Stories for June 20, 2010

Jerusalem plan would raze 22 Palestinian homes

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Jerusalem's mayor is moving ahead with a construction plan that would involve razing 22 Palestinian homes in the city's contested eastern sector.

Lakers set to celebrate with downsized parade

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Unlike the gritty comeback that gave the Los Angeles Lakers an NBA title against their rivals, the Boston Celtics, this year's victory parade will have no rallies.

Knutsen gets 2nd win, in 200 fly, at Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Dagny Knutsen won her second event of the Santa Clara International Grand Prix Sunday, taking the women's 200 butterfly in 2:11.33.

History lives at Kanaka village

What reenactors were celebrating, and not celebrating.

Havret takes the long road to US Open success

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Gregory Havret almost didn't make it to the U.S. Open.

Cop, Dallas police chief's son dead after shootout

LANCASTER, Texas (AP) -- Authorities say shootings at a suburban Dallas apartment complex have killed a police officer and two other men, including the son of Dallas' police chief.

Media: 46 dead in explosion in central China mine

BEIJING (AP) -- State media say at least 46 miners were killed when an explosion ripped through a mine in the central Chinese province of Henan.

At least 58 trapped after blast in China mine

BEIJING (AP) -- State media says at least 58 miners are trapped after an explosion ripped through a mine in the central Chinese province of Henan.

Father of Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal dies

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- The father of Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal has died from injuries he sustained after being kicked by a horse three weeks ago.

Authorities fatally shoot man

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Authorities say a Washington County Sheriff's deputy has fatally shot a 31-year-old man.

Sun squander 21-point lead, hold off Mercury 96-94

PHOENIX (AP) -- Tina Charles scored 24 points, including the deciding free throws with 1:17 left, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lift Connecticut past the Phoenix Mercury 96-94 on Sunday after the Sun blew a 21-point third-quarter lead.

John Force earns victory

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- John Force regained the points lead with his NHRA-record 130th career win at the 10th annual Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on Sunday.

Jeong becomes Asia's 1st British amateur champion

MUIRFIELD, Scotland (AP) -- South Korea's Jin Jeong has become the first Asian player to win the British Amateur Championship in the competition's 125-year history.

Official: Chicago subway fire sends 19 to hospital

CHICAGO (AP) -- Authorities say a fire in a Chicago subway has injured 19 people and sent black smoke billowing from grates along city streets.

Sunriver man arrested after chase, crash

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Sunriver man was arrested Sunday after being chased by Oregon State Troopers and then creashing into the front of a patrol cars.

Evenings End wins Monmouth Park feature

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) -- Evenings End took the lead near the final turn and drew off to win the $100,000 Bernie Dowd Handicap at Monmouth Park on Sunday, beating Luna Park by 134 lengths.

Kirk wins Fort Smith Classic on Nationwide Tour

FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) -- Chris Kirk shot a 6-under 64 in the final round to win the Fort Smith Classic on Sunday.

Southern Anthem wins feature race at Churchill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Southern Anthem surged into the lead at the eighth pole and held off a late charge from Caberneigh for a 112-length victory in the $57,130 feature race Sunday at Churchill Downs.

N. Idaho man sentenced in child enticement sting

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) -- A northern Idaho man who pleaded guilty to enticing a child over the Internet has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation.

Gold miner, environmentalists face off in Oregon

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Clifford R. Tracy doesn't fit the Hollywood image of a gold miner.

Manning, IUPUI coach win community service awards

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Peyton Manning has won the Youthlinks Indiana's National Pathfinder Award, joining his mother and father who shared the honor in 2006.

Couple goes green with house plans

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Chris Wille and Diane Jukofsky have spent more than two decades of environmental work in Costa Rica and they plan to do more of the same in Oregon.

Mariners shortstop Jack Wilson activated from DL

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Mariners have activated shortstop Jack Wilson from the disabled list and optioned infielder Matt Tuiasosopo to Triple-A Tacoma.

Pickup accident causes power outage for 15,000

BEND, Ore. (AP) -- About 15,000 people lost their power in Bend on Sunday morning after a pickup truck ran into a power pole. The power company says electricity was restored by 6 a.m.

Citizens try to preserve 25-acre Albany site

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) -- A group of North Albany residents are trying to meet a deadline to preserve a 25-acre site as open space and parkland and keep it from being turned into a subdivision.

Tutus seamless for seamstress

Columbia Dance volunteer’s talent for making tutus earns honor

About 75 hours of painstaking work, layers of tulle and netting, rows of hook-and-eye closures, appliqués, ribbons and Swarovski crystals go into each tutu Brenda Smith makes for Columbia Dance as a volunteer costumer. “There’s a real art to it,” said Smith, a Columbia Dance board member.

Local dancers get an education at national competition

In addition to volunteer costume designer Brenda Smith, three company members from Columbia Dance in Vancouver are attending the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss. The dancers, Steven Goforth, Casey Hess and Moriah Smith, currently are at the competition’s Dance School. The two-week program began the weekend of June 12 and continues through next weekend. During the two weeks, the dancers study with renowned teachers from around the world, attend the competition as observers and board with dancers competing in the event.

Mark Whiten leads Fellers at Hall of Fame Classic

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) -- Mark Whiten hit a pair of two-run homers to lead the Fellers past the Killebrews 9-0 in the Hall of Fame Classic at Doubleday Field.

9-month-old boy run over by flatbed trailer

TIMBER, Ore. (AP) -- Washington County sheriff's deputies say a 9-month-old boy has died after being run over by a flatbed trailer loaded with firewood.

Wimbledon stars caught up in World Cup

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Roger Federer joked that he would install a TV screen on Centre Court so he can watch Switzerland's soccer team play in the World Cup during his first-round match at Wimbledon Monday.

State searches for solution for Pasco cleanup

PASCO, Wash. (AP) -- Nothing about the Pasco Sanitary Landfill, other than the 8-foot chain-link fence, offers a clue that the 250-acre property was listed in 1990 as a federal Superfund site.

Extreme Makeover day at Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK (AP) -- It was extreme makeover day at Yankee Stadium.

Final round of US Open under way

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- If Dustin Johnson or Tiger Woods are looking for inspiration at Pebble Beach on Sunday, they might want to chat with Jim Herman.

NASCAR pioneer Raymond Parks dies at 96

ATLANTA (AP) -- Raymond Parks, owner of NASCAR's first championship winning car and an integral part of the series' formation, has died. He was 96.

One giant step on grads’ paths

GED and High School Completion students celebrate their progress

Whistles, claps and occasional shout-outs — “We love you, man” — greeted the nearly 70 graduates honored at Saturday’s Clark College GED/High School Completion ceremony. The graduates and their families packed inside the O’Connell Sports Center shortly after 11 a.m. for the 90-minute celebration that saw some students on the receiving ends of screams usually reserved for the likes of rock stars.

Stay-at-home dad celebrates Father's Day

SEATTLE (AP) -- John Wainscott never planned to be a stay-at-home dad. But that's what happened. And full-time Seattle dad says it's the hardest job he's ever had.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. honored in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago has honored actor Robert Downey Jr. with its Renaissance Award.

Candidates consider Palin factor in their contest

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- Sarah Palin's decision to endorse an underdog Republican candidate in his race to unseat five-term U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen has made both candidates happy.

New website looks to tout all that's good about NJ

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Tired of boorish comments and jokes about New Jersey, residents and business people have created a website to express their Garden State pride.

Wallet survives fire, water and 53 years in hiding

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) -- The brown wallet found during the cleanup of fire-ravaged Whatcom Middle School holds everything you'd expect a 14-year-old to have in 1956 or 1957.

Russia wins European Team Championships

BERGEN, Norway (AP) -- Russia has won the European Team Championships, helped by the fastest time this year in the women's 1,600-meter relay.

TV ratings up 22 percent from last year

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- NBC Sports says the third round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach earned a 4.5 rating in prime time, up 22 percent from a year ago at rain-soaked Bethpage.

Grizzlies GM Wallace agrees to contract extension

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies say general manager Chris Wallace has agreed to a contract extension.

Schleck wins Tour of Switzerland over Armstrong

LIESTAL, Switzerland (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's bid to win the Tour of Switzerland has come up just short, with the Texan finishing second by 12 seconds to Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.

'Toy Story 3' finds big play time with $109M debut

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Movie fans have not outgrown the "Toy Story 3" gang.

Gates: Veto possible of military gay ban bill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says President Barack Obama could end up vetoing legislation that would lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Austria's Wiegele wins Saint-Omer Open

SAINT-OMER, France (AP) -- Martin Wiegele of Austria has captured his first European Tour title, shooting a 3-under 68 Sunday to win the Saint-Omer Open.

Israel approves new list of goods banned from Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) -- An official says Israel is easing the blockade of Gaza by replacing a list of allowed items with a list of banned goods limited to weapons and materials deemed to have military uses.

Mannequin mistaken for mummy in abandoned boat

SUGARLOAF KEY, Fla. (AP) -- A reported "mummified" body on an abandoned boat in the Florida Keys turned out to be a mannequin.

Fitness coach walks out of French training

KNYSNA, South Africa (AP) -- France team director Jean-Louis Valentin says the national team is refusing to train following a dispute on the practice field.

Harold sisters are a perfect match

Paul Valencia: High Schools

Stephanie and Natalie Harold each played the same sports for the Heritage Timberwolves, each earning 12 varsity letters — four in soccer, four in basketball, and four in track and field.

Local efforts center on creating incubators for startups

A group of business leaders in Clark County’s startup community want to revive plans for a small-business incubator to help nurture growing companies in Vancouver. But a lack of public funding or cheap space available for the project means it will likely need much more private support to move beyond the idea stage, supporters say.

All-Region athlete of the year: Shelby Williams

Ridgefield soccer, basketball, track & field

Shelby Williams is first a soccer player, then basketball would become her favorite sport. Later, she applied her skills to track and field.

All-Region athlete of the year: Taylor Nelson

Union football, basketball, track & field

Taylor Nelson earned 10 varsity letters in his high school career, nine coming in his three years at Union — three in football, three in basketball, and three in track and field.

All-Region Best of the Rest: Boys

The area's top multi-sport boys athletes from the 2009-10 high school season, as selected by The Columbian.

All-Region Best of the Rest: Girls

The area's top multi-sport girls athletes from the 2009-10 high school season, as selected by The Columbian.

Minor hoop dreams

Volcanoes, IBL face challenges of being minor league

Vancouver Volcanoes owner/coach Bryan Hunter has added more than he has subtracted since taking over the International Basketball League franchise in 2007.

Fired — and paid

If you’re one of these guys, getting the boot doesn’t seem to be such a bad thing; in fact, it appears to be quite profitable

A city manager accused of mishandling police affairs and showing favoritism to developers was paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars when he was fired. A city finance director whose past prevented him from receiving the proper insurance coverage required for his job was paid $45,000 when he received his pink slip.

Blazers narrow their choices for draft

Team will take best available player when pick comes up

The Blazers hold the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the draft, which is Thursday in New York.

Get your dander up, for a good reason

Fellow Clark Countians, our long nightmare is over. The No. 1 crisis in our community is averted. For the first time in three months, the traffic lights on Hazel Dell Avenue at 81st and 82nd streets no longer flash red and instead show all three colors, as our Founding Fathers intended. Hallelujah! Now we can proceed to the No. 2 crisis in our community: whether dogs should be allowed at Vancouver Farmers Market. (Can you tell I’ve been editing letters to the editor? Is it that obvious?)

WSUV campus adds two to its major offerings

Sociology, history will join choices for undergraduates

Washington State University Vancouver is poised to add two more bachelor’s degree programs for liberal arts students, in time for the fall 2010 semester: history and sociology. Approval came this month from the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Weather Eye: Set for summer? The calendar is.

Not much is new in the overall weather patterns — as summer officially rolls in on Monday, the true summer-like weather we all enjoy remains on hold. The weekend’s showers will abate later today, and most of the week should bring morning clouds with some degree of afternoon clearing. There is a risk of more showers mid-week, however, and high temperatures will be at or below seasonal normals. Hard to believe all the rain this month! With the light showers Friday night and early Saturday, I have recorded over 5 inches of rain. Phil Delany above Dole Valley reported a few days ago that he has measured over 9 inches of rain so far this month, and on Wednesday (June 15), he had a high of only 49 degrees. His high temperature on Jan. 15 was 54 degrees!

Superfund success means its OK to play over polluted water, feds say

Cleanup will continue below planned ball fields

Federal environmental regulators are keeping a close eye on plans to develop a new complex of sports fields in Hazel Dell. However, officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said last week that they don’t expect the ballfield development to affect a contaminated plume of groundwater deep below the surface. Health risks would be negligible for players and spectators who gather on the future ballfields along 78th Street, they said.

Death notices

A daily list of death notices.

In our view: Bo’s Biggest Trophy

Father’s Day message is motivated by sports star’s touching comment

One of the many unresolved debates in the sports world is whether Bo Jackson was best at football or baseball. The jury not only is still out, it has adjourned permanently. Football purists will point to Jackson’s 1985 Heisman Trophy, his status as No. 1 choice in the 1986 NFL draft, and his many accomplishments with the Los Angeles Raiders. Baseball fans will point to his four 20-home-run seasons and his spectacular defensive skills while playing for three Major League teams. Historians only complicate this debate, citing the fact that Jackson was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in each of America’s two most popular (arguably) sports.

Columbia River fishery debate rages on

According to a May 16 Columbian guest column authored by Bryan Irwin, Northwest regional executive director of the Coastal Conservation Association, the mark-selective recreational fishery for summer chinook has “clear biological benefits for salmon and is part of the solution to increasing wild fish returns to their native habitats while providing increased fishing opportunity for hatchery salmon.” The truth is somewhat murkier, however. Summer chinook have a relatively low mark rate. For several years it was figured to be 35 percent-40 percent, meaning fewer than four out of 10 of these fish were adipose fin-clipped hatchery fish. That means that an angler would have been likely to handle at least three unmarked, and therefore presumably wild, summer chinook for every two hatchery fish retained. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently revised the mark rate upwards to around 60 percent, which is still significantly lower than the mark rate for spring chinook.

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Public meetings

A weekly list of public meetings.

Damage claims chief urges people to seek payments

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the new office set up to handle damage claims for the Gulf oil spill is pledging that all eligible and legitimate claims will be paid -- and paid promptly.

Mother: Michael Jackson's children to go to school

LONDON (AP) -- Michael Jackson's mother Katherine is quoted as saying that the late pop star's children will attend school for the first time later this year.

Trial in Conn. to find if cheerleading is sport

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A federal case in Connecticut could determine if cheerleading can be counted as a college sport toward Title IX gender-equity requirements.

Paraguay beats Slovakia 2-0 at the World Cup

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) -- Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros scored and Paraguay beat Slovakia 2-0 on Sunday to move closer to advancing at the World Cup.

Jorge Lorenzo wins British Grand Prix

SILVERSTONE, England (AP) -- Jorge Lorenzo has won the British Grand Prix to extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP world championship standings.

Obama sets meetings with Saudi, Israeli leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's latest White House meeting with Israel's prime minister is set for July 6 -- more than a month after their last one was scuttled at the last minute.

Aide: Obama wants to seize chance on Mideast peace

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's latest White House meeting with Israel's prime minister is set for July 6 -- more than a month after their last one was scuttled at the last minute.

Portugal midfielder Deco out of North Korea match

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- Portugal midfielder Deco has been ruled out of his team's Group G match against North Korea on Monday.

Police say blast heard at WCup site "controlled"

JOHANNEBSURG (AP) -- Police say a "controlled explosion" at an explosives factory was the source of a blast heard by journalists Sunday at the World Cup's main media center.

Federer again the favorite at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Walking the grounds of Wimbledon in a stylish white warmup jacket, the tournament's six-time champion looked like the same old Roger Federer.

Gulbis withdraws from Wimbledon; Ventura into draw

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Latvia's Ernests Gulbis has withdrawn from Wimbledon because of a hamstring injury.

FIFA blocks US from training at Loftus Versfeld

IRENE, South Africa (AP) -- FIFA has told the U.S. Soccer Federation the American team can't train at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday ahead of the game against Algeria the following day.

England players to meet with Capello for talks

RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) -- England players were planning to meet with coach Fabio Capello later Sunday to discuss what went wrong in their 0-0 draw with Algeria that left the team facing possible elimination from the World Cup.

Domenech backs decision to throw out Anelka

KNYSNA, South Africa (AP) -- France coach Raymond Domenech says he gave star forward Nicolas Anelka the chance to apologize for his profanity-laced outburst, and that his refusal to do so justified his expulsion from the French World Cup team.

Al-Qaida spokesman sets peace conditions with US

CAIRO (AP) -- Al-Qaida's American-born spokesman has repeated the terror group's conditions for peace with America, calling on President Barack Obama to withdraw his troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, end support for Israel, stop intervening in the affairs of Muslims and free Muslim prisoners.