Quake along Pakistan border region kills 170
ZIARAT, Pakistan (AP) — A strong earthquake struck before dawn today in impoverished southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 170 people and turning mud and timber homes into rubble.

Report: North Korea's Kim suffers a health setback
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — New South Korean intelligence indicates that ailing North Korean leader Kim Jong Il suffered a serious setback in his recovery from a stroke and has been hospitalized, a newspaper reported today.

Lakeside council candidates offer views on race
Lakeside voters have a ballot full of candidates for mayor and city council. Here is information provided by candidates in the city’s Nov. 4 election.

Asian markets rebound
HONG KONG (AP) — Most Asian stock markets rose today after a stunning rally on Wall Street as investors awaited possible interest rate cuts from central banks in the U.S. and Japan. European markets opened mixed.

Fed expected to announce rate cut today
WASHINGTON — The worst financial crisis in 70 years has forced the Federal Reserve to employ all the weapons in its arsenal — including cutting interest rates to near historic lows — to try to keep the country from plunging into a deep recession.

Medicare enrollment help available
New choices and changes are being made to Medicare benefits in 2009. ATRIO Health Plans announced this month it is dropping coverage for patients in Coos County. New Medicare Advantage — supplementary — plans will be introduced.

Flood insurance rate maps revised
The Federal Emergency Management Administration recently completed a project to revise flood insurance rate maps for Coos County. Next month, the agency plans to host a meeting in Bandon to help people learn about the changes.

Oregon ballot returns off 2004 pace
SALEM — Thousands of mail ballots poured into local election offices Tuesday as Oregon voters choose in the state’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race, a presidential contest and a string of other races and measures in the last week of campaigning.

Bend man sentenced to 5 years for child porn
PORTLAND (AP) — A 63-year-old Bend man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Survivors recall fighting for lives
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The investigation into the sinking of a fishing vessel off of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands resumed Tuesday with more testimony from surviving crew members and Coast Guard rescuers.

Reward increases for info on missing girl
RIDDLE (AP) — Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of Stephanie Condon’s disappearance.

UO says buildings could use wood heat
PORTLAND (AP) — A new University of Oregon energy guide encourages public institutions to consider heating buildings by burning the millions of tons of waste wood from logging and forest fuel reduction that is otherwise discarded.

Plane crash kills two men near Estacada
ESTACADA (AP) — Two men died late Tuesday when a small plane crashed southeast of Portland.

Obama courts some red states
WASHINGTON — Barack Obama, gunning for a national landslide, now leads in four states won by President Bush in 2004 and is essentially tied with John McCain in two other Republican red states, according to new AP-GfK battleground polling.

 Coos Bay moves closer to deal on church site
COOS BAY — The city of Coos Bay is a couple of signatures away from taking ownership of the property where it wants to build a new fire station.

 Hotel renovation escalates as tax credits lose value
NORTH BEND — When crews wrap up North Bend Hotel renovations in 2010, the city will not only get a restored historic building, it also will have a more energy efficient one.

Coos Bay man faces sex, porn charges
A Coos County grand jury indicted a Coos Bay man Tuesday on 50 charges involving pornography and sex crimes.

NB will remove dangerous house
NORTH BEND — Yet another chapter has ended in the nearly two-year saga of a dangerous house on a sliding hillside in the city.

Quoddy Bay withdraws Maine LNG permit request
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Quoddy Bay LNG has withdrawn its request for state permits to build a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Passamaquoddy Indian reservation at Pleasant Point in eastern Maine.