reservist, reached the Hotel Montana in Port Au Prince this morning. That’s where Walt Ratterman was staying during a trip to check on a solar power project. He is co-founder of Sun Energy Power International, a Washougal-based nonprofit agency that provides help with renewable energy systems in remote, rural parts of the world.
Steele says political landscape changed in America
BOSTON (AP) -- Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is calling today's special Senate election in Massachusetts crucial, saying Democrats who dominated politics a year ago are finding the landscape "very different" now.
AP sources: Obama in TV ad for Coakley
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic officials tell The Associated Press that President Barack Obama is featured in a new TV ad for endangered Democratic candidate Martha Coakley in Massachusetts.
Reputed al-Qaida supporter faces NYC trial
NEW YORK (AP) -- A Pakistani scientist who's a reputed al-Qaida supporter is set for trial on attempted murder charges in Manhattan.
Reputed al-Qaida supporter set for NYC trial
NEW YORK (AP) -- A Pakistani scientist who has been prone to rants in the courtroom is set for trial on attempted murder charges in New York.
Idaho students collect bikes for refugees
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- Honors students at the College of Southern Idaho held a bike drive and collected about 50 bicycles for refugees in the Twin Falls region.
Obama joins honors for slain civil rights leader
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is honoring the Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service to others by serving meals to the needy.
Strong earthquake felt in Guatemala; no damage
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- A strong earthquake has rocked Guatemala and parts of El Salvador, but no there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in either country.
Portrait shows morbid Poe in more flattering terms
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Edgar Allan Poe is known for his fertile imagination, not his good looks.
Crash north of Sea Lion Caves injures 9
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A weekend crash on Highway 101 injured nine people, one of them critically.
McChord cargo planes, crews aid Haiti relief
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AP) -- Three C-17 cargo planes from McChord Air Force Base are carrying relief supplies to Haiti and evacuating some earthquake victims back to the United States.
Tracks near Everett cleared for passenger trains
SEATTLE (AP) -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe says landslide experts determined Monday that a slope near Mukilteo is stable and passenger train traffic can resume on the rail line.
Southern Oregon seeks veterans' home
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Backers of an effort to bring a state-supported veterans' home to the Rogue Valley need a lot of money in a short amount of time.
Ministry: 3 Saudi militants killed in blast abroad
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- The Saudi Interior Ministry says an investigation has shown that three Saudi militants were killed in a Sept. 14 blast outside the country.
Pair indicted in Medford porch burning
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- A grand jury indicted two men accused of setting fire at a Medford duplex in an attempt to the kill a person living inside.
Civil rights icon King remembered in hometown
ATLANTA (AP) -- Worshippers in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s hometown are remembering the civil rights icon during a special ceremony at the church where he once preached.
No wind damage reported locally
Gusts of 39 mph to subside today
High-speed winds have knocked out power to the north in Kitsap and Thurston counties, and south into Oregon's Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties. Clark County has, thus far, avoided outages.
Spain: EU envoy in Haiti not confirmed dead
MADRID (AP) -- Spain's Foreign Ministry says a missing European Union envoy to Haiti was mistakenly identified as being among the dead.
Merkel backs more sanctions against Iran
BERLIN (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country will back tougher sanctions against Iran if the country doesn't change its tune on its nuclear program.
Spain to take in 2 Guantanamo prisoners
MADRID (AP) -- A Spanish Foreign Ministry official says the country will take in two inmates from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Stead, Pinkney win top children's book awards
NEW YORK (AP) -- Rebecca Stead's "When You Reach Me" and Jerry Pinkney's "The Lion and the Mouse" have received the top prizes in children's literature.
Iraqis authorize government to sue Blackwater
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraq's government has started collecting signatures for a class-action lawsuit from victims who were wounded or lost family in incidents involving the U.S. private security firm formerly known as Blackwater.
Mauritanian Muslim leaders ban female circumcision
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) -- A group of 30 Mauritanian Muslim leaders have issued a religious edict banning female genital mutilation in the West African country.
Kraft Foods, Cadbury agree $18.9 bln deal
LONDON (AP) -- Kraft Foods Inc. says the board of Cadbury PLC has accepted and recommended to shareholders an improved takeover offer worth $18.9 billion.
Kraft Foods, Cadbury near to agreed deal
LONDON (AP) -- Kraft Foods and British chocolate and gum maker Cadbury say they are close to an agreed takeover deal and will announce details later in the day.
Gas explosion wrecks NJ business; no injuries
EDISON, N.J. (AP) -- A gas explosion has leveled a small office building in central New Jersey, just as utility crews were evacuating the area.
Working fat into fitness
Dietician offers advice on using fats, carbs in healthy diet
Don’t be afraid of calories, carbs and fat, says registered dietician Alison Ozgur. Focus instead on the amount and type.
Weekly prep sports schedule, Jan. 18-23
Weekly prep sports schedule, Jan. 18-23
Leavitt keeps vow with town hall meeting
Wednesday will be first of what new mayor envisions as quarterly events Making good on one of his campaign promises, Mayor Tim Leavitt will host a town hall meeting Wednesday in east Vancouver, and he is encouraging residents to turn out to chat.
Juvenile court building renamed after Harris
Retired judge honored, in part, due to his work on behalf of youth
Clark County’s juvenile court building will have a new name to honor a retired longtime Superior Court judge who, in the words of a colleague, “always took an interest in young people.”
Real estate roundup, Jan. 18
Recent commercial real estate transactions as reported by area brokerage firms. Columbia Extreme Cheer, providing cheer classes, extended its lease of 4,560 square feet of flex space at EastRidge Business Park, 9600 N.E. 126th Ave., Building 25, Vancouver. Bryon Roselli and Adam D. Roselli of Eric Fuller & Associates represented the landlord.
Clark County building permits, Jan. 4-8
Jan. 4-8 Building permits over $25,000 issued by Clark County’s Department of Community Development.
Liquor licenses, Jan. 18
The following have applied to the Washington state Liquor Control Board: Gregory D. Wasson, Mark A. Wagner and Margarita Kellen, for a license to sell beer and wine at Walgreens, 3200 N.E. 52nd St., Vancouver.
Bits 'n' Pieces: Camas hospital administrator helps orphans
During a mission trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo shortly after 9/11, Jilma Meneses was moved by all the children in the African nation without parents. The Camas lawyer and Oregon Health & Science University administrator and her husband, Nathan Reynolds, decided to adopt a daughter from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but they wanted to do more to help other orphans. So Meneses, 43, founded Our Family Adoptions, which established its nonprofit status about three years ago. She serves as its executive director, working with other volunteers to help raise money and resources for orphanages in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our Family Adoptions also helps arrange adoptions of Congolese orphans to American families. So far it has helped facilitate 27 such adoptions.
What’s Open and What’s Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
What’s Open and What’s Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day n MAIL: Post offices closed. No home delivery except for Express Mail. The postal unit inside the Shell gas station at Fisher’s Landing, 16320 S.E. Cascade Park Drive, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In Our View, Jan. 18: MLK’s Legacy
More than honoring a man, today also honors man’s capacity to serve
For a national holiday that experienced a most difficult birth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has grown up to be healthy and robust. Even after being signed into law by President Reagan in 1983, the holiday honoring the slain Civil Rights leader remained scrawny and underfed for years. As late as 1990, Arizona residents voted against recognizing the holiday, leading the National Football League to move a Super Bowl that had been planned for Phoenix. As late as 2000, the holiday was known in Virginia as Lee-Jackson-King Day, honoring two Civil War generals and a civil rights leader. Irony, apparently, is lost on Virginians. Later that year, when South Carolina agreed to recognize the holiday in honor of King, each state in the union was finally on board.
County wrestling remains a classic
Tim Martinez: High schools
The Clark County Wrestling Championship are one of the more unique events on the high school schedule each year. Often imitated, but never really duplicated, the Clark County Championship has been going strong of 39 years.
Washougal man still missing in Haiti
His family still has not heard from Washougal’s Walt Ratterman, who was in the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince when an earthquake devastated Haiti on Tuesday. “We have a better timeline of where they might have been in the hotel,” Ratterman’s daughter, Briana Ratterman, 29, said Sunday.
Antique show appraisers put a price on history
Clark County event draws about 6,500 seeking details on items
Appraiser Don Jensen studied the mandolin and gave John and Bonnie Taylor of Brush Prairie its assumed history.
Plan clouds county’s smog outlook
Proposed standards could put it in violation, with few options to cut emissions
Clark County may soon violate healthy-air standards for smog. Under a new set of tougher standards being proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Vancouver area could once again find itself in violation of the federal Clean Air Act as soon as 2011.
Death notices, Jan. 19
Dodds, Harry R., 59, Vancouver, died Jan. 15, 2010. Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 360-892-6006. Frost-Chickering, Grace, 81, Vancouver, died Jan. 15, 2010. Northwood Park Funeral Home, 360-574-4252.
Off Beat: Newscast at Crown Point almost becomes ‘Gone with the Wind’
When a meteorological field trip crossed paths with a TV weather story, Steve Pierce was blown away by the results. Twice.
Our Readers' Views, Jan. 18
Our readers' views, Jan. 18 State employees accepted less The Columbian’s Jan. 10 editorial, “Fury in Olympia,” repeats a glaring falsehood being spread by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and unfortunately accepted unchallenged. State employee contracts have already been reopened to negotiate away more than $1 billion in pay raises, health benefits, pension contributions and jobs (some 3,200 layoffs already).
FYI, Jan. 18
Clubs TUESDAY
Clark County business calendar, Jan. 18
Tuesday Meeting Professionals International Oregon Chapter: Monthly meeting on risk management plans, 11:30 a.m. at Embassy Suites, 319 S.W. Pine St., Portland. First aid training workshop from 1:45 to 3:45 p.m. Admission, $42. * Register at http:www.mpioc.org.
Ex-border agent who shot smuggler wants retrial
HOUSTON (AP) -- A former Border Patrol agent who went to prison for shooting a fleeing drug smuggler wants a retrial.
Dutch plane sent to pick up adopted Haiti children
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- Dutch adoption agencies and the government have sent a chartered plane to Haiti to airlift out around 100 children who were in the process of being adopted by parents here before an earthquake shattered the country last week.
Montana gets first statewide bighorn sheep plan
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) -- The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved the state's first-ever statewide plan for managing bighorn sheep.
Man choked to death on tissue paper at Tumwater
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- An autopsy determined that a man found dead Friday outside a Tumwater residence suffocated on tissue paper stuffed in his mouth.
Storms in Mideast kill British tourist, 3 others
CAIRO (AP) -- Bad weather has left four people dead in the Mideast, including a British tourist who died when a sailboat capsized on the Nile River.
High winds knock out power in Western Washington
SEATTLE (AP) -- High winds hit parts of Western Washington early Monday morning, knocking out electrical service in some areas.
Militants kill anti-Taliban militiaman in Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Local officials say militants attacked anti-Taliban militiamen in Pakistan's volatile tribal area near the Afghan border, killing one and wounding another.
Blair to give evidence to Iraq inquiry on Jan. 29
LONDON (AP) -- Britain's Iraq war inquiry says former Prime Minister Tony Blair will give evidence on January 29.
Democrat Coakey confident in Senate GOTV effort
BOSTON (AP) -- Democrat Martha Coakley says her campaign's get-out-the-vote efforts will win her an unexpectedly tight Massachusetts Senate special election.
Country music hitmaker Carl Smith dies at 82
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) -- Carl Smith, a country music hitmaker of the 1950s and 1960s known for his dynamic voice and good looks, has died. He was 82.
Gunmen kill 5 people at Baghdad aid office
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Officials say gunmen broke into the office of an Iraqi humanitarian organization in Baghdad, killing five employees.
Idaho tax returns to be garnished for unpaid fines
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Idaho court officials say residents who owe unpaid court costs, fines or fees will see smaller tax returns this year.
Pope names Texan to Corpus Christ post
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI has chosen a Houston native to be the new bishop of the Corpus Christi diocese.
US group says 3 Haiti missionaries presumed dead
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A church organization says that a minister from Indianapolis and two other missionaries are presumed dead from the earthquake in Haiti.
US ambassador: Haitian restlessness manageable
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American ambassador to Haiti says U.S. military forces there are a backup option for maintaining peace and security, serving as standby behind Haitian police and U.N. personnel.
Rapes of elderly women terrify central Texas towns
YOAKUM, Texas (AP) -- A sexual predator accused of attacking elderly women in central Texas has left local communities terrified as investigators struggle to identify a suspect.
Gunmen in northwestern Iran assassinate prosecutor
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iranian state media say gunmen have fatally shoot a local prosecutor outside his home in northwestern Iran.
Iran vows revenge on Israel over professor's death
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's interior minister is vowing to take revenge on Israel over the slaying last week of a physics professor in a mysterious bomb attack.
5 tried in Iran over December opposition rallies
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran has put five people on trial over their alleged roles in anti-government protests in December that sparked the worst violence in months. If found guilty, they could face the death penalty.
7 charged over violent protest in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Seven Kenyans have been charged in court with assaulting five police officers during a violent protest last week to demand the release of a radical Jamaican-born Muslim cleric.
EU nations pledge 400M ($575M) for Haiti aid
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union has pledged over 400 million ($575 million) to help the needy in Haiti and help rebuild the country from the rubble of last week's earthquake.
Obama to celebrate MLK's life and legacy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will spend much of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrating the civil rights leader's life and legacy.
Anti-death penalty movement wooing conservatives
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The anti-death penalty movement is working to recruit more conservatives, tapping those influenced by both politics and faith in an effort to build a stronger bipartisan coalition.
Colorado surgery tech details stealing painkiller
DENVER (AP) -- A surgery technician who infected three dozen people with hepatitis C and may have exposed thousands more says she got careless while switching used syringes with ones filled with a painkiller at two Colorado hospitals.
2-year-old wounded in Tacoma road rage shooting
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- Tacoma police hope the parents of a 2-year-old girl wounded in a road rage shooting can remember details to help them catch the shooter.
Child wounded in Tacoma road-rage shooting
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- A 2-year-old child has been wounded in a Tacoma road-rage shooting.
Chemicals coat apples decades after Alar scare
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- More than two decades ago, parents dumped apples from their children's lunch boxes and poured juice down the drain because of concerns about Alar, a chemical used to enhance the fruit's crunch and color.
London-based Jewish newspaper attacked by hackers
LONDON (AP) -- Britain's flagship Jewish newspaper has been attacked by Turkish-speaking hackers.
EU: Somali pirates release Greek supertanker
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- The spokesman for the EU's anti-piracy force says Somali pirates have released a Greek supertanker and its crew of 28 after the delivery of a ransom.
