06-12-2025  9:06 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

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NORTHWEST NEWS

City Council Approves and Increases Central Albina Settlement

Black residents who were forcibly relocated for Emanuel Hospital expansion that never happened, and their descendants, sued over loss of property, wealth and community.

VanPort Mosaic Festival Fights Cultural Amnesia

Two-week event honors survivors of VanPort flood, their descendants and survivors of Japanese Internment in annual festival.

Prosper Portland Fights For Continued City Funding

Two city councilors suggest ending city’s funding to wide-reaching economic development agency. 

The Bottle Redemption Law may Change due to Concerns over Drugs and Homelessness 

Oregon's trailblazing bottle redemption law may undergo changes because of concerns that redemption centers have become gathering places for drug users and homeless people while having no services to support them. Proposed changes could allow nonprofits to run alternative bottle redemption centers possibly mobile centers such as trucks. Stores could stop accepting bottles after 8pm and convenience stores in some areas after 6pm

NEWS BRIEFS

Volunteers Needed: “Beautifying MLK” Black-Led Community Clean-Up Day of Service Set for This Saturday

Led by: The Coalition of Black Men in partnership with Soul District Business Association and fueled by Reimagine Oregon grant funds...

Parklane Park Grand Reopening Event On June 12 - Free for Everyone

Food, face painting, basketball, arts activities, music, and more ...

Class of 2025: Panthers Star Headed to University After Back-to-Back Titles

Hillsboro’s Edy Essien was on PCC’s men’s basketball team that repeated as NWAC regional basketball titles and excelled in...

WA Launches Police Use-of-Force Database

The exchange is a publicly available, cloud-based platform to help the public see and analyze police use-of-force data. ...

Black Information Network Partners with The Obama Foundation to Advance Community Engagement with Youth

The network’s first-ever nonprofit collaboration will help build community and drive meaningful conversation and change ...

OPINION

Policymakers Should Support Patients With Chronic Conditions

As it exists today, 340B too often serves institutional financial gain rather than directly benefiting patients, leaving patients to ask “What about me?” ...

The Skanner News: Half a Century of Reporting on How Black Lives Matter

Publishing in one of the whitest cities in America – long before George Floyd ...

Cuts to Minority Business Development Agency Leaves 3 Staff

6B CDFI affordable capital for local investment also at risk ...

The Courage of Rep. Al Green: A Mandate for the People, Not the Powerful

If his colleagues truly believed in the cause, they would have risen in protest beside him, marched out of that chamber arm in arm with him, and defended him from censure rather than allowing Republicans to frame the narrative. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

From Staff and AP Wire Reports
John Burris, attorney for the family

Johannes Mehserle, the Ex-Oakland transit officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man, was sentenced to two years in prison Friday. With time already served, he could be released in just over half that time.

The Skanner News Video
The sentencing drew a hushed "Oh my!" from the victim's grandmother and condemnations from supporters of the victim.

Oscar Grant was face down on the train platform, in the midst of being detained and handcuffed, when Mehserle drew his Glock .40 and pulled the trigger. The judge and jury believed Mehselre's claims that he thought he had drawn his lighter weight, plastic Taser.

The judge in case, Robert Perry, could have sentenced the former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer to 14 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter conviction. He threw out a firearm enhancement, which meant that the maximum sentence Mehserle could have received was four years.

Police said they were prepared in case there was a replay of the rioting in Oakland that followed the shooting on New Year's Day 2009.

"This is on its face a very shocking outcome, but I must tell you I'm not surprised at all," family attorney John Burris said.

He acknowledged that a small step was taken by the justice system in sentencing Mehserle to two years, but he said that was insufficient. He said both he and Johnson noted that NFL star Michael Vick got a harsher sentence for running a dog-fighting ring.

"What you take from that is that Oscar Grant's life was not worth very much," Burris said.

-- From Staff and AP Wire Reports

 

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