News Briefs

Below are fast-breaking news items.

Details: Written by Oregon Public Broadcasting; Published: 14 April 2016

The new “Jazz Town” documentary airs April 25 on OPB TV and can be found online now

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 14 April 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. - Queen Kahedja Burley will join the newly selected 2016 Rose Festival Court at the annual Royal Rosarians Blessing of the Festival (Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.) at the First Congregational United Church of Christ (1126 SW Park AVE, Portland). Following the blessing is the first official Rose Festival event: The Rose City Sing-Off takes the stage, with nine high school teams competing for best a cappella team in the Rose City. (The doors open at 6:00 p.m. at Imago Dei Community Church, 1302 SE Ankeny ST, Portland.)

The Blessing of the Festival in its current form was started in 1982 as a Memorial Service. The service honored -- and continues to honor -- members of the Portland Rose Festival, Portland Rose Society and the Royal Rosarians that have passed during the prior year. Led by Royal Rosarian Prime Minister, Rick Saturn, this year's Blessing of the Festival continues to focus on the leadership and members of each of these three groups who help make the Portland Rose Festival an essential celebration of the City of Roses.

The Rose City Sing-Off is the premier a cappella competition for high school-age singers in the Northwest. The Rose City Sing-Off not only provides an exciting opportunity for youth to compete, but also a chance to perform for three professional judges. As part of the experience, each group will get to work one-on-one with the judges before the competition begins, each of whom have professional backgrounds in music, singing and education.

Partnering with the Portland Rose Festival, The Sing-Off is hosted in Portland, Oregon, but draws from the entire Northwest region, including new teams from So. Albany and McNary (Keizer) high school. Nine qualifying groups will be admitted, and all groups will perform two songs in a single round of competition. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three singing groups. Songs, choreography and dress are family appropriate, with songs that have a positive message. Tickets are available at RoseFestival.org and will also be sold at the door. The top three finishers will be invited to perform at the Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade Saturday, June 11, at 10:00 a.m.

about-immigrant-culture

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 14 April 2016

Minoru Yasui, an Oregon attorney who fought laws targeting Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrant, is being honored in Portland on April 23, 2016.

about-genealogy

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 07 April 2016

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon will host an open house the week of April 9-17, with free access to GFO resources all week long. There will be free classes, book sales and discounts and help from genealogy experts. Class topics include beginning genealogy, American land records and newspaper research. For more information, including a full schedule of courses and events, visit GFO's website.

Details: Written by National Association of Minority Contractors - Oregon; Published: 05 April 2016

On Thursday, April 7, Portland Mayoral candidates with will debate economic development for communities of color

Details: Written by Portland Community College; Published: 29 March 2016

First-ever project at the college to examine issues of social justice, race and racism by way of events and exhibits at PCC’s four campuses

Details: Written by Portland Police Bureau; Published: 24 March 2016

The Portland Police Bureau reported a shooting at the 4700 block of NE 62nd Avenue on the morning of Thursday March 24

Portland Police Bureau report three incidents of shootings between in space of 5 hours

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 21 March 2016

Executive director says she will continue role through late 2016

about-Seattle

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 03 March 2016

Alzheimer’s Association offers support group in Kent, Wa

Collection Scam Warning, Alzheimer’s Support Group, and more...

about-portland

Details: Written by The Skanner News; Published: 03 March 2016

North Portland Library is holding several computer classes in March

Mayoral Forum on Social Justice, KGW Great Food Drive, Computer Classes at the Library

Recently Published by The Skanner News

Default
Title
Date
Random

+Read More
Ed Dwight Was to Be the First Black Astronaut. At 90, He's Finally Getting His Due
An accomplished Air Force pilot, Dwight was groomed by John F. Kennedy's White House to be the first Black astronaut. But in training, he faced discrimination that detoured his path.
Read More
+Read More
Rep. Blumenauer Talks Retirement from Congress and His Plans to Help Put Portland Back Together
U.S. Representative for Oregon has held his seat for nearly 30 years.
Read More
+Read More
Historic White House Gathering Celebrates Descendants of Civil Rights Icons
Descendants of such prominent figures as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, Thomas Jefferson, and Sally Hemings were scheduled to attend.
Read More
+Read More
100 Years of Radio in Africa: From Propaganda to People’s Power
Radio is thriving across Africa. Exact figures are difficult to come by because audience research differs across countries. But studies estimate radio listenership to be between 60% and 80% of the continent’s 1.4 billion population.
Read More
+Read More
A Black Author Looks at Failed Attempt by Founder of Georgia to Ban Slavery
Black author Michael Thurmond says Georgia's white founding father deserves credit for inspiring the abolitionist movement that ultimately ended slavery. His new book - “James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia” --focuses on Oglethorpe's failed attempt to ban slavery after starting Britain's 13th American colony in 1733. Georgia's early prohibition on slavery ended and Oglethorpe returned to England where he inspired activists who would become Britain's first abolitionists
Read More
+Read More
KGW Apologizes After Airing Racist Image
Television station KGW says it deeply regrets inadvertently showing a racist image during a segment called “The Good Stuff,” which invited viewers to share “cheesy, silly, or memorable” photos from the past. The 1950s image showed children throwing balls towards a sign prominently displaying a racial slur. KGW apologised for “the profound hurt this image inflicted upon our viewers and staff, particularly members of our Black community.” Leaders of the Portland NAACP chapter said they were appalled
Read More
+Read More
States Aim to Protect Health Data Used in Abortion Battle
State governments across the U.S. are adopting or considering laws that would block the sale of personal health data or information about who visits sensitive sites such as sexual health facilities. Medical records are protected by a federal privacy law, but information collected by a lot of apps is not and state legislation is trying to close that gap. Data privacy ihas been a growing concern since the.Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and state abortion bans started kicking in. The Federal Trade Commission has also been using a ban on deceptive practices to sue data brokers
Read More
+Read More
Separate Water Fountains for Black People Still Stand in the South – Thinly Veiled Monuments to the Long, Strange, Dehumanizing History of Segregation
In Ellisville, Mississippi, two water fountains remain standing in front of the Jones County Courthouse. When they were first built in the late 1930s, the words “white” and “colored” designated which fountain was to be used by which race. Those words are now covered up by ceremonial plaques, but for some Black residents, the fountains still stir up painful memories
Read More