OREGON NEWS

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• Harried Evergreen drivers may face photo red-light ticketing
The Argus

• Quake drill to help county fix resource allocation problems
The Argus

• Two juveniles arrested in Hillsboro stabbing
Two Hillsboro juveniles are in custody after what police believe was a Nov. 25 gang-related stabbing in the 600 block of Southeast 13th Street.

• Brookwood Avenue roundabout now open
Washington County's Department of Land Use and Transportation re-opened Brookwood Avenue south of Tualatin Valley Highway Wednesday, from Alexander to Lone Oak Street, after a 60-day closure for road construction.

• Cat Food Bank will open Dec. 7
SHERWOOD - The Cat Adoption Team Cat Food Bank will be open on Sunday, Dec. 7, to provide cat and kitten food to cat owners in financial need.

• Economy forces Oregon seniors back to work
There has been an increase in the number of older adults heading back to work. Since January 2008, the number of 65-plus age workers has increased nationwide by 434,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Fair Board meets Dec. 3
Washington County Fair Complex Board of Directors will hold its next regular meeting Wednesday, Dec. 3.

• First Oregon flu case is in Washington County
Oregon's first confirmed influenza case of the 2008/2009 season has been reported to the Oregon Department of Human Services Public Health Division, state officials announced Nov. 25.

• Free Orchards Foxes are making tracks
Special to The Argus

• Going online fastest way to file for unemployment
The Oregon Employment Department is currently experiencing an unusually high number of calls to its unemployment insurance call centers. More than 70,000 Oregonians are now on unemployment, meaning the crush of unemployment claims that normally occur in January and February have come early.

• Icy conditions lead to multiple wrecks
FOREST GROVE - At least four car crashes in the Forest Grove area Wednesday morning were credited to first-of-the-season icy conditions on local roadways.

• Inmate firewood program stacks up
Splitting their time between jail and collecting firewood gives low-risk inmates at the Washington County Jail the chance to give back to the needy and elderly in the community.

• Leadership changes at Rodgers Instruments
Rodgers Instruments President Lloyd Robbins will retire at the end of 2008, and Vice President for Sales and Marketing Duane Kuhn has accepted appointment as executive vice president with responsibility for the company's day-to-day operations. Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder and special consultant of the Roland Corporation, who serves as Rodgers chairman, will assume the role of president upon Robbins' retirement.

• Man hits fast food joint on Thanksgiving night
A woman suffered injuries after an Aloha man crashed his car into an Beaverton-area fast-food restaurant Thanksgiving night trying to elude a Washington County deputy attempting to make a traffic stop.

• MathStar rejects 2nd merger proposal from PureChoice
MathStar Inc. today acknowledged receipt of an unsolicited proposal by PureChoice Inc. to enter into a merger transaction with MathStar. The proposal revises PureChoice's proposal set forth in its letter to MathStar dated Oct. 23, 2008, which MathStar rejected. MathStar has also rejected the revised proposal.

• Orenco Woods appeal could affect road upgrade cost
Two seemingly unrelated items on tonight's Hillsboro City Council agenda together could have a $250,000 impact on the city's budget.

• Pets as holiday gifts A furry friend makes the holidays even better - so long as it is planned gift
SHERWOOD - Nothing enhances the warmth and joy of the holiday season more than a companion animal. This is often a grand time to bring home a new pet. However, make sure the gift of a pet is a planned one.

• Pet thief aced out of ill-gotten booty
A Newberg pet store owner became an ace pet detective Friday when he identified a Hillsboro resident as the man who stole his cockatoo during a burglary the previous night.

• Power up your food donations
FOREST GROVE - Make your food donations go further this holiday season by dropping them off at Phoenix Acupuncture in Forest Grove. Jane Burch-Pesses, L.Ac., will donate $1 to the Oregon Food Bank for every three non-perishable food items dropped off at her office from now until Dec. 19.

• Ross Roe attracts national attention as Oregon's 'Outstanding Older Worker'
Experience Works, the nation's largest provider of training and employment services for older workers, recently recognized Ross Roe, 80, as the 2008 Outstanding Older Worker for Oregon. The Experience Works Prime Time Awards Program is held annually in Washington, D.C., to honor one outstanding older worker from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

• Speakers to address homelessness group
The Interfaith Committee on Homelessness welcomes Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten and Annette Evans, county homelessness coordinator, to their next meeting.

• Study reveals factors of exceptional health in seniors
Positive outlook,

• Volunteers Needed: Sell trees for Boys and Girls Club
Each year Murphy's Furniture sponsors a Christmas tree lot to benefit the Hillsboro Boys and Girls Club.

• Wal-Mart Foundation gives $50,000 to support Special Olympics Oregon
At ceremonies Tuesday marking the opening of Special Olympics Oregon's State Fall Games, the Wal-Mart Foundation announced a $50,000 grant and presented a check to Margaret Hunt, CEO of Special Olympics Oregon; Darrin Richards, Special Olympics Oregon board member; and Katie O'Brien, chief development officer of Special Olympics Oregon.

• Zoo's chimps, orangutans and mandrills enjoy holiday season
PORTLAND - Primates at the Oregon Zoo will celebrate the holidays a little early this year when Santa's elves (the zoo's primate keepers) present food-filled gift boxes to chimpanzees, orangutans and mandrills on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. Presents for Primates will be repeated at 10 a.m. on Dec. 20 (chimps and mandrills) and Dec. 21 (orangutans).

• Service honors tech pioneer Douglas Strain
The Argus

• Fate of third Aloha stabbing suspect goes to jury's hands
The Argus

• Officials hope Kulongoski's plan improves roads Fee increases could stave off maintenance cutbacks in Washington County
The Argus

• Brandom named city's sustainability manager
Peter C. Brandom, Hillsboro's new sustainability manager, will begin work Dec. 1.

• Brighten Black Friday with pets at OHS (and save money, too)
Who wants to go to the mall during the busiest shopping day of the year?

• Contributions for Rotary Christmas Auction invited
Thanks to the Internet, it is easy to donate an item for the Dec. 5 Hillsboro Rotary Club Christmas Dinner & Auction and help to raise funds for the three local nonprofit organizations that will be beneficiaries: The Dougy Center, The Essential Health Clinic, and the Oregon National Guard Family Assistance Program.

• Cooling economy hits service employees hard Local workers near top of aid applicants
The Argus

• Disdain for fairgrounds bond spread countywide Voters not willing to foot building bill
The Argus

• Forest Grove Chamber has a new Christmas tree
The Argus

• Hillsboro Business Briefs
Jordan Studio offers music lessons

• Hillsboro, Forest Grove school districts partner with community in gang prevention
Hillsboro School District

• Killer avoids possible death penalty with plea
The Argus

• News in Brief
Holiday Teas, with sweets,

• No lead danger in Beaverton school turf
The Beaverton School District recently completed testing all of the artificial turf athletic fields at Aloha, Beaverton, Southridge, Sunset and Westview high schools.

• Oregon Zoo will celebrate Thanksgiving with the animals
PORTLAND - Nov. 26 and 27, Oregon Zoo animals will celebrate Thanksgiving with a cornucopia of enrichment activities aimed at stimulating their minds as well as their stomachs.

• Police say body found in Aloha victim of murder
Investigators with the Washington County Sheriff's Office have identified remains found near an Aloha trail project, Nov. 18, as those of a missing Portland teenager, and are investigating the boy's death as a homicide.

• Spend the holiday at the beach
SEASIDE - With the ski resorts still waiting for enough snow to open it's time to head to the beach for Thanksgiving.

• Tigard man guilty in pedestrian fatality
A Washington County judge declared a 24-year-old Tigard man guilty of manslaughter in the second degree Friday after she determined his actions in the death of a 41-year-old Tigard woman were not the result of reckless indifference.

• Trains on PNW line to increase speed to 60 mph
TriMet is warning drivers in eastern Washington County to watch for fast-moving trains along the Portland and Western Railroad corridor.

• Volunteers complete shelter's yard
Just in time for the holidays, community volunteers have put the finishing touches on a "make-over" of the back yard at Community Action's Hillsboro Family Shelter, 210 SE 12th St. Today a new play structure stands where an old wooden structure, deemed unsafe, was demolished more than two years ago.

• You gave your child a cell phone - Now what?
PORTLAND - Cell phones are an important link between parents and children, and now parents are more empowered than ever before to strengthen that link. Parents can set strict limits on how many minutes they can use and apply filters restricting the sounds and images their children can download.

• Retailers trust tradition to boost Black Friday
The Argus

• Ainge suspended over steroids
Glencoe High School graduate and New York Jets rookie quarterback Erik Ainge has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on steroids and related substances, according to Associated Press reports.

• Stimson lays off 70 at Forest Grove mill
The Argus

• Allstate office opens in Forest Grove
FOREST GROVE - Allstate Insurance Company announces the opening of a new agency in Forest Grove. The agency, owned and operated by agent Emily Couture, offers a complete line of products and services, including auto, property, commercial and life insurance.

• Aloha drug raid leads to arrest in Banks robbery
Tactical officers serving a search warrant on a rural Farmington Road residence Wednesday arrested an Aloha man in connection with a violent home invasion robbery in Banks earlier this year.

• County hopes to inspire more to enroll in CPR/AED classes Trained lay people save lives at local health clubs
The Argus

• Delicious & dangerous Agencies warn of deep-fried turkey peril
The use of outdoor propane deep fryers to prepare turkeys for Thanksgiving is a southern cooking method that is catching on across the United States.

• General season tags available for Oregon wild turkey hunting
SALEM - Make turkey hunting, not just turkey eating, a family tradition this year by purchasing one of nearly 700 general season fall turkey tags still available.

• Growers start Oregon Christmas trees off on the long journey to markets around the world
Oregon Christmas trees are beginning to make the long journey to markets around the world as the harvest and shipping season is earnestly underway. The prime export destination continues to be Mexico. The industry and officials with the Oregon Department of Agriculture are taking extra care this year to make sure there are no bumps in the road to Mexico for Oregon Christmas trees.

• High-tech education, students, get boost through two-college deal
Portland Community College, Oregon Institute of Technology offer dual enrollment

• Holiday events abound in Forest Grove
FOREST GROVE - Businesses are putting on some holiday cheer as they prepare to welcome visitors and shoppers to downtown Forest Grove. Storefronts will sparkle with LED lights distributed by the holiday display team.

• J.B. Thomas stalemate dominates work session
The Argus

• McCarter memorial scholarship benefits Oregon students
Molly McCarter, a 17-year-old Scappoose High School student, died July 15 in a traffic accident in Scappoose. McCarter lived most of her life in Hillsboro, and attended Liberty High School until her sophmore year, when she moved to Scappoose.

• McKinney celebrates Family Literacy Night
Special to The Argus

• More holiday travelers say 'no thanks' despite low gas prices
The Argus

• Oregon, Can You Say "Sesquicentennial"?
By Mary Oberst and Alison Sokol Blosser

• Oregonians no longer gobble up locally-grown turkeys
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

• State fire marshal feted in retirement Former Hillsboro officer Orr steps down
The Argus

• Tigard Taco Bell robbed
A suspect pistol-whipped an employee during a Tuesday armed robbery at the Taco Bell Restaurant, 13305 SW Pacific Highway, Tigard police say.

• TipTop Spa under new ownership
FOREST GROVE - TipTop Spa has new owners: Larry and Lisa Davis-Warren. They plan to enhance the spa and expand it to include a spa boutique, carrying silk pajamas, candles, bath items, and home accessories. The spa's six practitioners will still be available seven days a week throughout the transition. For more information visit www.thetiptopspa.com or phone 503-992-1902. The spa is at 1937 Pacific Ave. in Forest Grove.

• TriMet will add to bus and MAX service on Nov. 30
Added vehicles help relieve crowding with record ridership

• Water Supply Project meeting Dec. 4
The Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project Policy Steering Committee will hold a public meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Clean Water Services Administrative Building Complex, Tualatin Conference Room, 2550 SW Hillsboro Hwy. in Hillsboro.

• West Bull Mountain urban plan forum set for Dec. 9
Washington County invites interested parties to share information and give public comment about the Draft Preferred Concept Plan for the urbanization of West Bull Mountain.

• Police say 'all clear' after Wednesday bomb threat
The Argus

• Ethanol proponents defend Cornelius refinery Proposal would brew 2 million gallons of fuel, but emit ozone-causing gasses
The Argus

• Ethanol proponents defend Cornelius refinery Proposal would brew 2 million gallons of fuel, but emit ozone-causing gasses
The Argus

• Mayor Hughes: City weathers building slump
The Argus

• Hillsboro Loaves & Fishes Center offers breakfast service, activities
Hillsboro Loaves & Fishes Center has introduced a breakfast program for seniors in addition to its regular lunch program. Breakfast will be served on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning at 8 a.m. The menu will include oatmeal or cream of wheat, toast, juice and coffee. Seniors are asked to donate what they can toward the cost of the meal.

• Human remains found near Aloha trail project
Police say the remains of a human being were found in the Aloha area Tuesday.

• Intel manager apparently elected mayor in Banks
The Argus

• Open house on Saltzman Road improvements set for Dec. 4
Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation will hold an open house on the scheduled improvements of Saltzman Road, between Cornell and Thompson roads, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4.

• Portland Aerial Tram lists its holiday schedule
The Portland Aerial Tram's operating schedule during the upcoming holidays will be as follows:

• Residents hope to drain momentum from reservoir plan
The Argus

• Suspect leads long hit-and-run chase
A Cornelius man was arrested Monday after leaving the scene of an accident and leading police on a meandering semi-chase to his home.

• Tigard manslaughter trial continues today
The Argus

• Time for Church, State Split on Marriage
Opinion Column for the Argus

• Tuality Healthcare staff garner honors for clinical excellence
Staff and physicians at Tuality Healthcare were recently honored for health care excellence for the second straight year from VHA Inc., a national health care alliance.

• Wal-Mart, Oregon Food Bank partner to get food to more hungry families
PORTLAND - Oregon Food Bank and Wal-Mart announced a significant new partnership Wednesday to get food to more hungry Oregonians.

• Missing Hillsboro man now believed drowned
A Hillsboro man was still missing Monday morning and believed drowned after Columbia County Sheriff's Office found his sport utility vehicle abandoned on Sauvie Island Friday.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife criticizes Palomar review
The Argus

• Pedestrian hit in parking lot killed
A Beaverton woman was killed Thursday afternoon when she hit her head on the pavement after being pushed over by a slow-moving vehicle in a Hillsboro parking lot.

• Aloha High School helps less fortunate during the holidays
For more than 20 years Aloha High School has helped less fortunate families during the holiday season.

• Corrections facility evacuated after fumes sicken residents
The Argus

• Eastwood family events aim to include everyone
Special to the Argus

• Emergency preparedness meeting in North Plains
An emergency preparedness presentation will be held at the Jessie Mays Community Hall at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20. Bernie Wilt will present "What You Need to Survive and Thrive When Disaster Strikes: A Presentation on Preparing a Portable 72-Hour Evacuation Kit."

• Enforcement coming for chronic nuisance buildings
The Argus

• Fairgrounds task force: Still working on the master plan
The Argus

• Feds might reconsider decision on Bradwood
The Argus

• Forest Grove School District seeks screening committee members
The Forest Grove School District is accepting applications for a superintendent screening committee.

• Hillsboro News in Brief
Decor, gifts sale at Heritage Art Studio

• Kaulia Memorial Gym to be dedicated Nov. 21 at Gaston High School
The Henry Kaulia Memorial Gym in Gaston will officially be dedicated at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

• Liberty thespians collect 800-plus pounds of food
The International Thespian Society, a division of the Educational Theatre Association, announced the results of Liberty High School's participation in the International Thespian Society's Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat program. On Oct. 31, Thespian troupe No. 6644 collected more than 800 pounds of canned and dry goods for the Oregon Food Bank.

• NAMI forms Asperger's support group
ALOHA - NAMI of Washington County is in initial stages of expanding its support system to serve a new group of individuals: those with Asperger's Syndrome.

• North Plains Elementary opens holiday gift shop
NORTH PLAINS - Each year the North Plains Elementary School PTO sponsors and coordinates a unique Christmas shop for its students. Each student has the opportunity to visit this gift shop and choose a gift for two special adults in his or her life. This is free to the students.

• PCC students host online auction to benefit local nonprofits
PORTLAND - Portland Community College's Students4Giving will host an online auction Monday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 14. The auction Web site will offer nearly 100 items, such as vacation packages, jewelry, golf adventures, artwork and more, donated from community partners.

• Racehorse lecture set at museum
Judy Goldmann of Hillsboro will present the Wednesday, Nov. 19, Crossroads Lecture at the Washington County Hisotrical Society & Museum.

• Southwest 175th Avenue open Friday
East Hillsboro and Aloha residents will have a newly designed way to access Southeast Washington County beginning Friday.

• Styledbaby offers haven for moms and tots
The Argus

• Urgent need for holiday food, gift box sponsors throughout county
Washington County has sent out the call. Volunteers are urgently needed to sponsor families in need during this holiday season.

• Wednesday breakfast fundraiser offers chance to assist needy
At The People You Should Know Breakfast, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Kingstad Center, 15450 SE Millikan Way, Beaverton, Community Action Executive Director Jerralynn Ness will present the nonprofit's annual assessment of poverty in Washington County.

• Witch Hazel school hosts gift bazaar
Witch Hazel Elementary hosts a holiday bazaar and carnival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the school, 4950 SE Davis Road in Hillsboro.

• Ceremonies laud county's veterans
The Argus

• Commission nixes Orenco Woods plan
The Argus

• Sheriff Gordon: Concealed handgun owners need privacy
The Argus

• 1 in 9 Oregon children lack health insurance
SILVERTON - More than one out of nine children in Oregon lack health care coverage, a situation that is likely to worsen in the current economic downturn absent government action, according to a new report out today.

• A day in the life of a kindergartner
Special to The Argus

• Brown hosts annual carnival
Brown Middle School hosts its annual carnival from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight at the school, 1505 SW Cornelius Pass Road.

• City begins outreach on island annexations
The Argus

• Duyck soldiers on after H.D. 30 defeat
The Argus

• Fill the boot for MDA
Forest Grove's firefighters fight a different kind of battle Friday and Saturday when they ask motorists to "Fill the Boot" to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

• Hillsboro advertising student joins team competing in China
EUGENE - Hillsboro native and University of Oregon advertising student Megan Nuttall is going to China.

• Hillsboro's growth as solar power brightens chamber forum
The Argus

• List Awaits New Transportation Funds
Opinion Column

• Loaves & Fishes Centers host Thanksgiving dinners, deliver to homebound seniors
PORTLAND - Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People, will deliver more than 1,000 hot turkey dinners to homebound seniors on Thanksgiving Day. The organization will also host community Thanksgiving dinners at several locations in the Portland-Vancouver metro area.

• Local cupid ran into trouble in Portland
Folks in Hillsboro were well acquainted with Simon Weyrick back in 1915. So when he got into trouble in Portland, they weren't surprised.

• Red Line takes holiday travelers to PDX
Thanksgiving season is the Airport MAX Red Line's busiest time of year as holiday travelers find MAX an easy way to get to and from Portland International Airport (PDX).

• Two boys escape Monday night fire
The Argus

• Victim says orientation provoked attacker
The Argus

• Wilson River Highway closed by mudslides
The Argus

• ZooLights' holiday tradition continues as Oregon Zoo hosts its 21st annual festival, beginning Nov. 29
PORTLAND - When the animals go to bed, the lights come out to play.

• Oregon transportation could benefit from Obama
The Argus

• Blumenauer, Hansen possibilities for posts
The Argus

• Hillsboro man gets 7-plus years for arson
A 19-year-old Hillsboro man with a checkered criminal past was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for setting several fires at his West Main Street apartment in March.

• 175th Avenue joins Roy Rogers Road next week
The Argus

• Construction stalls Murray Blvd. flow
From now and for the next few weeks, a construction project on Northwest Murray Boulevard north of the Sunset Highway will impact normal traffic flow.

• Exceptional: Indian Hills off to a great start
Special to the Argus

• Five arrested in drug bust
Detectives from the Westside Interagency Narcotics team arrested four people and seized more than 5 pounds of cocaine Oct. 31 while serving search warrants at two Aloha residences.

• Gas prices continue to trend downward
The statewide and local average price of gasoline continued to plummet over the weekend, falling Monday to an average of $2.37 for a gallon of regular unleaded in the Hillsboro area and $2.54 statewide.

• Gov. pitches vehicle registration fee increase Proceeds could pay for new Glencoe, Staley's Junction interchanges on U.S. 26
The Argus

• Hands Off Schools' Recession Cookie Jar
Special to The Argus

• Hillsboro man bit by dog offers reward Police seek help finding dangerous pit bull
Washington County Animal Services is requesting the public's help in finding a pit bull that attacked and bit a Hillsboro man on his neck, arms and hands Nov. 5.

• Hillsboro teacher named Oregon High School Advisor of the Year
Julie Kasper, activities director for Century High School in Hillsboro, was named Oregon High School Advisor of the Year at the Nov. 2-3 annual Fall Conference for the Oregon Association of Student Councils in Seaside.

• Local engineer helps mend African fractures Acumed founder travels to Tanzania
On a recent visit to a Tanzanian hospital, Randall Huebner saw something he would never see in an American hospital - patients lying on the floor in pain, waiting to be treated.

• North Plains store warms home, hearth
The Argus

• High Court mulls sex abuse question Does intimate touching over the clothes merit six years in prison?
The Argus

• With ballots left to count, bonds undecided
The Argus

• Officials 'soldier on' after fairgrounds bond failure
The Argus

• Cafe brings Alchemy to Main Street diners
The Argus

• Cautious optimism on Tualatin Hills parks bond
The Argus

• Cheer coach will serve two years for sex abuse
A Rock Creek resident and former cheerleading coach was sentenced Tuesday to a total of two years in federal prison for sexually abusing a 16-year-old Hillsboro girl aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Portland.

• Choosing a Medicare plan Five steps to selecting the plan that's best for you
President of Senior Products,

• Citizen questions Landmarks Committee's motives Cites links to efforts to save J.B. Thomas school building
The Argus

• DEQ closed Tuesday
Drivers won't be able to get their cars smogged on Tuesday, as all Oregon Department of Environmental Quality vehicle inspection stations will be closed in observance of Veterans Day.

• Free 'ABCs of Homebuying' class
BEAVERTON - Open Door Counseling Center, of Hillsboro, will be offering a Housing and Urban Development-certified no cost first-time homebuyer group class, "The ABCs of Homebuying," from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Beaverton Community Center, 12350 SW Fifth St., Beaverton.

• Glencoe can/bottle fundraiser Saturday
Please save your cans and bottles for collection between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, when Glencoe High School Band students will be going door-to-door in the school's attendance area to collect as a fundraiser. Feel free to leave cans and bottles out at curbside (labeled "Glencoe Band"). If you prefer, bring them by the school (off the back parking lot) between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The next collection will be during the same hours Saturday, Dec. 6.

• Kilimanjaro climb helps 11-year-old raise funds for Kenyan orphanage
Nomad Charities is a Bend-based nonprofit, the brainchild of twins, Jenn and Janette Hofmann. The duo traveled the world for many years working with AIDS orphans, and then decided to start their own development projects in Kenya, Africa. One such project is the building of a 36-bed orphanage in the village of Kibwezi.

• Loaves & Fishes metro centers see 15 percent increase in meals served
The number of seniors dining each weekday at Loaves & Fishes centers throughout the metro area has increased by an average of 15 percent since Nov. 1, 2007. This represents twice the growth that the nonprofit agency has seen in previous years.

• New Seasons Market salutes military customers, families
PORTLAND - To say thank you to military families in the Portland metropolitan area, locally owned and operated New Seasons Market announced today that every Tuesday, beginning this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, it will offer a 10 percent discount to customers with a current military identification card.

• North Plains chooses mayor, Banks must wait to know
The Argus

• Portland Community College offers GED classes in Forest Grove
FOREST GROVE - Portland Community College offers 10 weeks of GED preparation classes during winter term 2009 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in Forest Grove. A placement test is required during the orientation session and is valid for one year.

• Tackling diabetes America's fastest-growing disease
PORTLAND - Every 20 seconds an American is newly diagnosed with diabetes, making it the nation's fastest growing disease. Over 23 million Americans live with this chronic condition at a total expense of more than $174 billion last year. Diabetes impacts all sectors of society, and the burden of this disease goes beyond financial costs to include strained relationships with families and friends and decreased quality of life.

• Tualatin Valley Water District begins seasonal hydrant flushing
In an ongoing commitment to deliver quality water, every so often Tualatin Valley Water District staff systematically open fire hydrants around the district and allow the water to flow through the pipes. Hydrant flushing serves the following purposes:

• 'Tweet of Dweams' birdhouse contest offers $1,000 prize
Entries are being accepted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28, 2009, for the annual Tweet of Dweams birdhouse contest to benefit Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro.

• WashCo voters oppose PCC bond, but it passes
The Argus

• Windermere hosts Share the Warmth coat, blanket drive
PORTLAND - For the seventh year, Windermere Real Estate associates in the Portland area are holding a "Share the Warmth" coat and blanket drive.

• Police investigating Aloha pornography
Washington County Sheriff's Office detectives are looking for any information about an Aloha man who was indicted in October for allegedly showing pictures of child pornography to children at a Salem computer camp where he was a counselor.

• Lax economy affects county investments
The Argus

• Don't mail ballots, and avoid Murray Blvd.
The Argus

• 1,200 free flu shots available Nov. 12
The Washington County department of health will give out 1,200 free flu shots and nasal spray flu vaccines will on a first-come, first-serve basis as part of an annual emergency drill from 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Washington County Fair Complex Main Exhibit Hall. Department Immunization Coordinator Gregg Russell said the drill is a way at looking at how to most efficiently deliver massive numbers of vaccinations in a biological emergency.

• Apply for veterans grants through Oregon Parks
Non-profit veterans' organizations can now apply for 2009 grants available from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to help build and restore veterans' and war memorials on public property.

• Beaverton-area man dies in crash
One Beaverton-area man died and another was injured following a head-on crash Saturday afternoon on Highway 551 south of the Aurora Airport.

• Beaverton schools ask public for strategic planning opinions
As part of its strategic planning process, the Beaverton School District is reaching out to all community members to gather broad, inclusive information from an online survey. This public input will help shape the district's mission, vision and priorities for the next five years.

• Cardiologist joins Tuality Healthcare medical staff
Tuality Healthcare has welcomed Arun Kuchela, M.D., to the medical staff. Dr. Kuchela is a board-certified cardiologist who practices at OHSU Cardiology at Tuality.

• County jail passes with 22 inspectors
In an unprecedented inspection, the Washington County Jail passed muster with five Oregon Jail Standards-certified managers and 17 student inspectors Oct. 27-28.

• Fall Feline Fix-a-Thon
If you own a fertile cat, November is the month to have him or her altered before you have unwanted kittens this spring. And, thanks to the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, the cost of surgery should not be a hindrance.

• Forest Grove fire chief to be sworn in
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue's new chief was scheduled to be officially sworn into service Monday night.

• Free flu shot clinic Nov. 12
Free flu shots and nasal spray flu vaccine will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis by Washington County Department of Health and Human Services at a flu clinic from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Main Exhibit Building of Washington County Fairgrounds, 873 NE 34th Ave., across from the Hillsboro Airport.

• Fun times for early risers at Verboort sausage sale
The Argus

• Gold medalist to visit Brown
A 2008 Paralympic Games gold and bronze medalist in tennis, will visit R.A. Brown Middle School 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, to talk to students about his experience at the Beijing Olympic games.

• Hillsboro's Edward Jones supports Toys for Tots drive
David Buck, the local Edward Jones financial advisor, is supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program by using his office as a drop-off for this year's toy drive.

• Hillsboro's Linda Erickson named 2008 National 4-H Hall of Fame Laureate
CHEVY CHASE, Md. - National 4-H Council proudly recognized Linda P. Erickson, of Hillsboro, for her extraordinary contributions to 4-H at the local, state and national level. Inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame by the selection committee, Erickson was honored for her exemplary service as a 4-H extension agent in Clackamas County.

• Holiday baskets for needy in need of coordination
The Argus

• 'Jailbirds' are some of Hillsboro's leading citizens
Helping March of Dimes give every

• Local American Quarter Horse vies for Featherlite Superhorse Award
AMARILLO, Texas - Starlighting, a 2003 gray American Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Penny Knight, of Hillsboro, is one of 56 contenders for the Featherlite Superhorse Award at the 2008 FedEx Open competition at the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show, Nov. 7-22, in Oklahoma City.

• November events Oregon Humane Society
November's special eventsfor people and pets include the following(visit www.oregonhumane.org/eventsfor a detailed list):

• Oceans of Opportunity celebrates 60 years of conservation
The Oregon Association of Conservation Districts celebrates its 60th anniversary this month with Oceans of Opportunity, a convention for the districts' membership. The convention marks 60 years of success of on-the-ground conservation projects and partnerships with landowners.

• Shute House remodel demands devotion
The Argus

• The Human Bean raises over $68,000 for Breast Cancer during 'Coffee for a Cure' event
On Friday, Oct. 24, The Human Bean coffee shops in Hillsboro, Cornelius, Beaverton and Canby, alone, raised $5,384.76 during their "Coffee for a Cure" donation event. All local proceeds from beverage and pastry sales were donated to Willamette Falls Community Health Center in Canby, Tuality Healthcare Center in Forest Grove and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Beaverton.

• Train to help others watch for the whales
Whale watchers are invited to train to be volunteers in the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department whale watch program during the winter and spring.

• Veterans Day events scheduled
Several ceremonies will be held in Washington County commemorating Veterans Day.

• West Union school Ham Dinner to honor veterans
Special to the Argus