The skanner., March 30, 2011, Image 1

www . THESKANNER . COM
M ARCH 30, 2011
P ORTLAND
V OLUME XXXIII, N O . 22
25
CENTS
i nSide
Paul Anctil, 75
page 6
Unjustified Attack
page 5
Anthony Anderson
C hallenging P eoPle to S haPe a B etter F uture n ow
Police now consider
the girl, 14, to be a
‘missing person’
by brian Stimson
of The Skanner News
I
t’s been nearly two weeks since 14-year-
old Yashawnee Vaughn was last seen or
heard from.
On Thursday, March 25, friends and fam-
ily gathered at the Northeast Precinct to get
the attention of a police department and
media they say wasn’t treating the case seri-
ously enough.
The Skanner News reported on the case,
posting photographs and a story, within
hours of learning of Vaughn’s disappear-
ance.
At the time, Police spokesperson Lt. Kelly
Sheffer told The Skanner News that
Vaughn’s disappearance was being treated
as a runaway, but clarified that all missing
youth are now automatically treated as
“missing.” Although there was no evidence
that indicated Vaughn had been abducted,
Sheffer said detectives had interviewed cer-
tain family and friends. As of Thursday, they
had not contacted the girl Vaughn had spo-
ken to last.
Portland police announced on Monday,
March 28 that because investigators have
been unable to locate the minor, that she
might be at risk.
“Detectives now consider this investiga-
tion a Missing Person’s case,” said the
March 28 statement.
Sheffer said the crossover of a missing
persons or runaway case is judged inde-
pendently on the facts. Although many of
Vaughn’s family invoked the name of Kyron
Horman — the 7-year-old missing since
June 2010 that resulted in exhaustive land
and water searches and millions in inves-
tigative costs — to question why nothing
more had been done about Vaughn, Sgt.
Catherine Kent of North Precinct said the
main difference in the two cases is age.
At 7, Horman is largely unable to care for
himself. At 14, Vaughn is independent and
old enough to ride public transportation on
See teen on page 3
indeX
News ....2,3,7,10-14,16
Opinion ..................4,5
Obits..........................6
A & E .........................8
Books.........................9
Bids/Classifieds ........15
Final
Four
Jefferson High
School graduate
Terrence Jones,
left, a freshman at
the University of
Kentucky, heads to
Houston this
weekend for the
NCAA Final Four
faceoff. The
Associated Press
recently named
Jones Best
Newcomer in the
SEC and the
newswire reports
that Las Vegas
casinos have
tabbed Kentucky
the latest favorite
to win it all.
aP Photo by bill KoStroun
Parents
Search
For Teen
page 8
‘Harlem Hellfighter’ Closer to Medal
Sen. Ron Wyden, Nick Fish fight to honor WWI combat hero
T
he campaign to honor
WW1 hero Sgt. Henry
Lincoln Johnson with a
Medal of Honor has made a
major breakthrough, with the
discovery of crucial new evi-
dence. As previously reported
by the Skanner news,
Johnson’s incredible bravery on
the battlefield earned him the
Croix de Guerre, France’s high-
est honor.
Yet the Albany N.Y. railroad
porter who fought with the fear-
some Harlem Hellfighters regi-
ment – the New York 369th –
went unrecognized back home
in the United States. The rea-
son? Johnson was Black at a
time when America was in the
grip of race segregation and
racist violence.
“We found additional evi-
dence that further confirms
what we already know to be
true,” said Oregon Sen. Ron
Wyden. “That Mr. Johnson is a
hero
and
deserves
the
Congressional
Medal
of
Honor.”
Sen. Wyden took up the case
after learning about Johnson
from Portland City Commiss -
ioner Nick Fish, whose grandfa-
ther Hamilton Fish was an offi-
cer in the 369th and a strong
advocate for civil rights. He has
been working with New York
Sen. Charles Schumer, who last
week announced the discoveries
his staff had made—discoveries
that confirm his exceptional
story. The Skanner News Video
Staffers found the memo from
Gen. Pershing in the National
Archives, part of a May 1918
bulletin from the front lines
command center.
Gen. Pershing wrote:
“Reports in hand show
notable instance of bravery and
devotion shown by 2 soldiers of
American colored regiment
operating in French sector.
Before day light on May 15
Private Henry Johnson and
Private Roberts while on sentry
duty at some distance from one
another were attached by
German raiding party estimated
at 20 men, who advanced in 2
groups attacking at once from
flank and rear. Both men fought
See medal on page 3
City Holds Religious Tolerance Discussion
Beaverton officials host event with local Muslim leaders April 6
A
s the number of Oregonians charged
in terrorism cases steadily rises, the
City of Beaverton Human Rights
Advisory Commission sponsors a dialogue
with the Muslim community on Wednesday,
April 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Beaverton City
Library 12375 SW 5th St.
Guest Speakers are Ali Houdroge, found-
ing member of the Islamic Center of
Portland, and Dr. Shahriar Ahmed, president
of the Bilal Mosque Association.
HRAC Chair Rob Soloman says the
guests will talk about why they moved to
Beaverton and what issues the Islamic com-
munity here faces in the wake of the U.S.
‘war on terrorism.’
“I think people get scared and their fear
clams them up – but if you don’t expose
yourself to other ideas, other perspectives,
you don’t get to confront your fear and
overcome it,”
he said. “We’re already thinking that we
may get more people than the library will
hold that day.” The commission is looking
into a larger facility for that evening’s event
to accommodate the possible crowd over-
flow.
Soloman says the HRAC works on foster-
See muSlimS on page 3