News briefs

Blood drive next week

Portland State University’s Center for Student Health and Counseling will be holding a blood drive for the Red Cross on Wednesday, Feb. 28. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in rooms 294 and 296 in Smith Memorial Student Union.

An appointment must be scheduled to donate blood. Space is limited, according to Gwyn Ashcom, outreach coordinator for student health and counseling. Walk-ins will not be taken, but may be able to replace a donor that does not show for their time slot, Ashcom said.

SHAC hosts a blood drive once every term. Ashcom said they hope to reach their goal of 160 donors on Wednesday. Last term, 83 people participated in the drive.

“It’s the one thing you can do to save a life that only takes and hour of your time,” Ashcom said.

It is recommended that donors drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and that they eat before they give blood, Ashcom said. To schedule an appointment, contact Ashcom at [email protected] or 503-725-5123.

–Katie Kotsovos

Senate confirms James Francesconi to higher ed board

The Oregon State Senate approved Governor Ted Kulongoski’s appointment of James Francesconi, a Portland attorney, to the State Board of Higher Education.

Francesconi will replace Tim Nesbitt, who resigned from the board to take a job as Kulongoski’s deputy chief of staff. Francesconi has served as a city commissioner on the Portland City Council, served on the Portland Business Alliance’s Education Committee, and worked as a lawyer for 18 years.

Francesconi’s time on the board will continue until 2008, when Nesbitt’s term was up. He received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon.

-David Holley

House passes fire-safe cigarette bill

Firefighters scored a victory Thursday when the House passed a bill requiring that all cigarettes sold in Oregon be fire-safe, made from special paper that will extinguish itself if left unattended.

Legislators said the bill would save dozens of lives and millions of dollars worth of property. Between 2001 and 2005, 1,500 fires in Oregon were attributed to cigarettes.

The paper has special rings of ultra-thin paper that wrap around the cigarette and stop the burning unless the smoker takes regular puffs.

The bill now goes to the Senate. If it becomes law, Oregon will join California, Illinois, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Canada in requiring tobacco companies to sell only the fire-safe cigarettes. Nineteen other states are considering similar legislation.

–Aaron Clark, Associated Press

Career Day Wednesday

Organizations from around Oregon and the nation will be at Portland State Wednesday for students interested in career and job-related information.

The U.S. Army, the Oregon Department of Transportation, T-Mobile and Intel are among the over 100 companies and state organizations that will be in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the annual Career Day.

For a full listing of employers, visit www.pdx.edu/careers/careerfairs.html.

-David Holley