Oregon law enforcement leaders have asked Rep. Darlene Hooley, a key member of the House Budget Committee, to push for more money in the federal budget for Head Start and other educational child care programs to help cut crime.
Research has shown that Head Start and quality childcare programs for low-income working families help prepare children for school, help them lead productive lives and prevent them from committing crimes. One study of Child-Parent Centers in Chicago showed that at-risk kids not participating in the program were 70 percent more likely to have been arrested for a violent crime by age 18, when compared with similar kids who were enrolled in the high quality early education program.
Sheriff Raul Ramirez of Marion County serves as president of the Oregon State Sheriff's Association. He is one of 137 members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Oregon, a bipartisan, anti-crime organization.

The Black Youth Project, under the direction of Dr. Cathy Cohen of the University of Chicago, has unveiled the findings of a comprehensive survey of the experiences and attitudes of young African Americans.  
The national survey questioned 1,590 Black, White and Hispanic young people, ages 15 to 25, on everything from pre-marital sex to their beliefs about the "color-blind" society.  
 "Religious leaders, social commentators and entertainers claim to understand Black youth," Cohen said. "This survey, however, shows young Black Americans to be more thoughtful and complex than they are usually assumed to be, with strong opinions about education, the political system, and the future of race and racism in America — opinions and perspectives we should understand if we want to promote effective policies that can really change the lives of young African Americans."

Members of the Delta Sorority rally in front of the state capitol during the 2007 African American Legislative Day on Monday, Feb. 11.

More than 1,500 people flooded the state capitol building in Olympia Monday for the annual African American Legislative Day to discuss important community issues with local lawmakers.
Attendees had the chance to meet with their local legislators, attend youth and adult workshops, hearings and tours of the capitol and rotunda.

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire has called on Congress to restore the drastic cuts to education and health care programs for children and the elderly included in President Bush's proposed federal budget.
 "President's Bush's priorities are not in line with the priorities of Washington families," Gregoire said. "We cannot leave children and seniors without access to health care, but these federal cuts continue to put more and more pressure on Washington residents to pick up the tab."

Thanks to a transit initiative recently approved by voters, King County Metro Transit has more bus service in the city's Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Skyway and Tukwila areas.
King County Metro Transit's "Transit Now" program adds service to the following routes:
•Route 8 – Added several trips during the morning and afternoon commute to offer bus service every 15 minutes on the portion of this route between Seattle Center and Capitol Hill;
•Route 101 – Added three trips to relieve overcrowding and provide better connections at the Renton Transit Center and South Renton Park-and-Ride; and
•Route 140 – Doubled mid-day weekday service to every 15 minutes on this route serving Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Renton.

Mehkai Parmer, 1, enjoys every last bite of his breakfast Saturday Feb. 10, at the annual Rainier Beach Community Center Pancake Breakfast Fund-raiser, which raises money for the center's youth programs. 

Westview High School Freshman Natasha Kantor, 15, shakes hands with Governor Ted Kulongoski as he arrives at the REAP Challenge 2007 African and African American Student Leadership Conference Thursday, Feb. 1. Also pictured, from left, is Faduma Ali, 16, a junior at Westview and Mark Jackson, REAP program director.

Neighbors in the heart of Northeast Portland watched with horror late Monday night as a four-alarm fire engulfed a beloved icon at the corner of Northeast Ivy Street and Russell Avenue.
By Tuesday morning, all that remained of the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church were a few brick columns, some historical documents and, remarkably, copies of the Rev. Albert Wayne Johnson's sermons.
Residents who lived near the Baptist church called 9-1-1 just before midnight Monday, Feb. 5, to report an explosion that some callers said, "shook the house."

After years of hearing about accidents, assaults and injuries, cycling activist Jonathan Maus said one recent incident finally spurred him to action. The incident in question involved an attack by three Black teenage girls on two White female bicyclists, which occurred Jan. 10 on North Williams Avenue near Legacy Hospital, when one of the teenagers kicked the back tire of Heather Moles, causing her to crash.

Until a few weeks ago, janitors at the Union Bank of California in downtown Portland say they had decent wages and healthcare they could count on.
Then ServiceMaster Swan Island stepped into the picture.
Janitors at Union Bank say that, after buying the assets of another ServiceMaster franchise, the north Portland company told workers their union days were over.