The chair of the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs this month officially apologized to Gov. John Kitzhaber for making racially insensitive comments about Black students and their families during a public hearing.

Oregon's District Attorneys are lobbying hard against the Governor's prison reform bill. But Corrections Director Collete Peters, Former Chief Justice Paul Muniz and many others --not known for being "soft on crime" -- are behind it. Here's why...

After more than a year of study Oregon's Public Safety Commission has come out with 19 recommendations to reduce prison spending while improving public safety. This session the Oregon Legislature will vote on the proposals, in the form of House Bill 3194.

Billie Dee Andrea Pugh, a 28-year-old mother of three, died in East Portland, April 28 at 12:45 a.m. in a car crash. The driver of the other car LaShai Antoinette Williams, 20, was arrested and charged.

Sunday, May 5 will mark the tenth anniversary of the killing of Kendra James. The 21-year-old Black woman was shot and killed, despite being unarmed, by Officer Scott McCollister during a traffic stop.

Hales unveiled the proposed budget Tuesday at City Hall, saying the budget shortfall of $21.5 million demanded tough decisions. He said the budget looked closely at overtime spending and management structures first. Hales also fixed funding for every City Commissioner's offices, so they no longer are staffed with bureau funds.

Achieve your vision for a successful business in Portland by tapping into the power of partnerships and smart fundamentals. Featuring keynote speakers Mayor Charlie Hales and Mr. Michael Bush, breakout sessions with local experts, and in-person access to resources for small businesses and community organizations.

Students at Boise Eliot/Humboldt School demonstrated their love of science in a visit with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Monday, April 29. At the school Merkley unveiled two bills he is sponsoring in the U.S. Senate. One seeks to improve education in science, technology, engineering and math –the STEM subjects; the other will focus on hands-on career education.
 

The premiere screening of Project Viewfinder will be at 6 p.m. May 1 in the Whitsell Auditorium at Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave. Admission is free.

This month Portland Public Schools held one of its most important annual celebrations: Young, Gifted and Black. The key to the project is in documenting the young peoples' achievements through professional photographs and writing. The Skanner News spoke with Young, Gifted and Black founder Reiko Williams about the program.