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Portland Woman Assaulted For Being Gay

Sheriff's detectives want to hear from anyone who witnessed the attack or recognizes someone fitting the description of the suspect.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Police in Portland say a 20-year-old woman was attacked Tuesday and beaten because of her sexual orientation. Sgt. Dave Thompson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, says the victim was walking on SW 174th Avenue in Aloha when she was attacked by a white male.

"The man initially asked her for a cigarette, but became angry when he learned her sexual orientation. The man threw her to the ground and struck her several times with a rock. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries."

The victim told deputies that she had never seen the man who attacked her. She described him as a young man between the ages of 16 and 22 with a baby face, 6- feet tall with a slender build. He has very large and pronounced ears. He was wearing a zipped up dark jacket with a white T-shirt underneath it, dark jeans, and black "skater" type shoes on.

Coast Guard Crews Rescue Motorists in Tillamook County Flooding

The Coast Guard joined Tillamook County the Fire Department to rescue 7 people from floods.

(SEATTLE, Ore.) - The Coast Guard reports assisting the Tillamook County, Oregon Fire Department in saving seven people who were stranded after their cars were swept off the road by flooding near Fawcett Creek, Oregon, Wednesday night.

The Coast Guard Group at Astoria received a request for assistance at 9:00 PM from the Tillamook County Fire Department to help rescue a mother and her two infants who were stranded in their car after being swept off of the road by strong flooding.

Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay launched a swift water rescue crew and Coast Guard Air Station Astoria launched an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.

West Coast Doctors Square Off Over PTSD Therapy

A combat veteran-turned-physician who treated PTSD victims for years, trades verbal blows with the psychologist pioneering virtual reality therapy for PTSD.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Two west coast doctors, a psychiatrist and a retired osteopath, are lobbing shots at one another over how to treat combat vets who suffer from combat-related stress. Their starkly different opinions on treatment reflect the enormity of problems associated with PTSD.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been exposed to combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many who served witnessed horrific scenes on the battlefield and are scarred emotionally as well as physically. The resulting problem is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

It seems fair that controversy would accompany such a serious problem and it does on several levels. Approaches to PTSD treatment vary considerably, and many cases remain undetected as career soldiers and Marines risk promotion and advancement opportunities if they reveal their mental stress to their commands, in search of treatment.

Benny & Sid`s Your Public Service Announcements #20

Benny & Sid's Your Public Service Announcements is Salem's only original cartoon strip series.

(Salem) - The election is over and the honeymoon begins. Everything is wonderful, although all recognize that Barack Obama has a nearly impossible job ahead of him. Yet there are those whose minds are so infested with hatred that they plot against him. They would bring him down in the most cowardly fashion imaginable--by rumor.

But will America listen to fabrications of deceit? Or have they had enough and will judge men or women by their deeds?

The Struggle Continues Over Immigration Laws in Columbia County

Community members reflect on significance of Anti-Immigrant Ballot Measure and plan next steps.

(SCAPOOSE, Ore.) - Columbia County has been thrust into the public eye statewide after the passage of an anti-immigrant ballot measure last Tuesday.

Measure 5-190 intends to impose a $10,000 fine on any employer found to be hiring undocumented immigrants, and require county employers to register with the federal E-Verify program. On Election Day, the vote was split with 57% in favor and 45% against.

A local community organization waged a strong grassroots campaign against the measure knowing that the odds were not in their favor. Throughout the last few months, Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity (CCCHD) mobilized over 300 volunteers to have personal conversations with 13,387 of the 28,053 voters in the county. This army of volunteers logged 1,652 volunteer hours, hand-addressed 11,000 postcards, had 26 letters to the editor published in local papers, and prevented a landslide victory of the measure.

New WFP Country Director Pledges Continued Support for People of Afghanistan

The people of this beleaguered nation will see more help from the world community.

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - The new representative for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan, Stefano Porretti, has pledged to continue WFP's support for the poorest and most vulnerable members of Afghan society – especially women and children.

"I want to build on the achievements of former WFP Country Directors in continuing WFP strong commitment to assist the Government and people of Afghanistan to address their hunger and nutrition challenges even in the face of major security risks by providing food assistance to the millions of Afghan people who need help," Porretti said, adding that he would be looking to the international community to provide the support WFP needs to assist up to 9 million Afghans.

Mr. Stefano Porretti an Italian national, he holds University (Laurea) degree in Geology. He has been working for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) since 1987. He has been assigned the WFP Country Director and Representative in Afghanistan since October 2008.

What on Earth is Heaven

Ken Ramey takes a deep and introspective look at the parallels.

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - Most people accept the religious definition that heaven is a wondrous and happy place which is the after-death reward of good and devoted followers who don’t question that definition, but I felt compelled to seek the truth for myself. Hawaii, for example, is touted as paradise, but I prefer the Caribbean. I assume, therefore, that paradise is not the same to all persons, and it occurred to me that what is true of an earthly paradise might also be true of heaven.

All my life I had been told so-called truths only to learn much of what I had been given to believe as true was not. So, I decided to consider life's mysteries logically to reduce my confusion rather than add to it. I recognized my limitations, and freely admitted that truths exist beyond the bounds of reason. Since there was little I could do about them, I decided to believe only that which is believable. If I could not rationalize my way out of a mystery, I would ignore it for the moment and deal only with what I could handle. From this beginning I developed a thesis which accepted that man is composed of two essential parts; his subconscious, and his conscious being. Or, to put it another way, man brain is product of his reality and his unreality.

Albany Veterans Day Parade Mixes Patriotic Displays With Reality (VIDEO)

See the sites and sounds of the Albany Veterans Day Parade through the lens of Tim King's television camera. Also catch our slide show presentation of photos by Bonnie King.

(ALBANY, Ore.) - The Albany, Oregon Veterans Day Parade drew more than 40,000 spectators and participants to this Willamette Valley city. The November 11th event marks the day World War One ended in 1918. Salem-News.com caught up with the last part of the parade and the video is published below.

In this record of the parade you will see everything from a float decked out with bamboo to signify Vietnam, to old cars, a Miatta club, marching bands and anti-war groups like Vietnam Veterans For Peace.

The event brought together all of these groups that represent and serve veterans, without political interference. The organizers allowed all to pay homage in their own way to the men and women who serve this nation in uniform.

Gas Prices in Oregon Hit Lowest Point Since March 2006

Four U.S. states have averages below $2.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - It has been more than two and a half years since gas prices have been this low in Oregon. The statewide average for regular unleaded drops another 19 cents this week to $2.38, the lowest it's been since March 2006. The national average falls another 17 cents to $2.22 and is at its lowest level since mid-February 2007.

AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds says the price of gas has been falling steadily since September, after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike battered the Gulf Coast. "Oregon's average is down 44% from the record high of $4.29 set on July 3, 2008, while the national average is down 46% from its record high of $4.11 set on July 17th of this year," Dodds said.

Veteran`s Day From Gettysburg to Your Home Town

A veteran of our current conflicts reminds us that November 11th is our opportunity to honor the sacrifice of the men and women that have consecrated our ideals and to renew the promise of Our America.

(MONMOUTH, Ore.) - Seven score and five years ago an embattled Abraham Lincoln traveled to rural Pennsylvania to dedicate a national cemetery.

Lincoln went to Gettysburg to explain to a war-weary nation that even more sacrifice would be required so in the days ahead so that a stronger, perpetual Union could prevail.

This trip constituted a remarkable act of courage for a Commander-in-Chief during a time of open civil war. Confederate sympathizers lurked everywhere; even loyal citizens were potential threats because of their deep frustration with a war that few understood.

Lincoln chose that dedication ceremony as the backdrop to ask his country - and the world - a question that will endure through the ages.