Stories for June 4, 2010

Ill. Senate race: all insults, all the time

CHICAGO (AP) -- The candidates in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races aren't saying much about health care, the Gulf oil spill or even the economy.

Father confirms death of freeskier Backstrom

SEATTLE (AP) -- The father of professional freeskier Arne Backstrom confirms his 29-year-old son has died in a fall on a mountain in Peru.

AP Enterprise: Sub attack came near drill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Military officials tell The Associated Press that the U.S. and South Korea were engaged in joint anti-submarine warfare exercises just 75 miles away from where a torpedo-armed North Korean submarine allegedly sank a South Korean patrol ship.

Rosin, Minnesota upset Fullerton 3-1

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) -- Seth Rosin scattered three hits in eight innings as Minnesota upset top-seeded Cal State Fullerton 3-1 in an NCAA regional Friday night.

Acclamation wins Whittingham Handicap

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Acclamation led all the way and defeated Hyades by 112 lengths to win the $250,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Former jail deputy charged with assault

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A former Spokane County Jail deputy has been charged with misdemeanor assault, accused of grabbing an inmate by the throat in November 2008.

UCLA belts Kent State 15-1 in NCAA regional

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gerrit Cole pitched five innings of one-hit ball, Chris Giovinazzo knocked in three runs and UCLA beat Kent State 15-1 on Friday night in the Los Angeles NCAA regional.

Ex-NASCAR driver arrested 3rd time in 3 weeks

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) -- A former NASCAR driver has been arrested for the third time in three weeks, this time for investigation of drug possession.

River of hope

A new bill could bring $40 million a year to monitor, clean up pollution in the Columbia

PORTLAND — The Columbia River is tainted by old and newly emerging forms of pollution, monitoring is sporadic, and new roads and rooftops continue to infringe on the river’s natural ecology, according to a new assessment. When it comes to who’s responsible, the Columbia falls between the cracks.

Funnel cloud spotted in Monroe, Wash.

MONROE, Wash. (AP) -- The National Weather Service says a funnel cloud was spotted Friday evening in the sky over Monroe, northeast of Seattle, but it wasn't immediately clear whether it touched ground.

Mercury edge Sparks 90-89

PHOENIX (AP) -- Tangela Smith scored on a layup with 15.8 seconds left and the Phoenix Mercury held off two last-second chances by the Los Angeles Sparks for a 90-89 victory Friday night.

Coaching legend Wooden dies at 99

Wooden led the Bruins to 10 NCAA basketball championships

UCLA said former coach John Wooden died Friday night of natural causes at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since May 26. He was 99.

Featherston, Schultz lead TCU past Lamar, 16-3

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Taylor Featherston and Aaron Schultz both had three hits and three RBIs to lead TCU to a 16-3 win over Lamar in the second game of the Fort Worth Regional on Friday night.

Blazers' Williams offered multi-year deal to coach Hornets

Terms are still being finalized

Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams has been offered a multi-year deal by New Orleans to become the Hornets' next head coach.

Ore. car crashes into home's natural gas line

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) -- A fire department spokesman in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro says a 15-year-old driver crashed through a fence and into a gas line on the side of a home Friday evening, prompting the temporary evacuation of nearby homes.

Watkins' 2-run double in 11th inning lifts LSU

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Trey Watkins hit a two-run double with the bases loaded and two outs in the 11th inning to rally LSU to an 11-10 victory over UC Irvine on Friday night in the first game of the Los Angeles Regional.

Gators beat Bethune-Cookman 7-3 in regional play

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Hudson Randall pitched seven strong innings, Nolan Fontana and Matt den Dekker drove in two runs apiece, and Florida beat Bethune-Cookman 7-3 in NCAA regional play.

North Carolina routs Cal 12-3 in regional

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Dillon Hazlett and Ben Bunting homered to back strong pitching by Matt Harvey and North Carolina rolled to a 12-3 victory in the Norman NCAA regional on Friday night.

Bodine becomes 6-time NASCAR Trucks winner

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Todd Bodine stayed in front for two late restarts, including a green-white-checkered finish, to become a six-time winner in the NASCAR Trucks Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.

Clark leads Louisville to past Saint Louis, 11-2

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Andrew Clark went 3 for 4 with three RBIs to lead Louisville to an 11-2 win over Saint Louis on Friday night in an NCAA regional on Friday night.

Juarez has 3 hits, 3 RBIs in New Mexico's 9-5 win

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) -- Chris Juarez had three hits and three RBIs as New Mexico rallied for a 9-5 victory over Stanford in the first game of the Fullerton Regional on Friday night.

Shakespeare Festival takes blame for paint spill

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is taking the blame for a paint spill in Ashland's picturesque Ashland Creek.

Auburn hits 3 homers, beats Jacksonville St. 9-7

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Justin Fradejas, Dan Gamache and Casey McElroy each homered to lead Auburn to a 9-7 win over Jacksonville State in the first round of the NCAA regional on Friday night.

AP Source: Hornets negotiating with Williams

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A person familiar with negotiations says the New Orleans Hornets have begun contract talks with Monty Williams about their head coaching job.

Borel rides 1,000th winner at Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Calvin Borel has ridden Gray Hart's Girl to a 734-length victory at Churchill Downs, his 1,000th career win at the track.

Florida ousts Missouri 5-0 at Women's CWS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Brittany Schutte homered twice and Kelsey Bruder also went deep to back a six-hit shutout by Stephanie Brombacher as Florida eliminated Missouri from the Women's College World Series with a 5-0 victory Saturday.

UCLA outslugs Hawaii 5-2

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Andrea Harrison tied a record with her third home run at the Women's College World Series, Samantha Camuso and Julie Burney also homered and UCLA outslugged Hawaii 5-2 on Friday night to advance in the winners' bracket.

Crippen, Sutton win open water 10k swim titles

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Fran Crippen and Olympian Chloe Sutton have won the men's and women's 10-kilometer titles at the U.S. national open water swimming championships.

Sky topple Dream 80-70

ATLANTA (AP) -- Sylvia Fowles had 19 points and nine rebounds, Shameka Christon had 13 points and eight assists, and the Chicago Sky defeated the Atlanta Dream 80-70 on Friday night for their third straight victory.

Vancouver’s latest film coup: zombie strippers

Independent film crew to shoot downtown Sunday night

Gentle reader, hide your family: Late Sunday night, part of downtown Vancouver will be taken over by exotic dancers of the undead. Broadway between Ninth and 11th streets will be blocked off and transformed into “Stripper Alley,” a world inhabited by a troupe of zombie strippers. But it won’t stay that way for long — the horror show is just part of filming for a locally-produced independent film called “Stripperland.”

Braves place reliever Saito on DL

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves have placed reliever Takashi Saito on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and recalled reliever Craig Kimbrel from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Mariners' Doug Fister to miss 1 start

SEATTLE (AP) -- Mariners right-hander Doug Fister, second in the AL in ERA, will miss his scheduled start Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels because of tightness in his shoulder.

WA man found guilty in dismemberment case

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- A 40-year-old Gold Bar, Wash., man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the gruesome slaying of his ex-girlfriend.

Broncos sign OL Kuper to 6-year deal

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos have signed right guard Chris Kuper to a six-year deal.

Carcillo out of Flyers lineup

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Dan Carcillo was a healthy scratch from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final against Chicago.

Reeling D'backs back home feeling the heat

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are back home feeling some extreme heat, and it's not the triple-digit temperatures outside.

Kent man sentenced to 26 years for child rape

SEATTLE (AP) -- A Kent man accused of raping his 4-year-old daughter and broadcasting it live over the Internet has been sentenced a minimum 26 years in prison.

Hawaii scores in 9th to beat San Diego

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Sean Montplaisir scored the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning when a pitch glanced off the helmet of Pi

Shockey overcomes back spasms, returns to practice

METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- Jeremy Shockey worked out with the New Orleans Saints during their afternoon practice despite being limited by back spasms.

Rangers' Guerrero back in lineup

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Vladimir Guerrero has returned to the Texas Rangers' lineup after missing two games with a swollen left eye.

Ore. helicopter crash families to settle lawsuits

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The families of seven firefighters killed and three injured in the crash of a firefighting helicopter in Northern California in 2008 have reached a tentative settlement in various lawsuits.

Army: Soldier charged in 3 Afghan civilian deaths

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) -- The Army says a soldier has been charged with murder in three Afghan civilian deaths.

Saints open minicamp minus Thomas, Brown

METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- The New Orleans Saints' first mandatory practices since winning the Super Bowl opened Friday with their leading rusher from last season and a former two-time Pro Bowl left tackle both conspicuously absent.

Prosecutors can seek death in Carnation killings

SEATTLE (AP) -- A King County judge says prosecutors can seek the death penalty against a couple charged in the slayings of six people in rural Carnation on Christmas Eve 2007.

Pitcher Armstrong's pinch hit wins it for Vandy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Pitcher Jack Armstrong's pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 13th inning gave Vanderbilt an 8-7 win over Illinois State in the opening game of the Louisville Regional.

Vanderbilt beats Illinois St 8-7 in 13 innings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Pinch-hitter Jack Armstrong singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning to give second-seeded Vanderbilt an 8-7 win over Illinois State in the first game of the Louisville NCAA regional Friday.

Richard Llewellyn, Wooden Award co-founder, dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, chairman and co-founder of the John R. Wooden Award that goes to college basketball's player of the year, has died. He was 93.

Shelton lumber mill to cut 130 jobs

SHELTON, Wash. (AP) -- A Shelton lumber mill is cutting 130 jobs in July because Mason County Forest Products is selling the mill to another lumber company.

Smith helps Oregon State stay hot, beat FAU 6-4

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Tyler Smith homered and had an RBI single to lead Oregon State to a 6-4 victory against Florida Atlantic in the opening game of the Gainesville NCAA regional.

Rays activate Shoppach; Bartlett to DL

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Rays have activated catcher Kelly Shoppach from the 15-day disabled list and placed shortstop Jason Bartlett on the DL with a strained right hamstring.

Kilcrease's pitching, big offense lead Alabama

ATLANTA (AP) -- Josh Rutledge and Clay Jones homered, Nathan Kilcrease pitched seven strong innings and Alabama beat Elon 11-2 in the first game of the Atlanta Regional on Friday.

Wash. man admits running $1.9M Ponzi scheme

SEATTLE (AP) -- A former Boeing mechanic has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he cheated investors out of $1.9 million.

Hicks leads Virginia past VCU 15-4

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- John Hicks had four hits and drove in four runs and Virginia beat Virginia Commonwealth 15-4 in the opening game of the Charlottesville Regional Friday.

Tuition, fees going up at Ore. public universities

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The State Board of Higher Education has raised tuition and fees at Oregon's seven state universities.

Ore. man convicted of mail fraud, national scheme

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal jury has convicted an Oregon man of multiple counts of mail fraud involving a moving and shipping operation that victimized customers and businesses across the nation.

Mejia's 4 RBIs lead Arizona past Baylor, 10-9

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Alex Mejia drove in four runs to lead Arizona to a 10-9 victory over Baylor in the opening game of Fort Worth Regional on Friday.

Pacquiao again honored as Fighter of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao accepted his third Fighter of the Year award Friday night at the Roosevelt Hotel, while his trainer Freddie Roach was honored for the fourth time by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Alcomo wins Belmont's Brooklyn Handicap

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alcomo beat a stubborn Gabriel's Hill by a nose Friday in the $170,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park.

McGwire back on job after birth of triplets

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Cardinals batting coach Mark McGwire is back on the job, after missing two games following the birth of triplets to his wife earlier in the week.

Obama names Pentagon official to head spy agencies

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has nominated the Pentagon's top intelligence official to head the nation's 16 spy agencies.

Ellison's single in 10th leads Oklahoma past ORU

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Chris Ellison knocked a single off second baseman Colby Price's glove in the 10th inning, lifting Oklahoma to a 7-6 victory over Oral Roberts in the opening game of the Norman Regional on Friday.

Mets put 2B Castillo on DL, cut OF Matthews

NEW YORK (AP) -- Second baseman Luis Castillo has been placed on the disabled list by the New York Mets, who also cut slumping backup outfielder Gary Matthews Jr.

Jets sign 5th-round pick FB Conner to 4-year deal

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Jets have signed fullback John Conner, the team's fifth-round draft pick, to a four-year contract.

Eibner hits 3 HRs in Hogs' 19-7 win over Grambling

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Brett Eibner slugged three of Arkansas' school-record nine home runs in the Razorbacks' 19-7 victory over Grambling State on Friday in the Fayetteville Regional.

Greene, Altman lead Citadel past Virginia Tech

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- David Greene hit a two-run homer, Bryan Altman had three of The Citadel's 13 hits, and the Bullldogs beat Virginia Tech 7-2 Friday in the opening game of the Columbia Regional.

Pirates send LH Burres to Triple-A

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned left-hander Brian Burres to Triple-A Indianapolis to create a roster spot for left-hander Dana Eveland, who was acquired in a trade with Toronto on Tuesday.

Judge disqualifies attorney in former VPD officer's case against the city

Clark County Superior Court Judge says that Greg Ferguson can't represent VPD Sgt. Dave Henderson and former Officer Chris Kershaw without damaging one man's case.

Georgia State adds 3 more football transfers

ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia State has added three more transfers to its fledgling football program, including an offensive lineman who started two years at neighboring Georgia Tech.

Clemson routs Southern Miss 10-1 in regional

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Will Lamb went 3 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs to help Clemson cruise to a 10-1 victory over Southern Mississippi on Friday in the opening game of the Auburn Regional.

Yanks pitching coach Eiland takes leave of absence

TORONTO (AP) -- New York Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is taking a personal leave of absence and will be away for the team for an unspecified time, manager Joe Girardi said Friday.

Colo. fugitive sex offender arrested in Ore.

WILSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) -- A convicted sex offender who was a fugitive from Colorado has been arrested in Oregon.

Giants bring up Pat Burrell from minors

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants have purchased Pat Burrell's contract from Triple-A Fresno, three weeks after the outfielder was released by Tampa Bay.

Osborne, Keefer lead La.-Lafayette past Rice

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Zach Osborne pitched a five-hitter and Chad Keefer had an RBI single in the eighth inning to lead Louisiana-Lafayette to a 1-0 victory over second-seeded Rice in the opening game of the Austin Regional on Friday.

Town offers to rename itself for Nationals rookie

STRASBURG, Va. (AP) -- Even before Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg throws a pitch in a major league game, a Virginia town is offering to rename itself in his honor.

S. American critter found sleeping on Ill. porch

CHICAGO (AP) -- A small, furry, long-tailed critter found napping on a Chicago porch is apparently more than 2,000 miles away from where it belongs.

Osborne leads Louisiana-Lafayette past Rice 1-0

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Zach Osborne threw a five-hitter while Louisiana-Lafayette shutting down Rice in a 1-0 victory Friday in the opening game of the Austin Regional.

Microsoft shutters Bing shopping rebate program

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) -- Microsoft is shutting down a program that gave online shoppers rebates when they found items through Bing search.

Indians CF Sizemore has knee surgery, out for year

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee.

Busch pitches Florida State to opening-round win

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) -- Brian Busch allowed one earned run over 6 2-3 innings to lead Florida State past Central Connecticut State 11-3 in the opening game of the Norwich Regional on Friday.

Bush pitches Florida State to opening-round win

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) -- Brian Busch allowed one earned run over 6 2-3 innings to lead Florida State past Central Connecticut State 11-3 in the opening game of the Norwich Regional on Friday.

Vancouver records 20th consecutive rainy day

The weather may be lousy, but Southwest Washingtonians can take some consolation in the fact that we’ve endured the soggiest streak of measurable rainfall since the waning days of the Bush administration. Today marks the 20th consecutive day of rain in Vancouver.

Bees sting Beavers 3-1 in matinee

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Terry Evans hit a two-run homer and Daniel Davidson pitched seven solid innings to lift Salt Lake to a 3-1 win over the Portland Beavers in a Friday matinee at PGE Park.

Tape: Party official linked donations, nominations

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon attorney general's office has released a recording of an political party official telling a political operative that candidates have to contribute money to participate in the party's nominating process.

Coastal, Wheeler start NCAAs with shutout

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- Cody Wheeler threw a six-hit shutout as Coastal Carolina began the NCAA tournament with a 6-0 victory over Stony Brook on Friday.

OHSU says fewer meth visits to ER after law

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The number of methamphetamine-related visits to the Oregon Health & Science University emergency room has declined since the Legislature approved a law prohibiting over-the-counter sales of decongestant containing pseudoephedrine.

Vikings LB Henderson says he'll be ready for camp

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson is confident that he will be healed from a broken leg and ready to play when training camp starts in eight weeks.

Bucs sign 4th-round pick Williams to 4-year deal

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Fourth-round draft pick Mike Williams has signed a four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

SEC distributes record $209 million in revenue

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Southeastern Conference schools will divvy up a league-record $209 million in revenue, a nearly 58 percent increase from the previous year.

Brewers activate Gamel, release Vargas

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mat Gamel has been activated from the 60-day disabled list and sent to the minors.

Wash. high school test results will be in the mail

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- High school students who took the statewide achievement tests this spring will be receiving their scores sometime in the next week or so.

Tallon's team rolls on without him

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Dale Tallon is the architect of this version of the Chicago Blackhawks that has the best chance of ending the NHL's longest current Stanley Cup championship drought.

Rubio won't play in NBA before 2011; open to move

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Ricky Rubio is promising NBA fans they'll get to see his razzle-dazzle, but not before the 2011-12 season -- and not necessarily with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Prospect for the ages: 17-year-old likely top pick

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The Washington Nationals hold the top pick in next week's Major League Baseball draft and their likely No. 1 choice is 17-year-old Bryce Harper from a community college near Las Vegas.

Mexico looking good as World Cup nears

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (AP) -- Mexico's extensive schedule of 12 games in preparation for the World Cup has boosted team morale, particularly a 2-0 victory over defending World Cup champion Italy.

Investigation into violent crash ongoing, police say

Police are continuing to investigate a pickup truck driver who turned a school driveway into a runway Thursday. The Toyota launched off a concrete island and knifed through a Volkswagen Beetle.

Report: Fire prevention ed. for older adults

PORTLAND, Ore (AP) -- A report says cigarettes remain the top cause of home fires, which killed 138 people in Oregon in 2004-2008.

Mass. gov raising funds with Lakers' Magic Johnson

BOSTON (AP) -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval (deh-VAL') Patrick is taking advantage of the NBA Finals being played in Boston to hold a re-election campaign fundraiser featuring Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Light rail critics begin petition campaign

Critics of extending Portland’s light rail transit system into Vancouver are planning to circulate a petition calling for city residents to vote on the matter. However, the petition first must pass muster with Vancouver city officials charged with vetting initiatives and referendums. Nor is it clear whether the petition would have any binding effect on the multibillion-dollar Columbia River Crossing project, even if city voters ultimately approved it.

Seattle bus accident sends 7 riders to hospital

SEATTLE (AP) -- A truck backing into a business in south Seattle T-boned a Metro bus about 11:30 a.m. Friday, and seven passengers were taken to hospital.

Former Jets LS Dearth wonders if NFL career's over

NEW YORK (AP) -- James Dearth waited patiently at home for a call that never came.

Kagan called assisted suicide ban "terrible idea"

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As a domestic policy adviser in the Clinton White House, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan wrote that encouraging a new federal law banning assisted suicide would be "a fairly terrible idea."

Fan collapses at French Open men's semifinals

PARIS (AP) -- A male spectator in his late 60s collapsed from the heat during the men's semifinals at the French Open, briefly delaying play.

Wittels streak reaches 55, but Texas A&M wins 17-3

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Florida International's Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 55 games, one of the few mistakes Texas A&M pitcher Barret Loux made as the Aggies beat the Golden Panthers 17-3 on Friday in the opening game of the Coral Gables Regional.

Newport man killed in Polk County crash

MONMOUTH, Ore. (AP) -- One person died and three were injured late Thursday in a two-car collision south of Monmouth.

Shaq issues a one-on-one challenge _ in spelling

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal will try to add another championship title to his resume: spelling champion.

Ladd returns to Blackhawks lineup for Game 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd is back in the lineup for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Injured Ladd will be game-time decision for Hawks

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd could be making his Stanley Cup finals debut.

Kansas City gets Big 12 tournaments 2012-2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Big 12 men's basketball tournament will be played in Kansas City from 2012 to 2014.

Option to buy, protect Whidbey forest to expire

GREENBANK, Wash. (AP) -- Time is running out for conservationists hoping to purchase and protect a critical forest on Whidbey Island.

France loses 1-0 to China in World Cup warmup

SAINT-PIERRE, Reunion Island (AP) -- France lost 1-0 to China in its final warmup match before the start of the World Cup in South Africa.

Court: Experts cannot vouch for child witnesses

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that expert testimony about whether children are being truthful about sex abuse when there is no physical evidence amounts to impermissible vouching for the credibility of another witness.

Judge rules against Burlington in records case

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) -- A Skagit County Superior Court judge has ordered the city of Burlington to pay $965 to a prison inmate for not responding in time to his public records requests.

Lindsay Davenport to play doubles in California

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Lindsay Davenport is coming out of retirement to play doubles at a WTA Tour event near San Diego.

Vehicular homicide charge in Everett crash

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- A wrong-way driver blamed for a fatal crash in Everett has been charged with vehicular homicide.

Tumwater woman charged with manslaughter

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- A woman accused of providing alcohol to a 17-year-old Tumwater boy has been charged with manslaughter in his death.

Danny Ferry resigns as GM of Cleveland Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Danny Ferry has resigned as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers after five seasons.

Custodial interference trial for Chehalis woman

CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) -- A woman who fled to Africa and Thailand 14 years ago to keep her 5-year-old son away from his father is now on trial in Chehalis, charged with custodial interference.

Building on a biblical foundation

Christian Youth Theater interprets Matthew anew in its staging of ‘Godspell’

What if Jesus Christ were a modern-day carpenter, the kind of working class guy you might find at, say, a construction site? That’s the premise behind “Godspell,” a Christian Youth Theater play being performed at Washburn Performing Arts Center in Washougal.

Manning, Sanders healthy as Colts open mini-camp

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Peyton Manning and Bob Sanders are feeling better than they have in a long time.

Broncos release 3rd-string QB Tom Brandstater

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos have released third-string quarterback Tom Brandstater, moving rookie Tim Tebow up on the depth chart.

Whitner: RB Lynch working out at Bills facility

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Disgruntled Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch has been spotted at the team's headquarters, yet continues to skip practicing with the team.

Johnson takes on Watkins Glen in 6-hour Rolex race

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson is doing double duty this weekend.

Peninsula College tries to reduce carbon footprint

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) -- Peninsula College is reducing its carbon footprint by urging bus ridership, recycling paper products and using environmentally-friendly construction methods.

UW faculty launch unionization effort

SEATTLE (AP) -- University of Washington faculty are talking about unionizing.

Yankees minor league coach says Series ring stolen

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A coach for the New York Yankees Class A team says his $10,000 World Series ring was stolen after a night of partying in Tampa.

FIS to seek Olympic status for ski halfpipe

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) -- The International Ski Federation is proposing that ski halfpipe be added to the program for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Pickett leaving Manhattan to play overseas

NEW YORK (AP) -- All-MAAC guard Rico Pickett is leaving Manhattan after one season to play professional basketball overseas.

TV ratings up 17 percent for NBA finals Game 1

NEW YORK (AP) -- The opener of the Celtics-Lakers NBA finals matched the teams' meeting two years ago for the highest preliminary rating for a Game 1 since 2004.

Streak's alive! Wittels gets hit in 55th straight

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Garrett Wittels is three games away from history.

Wittels injures ankle trying to extend hit streak

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Garrett Wittels has taken a misstep while trying to extend his pursuit of the Division I hit-streak record.

Big 12 commish hopeful league remains intact

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The head of the Big 12 Conference says he is "comfortable" that the league will remain intact amid rumors of a breakup.

E-mail hints at Texas in Big Ten addition talks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An e-mail sent by the president of Ohio State to the commissioner of the Big Ten hints that the conference is pursuing Texas as part of its expansion plans.

3 rescued from smoky Lake Stevens house fire

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. (AP) -- Firefighters rescued two men and a woman early Friday from a smoky house fire at Lake Stevens.

Schleck wins 2nd stage of Tour of Luxembourg

DIFFERDANGE, Luxembourg (AP) -- Lance Armstrong remains third overall in the Tour of Luxembourg, with Frank Schleck winning a two-man sprint in front of his home crowd to edge Italian Matteo Carrara in the second leg of the five-day race.

Burton and Busch: no hard feelings after run-in

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- NASCAR driver Jeff Burton says he doesn't plan to start an ongoing feud with Kyle Busch and that he's already over their run-in during last week's race at Charlotte.

Southern Oregon University studies changing terms

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Southern Oregon University in Ashland is looking at switching from the quarter system to semesters.

Montgomerie 'sorry' for reported affair

NEWPORT, Wales (AP) -- European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie says he's "sorry for the hurt I have caused" after a newspaper reported he had been unfaithful to his wife.

Collarini of US reaches French Open boys final

PARIS (AP) -- Andrea Collarini is one victory away from becoming the first American since John McEnroe in 1977 to win the French Open boys title.

Bruins re-sign enforcer Shawn Thornton

BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Bruins have signed forward Shawn Thornton to a two-year contract extension.

Italy midfielder Pirlo has calf injury

MILAN (AP) -- Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo is resting at home following a calf injury that could force him to miss the World Cup in South Africa.

High school student charged with sex crimes

IRRIGON, Ore. (AP) -- Felony charges have been filed against an Irrigon High School senior accused of assaulting a woman.

Farmers flee flooding in Eastern Oregon

RICHLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Flooding in Eastern Oregon covered roads and caused some farmers to move their livestock to higher ground, but police say no houses were destroyed.

Obama welcomes soccer champions Real Salt Lake

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is celebrating Major League Soccer champions Real (RAY'-ahl) Salt Lake and their unlikely road to the team's first title.

Free agent Tomas Holmstrom returning to Red Wings

DETROIT (AP) -- Tomas Holmstrom has agreed to terms on a two-year deal that will bring the gritty, veteran forward back to the Detroit Red Wings.

Rain persists today, Saturday

A wet morning is expected to turn into a wet afternoon.

Dutch murder suspect van der Sloot in Peru

TACNA, Peru (AP) -- Chilean police have turned over Dutch murder suspect Joran van der Sloot to Peruvian authorities at the countries' border.

Oakridge woman pleads in death of bicyclist

OAKRIDGE, Ore. (AP) -- An Oakridge woman pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of a bicyclist and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation.

Oregon teen alleged victim of sexual text messages

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- The mother of a teenage Newport girl found text messages with sexual content on the girl's cell phone that led police to a 39-year-old Canadian truck driver.

Williams sisters win 12th major doubles title

PARIS (AP) -- Venus and Serena Williams have won their fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title and 12th overall, beating Katarina Srebotnik and Kveta Peschke 6-2, 6-3 at the French Open.

Ohio man with same name as infamous ump gets calls

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio man had to turn off his phone service because he shares the same name with the umpire who blew a call that cost a Detroit pitcher a perfect game.

Major new study of Libby asbestos starts

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Attention graduates of Montana's Libby High School: asbestos researchers are looking for you.

Feds to clean up mine south of Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) -- The U.S. Forest Service has awarded more than $11 million in federal stimulus money to clean up an old copper mine just south of the Oregon-California state line.

Vegan Portland cafe asks police officer to leave

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Portland police officer says he doesn't take it personally that he was kicked out of a cafe where he had stopped to get a coffee.

Suspect arrested in Mexico in Salem park shooting

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Police and FBI officers told a Salem woman Thursday that the man suspected of killing her son had been arrested in Mexico.

Ore. firefighters battling Alaska blazes

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- It's been cool and rainy in Oregon, but wildfire season has already started for some firefighters.

This DQ reveals winning character

Paul Valencia: High Schools

Union golfer Yun Belex Cheng saw her total on the scoreboard at the Class 3A state golf tournament and knew something was amiss.

Sawyer, Galusha shine in All-Star game

Hockinson’s Casey Sawyer and Union’s Leko Galusha were the big winners Thursday at the Curt Daniels Clark County Senior All-Star Baseball Game at Propstra Stadium.

Jaguars hockey team hosts camp

Vancouver’s new junior hockey squad trying out players

The Jaguars are a Junior A, Tier III-level team for players ages 16-20. They play in the Northern Pacific Hockey League. The team has played at Valley Ice Arena in Beaverton for five seasons, but is relocating to Vancouver.

Band catches marching madness

In spirit of adventure, local musicians to go big for Portland event

Musicians from Mountain View, Union and Heritage high schools will put their best foot forward in Portland’s Starlight Parade on Saturday evening. Make that nearly 1,200 feet — all in one, giant marching unit dubbed “Megaband” by intrepid organizers.

College foundation adds two members to its board

Vancouver College foundation adds two members to its board

Third strike defendant could get new trial

Sentencing for a Vancouver man who faces his third “strike” was postponed Thursday so his appeal attorney can seek a new trial.

Death Notices

A daily list of death notices

In Our View: More Silver Linings

Fortunately, our state cannot afford two bad programs designed by legislators

Continuing our search for silver linings in the Great Recession cloud, The Columbian has found two consolations that won’t put any bucks in your pocket but still warrant at least a gratifying grin. The Legislature planted a couple of bad seeds a few years ago, but the economic drought has kept both from sprouting. In 2007, state lawmakers passed a poorly designed and (worse) unfunded paid family leave program for parents of infants. There’s certainly nothing wrong with anyone taking parental leave from work. And we’re glad federal law requires businesses with 50 or more workers to extend up to three months of unpaid leave to these individuals. Protecting those jobs for a specific period of time is a valuable and proper benefit for employees. And we love even more the fact that many private employers choose to offer paid family leave as an incentive to recruit and keep good workers. That makes the free-enterprise system even more competitive.

Insane Clown Posse returns to core theme

Rap group revives Dark Carnival for its latest work

Barnum & Bailey may still own the title of Greatest Show on Earth when it comes to putting on a traditional circus. But when it comes to putting on a hip-hop or rock and roll show, Violent J of Insane Clown Posse has no hesitations about where his group stands.

Lower end of Main Street perking up

Inviting coffee house’s full menu is a welcome addition to downtown

Owners Marilyn, Paul and Annette King distinguish their Main St. Coffee House in Vancouver’s historic Heritage Building by serving coffee made with beans from Millar’s Genuine Wood Roasted Coffee in Yacolt. Wood-roasting gives the beans a smooth flavor. Choices at this coffee shop, which opened in February, extend beyond beverages and include breakfast items such as biscuits and gravy, homemade soup, made-to-order sandwiches and desserts.

Pollard soldiers on for Vancouver

Former mayor honored as Community Foundation’s First Citizen for 2010

Royce Pollard lost his bid for a seventh term as the mayor of America’s Vancouver last November — but he sure didn’t lose the love of his friends and admirers. Hundreds of them packed the downtown Hilton Vancouver Washington on Thursday to applaud, cheer and wave American flags as Pollard, 71, was named Clark County’s First Citizen for 2010 by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Work of local playwright comes to life

Gary Corbin of Vancouver will see the comedy he wrote, “PS, I Love Your Daughter,” staged by Coho Theater in Portland June 17-20. The play will be directed by another Vancouver resident, Erin Thomas, 26.

Big crowd helps Herrera kick off 3rd District campaign

375 supporters attend Hilton fundraiser, energizing Republicans

State Rep. Jaime Herrera’s impressive campaign kickoff in Vancouver Wednesday has Republicans upbeat about a resurgence this year, especially in the pivotal 3rd Congressional District race. Herrera packed the Hilton Vancouver Washington ballroom Wednesday for a fundraising breakfast that drew about 375 attendees willing to pay $35 apiece for scrambled eggs, bacon and a rousing stump speech from the Republican congressional candidate.

Assessor employee to seek top job

Janet Seekins has worked in county office nearly 30 years

Janet Seekins, who has worked for the Clark County Assessor’s Office for nearly 30 years, said Thursday she will run for the top job. Seekins made her announcement a day after Clark County Assessor Linda Franklin said she will not seek a third term.