Stories for November 1, 2010

Yemen charges US-born radical cleric al-Awlaki

SAN'A, Yemen (AP) -- Yemeni prosecutors have charged in absentia a U.S.-born, al-Qaida linked cleric with plotting to kill foreigners.

For Oregon's Democrats, there's a lot to lose

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon's two political parties have a lot to lose, and to gain, in the vote-counting that gets under way later Tuesday.

Vancouver council passes budget with $9 million in cuts

City may eye levies for public safety in future years

The Vancouver City Council passed an austere biennial budget Monday that contains $9.1 million in cuts, the closure of a fire station and the loss of 112 jobs. The council voted 6-1 with Councilor Bart Hansen voting no because, he said, the budget has cuts to public safety.

City of Vancouver officially names Holmes city manager

It’s official: Eric Holmes is Vancouver’s new city manager. The city council approved his contract Monday night, making him an at-will employee subject to annual council review of his performance.

Driver charged with 4 counts of vehicular assault

SEATTLE (AP) -- The King County prosecutor has charged the driver of a pickup that collided with pedestrians in Seattle's Sodo district with four counts of vehicular assault.

High blood-alcohol on driver of pickup that hit 5

SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle police say the driver of a pickup that collided with five pedestrians in the city's Sodo district had a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal intoxication threshold.

Suns extend hustling sharpshooter Dudley's deal

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Phoenix Suns have extended the contract of forward Chris Dudley, the team's hustling defender and sharpshooter off the bench the past two seasons.

Celebrating the saints

Camas schoolchildren portray the canonized.

Teen ticketed after crash on Highway 500

An 18-year-old Vancouver woman was ticketed Monday afternoon after she allegedly crashed a car into the rear of a pickup stopped for traffic on state Highway 500 at Stapleton Road.

Ballots due; decision time for Heck, Herrera

Candidates for 3rd District locked in a tightening race

As the clock ticked down to Election Day, 3rd Congressional District candidates Jaime Herrera and Denny Heck campaigned hard on Monday in Clark County, waving signs, manning phone banks and knocking on doors as they rushed to reach as many voters as possible in a race that polls say has tightened in recent days. Both reflected on the intense campaign that began for them last December, days after U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, announced that he would not seek a seventh term in Congress.

Palestinian PM lays new claim to east Jerusalem

DAHIAT AL-BARID, West Bank (AP) -- The Palestinian prime minister has staked a new claim in Israel-controlled east Jerusalem, announcing that his government has helped fund the renovation of 14 schools there.

Rights groups: Israel abused Palestinian detainees

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Two leading Israeli rights groups are accusing Israel's internal security service of violating human rights of Palestinian detainees.

US beats Costa Rica 4-0 in women's qualifying

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) -- Abby Wambach scored for the third straight game and the United States beat Costa Rica 4-0 Monday night to win its first-round group in qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup.

Cal QB Riley likely to miss rest of season

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- California quarterback Kevin Riley is expected to miss the rest of the season with an injured left knee.

Eugene, Ore., coach arraigned on sex abuse charges

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- A Sheldon High School cross-country coach accused of having sex with a 15-year-old female student at the Eugene school has been arraigned on six counts of second-degree sexual abuse.

No winners for Wash. Lotto, Hit 5 top prizes

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- No winning tickets were sold for the Washington State Lottery's $5.5 million Lotto jackpot or the $120,000 Hit 5 cashpot Monday night, so prizes will increase to $5.6 million in Lotto and $150,000 in Hit 5.

Vancouver woman allegedly took terminally ill son’s sedative

She was arrested in Pittsburgh, where he is on life support

A mother visiting her terminally ill son at a Pennsylvania hospital has been accused of injecting herself with the boy’s drugs.

Blazers suffer first loss of season

Deng’s career-high 40 points lifts Bulls

The Trail Blazers entered the game 3-0, with all three of their victories coming as a result of fourth quarter comebacks.

Linn Co., Ore.: 1 dead, 4 injured in van crash

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) -- Linn County, Ore., Sheriff Tim Mueller says a passenger van plunged down a steep embankment in the southeast part of his county, killing one person and injuring four others.

Griner leads Baylor to exhibition rout

WACO, Texas (AP) -- Brittney Griner had 28 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks to lead second-ranked Baylor to a 89-46 exhibition rout of St. Edward's University on Monday night.

Giants fans cheer World Series win in downtown SF

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Thousands of Giants fans cheered at the city's Civic Center plaza as the club clinched its first World Series championship since moving to San Francisco more than a half century ago.

Jury: deputy didn't use excessive force in killing

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal court jury in Portland, Ore., has decided that a Washington County deputy did not use excessive force in killing an unarmed 20-year-old man in October 2006.

Sore knee forces Clippers' Davis to sit

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis is sitting out Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs because of a sore left knee.

Wash. AG settles lawsuit with Master Builders

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna's office has settled a lawsuit filed against the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties over violations of the state's campaign finance disclosure law.

Portland police say woman reported missing is OK

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland police say they've spoken with a 25-year-old woman who had been reported missing and she's fine.

Agent sentenced in Wash. for importing steroids

SEATTLE (AP) -- A former federal immigration agent in Washington state has been sentenced to two years of probation for importing steroids.

Gio Ponti to run in Breeders' Cup Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Gio Ponti will run in the Breeders' Cup Mile rather than take another shot against unbeaten Zenyatta in the Classic.

Georgia assistant seems to give Gators choke sign

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Florida-Georgia rivalry may have a new twist, this one courtesy of Georgia assistant coach Todd Grantham.

Michigan State's Lucious suspended for hoop opener

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has suspended guard Korie Lucious for next week's regular season opener as well as one exhibition game.

Blackhawks D Campbell makes season debut

NEW YORK (AP) -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell is back in the Stanley Cup champions' lineup after recovering from a preseason knee injury.

Younger Patriots have NFL's best record

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The New England Patriots have the NFL's best record despite the inexperience of several key contributors.

Wizards' Wall has sprained ankle, expects to play

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Wall and Gilbert Arenas are both nursing right ankle injuries as the Washington Wizards prepare for their home opener.

Ore. man gets 6 years for shooting best friend

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- An Oregon man has been sentenced to more than 6 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting his best friend.

Zach Parise to have arthroscopic surgery on knee

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- If things weren't bad enough, the struggling New Jersey Devils are going to be without Zach Parise for an undisclosed amount of time.

Foles sprained right knee improving

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona quarterback Nick Foles is closer to returning from his knee injury, though coach Mike Stoops isn't ready to declare him the starter for this week's showdown against No. 10 Stanford.

New plan would allow more Ore. logging for schools

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Department of Forestry has proposed a new plan for managing the only state forest that contributes money to schools.

Cavs' Jamison slowed by cranky knee

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) -- Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison did not practice because of soreness in his left knee and could miss Tuesday's game against Atlanta.

Oregon man settles gesture lawsuit for $4,000

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An Oregon man has settled a federal lawsuit over a hand gesture he made to sheriff's deputies.

Student says Vols DE Jacques Smith hit him on head

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee student says Volunteers freshman defensive end Jacques Smith hit him on the head at a bar, causing him to fall and suffer a concussion.

Davey Lopes tells Phils he won't return as coach

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Davey Lopes has informed the Philadelphia Phillies he won't return as first-base coach, the team says.

Saints looking to avoid another letdown

METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- If the defending champion New Orleans Saints could play well against the worst teams on their schedule, they'd be in excellent shape.

Penguins' Staal out with another injury

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal, expected to return this week after missing 12 games with an infection in his right foot, will be out indefinitely after sustaining an undisclosed injury during practice.

Columbus to play Salt Lake in CONCACAF quarters

NEW YORK (AP) -- Columbus will play Real Salt Lake in an all-Major League Soccer quarterfinal of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Ravens relax during bye _ and step into 1st place

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- The bye week couldn't have worked out much better for the Baltimore Ravens, who were rejuvenated by the mini-vacation and climbed into a first-place tie in the AFC North without even breaking a sweat.

Kelly Pavlik pulls out of next fight

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has withdrawn from his fight on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's bout with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13, citing a rib injury.

Smoke bomb fails at Airway Heights prison

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. (AP) -- A homemade smoke bomb failed to ignite Monday in a bathroom at the Airway Heights Corrections Center, west of Spokane.

Tipsarevic through to face Federer in Basel

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) -- Janko Tipsarevic defeated Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4 Tuesday to advance to a second-round meeting with three-time champion Roger Federer at the Swiss Indoors.

Federer begins Basel bid with easy win

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) -- Roger Federer has easily won his opening match in his hometown tournament, beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 5-2 in the Basel Indoors.

Gundy favors permanent video towers at Oklahoma St

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Coach Mike Gundy is asking for permanent video towers to be built at Oklahoma State after the fatal accident last week at Notre Dame.

Cavs' Tait hospitalized

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers' Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Tait remains hospitalized with a blood clot in his lung.

Phillips putting 1-6 Cowboys in training-camp mode

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Wade Phillips is starting over.

Skeletal remains found in Oregon coast dunes

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- Skeletal remains found in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area have been recovered after a dog led a couple to them during a walk.

North Dakota, Southern Utah joining Big Sky

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- The University of North Dakota and Southern Utah are joining the Big Sky Conference, effective in July 2012.

Boise State hopeful Brotzman can return to duty

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Boise State coach Chris Petersen is hoping Kyle Brotzman's leg will be healthy enough for him to resume his kicking and punting duties in time for Saturday's matchup with Hawaii.

Burrell will DH for Giants in Game 5 of Series

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy has tweaked his lineup again for Game 5 of the World Series.

Giants look to avoid post-bye letdown vs. Seahawks

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants went into the bye week riding a four-game winning streak, and their goal coming out is not to lose that momentum.

Horford agrees to $60 million extension with Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract extension with All-Star center Al Horford.

Bengals' season hits bottom already

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Reality show star Terrell Owens wishes he could rewind the Bengals' season and start over.

CIAA tournament staying in Charlotte through 2014

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is keeping its prestigious basketball tournament in Charlotte through 2014.

Ogando out, Nippert in for Rangers' Series roster

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers have added right-hander Dustin Nippert to their World Series roster, replacing injured reliever Alexi Ogando.

Ivanovic splits from coach Gunthardt

LONDON (AP) -- Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic has split from coach Heinz Gunthardt despite a recent improvement in form.

Patty Murray, Dino Rossi compete for Wash. Senate

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Democratic incumbent Patty Murray and Republican challenger Dino Rossi are awaiting the results in their closely watched race for the U.S. Senate.

Murray, Rossi on the road in final push for votes

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- The candidates are on the road looking for votes in Washington state's closely watched U.S. Senate race, with one day left before ballots have to be returned.

Iowa won't be penalized in Kutcher-recruit flap

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa says the NCAA won't penalize the Hawkeyes for allowing two basketball recruits to meet celebrity fans Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.

Bear attack victim returns to Bellevue council

BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) -- The Bellevue City Council has welcomed Councilman John Chelminiak (SHELL'-min-ack) back for the first time since he was mauled by a bear.

Bear attack victim returning to Bellevue council

BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) -- The Bellevue City Council is welcoming Councilman John Chelminiak back for the first time since he was mauled by a bear.

A's hire Romanick as pitching coach

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Athletics have promoted bullpen coach Ron Romanick to pitching coach.

Blackmon back from suspension for No. 19 Cowboys

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Top receiver Justin Blackmon is back in the mix after a one-game suspension, with no harm done to No. 19 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South race.

Guilty plea in Lakewood armored car robbery

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- A woman who worked at a Lakewood Wal-Mart and was accused of providing inside information for a robbery has pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of an armored car guard.

Officials: 49 percent of Ore. ballots returned

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon voters have returned about 49 percent of their ballots so far, with Republicans returning theirs at a faster rate than Democrats.

Officials: 45 percent of Ore. ballots returned

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon voters have returned about 45 percent of their ballots so far, with Republicans returning theirs at a faster rate than Democrats.

WNBA's Mystics name Trudi Lacey GM, coach

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Trudi Lacey is the new general manager and head coach of the Washington Mystics, who switched both positions after the franchise's most successful season.

Neb QB Martinez has ankle sprain, not bone bruise

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez has a sprained right ankle, not a bone bruise in his leg as coach Bo Pelini initially said.

Ore. group works to bring differing views together

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- A group in Corvallis calling itself "Unlike Minds" is working to bring back polite debate over politics.

Mom accused in Pa. of stealing ill son's drugs

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A mother visiting her terminally ill son at a Pennsylvania hospital has been accused of injecting herself with the boy's drugs.

Shaq misses Celtics practice again

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal missed his second straight practice on Monday with a knee bruise suffered late in Friday's game against the Knicks. He likely will miss Tuesday's game in Detroit.

Britt's big day costs Ellis Hobbs his starting job

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Dimitri Patterson has replaced Ellis Hobbs as a starting cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sabres F Pominville cleared to play

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Pominville has been cleared to play after missing nine games with a concussion.

Canucks' F Burrows to return Tuesday at Edmonton

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Vancouver forward Alex Burrows will return to the Canucks' lineup against Edmonton after missing the first month of the season following offseason shoulder surgery.

Ore. governor extends trade mission to Iraq

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski is extending his Middle East trade mission to Iraq and Kuwait.

McClain imposes media blackout until sellout

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Oakland rookie middle linebacker Rolando McClain briefly broke his long silence to the media to make a plea to Raiders fans to come out to this week's game.

New nickname for Lakers' new bench: The Renegades

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- This must be another coaching record for Phil Jackson. Just one week into the regular season, he has already minted a catchy nickname for the Los Angeles Lakers' revamped group of reserves.

Chilean miner ready to run in marathon

NEW YORK (AP) -- One of the freed Chilean miners has accepted an invitation to run in Sunday's New York City Marathon.

UCI President McQuaid wants 4-year doping bans

LONDON (AP) -- International cycling federation president Pat McQuaid says he favors four-year bans for serious doping offenses to help clean up a sport battered by drug scandals.

New bike race has route mapped out in Colorado

DENVER (AP) -- The inaugural Quiznos Pro Challenge international bicycle race has been mapped out.

Brazilian swimmer gets 2-year doping suspension

SAO PAULO (AP) -- The Brazilian swimming federation says Daiane Becker de Oliveira has been suspended for two years for failing a doping test.

Magenta Theater to present murder mystery dinner show

Audience plays a role in production

Watch a couple episodes of “The Sopranos” or a few Martin Scorsese movies, and it becomes clear that rivaling mob bosses are a hallmark of the gangster genre. One thing these bosses almost always have in common is they’re male. Vancouver writer Gary Corbin decided to present a new twist on this familiar formula by having women vie for control of the Chicago organized crime scene in his interactive murder mystery dinner show, “Mama Versus the Mob.”

Rutgers' Dodd to start vs. South Florida

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Rutgers coach Greg Schiano on Monday named Chas Dodd as his team's starting quarterback for Wednesday's game against South Florida.

King County preparing for winter snow

SEATTLE (AP) -- King County says road crews are ready to battle snow and ice, and Metro buses are ready to go to snow routes during a storm.

Group plans restoration of Holly Theatre in Ore.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- A foundation affiliated with Jefferson Public Radio has agreed to buy the Holly Theatre in Medford and plans to restore it as a performing arts center.

Generators OK'd at Microsoft data center in Quincy

QUINCY, Wash. (AP) -- The state Ecology Department granted Microsoft a permit to install 13 backup power generators for the expansion of its data center in Quincy in central Washington.

Michigan plans to leave defensive staff together

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says he isn't making changes to his defensive staff following the Wolverines' third straight loss.

Vandy loses top rusher to season-ending injury

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Vanderbilt running back Warren Norman will have surgery on a dislocated right wrist on Tuesday, knocking the Commodores' top rusher out for the rest of the season.

Big chicken vote on Wednesday in Bremerton

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) -- The Bremerton City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a measure that would allow residents to keep as many as four hens on their property.

3 Ore. schools try gardens for school lunches

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Three Salem schools soon will shrink the distance from farm to plate to less than 100 feet.

Sound Transit still spending 1 percent for art

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Sound Transit board decided to keep its "1 percent for art" spending at 1 percent.

Vick back to full practice

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Michael Vick has completed his first full practice since a rib cartilage injury sidelined him four weeks ago.

Rossi waves signs with supporters

Republican Dino Rossi waved signs with supporters in Vancouver on Monday, a day before the Nov. 2 election.

Judge postpones reggae star Buju Banton's retrial

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton's retrial in Florida has been pushed back until February.

UO, Lane enrollments set preliminary records

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Preliminary figures for enrollment increases at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College have set records.

Buckeyes welcome a week away

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- No. 8 Ohio State has a week to take stock.

Verdasco eases through opener in Valencia

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) -- Spain's Fernando Verdasco delighted the home crowd at the Valencia Open with a 6-4, 6-1 win over American qualifier Michael Russell in the first round Monday.

Ore. off-leash dogs topic in national forest forum

BEND, Ore. (AP) -- Letting dogs go without a leash in the Deschutes National Forest is going to be a topic for an open house later this month in Bend.

Irsay: Indy has new contract proposal for Manning

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Colts owner Jim Irsay says the team wanted to make Peyton Manning a contract proposal during the team's bye week but acknowledged Manning wants to wait until after the season to complete a new deal.

Giants C Shaun O'Hara has sprained right mid-foot

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Giants center Shaun O'Hara is battling another foot injury and his status is uncertain for New York's game at Seattle.

Ore. officers accused of illegal campaigning

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- At least nine Oregon police officers have been accused of violating state election laws by campaigning against Measure 74, the statewide medical marijuana initiative.

Mattingly gets offseason training

PHOENIX (AP) -- Don Mattingly would have loved a trip home to Indiana, especially after the underachieving season the Los Angeles Dodgers had.

Ore. studded tire season opens, motorists prepare

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Studded tire season has arrived as Oregonians prepare for winter driving and the perils of snow and ice on the highways.

Funeral for Notre Dame student killed in accident

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (AP) -- A church bell tolled solemnly as mourners gathered for the funeral of a Notre Dame student killed when a tower from which he was filming football practice toppled over.

Snow blocks missing Mount Vernon woman's dog

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) -- Searchers took a missing Mount Vernon woman's dog back to Sauk Mountain, but snow prevented them from reaching the spot where Patricia Krieger was last seen.

Beasley, Love have contracts extended, not Brewer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves have exercised contract options for next season on forwards Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, guards Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington, and center Kosta Koufos.

Flyers' Briere suspended 3 games

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Flyers forward Danny Briere has been suspended three games by the NHL for his crosscheck of the Islanders' Frans Nielsen.

Man pleads guilty in $71M scheme that stung Elway

DENVER (AP) -- A former hedge fund manager accused of defrauding investors, including former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, in a $71 million Ponzi scheme has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

Shanahan: McNabb not in shape to run 2-min offense

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Mike Shanahan has a new explanation for benching Donovan McNabb. The Washington Redskins coach says the quarterback wasn't in good enough shape to run a two-minute offense with no timeouts.

Woman acquitted after baby found in E. Ore. toilet

HEPPNER, Ore. (AP) -- A Mexican woman has been acquitted of a murder charge after her baby was found dead in a portable toilet near a field where she was working in Eastern Oregon.

Sterger's lawyer says no Monday meeting with NFL

NEW YORK (AP) -- The lawyer for Jenn Sterger says she will not meet with the NFL on Monday, and her manager says the legal team for the former New York Jets hostess still is conducting its own investigation into inappropriate text messages and photos allegedly sent by Brett Favre.

Man found dead in Centralia apartment fire

CENTRALIA, Wash. (AP) -- Firefighters have found a man dead at an apartment fire in Centralia.

NFL game draws higher rating than World Series

NEW YORK (AP) -- A regular-season NFL game has earned a higher television rating than the World Series.

Browns QB situation still uncertain

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Browns coach Eric Mangini still hasn't picked a starting quarterback.

Browns' quarterback situation still uncertain

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Browns coach Eric Mangini still hasn't picked a starting quarterback.

FBI seeks Ore. bank manager in fraud investigation

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- The FBI is looking for a former bank manager in Coos Bay suspected of taking up to $1.2 million from customers.

Penn State-OSU game to start at 3:30 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- There'll be a little more time for sleeping in and tailgating before Penn State plays at Ohio State on Nov. 13.

Ashland, Ore. tries Open City Hall on Internet

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The city of Ashland is testing an Internet site called Open City Hall to allow comment on city government topics when people miss public meetings.

No sex abuse charges against Oakridge teacher

OAKRIDGE, Ore. (AP) -- Oakridge police say an exhaustive investigation of a substitute teacher accused of sexually abusing a student failed to turn up enough evidence.

Voter turnout of 66 percent expected in Washington

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Secretary of State Sam Reed predicts that 66 percent of Washington's 3.6 million voters -- nearly 2.4 million -- will vote in Tuesday's election.

4 Ore. adults in court after kid fight video

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Four Oregon adults accused of encouraging two 9-year-old boys to fight in a video that wound up on Facebook have been arraigned on criminal charges.

McMinnville kid fight video leads to arrests

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The disturbing video of two 9-year-olds fighting -- egged on by parents -- led to the arrest of four adults in McMinnville.

Yemen: Al-Qaida turncoat alerted Saudis to plot

SAN'A, Yemen (AP) -- Yemeni security officials say that a leading al-Qaida militant in Yemen who surrendered to Saudi authority provided the tip that lead to the thwarting of the mail bomb plot.

Man killed on Highway 62 at White City

WHITE CITY, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon State Police say a 51-year-old Medford man was trying to walk across Highway 62 near White City in an unlit area Saturday night when he was fatally struck.

Transient struck and killed near Salem

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- An 81-year-old driver struck and killed a pedestrian crossing Highway 99E near Salem.

High court turns down Patriot Act challenger

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court is refusing to take up a constitutional challenge to provisions of the Patriot Act from a lawyer who was once wrongly suspected in deadly terrorist bombings in Spain.

Notre Dame coach, players mourn student's death

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (AP) -- Notre Dame University football coach Brian Kelly and several players were among the mourners at the funeral of a student killed when a tower from which he was filming practice toppled over.

Being in the playoffs doesn’t mean you know your opponent

Tim Martinez: High schools

As we head into the final week of the regular season, we make sure to ask coaches what is next for their team.

Weekly high school sports schedule 11/1

This week's high school sports schedule, Nov. 1-6

In our view: Enjoy the Ride

39th Street overpass to open Wednesday; Fruit Valley, Lincoln neighborhoods reconnect

After two years of staring over and beyond construction barriers, the fine folks of the Fruit Valley and Lincoln neighborhoods will get reacquainted with each other in a couple of days when the 39th Street overpass opens to the public. Those long detours to Fourth Plain Boulevard will be gone, and the more traditional bone-jarring rides over seven sets of railroad tracks will be in the distant past. At 2 p.m. Wednesday, traffic on 39th Street is scheduled to sail smoothly above the railroad tracks on the new bridge. That’s the grass-roots perspective of what will happen after the ribbon-cutting, and it’s the best way to start analyzing the impact of this bridge project, which carries a total cost of $20 million. It’ll be great to see the residents of the two west Vancouver neighborhoods cutting minutes off their daily travel times. Even before the project, venturing across the tracks was, well, an adventure, to say the least. And the two-year blockade for construction surely must have pushed the patience of a few motorists.

Businesses urged to use tax credit

Buy software, equipment by year’s end to reap most benefits, they’re advised

Local business and tax advisers are telling companies to consider making software or equipment purchases before the end of the year. A business tax credit for buying equipment, which was set to expire Dec. 31, has been increased and extended through 2011 with the recent passage of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act.

Time to vote running short

Haven’t voted? You have just two days left to mark your ballot and get it to county elections officials. The Clark County Elections Office at 1408 Franklin St. will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to accept ballots and to provide ballots to registered voters who did not receive their ballots in the mail.

WSUV engineering professor wants take program to next level

If you’re a Washington State University Vancouver engineering student into automation and robotics, Hakan Gurocak is your man. Now, two National Science Foundation grants worth a quarter million dollars should help the instructor shift WSUV’s burgeoning mechatronics program into higher gear and introduce more young Vancouver students to its cutting-edge work.

Death notices

A list of daily death notices

Council may pay toward benefits

Members would pay same for health care as nonunion staff

What’s good for city staff is good for the Vancouver City Council, Councilor Jack Burkman says, and he’s proposing he and his colleagues start paying for a share of their health care benefits. Burkman proposed this month that the city council pay 15 percent of their dependents’ health care premiums, bringing them into line with what nonunion employees pay, and what city officials asked — unsuccessfully — the city’s unionized workers to do.

Tidewater to lay off 200 for 3 months

Cuts correspond with shutdown of Columbia River locks

Vancouver-based Tidewater Barge Co. will lay off about 200 employees this December in response to a planned shutdown of three Columbia River locks, according to the company. Starting Dec. 10, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close the navigational locks at The Dalles, John Day and Lower Monumental dams for three months in order to replace the lock gates. Announced more than a year ago, the work will stop all barge traffic east of The Dalles, Ore., until the upgrades are complete around March 18.

Real estate transactions

Recent commercial real estate transactions as reported by area brokerage firms.

Vancouver building permits

Building permits over $25,000 issued by the city of Vancouver.

Clark County building permits

Building permits over $25,000 issued by Clark County’s Department of Community Development.

Our readers' views

Letters to the editor

Clark County business calendar

The Columbian welcomes submissions about Clark County residents or businesses as well as regional business events. Information must be received by noon Tuesday preceding the intended Sunday publication date. Send to mary.ricks@columbian.com or fax 360-735-4491. Sales awards are not published.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Vancouver writer battles cancer again

Vancouver resident Linda Mobley recently signed copies of her self-published book “Blessed with Cancer” at an event at the Providence Cancer Center in Portland. Mobley was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago. She wrote a book about beating the disease. It’s available online at http://www.blessedwithcancerthebook.com.

Offbeat: Chinook elementary students will get signature moment in space

More than 800 Chinook Elementary pupils signed up for a space voyage that blasts off Wednesday afternoon. Their signatures will be aboard the space shuttle Discovery, which is scheduled to launch at 12:52 p.m. from the Kennedy Space Center. The mission was scheduled to lift off this afternoon, but has been delayed because of gas leaks.