Stories for March 14, 2010

George Mason, Harvard highlight CIT field

NEW YORK (AP) -- George Mason and Harvard are among 16 teams in the College Insider.com tournament.

Obama uses woman's story to push health care bill

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- President Barack Obama is trying to put the political fight of his presidency in personal terms -- the story of an uninsured woman battling cancer.

Obama heads to Ohio looking for health care votes

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Increasingly eager to finish work on his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama heads to northeast Ohio on Monday with a final sales pitch for health care legislation.

ESPN's Erin Andrews' stalker to get sentence in LA

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The man convicted of stalking ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and shooting nude videos of her through a hotel room peephole facing sentencing in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Netanyahu: Jerusalem building doesn't hurt Arabs

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Jewish building in east Jerusalem does not hurt the city's Palestinian residents.

Reports: US wants Israel to cancel building plan

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli media say the U.S. is pressing Israel to scrap a contentious east Jerusalem building project.

Smooth sailing as Blazers coast to win

Balanced effort, strong play gets Portland past Raptors 109-98

Portland downed the Toronto Raptors 109-98 Sunday night at the Rose Garden before a sellout crowd of 20,639.

Oregon State back in CBI to defend 2009 title

NEW YORK (AP) -- Defending champion Oregon State is back in the College Basketball Invitational, despite a losing record.

With roster spots to fill, Heat eyeing Hasbrouck

MIAMI (AP) -- With two roster spots available to fill, the Miami Heat are on the cusp of signing former Siena shooting guard Kenny Hasbrouck, a deal that could be done as early as Monday.

Evans just misses another triple-double, Kings win

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Rookie Tyreke Evans had 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 114-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Nash plays 1,000th game, Suns beat Hornets 120-106

PHOENIX (AP) -- Steve Nash had 13 points and 12 assists in his 1,000th NBA game and his favorite receiver Amare Stoudemire had a dominant 36-point, 12-rebound performance in the Phoenix Suns' 120-106 victory over the depleted New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.

Batum, Aldridge each score 22 in Blazers' win

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Nicolas Batum scored 22 points, making five of six 3-point attempts, and the Portland Trail Blazers won their fourth straight with a 109-98 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Selanne scores 599th goal, Ducks beat Sharks

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Teemu Selanne scored his 599th goal to help the Anaheim Ducks snap a five-game winless streak with a 4-2 victory over the Western Conference-leading San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.

Deputies recover Portland hiker’s body from Gorge

The body of Kate Huether, 24, of Portland was recovered late Sunday afternoon off the side of Table Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge, four miles north of Bonneville Dam.

Blackout leaves millions of Chileans in darkness

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A blackout has plunged millions of Chileans into darkness and rattled a country already anxious after last month's 8.8-magnitude quake.

Crews last cast wins Bassmaster Elite Series

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) -- John Crews caught a 5-pounder on his final cast Sunday to beat Skeet Reese by an ounce at the Bassmaster Elite Series season-opener.

North Carolina, UConn lend big names NIT field

NEW YORK (AP) -- North Carolina and Connecticut are lending some serious star power to the NIT.

Agent: Packers agree to new deal with RT Tauscher

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The agent for longtime Green Bay Packers right tackle Mark Tauscher says the veteran has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract that will bring him back to the team.

Diamondbacks beat Rockies 8-7 in Mexico

HERMOSILLO, Mexico (AP) -- Conor Jackson and Adam LaRoche homered for the Arizona Diamondbacks in an 8-7 win over a Colorado split squad Sunday.

Harding helps Wild win again, 4-2 over Blues

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Josh Harding made 36 saves, and Mikko Koivu had a power-play goal and two assists, propelling Minnesota past the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Sunday -- a critical victory for a Wild team trying to climb into the playoff picture.

Wade scores 38 to help Heat beat 76ers 104-91

MIAMI (AP) -- Dwyane Wade scored 38 points and his supporting cast came through during a decisive stretch in the fourth quarter Sunday, helping the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-91.

Jackson's 28 points help Bobcats upset Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Stephen Jackson scored 28 points, Raymond Felton had 16 and the Charlotte Bobcats held on for their sixth straight victory, 96-89 over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

Chris Young pitches well as Padres top Indians 5-3

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Chris Young had his second straight solid start in his comeback from a shoulder injury in the San Diego Padres' 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Are you ready for an earthquake?

Emergency response experts share tips on how they've prepared for the Big One in Monday's Life section.

Millar homers, doubles; Cubs beat Angels 8-7

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Kevin Millar hit a home run and double and drove in three runs for the Chicago Cubs in their 8-7 win over the Angels on Sunday.

AP Source: Toyota to cast doubt in Prius case

DETROIT (AP) -- A person briefed on the matter says Toyota will cast doubt on a California man's claim that his Prius sped out of control.

Gov't says it cannot explain runaway Prius

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government says it cannot explain a reported incident of sudden, high-speed acceleration in a Toyota Prius on a San Diego, Calif., freeway last week.

Toyota casts doubt on account of runaway Prius

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Toyota is casting doubt on a California man's claim that his Prius sped out of control, saying that his report is inconsistent with findings of the company's preliminary investigation.

Park helps Islanders beat Maple Leafs

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- Richard Park scored a short-handed goal and added an assist, and Martin Biron made 26 saves in the New York Islanders' 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

Pilot safely lands disabled plane at Pearson Field

Both occupants uninjured as aircraft skids to a halt

The left wheel and undercarriage collapsed and a pilot skidded his airplane to a safe stop at Pearson Field about 1:30 p.m. today. The pilot and passenger walked away unhurt, said Willy Williamson, airport manager.

Okur, Kirilenko out for Jazz

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Center Mehmet Okur and forward Andrei Kirilenko were missing from Utah's starting lineup Sunday night as the Jazz played a key game for playoff positioning at Oklahoma City.

Milwaukee beats San Francisco Giants 10-8

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Catcher Gregg Zaun kept up his solid spring with a two-run double and Milwaukee beat the San Francisco Giants 10-8 on Sunday.

Reds, White Sox end in 5-5 tie after 9

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- Brandon Phillips got his first two hits of spring training, including a two-run homer, and the Cincinnati Reds blew a four-run lead in the ninth on Sunday before settling for a 5-5 tie with the Chicago White Sox.

Kurt Busch eliminated in NHRA drag-racing debut

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has lost his drag-racing debut.

Collins, Streelman lead Puerto Rico Open

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Chad Collins birdied the par-5 fifth hole for a share of the Puerto Rico Open lead with Kevin Streelman just before third-round play was suspended because of darkness Saturday in the rain-delayed PGA Tour event.

Tomlinson signs 2-year deal with Jets

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Jets have signed running back LaDainian Tomlinson to a two-year contract, adding an aging star to an offense that ranked No. 1 in rushing last season.

King Felix makes spring debut in Mariners' loss

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Although shaky at times, Felix Hernandez was sharp when he needed to be in his spring debut.

Dodgers rally for 6-4 victory over Texas Rangers

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Matt Kemp hit a towering two-run home run Sunday, his second of the spring, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Raiders acquire Wimbley from Browns

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Raiders have acquired outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley from the Cleveland Browns for undisclosed draft picks.

Oregonian analysis shows fewer 'Go Oregon' jobs

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon officials say more than 7,500 jobs have been created or retained by the 2009 Legislature's "Go Oregon" economic stimulus package.

Oakland A's beat Kansas City Royals 10-3

PHOENIX (AP) -- Kurt Suzuki doubled in two runs and Rajai Davis had two hits and two RBIs for the Oakland A's in their 10-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Els wins at Doral for 2nd world title

DORAL, Fla. (AP) -- Ernie Els has ended the longest drought of his career by winning the CA Championship at Doral in a duel with South African protege Charl Schwartzel.

Diamondbacks beat Rangers 9-3 in split-squad game

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Justin Upton was 3-for-4 with his third homer of the spring to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 9-3 in a split-squad game Sunday.

Stillaguamish Tribe carve river canoe

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- On the Lummi reservation near Bellingham, nationally known artist Felix Solomon is carving the Stillaguamish Tribe's first new dugout river canoe in more than a century.

Matsuzaka feeling better but waiting on decision

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka says he's feeling better but is waiting to make a decision on when he'll have his first throwing session of spring training.

Beasley again inactive for Heat

MIAMI (AP) -- Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is sitting out his second game in a row because of a bruised left thigh.

Avalanche topple Stars 5-3

DALLAS (AP) -- Craig Anderson made 48 saves, Paul Stastny scored twice, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat Dallas 5-3 on Sunday, dealing another blow to the Stars' playoff chances.

Beckham hobbles off with apparent injury

MILAN (AP) -- David Beckham has hobbled off with an apparent left leg injury in the closing minutes of AC Milan's game with Chievo Verona.

Beckham begins journey to Finland for surgery

MILAN (AP) -- David Beckham has left a Milan hotel on crutches and headed to the airport for a flight to Finland for surgery on his torn left Achilles' tendon.

Jays GM won't deny interest in Cuban SS

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) -- Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos wouldn't deny he's interested in Cuban defector Adeinis Hechavarria, but he declined to comment on a published report that the team might be close to signing the shortstop for $10 million.

Seton Hall kicks Mitchell off team

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) -- Junior forward Robert Mitchell has been dismissed from the team by Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez. No reason was given.

Schumacher wins Top Fuel at NHRA Gatornationals

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Six-time defending series champion Tony Schumacher has won the NHRA Top Fuel class at the Gatornationals.

Hornqvist's late goal leads Predators past Kings

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Patric Hornqvist scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:31 to play, Pekka Rinne made 18 saves and the Nashville Predators extended their mastery over the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-2 victory Sunday.

Turner leads Ohio State past Minnesota 90-61

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Evan Turner didn't need any late-game heroics on Sunday.

Avery returns, scores twice in Rangers win

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sean Avery returned from a one-game benching and scored twice to help the New York Rangers earn a key 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

Browns trade QB Brady Quinn

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns have traded quarterback Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos for fullback Peyton Hillis and a 2011 draft pick.

Seattle Catholic archbishop readies for retirement

SEATTLE (AP) -- At age 76, Seattle Archbishop Alex Brunett is preparing to retire. As he waits for the Vatican to appoint his successor, the leader of 600,000 Roman Catholics in Western Washington is leaving an archdiocese in good shape and growing.

Hodges leads Saint Francis to NEC title

NEW YORK (AP) -- Britney Hodges scored 23 points and Samantha Leach added 20 to help Saint Francis, Pa. beat Long Island 77-68 on Sunday in the Northeast Conference championship game.

Magic's Barnes out with sprained toe vs. Bobcats

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Orlando small forward Matt Barnes will miss the Magic's game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday with a sprained left big toe.

Pence, Lee lead Astros to 8-5 win over Braves

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -- Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee hit back-to-back homers during a six-run fourth inning, and Brett Myers struck out six over four innings as the Houston Astros beat an Atlanta Braves split quad 8-5 on Sunday.

Porcello pitches 4 scoreless, Tigers beat Rays 9-6

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- Rick Porcello pitched four scoreless innings and rookie Austin Jackson tripled twice as Detroit beat Tampa Bay 9-6 on Sunday.

Varitek appears for Red Sox in 6-4 win vs. Twins

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Kevin Slowey threw three perfect innings for Minnesota, but Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis drove in fifth-inning runs for the Boston Red Sox in a 6-4 victory over the Twins on Sunday.

Santana pitches well in Mets' 5-1 win

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Johan Santana resembled the pitcher on Sunday that many call the premier left-hander in the game the last six years.

Santana pitches well in Mets' 5-1 loss to Marlins

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Johan Santana resembled the pitcher on Sunday that many call the premier left-hander in the game the last six years.

Thurston homers, Braves beat Blue Jays 8-5

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) -- Joe Thurston homered and Martin Prado and Freddie Freeman drove in two runs apiece to lead the Atlanta Braves to an 8-5 split-squad victory Sunday over the Toronto Blue Jays.

New WA pipeline a symbol of new water policy

OTHELLO, Wash. (AP) -- The federal government is doing what until recently had been unthinkable for the Columbia River: building a new stretch of pipeline so more river water can be used for irrigation.

Liberty edges Gardner-Webb 68-66, takes Big South

HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) -- Devon Brown banked in a runner with 4 seconds left to snap a tie and Liberty recovered after blowing a 20-point lead to beat Gardner-Webb 68-66 on Sunday for its 13th Big South Conference title in 14 years.

Cleveland State wins Horizon League title

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Kailey Klein scored 23 points and Cleveland State beat Butler 66-57 on Sunday to win the Horizon League tournament championship and earn its second NCAA tournament berth in the last three years.

Lester: Westmoreland 'in a good organization'

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Jon Lester isn't making comparisons between his cancer battle four years ago and Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland's recent brain diagnosis.

Shani Davis claims gold in 1000

HEERENVEEN, Netherlands (AP) -- Shani Davis edged the Netherlands pair of Stefan Groothuis and Mark Tuitert on Sunday to complete the season with another win in the 1,000 meters.

Strasburg works 3 scoreless innings, Nats now 0-10

VIERA, Fla. (AP) -- Stephen Strasburg pitched three scoreless innings and the Washington Nationals fell to 0-10 in exhibition play with Sunday's 7-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Milk or cider? NH House weighs in on state drink

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Apples are getting some competition from cows in the debate over what New Hampshire's state drink should be -- cider or milk.

Kings reassign G Bernier to minors

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned goalie Jonathan Bernier to their AHL affiliate after the 21-year-old prospect impressively won a fill-in start in Dallas.

Sabathia wild in third spring start; Morton sharp

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) -- CC Sabathia struggled while pitching into the fifth inning of his third spring start, giving up a home run to Aki Iwamura in the New York Yankees' 10-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Union's fourth-quarter rally secures 3A state title

TACOMA — The Union Titans are a family of giant killers. Union sits atop the Class 3A Washington state boys basketball world after stunning top-ranked and unbeaten Enumclaw 51-50 Saturday night in the championship game at the Tacoma Dome.

Aggies hold off Oklahoma 74-67 for Big 12 title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Tyra White carried Texas A&M in the first half and Danielle Adams scored 17 of her 19 points in the second, helping the 11th-ranked Aggies hold off No. 12 Oklahoma 74-67 on Sunday for their second Big 12 tournament title in three years.

Bucks grab 6th straight win, 98-94 over Pacers

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Jerry Stackhouse tied his season-high with 20 points and the Milwaukee Bucks survived a late rally from the short-handed Indiana Pacers for a 98-94 win on Sunday.

Davis denies intentionally hurting Shaq

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Boston's Glen Davis denies he intentionally tried to hurt Shaquille O'Neal in a game earlier this season, calling the accusations "crazy."

Royals OF Rick Ankiel to miss at least 1 week

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Kansas City Royals outfielder Rick Ankiel will miss at least a week of spring training with a right ankle injury.

Royals OF Ankiel to miss week with ankle injury

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Kansas City Royals outfielder Rick Ankiel will miss at least a week of spring training with a right ankle injury.

Matusz leads Orioles over Phillies 4-3

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Brian Matusz gave up three hits and a run in his five innings -- the longest and most effective outing by an Orioles starter this spring -- in Baltimore's 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

No. 4 Duke holds off Georgia Tech 65-61 to win ACC

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Kyle Singler scored 20 points and Jon Scheyer hit a critical 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to help No. 4 Duke beat Georgia Tech 65-61 in Sunday's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship game.

Toronto RHP Dustin McGowan pitches simulated game

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) -- Toronto right-hander Dustin McGowan has pitched his second simulated game, throwing 44 pitches over two innings.

No. 2 Kentucky beats Mississippi St. 75-74 in OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- John Wall scored seven of his 15 points in overtime, and No. 2 Kentucky rallied from five down with 2:28 left in regulation to beat Mississippi State 75-74 on Sunday for the Wildcats' 26th Southeastern Conference tournament championship.

Backstrom OT goal gives Caps 4-3 win over Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) -- Nicklas Backstrom raced up the ice and scored with 1:50 left in overtime Sunday and the Washington Capitals completed a remarkable comeback without star Alex Ovechkin to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3.

2 Marion County inmates missing

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) -- Marion County sheriff's deputies are looking for two inmates who failed to return to the county's Jail Work Center after being granted three-hour passes.

Donovan says loan shows he can play at top level

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -- Landon Donovan says his 10-week loan from Major League Soccer to English Premier League club Everton has shown he can play at the highest level.

No. 17 Temple wins 3rd straight Atlantic 10 title

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Temple is the champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament once again.

Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta is off, for now

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The owner of Rachel Alexandra says his Horse of the Year won't run against unbeaten Zenyatta next month in Arkansas.

Family names slain US consular employee in Mexico

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) -- A relative has identified a U.S. consulate employee and her husband who were killed in a drug-plagued Mexican border city.

3 with ties US consulate killed in Mexican city

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) -- Officials say three people with ties to the American consulate were killed in a Mexican border city.

James Madison tops Old Dominion for CAA title

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) -- Dawn Evans scored 25 points and James Madison beat Old Dominion 67-53 Sunday to win the Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship.

Plenty of reasons for small crowds at ACC tourney

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- The Atlantic Coast Conference tournament usually is one of the toughest tickets in this part of the country. Not this year.

McPherson among those Athletics reassign to minors

PHOENIX (AP) -- Former major league infielder Dallas McPherson is among the 10 players the Oakland Athletics have reassigned to their minor league camp.

Reid to work out at LSU Monday

HOUSTON (AP) -- Bobby Reid hasn't played football since a 2008 injury, but the former Oklahoma State quarterback might get another chance at reviving his once-promising career.

More artificial digs for NW burrowing owls

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) -- Burrowing owls are getting more places to live in Eastern Washington.

5 people hurt in SoCal apartment complex shooting

POMONA, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities say five people were wounded in a shooting at an apartment complex in Southern California.

Response to Paine Field study pushed back

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration says it has received more than 900 comments on an environmental study of whether to have commercial airline service at Everett's Paine Field.

Brewers new C Zaun brings emotion, odd fan club

PHOENIX (AP) -- Gregg Zaun faced a decision nearly every veteran must make toward the end of his career.

Capitals star Ovechkin gets game misconduct

CHICAGO (AP) -- NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin is out of the Capitals' game against the Blackhawks after receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct in the first period for driving Chicago's Brian Campbell into the boards from behind.

Norwegians sweep sprints at cross-country WCup

OSLO (AP) -- Anders Gloersen of Norway has won a men's 1.5-kilometer cross-country sprint, while countryman Petter Northug secured the overall World Cup victory.

Andretti uninjured after scary accident in Brazil

SAO PAULO (AP) -- Marco Andretti has escaped injury after being in a scary accident at the start of the Sao Paulo Indy 300.

Ford out of Pacers' lineup 7 to 10 days

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Pacers point guard T.J. Ford is expected to miss seven to 10 days with a sore left groin.

Orioles 2B Roberts to have back examined

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is returning to Baltimore to see a specialist for an ailing back that has kept him out of games this spring.

Mackey, King begin dash up coast in Iditarod

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- The 2010 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is turning into a two-man contest between former champions Lance Mackey and Jeff King.

Mackey first into Unalakleet in Iditarod

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Defending champion Lance Mackey is first into Unalakleet, nearly two-thirds of the way into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Gasparotto wins 5th stage of Tirreno-Adriatico

COLMURANO, Italy (AP) -- Enrico Gasparotto has won the fifth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico and Michele Scarponi held on to the overall lead in the weeklong race.

Schmid wins World Cup skicross title

MEIRINGEN, Switzerland (AP) -- Olympic champion Michael Schmid has clinched the skicross title after winning the second-to-last freestyle World Cup race of the season.

'Alice' extends her No. 1 stay with $62 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Alice is still ruling the movie palace.

Ammann wins final World Cup jump event

OSLO (AP) -- Overall World Cup winner Simon Ammann of Switzerland has won the final ski jump World Cup event of the season.

Hamlin, Mazdzer, Niccum-Joye win USA Luge titles

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) -- Erin Hamlin and Chris Mazdzer won the singles titles, and the team of Christian Niccum and Dan Joye won the doubles crown Sunday at USA Luge's national championships.

Tamgho sets world record in triple jump

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Teddy Tamgho of France has set a world record of 58 feet, 834 inches to win the triple jump at the world indoor championships.

Robles takes hurdles title at indoor worlds

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba has won the 60 meter hurdles at the world indoor championships, edging favorite Terrence Trammell at the line.

Bernard Lagat wins 3,000 at world indoors

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Bernard Lagat has won the 3,000 meters at the world indoor championships by running down defending champion Tariku Bekele in the final laps.

Commuter trains resume after Wash. mudslide

EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) -- Amtrak and Sound Transit Sounder passenger trains are running again on a stretch of railroad tracks north of Seattle that was closed because of a mudslide.

Suez Canal traffic slowed due to sandstorms

CAIRO (AP) -- Egyptian officials say sandstorms slowed traffic in the Suez Canal and closed five ports in the Gulf of Suez.

Full-contact cultural encounter

Washougal High School’s students of Japanese are learning more than grammar

WASHOUGAL — With a few delicate strokes, Chelsea York used a brew of water and charcoal scrapings to turn a word into a work of art. With a rhythmic flurry of drumstick strokes, Todd Wilson and his taiko ensemble brought down thunder inside Washougal High School’s auditorium.

Police Report: High-speed motorcycle crash into concrete barrier kills man

A 20-year-old man was killed Saturday afternoon when he crashed his motorcycle into a large concrete barrier at a Bonneville Power Administration center just south of Hazel Dell. Police are withholding the man’s name until his family is notified.

Prairie High switches to new, safer driveway

BRUSH PRAIRIE — With the completion of a north driveway, reached from Northeast 119th Street opposite the new WinCo Foods grocery store, officials have closed access to Prairie High School from 117th Avenue northbound (state Highway 503). Since Monday, the east gates of Prairie’s main parking lot have been closed during school hours, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.

Clark County Business briefs

People in business Allen Wiemer was recognized March 5 by C-Tran for 35 consecutive years of driving without any accidents. Wiemer began his career with Vancouver Transit in 1975 and has been operating C-Tran buses in and around Clark County since C-Tran first began rolling in 1981. “Al’s remarkable driving record, demeanor and his many years of experience set him apart. And yet, Al Wiemer exemplifies the type of drivers that make C-Tran great,” C-Tran Executive Director Jeff Hamm said in a press release.

Women describe their 70 years of liberation

Speakers urge younger women to take up leadership work

When Val Ogden was about to graduate from high school, around 1941, she told her father she wanted to go to college. “He said, ‘You know, your brother is our priority, because he will be the breadwinner. He will be the one who will have to go out and support the family,’” Ogden said.

City to study partnership with private ambulance service

Tight budgets to spur re-evaluation of delivery methods

Just a few minutes after one of the fire department’s engines screeches to a halt at the scene of a heart attack or stroke, another emergency vehicle, one belonging to privately-owned American Medical Response, will also arrive. The fire department finishes up its first response work and transfers the patient to AMR paramedics, who continue care and transport the victim to the nearest hospital.

Emergency response agencies' "rescue" mission

Firefighters, community members seek reprieve for emergency response vehicle cut from budget

Standing before the city council this month, Gery Gehrmann was clearly overcome with emotion. “I’m one of those people that’s here today because of Rescue 3,” he said, pausing for a moment before finishing. “I ask you to support it.”

Weather Eye: The weather balances itself, nears normal

The Ides of March are almost upon us and although it was once not a good day for Julius Caesar, I foresee no great perils for us on Monday — just partly sunny skies and mild temperatures. Our average mean temperature for March is nearing normal as the atmosphere cools off and snow lands in the foothills. Rainfall has moved toward normal as well — good news, as the higher Cascades received a good shot of snow. If we could get another round or three this month, we would be shining.

Death notices, March 13

A daily list of death notices.

G-P lab site waits for buyer

Property could play role in Camas revitalization

For sale: A Camas laboratory campus that once thrived with researchers bent to their test tubes in search of efficiencies for the town’s giant paper mill. Lab researchers experimented with making paper out everything from grass clippings to cherry tree bark to synthetic wood pulp to bagasse, a fibrous residue of sugar cane.

Art is in the eye of the beholder

Ocular-themed exhibits offer look into the subjective imagination of area artists

Sometimes the eyes of paintings seem to follow viewers’ movements, creating a sense of being watched. That’s certainly true of North Bank Artists Gallery’s current eye-themed exhibit, where a room full of orbs stares back at admirers. Two main gallery spaces are devoted to Felida artist Cynthia Heise-Swartz’s surrealist-figurative paintings. The show, “Through My Eyes,” reveals the world through her unique lens.

In Our View: Only Lipstick

Legislature leaves No. 1 task undone, and the ultimate ‘solution’ is hideous

Apparently exhausted from smearing lipstick on their budget pigs, state legislators adjourned Thursday, only to be called back Friday by the governor for a special session that begins Monday. Majority Democrats in Olympia — much like majority Democrats in Congress — spent so much time arguing with each other that they never really got around to arguing with — or listening to — minority Republicans. To be blunt, they have yet to meet their primary goal: writing a state budget that will overcome a $2.8 billion shortfall. That is good, in a warped kind of way. As of this morning, no taxes have been increased.

A time line of Georgia-Pacific Corp.’s Central Research Division

Georgia-Pacific Corp.’s Central Research Division sits on a prominent property above its mill in Camas. The company recently received approval to subdivide the lab tract so it would be easier to sell. Here is a history of the property:

Spring forward, and stop whining

Five years have passed since I last defended my old friend daylight-saving (not “savings”) time. Today I present one of my all-time favorite stories about this semiannual twisting of timepiece stems. The following story was confirmed as true by darwinawards.com, a fun-loving bunch that claims to “commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.” Behold the 1999 Darwin Awards Winner: Israel’s leaders wanted to start daylight-saving time a week early in 1999 to accommodate pre-sunrise prayers. Palestinians resisted the change, and a great confusion swept over the land. On Sunday, Sept. 5, two car bombs exploded simultaneously in different cities, killing three terrorists. At first, it was dismissed as clumsy bomb-making, but a closer investigation revealed the terrorists had been confused about the time change. According to the Darwinians, “the cars were still en route when the explosives detonated, delivering the terrorists to their untimely demises.” I believe this is known among terrorists as the “Lethal D’oh!” and falls a bit short of the threshold for martyrdom.

Heck ‘choked up’ over Baird endorsement

Congressman announces preference for his successor

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird ended his silence Saturday on which candidate he favors to succeed him, endorsing Democrat Denny Heck for the 3rd Congressional District seat he is vacating after six terms.

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Toyota’s concern is lacking On Christmas day I was heading north on Highway 99. As I approached the stoplight at 78th Street, braking as usual, the car unexpectedly accelerated. It couldn’t be stopped in spite of repeated attempts to brake and an attempt to turn off the engine.