Thousands of NW seabirds sickened with killer foam
PORTLAND (AP) — The killer foam that hit Northwest seabirds has subsided but conservationists are worried about a death toll they say numbers in the thousands.

Exxon, Shell win Iraq oil field deal
BAGHDAD  — A consortium grouping U.S. and European oil giants Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC today signed a $50 billion deal to develop one of Iraq’s most prized oil fields, as the OPEC nation looks to revamp its battered energy sector.

Bandon turns down semi-truck ban request
BANDON — Grumbly neighbors weren’t persuasive enough to convince Bandon’s city councilors to ban semi-truck parking in city limits.

Parent night is Tuesday at Marshfield
Marshfield High School is hosting parent conference night Tuesday in the main gym on the Coos Bay campus.

Caterpillars will turn into striped tiger moths
Question: I want to know about those orange and black caterpillars that come out this time of year crossing the roads? What kind of butterflies do they turn into, etc.?

Libraries celebrate 30 years of progress
Dora residents celebrated the grand opening of a new library in August. Coos Bay may be on the verge of opening a coffee shop in its library, while Coquille’s is also looking to expand.

 Hold onto your hat - a storm's coming
Batten down the hatches and check those mooring lines. Head to Shore Acres State Park, not the beaches, to watch the big surf rolling in. Forecasters say a big storm’s on the way.

U.N. plans to relocate its workers
KABUL (AP) — The United Nations said today that it is temporarily relocating more than half its international staff in Afghanistan following last week’s deadly Taliban attack against U.N. workers — the most direct targeting of its employees during decades of work in the country.

Britain uses genetic tests to catch liars
LONDON (AP) — Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights groups.

Pickup led 'Clunker' trade-ins
WASHINGTON — Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program mostly involved swaps of old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that have only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press.

Early returns show school bond passing
VERNONIA (AP) — Vernonia schools damaged by Nehalem River flooding in 2007 may be replaced if early returns in a $13 million bond measure hold up.

Four rescued from burning apartment
WILSONVILLE (AP) — Firefighters rescued four people, including an infant, from the third floor of a burning apartment building in Wilsonville.

 Pickup led 'Clunker' trade-ins
WASHINGTON — Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program mostly involved swaps of old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that have only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press.

 12 dead in Fort Hood attack; U.S. soldiers in custody
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A soldier opened fire at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday, unleashing a stream of gunfire that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and apprehended two other soldiers suspected in the attack.

Jury rejects suspect's insanity defense
EUGENE (AP) — A Lane County jury has rejected the insanity defense of a man who confessed to kidnapping and raping a 10-year-old girl.

 Who will teach nurses?
COOS BAY —  Experienced nurses have seen it before. In a recession, retired and semi-retired RNs come out of the woodwork to support their families.

Fined: Man who called 911 with complaint
ALOHA (AP) — A 20-year-old man who called 911 to get his fast-food order straightened out has been told to pay a $300 fine.

Holiday outlook improves as jobs, spending rally
The Associated Press

Builder loses bid for height variance
The Coos Bay Planning Commission has denied a request to build a 38-foot tall house on 294 N. 11th St., near Mingus Park.

Missing baby found under sitter's bed
CHIPLEY, Fla. (AP) — A baby missing for five days was found alive and well under her baby sitter’s bed, and Florida authorities said today they plan to charge the sitter, her husband and the child’s mother.

Senator: No fed money for wind project
WASHINGTON — A Democratic senator is calling on the Obama administration to reject an expected request for federal economic stimulus money as part of a $1.5 billion West Texas wind energy project because he says it will generate Chinese, not American, jobs.

Congress set to clear aid to jobless, homebuyers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is poised to send the White House a bill extending aid to more than a million people in danger of exhausting jobless benefits and additional tax credits for prospective homebuyers crucial to rejuvenating the housing market.

Museum will host Veterans Day program
The Bandon Historical Society Museum will offer veteran talks and an exhibit in honor of Veterans Day.

 Rail worker killed in Philly on third day of strike
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia transit officials say a rail worker has been struck and killed by a regional train, snarling commutes into the city already complicated by a transit strike.

Horse abuser's sentencing is set for Friday
A North Bend woman convicted of neglecting and abusing her Tennessee Walker horses will hear her sentence Friday morning in Coos County Court.

Advocates for cancer patients decry waiting period; budget for high-risk pool seen as low
WASHINGTON (AP) — You’re afraid your cancer is back, and a health insurance company just turned you down.

AP source: Former NYC police commissioner Kerik plans to plead guilty to resolve pending cases
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Just days before starting a triathlon of trials, former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik appears to be opting for a shortcut.

First-time jobless claims stay high in Oregon
PORTLAND (AP) — State figures show that enough jobless Oregonians to populate a small city applied for unemployment benefits in October.

Sheriffs' group opposes guns for pot smokers
SALEM — The right of Oregonians to use marijuana for medical reasons and also to obtain concealed handgun permits is being challenged by local sheriffs who say federal law prevents those people from packing heat.

State finds child abuse and neglect at school
The state of Oregon has shut down a boarding school for troubled teens in Central Oregon after allegedly finding a pattern of child abuse and neglect of its students, forcing parents around the country to scramble to bring home their children.