http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/index.php Portland and surrounding area community news and information http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124647488882446000 West Linn police are investigating the death of a 2009 West Linn High School graduate found dead in his bedroom Saturday afternoon. Corey Randall Patterson, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene, said West Linn Police Sgt. Neil Hennelly, department spokesman. The cause of death remained unclear ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124656401019348100 Prosecutors continued Thursday morning to hammer away at the declining health of tiny Ava Worthington, with witnesses telling the jury that a large cyst on the right side of her neck could have stunted her growth for months, leading to her malnourished appearance and abnormally small size for her ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124656161331502700 Multnomah County commissioners approved a $925,000 settlement Thursday morning with the family of James P. Chasse Jr., who died of internal injuries in police custody Sept. 17, 2006. The settlement ends the family’s claims in U.S. District Court civil case against the county and a handful of ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649051258123000 The wave of foreclosures hitting Oregon and the nation isn’t leaving anyone untouched – even Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis is facing the prospect of foreclosure on his home. In March, Bemis was issued a notice of default for a loan of $666,474 for his four-bedroom home at 4695 S.E. Deer ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648006047639300 Most of the “elders” at the table admit they never thought they’d see it happen in their lifetime — that the Native American community in Portland would be able to secure a permanent space of its own. “We’ve all advocated for the same dream — somewhere for ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649375759720800 All school communities have their ups and downs. But the parents, teachers and students at Southeast Portland’s Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School have had a particularly tough ride the past few weeks. About a week ago, their longtime office secretary, Vicki Norris, learned she was ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649807162097500 The Tigard-Tualatin school board set a budget last week that eliminates 60 teaching positions and halves elementary music and physical education programs, but does not cut as close to the bone as options considered earlier this spring. The nearly $107 million budget the board approved last ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648525940300200 A U.S. Supreme Court decision in June handed parents of a former special needs student the right to seek reimbursement for private school tuition from the Forest Grove School District. The ruling could provide some context for a lawsuit filed last fall against the Lake Oswego School District. If ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648490914224200 It was only in recent times that Dale Reynolds of Lake Oswego talked about his heroic service in World War II. As a result, next month he will be receiving France’s Legion of Honor in Portland. It is an honor that is a long time coming – 65 years after Reynolds was among the Allied ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648505718007900 The city of Lake Oswego will take a second look at a plan to protect sensitive lands, calling for a special committee to tweak the proposed program this fall. Though the city is tasked with complying with state laws that protect sensitive lands — and must do so through regional government ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649681744589800 In the action-thriller “Public Enemies,” which opened Wednesday, Johnny Depp’s character John Dillinger holds up banks and fights off FBI agents — all while wearing a holster made in Tigard. Ted Blocker Holsters on Tigard Street produced the leather holsters worn by Johnny ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649824114630600 TIGARD — Tigard’s newest park adds not only a pocket of public green space and a 3 million gallon reservoir to the landscape of Bull Mountain — it also adds a teeter-totter. The seesaw is a rare and highly coveted piece of playground equipment, according to neighborhood ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124647515020524600 Dan Pifer was on the waiting list for a kidney transplant when he faced a startling realization: About half of patients age 60 and older on that list will die before a deceased donor’s organ becomes available. Lucky for him, his wife, Rosemarie, was his match in more than one way. She gave ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648742443757700 Rent is paid through July for the 285 Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook county residents who were told that they would lose their Section 8 housing assistance on July 1. The Northwest Oregon Housing Authority board voted Thursday to use reserve revenue funds to pay for the residents’ July ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648649760411100 On the day after school let out for the summer, contractors showed up early to start developing the site for the new Otto Petersen Elementary School. Scappoose School Super-intendent Paul Peterson welcomed the sight of the workers and their asphalt- and turf-eating equipment. “This is the ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648693477038800 After weeks of pleading, negotiations and politicking, the Columbia County Commissioners have agreed to add five deputy positions back into the sheriff’s office 2009-10 budget. The decision reinstates three road patrol positions and slightly more than two river patrol positions, just a month ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649148668652300 Beaverton police and the FBI are investigating a Wednesday morning robbery of a U S Bank branch on Southwest Hall Boulevard. One man was taken into custody after a brief standoff in a Southwest Lombard Avenue apartment complex, but police are not sure he was involved in the bank robbery. Police ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648024813557200 A pilot program enabling Portlanders to reduce home energy usage with no out-of-pocket costs kicks off next week, just after the Oregon Legislature provided $10 million to take the program statewide. The project, dubbed Clean Energy Works: Portland, is viewed as a state and national pilot test to ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648016828316200 Thomas Albanese graduated from Cleveland High School this year planning to take a year off from school before starting college in 2010. Part of that plan was getting a job this summer so he could earn money for college. Albanese is looking to pursue a career as a singer at a music conservatory ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124641189184373100 A Lake Oswego man is missing and local police are seeking the public’s help in finding him. Jeffrey Bradford Clausen, 47, was last seen the morning of June 12 when he left his residence in Lake Oswego. According to Lake Osweg Police, “Mr. Clausen requires certain medications for ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648022852852100 Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder won’t make it official until this fall, but he is already running for council president in next year’s election. That is why he has already raised more than $18,000 in political contributions this year, almost twice what he raised in all of 2008. Major ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648012737242100 You’ve got to be curious about a competition where one of the entry form rules states: “Each team must designate a driver or drivers who will remain sober until your car is no longer racing.” That’s not sober all day, mind you — just until the race is over. Jason ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124647033681848800 C. Herald Campbell, 57-year resident of Lake Oswego, died on June 26, 2009. He was 98. Mr. Campbell — a former Lake Oswego mayor — was born Jan. 18, 1911 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His family moved to Oregon in 1920, and he attended Couch Elementary School, Jefferson High School ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648020930167000 Mayor Sam Adams is trying to soften opposition to an ambitious plan for the Willamette River north of the Broadway Bridge before it comes before the City Council later this year. The plan calls for rezoning and reregulating portions of the land along the river, and raising funds for infrastructure ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124648026672210700 This is an exciting time for Portland-area transit supporters. TriMet’s new MAX Green Line from Portland State University to Clackamas Town Center opens Sept. 12. The agency hosted a test drive June 29 for elected officials and other dignitaries. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Earl ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124647911518504500 An 85-year-old Garden Home woman died Tuesday night after being struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of the Lamb’s Thriftway on Southwest Garden Home Road. Portland police said Patricia Field died during treatment at Legacy Emanuel Hospital. A LifeFlight helicopter took her there after the ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124647817101301000 Portland’s city flags will be lowered to half-staff Wednesday, July 1, to honor a 17-year-old Fernando Chavez who was killed June 6 while trying to recover his stolen bike. Chavez was a student at Cleveland High School where he played football. “Our community has lost a bright young ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124641500452273800 Scott Andrews remembered the old days when as a youngster he was less than careful around fireworks. “I remember Roman candles, we used to hold them in our hand,” he said with a mischievous grin. However, the responsible dad won’t be doing anything so crazy for his Gresham ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124639157349928200 What’s this? Gasoline prices going down? AAA Oregon reported Tuesday that just ahead of the normally busy Fourth of July holiday weekend, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the state dropped about two cents to $2.80. Nationally, the average price dropped about a nickel to ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124639819977636100 Nearly a year after the Milwaukie City Council voted in favor of a light rail alignment that would go behind the North Industrial Area, Ardenwald residents have begun criticizing the plan, saying they weren’t told a 36-foot-tall rail line would coast along the western edge of their ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124641488015325300 Thanks to some last minute political maneuvering, legislators restored funding for the region’s gang enforcement team. This spring, Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham, and representatives Nick Kahl and Greg Matthew, also Gresham-based Democrats, feared the East Multnomah Gang Team would ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124639944195236900 Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, rolled out new legislation Tuesday targeted at business start-ups. Speaking to approximately 50 business people at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lake Oswego, Merkley announced the Small Business Jump Start Act of 2009 to members of the Lake Oswego and West Linn chambers of ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124638234685615700 Gov. Ted Kulongoski warned lawmakers Tuesday morning to be ready for what could be a record setting number of vetoes in the next few weeks. The governor told reporters in Salem that he expected to veto several bills that will cross his desk in a few days, primarily because they hit issues he felt ... http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124634063941779600 The University of Oregon will use a $364,042 federal grant to help link Oregonians to history by digitizing state newspapers from 1860 to 1922. The grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress will be combined with $145,000 in matching grants from the Oregon ...