Salem-News.com Articles written by Bonnie King

A Mad World...Fairview Training Center Up in Flames

The historic building's demise brings to light the evolution and consequences of aged mental health misnomers.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Fairview, the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded, was established by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1907. It opened just outside Salem one year later with 39 residents that were transferred from the Oregon State Hospital.

Built on a 670 acre plot, Fairview was specifically charged with "the care and training of such feeble-minded, idiotic, epileptic, and defective persons as have been or may hereafter be committed to its custody."

Earthquake Refugees Flee Port-au-Prince

The exodus began shortly after the earthquake a week ago.

(PORT-AU-PRINCE/SALEM) - Port au Prince continued to experience a mass exodus today (20 Jan) as Haitians left the capital for other provinces in search of food, shelter and security. In the capital, there is an increasing lack of food, water, loss of jobs, destruction, medical care and a growing threat of crime and insecurity.

One resident in Port au Prince, Saint Ange, was seen fleeing to Cap Haitian, some 83 miles away from the capital.

2010: The Year of the GRASS (VIDEO)

Green is their signature color. Medicinal marijuana gardeners throughout the state of Oregon enjoyed a plentiful harvest last fall, and look to 2010 as a year of growth, and change.

(SALEM, Ore.) - “After living through arrests in the past for growing marijuana, to be able to do it legally, it’s almost entirely stress-free compared to when it was illegal. So to be able to help the people that need this- it warms our hearts,” said Paul Stanford, Executive Director of The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation.

The fear of breaking the law has stopped people for six decades from considering marijuana, or cannabis, to treat their ailments. That is no longer the rule of the day.

Conan O`Brien Says NO WAY to NBC

"The Tonight Show" at 12:05 simply isn't "The Tonight Show."

(SALEM, Ore.) - Jay Leno may be getting his entire show back, but he should have remembered the old cliche, be careful what you ask for.

Since Jay Leno retired about six months ago, the odds have been against his replacement. With Leno taking a slender amount of viewers with him to the ten o'clock show, and then Letterman hitting rating records with his affair/blackmail scandal, Conan O'Brien has had an uphill climb where it should have been a cake walk.

Medical Marijuana Expert Discusses PTSD and Depression (VIDEO)

The Doc says unlike depression, anguish is very close to what a PTSD sufferer experiences.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Dr. Phil Leveque and Bonnie King discuss a very important subject, that is the connection between PTSD and depression.

The VA says PTSD amounts to depression, but Dr. Leveque, who has suffered from PTSD since 1945, says the finding is geared toward saving the VA more money.

JACK, JACK: Who`s Got Your Back?

The very life & legacy of Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, is at stake.

(SALEM, Ore.) - It’s a sad situation. The making of a movie of the week, perhaps. When a world renowned author falls ill, his family and friends become enemies, all professing to act on his behalf.

In the meantime, his health continues to fail, and his good name is tarnished by the very people obligated to uphold it.

Reefer Madness and More: Medical Marijuana Q & A (VIDEO)

Salem-News.com addresses several points regarding the use of legal medical marijuana in Oregon, California and other locations.

(SALEM, Ore.) - In this segment of our ongoing series on Medical Marijuana, Dr. Phil Leveque and Bonnie King discuss the subject from several different angles. From the "Reefer Madness" of days gone by, to the current medicinal enlightenment period, there is an unending supply of unanswered questions sent in by our viewers.

Dr. Leveque speaks with Bonnie about a growing amount of coverage on the connections between autism and the use of medical marijuana, a subject that has recently been seriously covered by both ABC and CBS News.

Man Heralded for Curing Cancer Seeks Asylum in Europe

Canadian authorities have still not laid charges ten days after the police action.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A man from Athol, Nova Scotia, Canada caused a stir around the world about five years ago, when he made the shocking claim to have cured cancer. As unbelievable as that sounds, there is viable evidence to support his claim.

Rick Simpson is known globally in the cannabis community, but the general public has been slow in receiving his whole story.

Thanksgiving Comes One Day Early For Hundreds in Salem (VIDEO)

Salemites are invited to enjoy a hot, homemade Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday.

(SALEM, Ore.) - "It's a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, dinner rolls and good ole pumpkin pie," says Mike Adams. This dinner will be a welcome sight for about a thousand people in downtown Salem Wednesday evening.

Record numbers of people are in need this year, and many are hungry. Now an ongoing annual event, a group of hard working people have served Thanksgiving dinner in downtown Salem since 2002.

First-Ever Cannabis Cafe to Open in Portland for Medical Marijuana Patients

Oregon NORML launches the new resource under the guidelines of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The hippest joint in town, Rumpspankers, is Oregon NORML's Cannabis Café set to kick off next Friday (the 13th) at exactly 4:20 p.m.

The special cafe for members only is an innovative gathering place for the medical cannabis community, brought to fruition by Oregon NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML, says this cafe will fill a void that so many patients feel in their lives.