Stories for April 1, 2012

Marathoner Balciunaite loses doping appeal

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) -- European marathon champion Zivile Balciunaite of Lithuania has lost her appeal of a two-year doping ban, ruling her out of the London Olympics.

Toddler buried after washing machine drowning

OREM, Utah (AP) -- The parents of an Oregon toddler who drowned in a washing machine have returned to Orem, Utah, to lay him to rest.

FIFA insists it can enforce Olympics release rule

ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA says the compulsory release of clubs' under-23 players for the London Olympics is covered by its existing rules even though the tournament was left off the international match calendar.

Back injury knocks Radwanska out of Family Circle

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska has withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup because of a back injury.

31st gang shooting of the year in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Police say a shooting early Sunday in Portland was the 31st gang shooting of the year in the city, compared with 17 at the same time last year.

Dog theft-ransom nets 3-year term for Longview man

KELSO, Wash. (AP) -- A 39-year-old Longview man who stole a dog and tried to ransom it for prescription drugs was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

AAA: Average price of gasoline in Washington $4.12

BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) -- The AAA auto club reports the average price of a gallon of gas in Washington is $4.12.

Man injured when car falls off blocks

Vancouver firefighters at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 1, responded to a report of a car falling on a man who was working beneath it.

UK truckers told to keep quiet during London Games

LONDON (AP) -- London officials have some advice for truck drivers during the Olympics: Lay off the horns.

Battle Ground-area crash hospitalizes man

Police say SUV failed to yield, hit pickup; driver cited

A Roseburg, Ore., man was in satisfactory condition Sunday night at a local hospital after being injured in a two-car crash north of Battle Ground.

AAA: Average price of gasoline in Oregon $4.11

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The AAA auto club reports the average price of a gallon of gasoline in Oregon is $4.11.

Columbia River nearing flood stage

Advisory in effect through noon Monday; showers expected for rest of week

The mighty Columbia River was running high and fast Sunday, April 1, flirting with its flood stage.

OSU tree with romantic reputation honored

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- A tree on the Oregon State University campus with a reputation for romance is being honored as a state heritage tree.

Cyclist Cancellara breaks collarbone, has surgery

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) -- Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara has undergone surgery for a broken collarbone after crashing during the Tour of Flanders.

Police: Arkansas coach Petrino crashes motorcycle

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- A State Police official says Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Bobby Petrino crashed his motorcycle on a highway and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Israel PM makes another appeal for settlers

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's prime minister is again siding with Jewish settlers trying to remain in West Bank homes they occupied illegally.

Israeli army orders settlers out of Hebron house

HEBRON, West Bank (AP) -- The Israeli military has ordered Jewish settlers to evacuate a building they occupied last week in the heart of the most volatile city in the West Bank.

31st gang shooting of the year in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Police say a shooting early Sunday in Portland was the 31st gang shooting of the year in the city, compare with 17 at this time last year.

Estacada drowning victim was volunteer firefighter

ESTACADA, Ore. (AP) -- A 21-year-old man who drowned on Lake Harriet near Estacada was a volunteer with the Colton Fire Department.

Spokane bicyclist injured in collision with car

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A driver was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide after a collision with a bicycle in Spokane.

US stock futures dip on China manufacturing data

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are slipping after the latest manufacturing report out of China which suggests that one of the world's biggest economies may be slowing.

Skier dies in White Pass tree well

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- A skier who died at White Pass is described as a woman in her 20s who worked at the ski area this season.

Windy day for parts of Western Washington

SEATTLE (AP) -- The National Weather Service forecasts high winds Monday night for the Washington coast and northwest interior.

Bill Clinton: Obama can argue he steadied economy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton says he believes President Barack Obama can win re-election if he can persuade voters he steadied a shaky economy.

Winds complicate work after Bellingham marina fire

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) -- Officials are still looking for the bodies of two people presumed dead in the fire Friday that sank their boat at a Bellingham marina.

Revel, Atlantic City's newest casino, opens

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- The first customer through the door at Atlantic City's newest casino wasted little time in winning big.

MLB to launch concert series at Fan Cave in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pop group Far East Movement will help celebrate opening day for the 2012 Major League Baseball season with a performance at the MLB Fan Cave in New York City on Wednesday.

Leipheimer hit by car, 'lucky to be alive'

GUENES, Spain (AP) -- American cyclist Levi Leipheimer says he is "lucky to be alive" after being hit by a car while training for the Tour of Basque Country.

Blazers defeat Timberwolves

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points in his return after missing one game with a sore left elbow, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a 119-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Man's body found in Willamette River near Salem

DALLAS, Ore. (AP) -- The Polk County sheriff's office says it's checking missing persons cases as it tries to identify the body of a man found in the Willamette River.

Atalanta's Masiello arrested in match-fixing claim

BARI, Italy (AP) -- The Italian soccer federation says Atalanta defender Andrea Masiello has been arrested in the ongoing Italian probe into match-fixing, and eight of his former Bari teammates are under investigation.

Vancouver's ‘Map Man’ remembered at service

Friends, family recall Phil Arnold’s humor, life lessons, talent

The “Map Man” of Vancouver was eulogized Sunday, April 1, for his work, his love of community and his quirkiness.

Bill Clinton: Obama can argue he steadied economy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton says he believes President Barack Obama can win re-election if he can persuade voters he steadied a shaky economy.

2 Austrian coaches join US ski team

VIENNA (AP) -- Two coaches who have been working with the Austrian ski federation for more than 15 years will join the U.S. men's ski team for the next World Cup season.

Revel, Atlantic City's newest casino, opens

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Atlantic City's newest casino is open for business.

FIFA adviser says reforms on track, but not ideal

GENEVA (AP) -- A FIFA anti-corruption adviser says the process of cleaning up soccer's world governing body is still on track despite president Sepp Blatter delivering fewer promises than expected.

Iraq to ask FIFA to lift ban on home matches

BAGHDAD (AP) -- An Iraqi soccer official says the federation will ask FIFA to lift the ban on home international matches at stadiums across the country.

Clark falls in division-opening games

Clark College's nine-game baseball win streak came to a halt Sunday as the Penguins were swept by Pierce College 19-4 and 5-3 in the NWAACC West Division openers at Mt. Tahoma High School field.

Ridgefield woman's blog gains attention after she supports soldier's wife

On a recent evening, as Ridgefield resident Lori Volkman and her mother were discussing the case of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, charged with killing 17 Afghan civilians, they lamented how his wife must feel.

Self's drive guides Jayhawks into title game

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Pulling tactical and motivational strings, Kansas coach Bill Self has turned what was supposed to a rebuilding year into one to remember.

Clark County at Work: USA River Cruises

USA River Cruises is a cruise agency, offering small-ship river cruises in the USA, Europe and Asia and beyond. The company specializes in Columbia River and Mississippi River cruises.

US offers $10 million for Pakistani militant chief

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- The United States has offered a $10 million bounty for the founder of the Pakistani militant group blamed for the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people.

Pakistan: Cross-border attack kills 4 soldiers

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- The Pakistani military says dozens of Taliban militants coming from Afghanistan attacked border posts in the northwest, killing four paramilitary soldiers.

18-year-old dies in eastern Wash. kayak accident

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- An 18-year-old man from the Spokane area is dead after a kayaking accident on Rock Lake in eastern Washington.

Sporting KC beats Chivas USA 1-0 to move to 4-0

CARSON, Calif. (AP) -- C.J. Sapong scored in the 47th minute to help Sporting Kansas City improve to 4-0 this season with a 1-0 win over Chivas USA on Sunday night.

Cardinals pull April Fools' prank on Wainwright

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- A lucky fan was about to win a truck, and Adam Wainwright thought it was pretty cool.

Bynum leaves Lakers game with sprained ankle

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Andrew Bynum has sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors.

Yoo wins Kraft Nabisco after Kim's 1-foot miss

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) -- Sun Young Yoo won the Kraft Nabisco Championship with an 18-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Sunday, earning her first major title after I.K. Kim missed a 1-foot putt on the final hole of regulation.

Hight races to third straight Funny Car victory

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Robert Hight raced to his third straight Funny Car victory Sunday, beating Bob Tasca III in the final in he SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

Gebremeskel, Dibaba win titles at Carlsbad 5000

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia has won the men's championship at the Carlsbad 5000 for the second year in a row, tying for the fourth-fastest time ever on the roads in 13 minutes, 11 seconds.

Cummings helps Rapids beat Fire 2-0

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) -- Omar Cummings scored in the 58th minute to help lead the Colorado Rapids to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday night.

Harvard, USC win titles at Crew Classic

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Harvard has won the Copley Cup for men and Southern California the Jessop-Whittier Cup for women at the San Diego Crew Classic.

Calimonco wins Santa Anita feature

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) -- Calimonco held off Make Music for Me to win the inaugural running of the $79,950 Sidd Finch Stakes by a half-length at Santa Anita on Sunday.

109-1 longshot Hero of Order wins Louisiana Derby

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hero of Order, the longest shot in the field at 109-1, won the $1 million Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on Sunday at the Fair Grounds.

Washington G Ross decides to enter NBA draft

SEATTLE (AP) -- Washington guard Terrence Ross has decided to enter the NBA draft.

Gallardo outlasts Lincecum, Brewers top Giants 7-4

PHOENIX (AP) -- Yovani Gallardo outlasted Tim Lincecum in a matchup of opening day starters and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Sunday.

Timber payments won't close county budget gap

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Lane County officials say they would be grateful for an extension of federal timber payments but the amount under consideration will not cover the projected budget gap.

Barney, Cubs beat Weaver, Angels 8-1

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Darwin Barney hit an RBI triple off Jered Weaver that broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 Sunday.

Temporary outage of Visa card network Sunday

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Visa says a technical problem affecting its network barred people from using their credit and debit cards for about 45 minutes on Sunday.

Closer Bailey to have right thumb examined

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said closer Andrew Bailey will travel to Boston on Monday to have his right thumb examined.

Lewis tunes up to start opener for Rangers

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Colby Lewis tuned up to start on opening day, pitching four innings Sunday as the Texas Rangers beat the San Diego Padres 5-3.

Arkansas WR arrested for drug possession

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas wide receiver Kane Whitehurst was arrested early Sunday morning for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

111-1 longshot Hero of Order wins Louisiana Derby

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hero of Order, the longest shot in the field at 111-1, won the $1 million Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on Sunday at the Fair Grounds.

Texas QB Ash feels like leader of 'Horns offense

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Sophomore quarterback David Ash says he feels like the leader of the Texas offense.

Hunter Mahan wins Houston Open

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) -- Hunter Mahan shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday to win the Houston Open, edging Carl Pettersson by one stroke.

Hit-and-run victim found on Portland street

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland police say a woman was struck and killed in an apparent hit and run.

No doubt Davis and Robinson are the headliners

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Kansas' Thomas Robinson went head to head all season as the two favorites for national player of the year honors.

Festering feud: Jimenez drills Tulowitzki in elbow

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Cleveland pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez nailed former teammate Troy Tulowitzki in the elbow Sunday, carrying their feud onto the field and causing the Indians and Colorado Rockies to clear the benches.

With Facebook, central OR's data centers expanding

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (AP) -- With Facebook's first data center in Prineville up and running and a second being built next door, local officials are looking to cement central Oregon as a hub for data centers.

Special education professor dies in bike crash

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- A professor of special education at Western Oregon University has died of injuries suffered when he was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bike.

Jordan says he's 100 percent committed to Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Michael Jordan says he's 100 percent committed to the Charlotte Bobcats and has no intention of selling the struggling NBA franchise.

Novak Djokovic wins Key Biscayne for 3rd time

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -- Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won his third Sony Ericsson Open title Sunday, holding every service game to beat Andy Murray 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Power surges to another IndyCar victory in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Will Power surged from the pack to win his second straight Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, once again holding off Scott Dixon.

Phillies and Braves play to 7-7 tie in 9 innings

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -- Cliff Lee allowed one run over four innings in his final Grapefruit League start, and the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves played to a 7-7 tie in nine innings Sunday.

In Our View: Boeing’s Bandwagon

Clark County wants in on the boom, and CREDC is leading the way

Most communities throughout the Pacific Northwest are rushing to develop some type of connection to Everett-based aerospace giant Boeing, and who can blame them? Boeing business is booming!Over the next two decades, the state’s most powerful employer plans to sell 33,500 commercial airplanes for a cool $4 trillion (with a “t”). Development of the 787 Dreamliner was delayed for more than three years, but now Boeing is attracting buyers from around the world, particularly in Asia. In the next couple of years, the company will ramp up production to about one 737 and one 777 every three days or so.

Should Obamacare end? No

Law making positive changes for Americans

Two years ago, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a landmark, once-in-a-generation legislation that was decades in the making.

Jayne: Narcissism runs in sports stars

Greg Jayne: Commentary

Last week, you see, as Tiger Woods was rolling to his first victory in 2 years, I posted some thoughts online about how it appears that his fall from grace has done little to impact his fan base.

John Laird: Surviving in the impersonal world of tweets and texts

Lewis and Clark are properly credited for conducting one of the most consequential journeys in the history of exploration. They opened the American West to development by people of European ancestry. Miraculously, they managed to do this without tweeting OMG every five minutes along the way.

Should Obamacare end? Yes

Insurance, Medicaid rules unconstitutional

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional down to its very DNA. The Supreme Court can save itself and the country years of litigation by striking down the entire law when it issues its decision this summer.

Talking Points: When orange is red

What's the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking: Louisville uniform color, Dodgers sale

Editorial Cartoon: Obamacare meet solictor general

April 1

Clark County Business Briefing

A weekly update on people and events in Clark County business.

Final county flood maps now available online

Final flood insurance rate maps are now available on Clark County’s website. The maps, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, identify local flood hazard zones, including “base flood” areas that have a 1 percent chance of being inundated in any year.

School workers’ insurance snarls session

Measure to standardize shopping for benefits is part of state budget talks

OLYMPIA -- A measure intended to streamline and standardize health insurance for Washington’s public school employees has proved to be among the most opaque and divisive issues taken up by the Legislature this year.

Weather Eye: March was amazingly wet, and April isn’t drying out yet

I was going to start with an April Fool’s Day forecast but after our wild March, I thought I’d better not fool around!

Nature Explore Clubs will organize for fun

If you’ve got a bunch of family members and friends who want to explore the outdoors together, the Parks Foundation of Clark County has a deal for you. Sign up your group with the Nature Explore Club program and receive support and ideas from volunteer coordinators, along with a backpack full of gear for children -- activity guides, trail maps, binoculars and field guides, nature journals and magnifying glasses, and more.

Free training for owners of small acreage at WSU Extension

Landowners can learn about topics from biodynamic farming to installing a french drain at the Small Acreage Expo on April 14.

Letter: Analyze health care independently

The March 25 front-page Columbian story “Health care question at court will be historic” was a real eye-opener as to the costs the public is forced to endure for health care in the U.S.

Letter: Bridge story: Follow the money

The billion-dollar question is: Who initiated it, and when was light rail included in the plans for the Columbia River Crossing bridge?

Letter: Shine light on effects of ban

There has been a lot of talk about the phase-out of the 100-watt incandescent light bulb but I have yet to hear much about the phase-out of the 4-foot and 8-foot fluorescent tubes that I and many other people have in the house, shop and/or garage.

Letter: Study’s suggestion will do harm

A March 21 Columbian story reported “Study: Too many colon tests rely on costly sedation.” The medical stories on sedation and colonoscopy are false.

Letter: Payouts in Afghanistan criticized

I was very upset with the March 26 Columbian story “U.S. pays massacre victims’ families.” A “shooting rampage allegedly” is just that -- alleged.

Letter: Too much busy work by county

Well, it’s taken me a couple of days to cool down enough so I can write this letter. A few days ago, I received a door hanger from Clark County Public Works.

Strictly Business: Wisdom of a business veteran

In the world of technology, the brashness of youth often trumps the wisdom of age. But when serial entrepreneur Steve Hix,74, spoke not long ago at a Clark County PubTalk event, the young people filling the seats at Fort Vancouver’s Artillery Barracks paid close attention to the guy who was probably the oldest person in the room.

Mets' Dickey spiked while covering 1st base

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -- New York Mets starter R.A. Dickey needed two stitches in his right heel after being spiked Sunday in a 9-2 loss to a split squad of Detroit Tigers.

DeRosa's RBI in 9th lifts Nats over Cardinals 2-1

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Mark DeRosa singled to right field in the ninth inning, scoring Danny Espinosa on a close play at the plate and lifting the Washington Nationals to a 2-1 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Yankees win in 1st MLB exhibition at Marlins Park

MIAMI (AP) -- Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher each had two hits, Robinson Cano drove in two runs and the New York Yankees beat Miami 10-8 on Sunday in the first exhibition between major league clubs at Marlins Park.

Kentucky and Kansas already met this season

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Monday night's national championship game will be the second time this season Kentucky and Kansas meet with all of college basketball watching.

Mayor defends police handling of Susan Powell case

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) -- A Utah mayor is defending his police department's handling of the Susan Powell case, insisting it did everything it could to resolve it.

Rock slide blocks train line in N. Idaho

BONNERS FERRY, Idaho (AP) -- A Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman says large boulders broke off from a cliff in northern Idaho and blocked a train line connecting Montana to the Pacific Northwest overnight.

CORRECTIVE: Countering the Coup

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- In a March 29 story about demonstrations countering a celebration of Brazil's 1964 military coup, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division, said that protests and a truth commission are no substitute for the justice Brazil should offer the junta's victims. Vivanco said that a truth commission is no substitute for justice, but did not mention protests.