News Digest:
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 11:41 AM PDT
GOOD AFTERNOON
OREGON
Archbishop criticizes Ore. governor on
abortion
SALEM (AP) — Archbishop John Vlazny is criticizing Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Catholic, for playing host to an abortion rights fundraiser Friday night in Portland.
Vlazny, head of the Archdiocese of Portland, said it’s an embarrassment and a scandal for Catholics that Kulongoski is hosting the event two days before the church conducts its annual ‘‘Respect Life’’ mass in Portland to show opposition to abortion.
‘‘For a Catholic governor to host an event of this sort seems a deliberate dissent from the teachings of the church,’’ Vlazny said in a statement Tuesday. For more of this story, please turn to Page A3.
IDAHO
Blackfoot fights gang graffiti
BLACKFOOT (AP) — Frustration is growing in the eastern Idaho city of Blackfoot over the proliferation of gang-related graffiti.
Police Chief David Moore says it’s difficult to get the upper hand on graffiti because it takes so much time and money to eliminate the damage caused by vandals intent on defacing public and private property.
Last year, Moore says his department spent about $20,000 to clean up graffiti, and the city established a zero-tolerance policy. But the legal system often fails to hold those responsible fully accountable.
THE NATION
State rail projects get boost as driving declines
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The federal government is chipping in nearly $30 million for 15 passenger rail projects across the country as Americans continue to drive less and take the train more, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said Tuesday. Peters announced the funding Tuesday at the downtown Richmond Amtrak station, one of the sites that will benefit. The projects are aimed at boosting intercity rail capacity and on-time performance. Also benefiting are two projects each in Vermont, Wisconsin and Illinois; and one each in Arizona, California, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Washington state.
