As a longtime patron of libational theatre, the last place in the world I expected to find an authentic recreation of the classic Moscow Mule was in a harborfront restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif., the heart of Orange County or, as the hot and hip call it, the O.C. But The Cannery at 3010 Lafayette Road (949-566-0060; www.cannerynewport.com) is not where the sleek, bronzed California gods and goddesses park their Beamers and hang, chattering on ... [full story]

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Lithia Motors yesterday announced that full-year 2006 sales increased 11% to $3.17 billion as compared to $2.85 billion in the same period last year. New vehicle sales increased 13%, used vehicle sales increased 7%, finance/insurance sales increased 12% and parts/service sales increased 14%. Full-year 2006 net income from continuing operations was $40.3 million as compared to $56.0 million in 2005. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $1.91 including the $0.12 effect of accounting ... [full story]

Nike, Inc. announced Thursday that its Board of Directors approved a two-for-one split of both Nike Class A and Class B Common shares. The stock split will be in the form of a 100 percent stock dividend payable on April 2, 2007 to shareholders of record at the close of business March 12, 2007.  Upon completion of the split, the outstanding shares of Nike Class A and Class B common stock will increase to approximately ... [full story]

Fourth Quarter & Full-Year Financial & Operating Highlights Achieved 2006 earnings per share of $2.29 on net income of $63.4 million, a 9 percent increase over 2005 Realized fourth quarter net income of $30.1 million or $1.09 per share, up 17 percent from fourth quarter results in 2005 Produced cash flow from operations in 2006 of $149 million, which resulted in positive free cash flow for the year Improved overall customer service rating to 3rd ... [full story]

SmartVoice Local Numbers Enable Small Businesses to Create Virtual Local Presences AccessLine Communications, a leading provider of hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services, today announced its SmartVoice Service for business has increased the availability of local numbers in key metro areas throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Central Oregon. This enables a small- to medium-size business using SmartVoice Service to develop a virtual presence almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest by providing its customers local ... [full story]

In-flight fare, even when it was free, wasn't much to write home about. Now that most airlines charge you for everything from soup to nuts, you may or may not get what you pay for. A notable exception: Midwest Airlines, known for its surprisingly tasty steak dinners and free wines when it flew as Midwest Express, still serves creative cuisine aloft. Now you pay for the pleasure, of course, but that's fine with me. I'll ... [full story]

Anger in the mental health and suicide prevention community has grown following a General Motors spokesperson's statement this week that the company has received "more than a handful, but not a tsunami" of complaints over a Super Bowl television ad that depicted a suicidal leap from a bridge -- and that the company intends to air the commercial again during the Academy Awards on February 25th.   GM is blasted again for its “suicide commercial.”  See ... [full story]

Tom Doak selected for his minimalist approach to course design and ability to preserve natural environment and topography His first attempt at course design in Oregon resulted in one of the greatest upscale public courses ever created –- Pacific Dunes. In 2006, three of his designs (Ballyneal, Tumble Creek and Stone Eagle Golf Club) were ranked among Golf Digest’s top 10 best new private courses in America, and three others (Pacific Dunes, Cape Kidnappers and ... [full story]

Across the United States consumer demand for organically produced milk regularly exceeds supply – a shortage has created a financial incentive for dairy farmers to explore organic production in their operations. Oregon is a nationwide leader in organic milk production, and more farmers are converting to organic production all the time, said Mike Gamroth, an Oregon State University Extension dairy specialist and researcher in the Department of Animal Sciences. “Dairy has seen unprecedented growth in ... [full story]

This week Attorney General Hardy Myers announced a proposed $90 million nationwide settlement for consumers, state purchasers, and others with Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. (Samsung), with headquarters in Korea and the United States. Subject to court approval, the settlement agreement will resolve a portion of the pending claims brought by state attorneys general, as well as private class actions, against the world's largest manufacturers of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips ... [full story]

MACC Board vote encourages greater consumer choice Many Washington County residents are a major step closer to having more choice for their cable television services, thanks to a vote Thursday by the Metropolitan Area Communications Commission (MACC) Board of Directors. The vote recommends allowing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV service to more than 150,000 Washington County households, or about 420,000 potential viewers. The agreement needs to be approved by all affected municipalities and ... [full story]

BP Profit Report Shows Industry Refining Margins in West Are About Twice the Global Average BP's profit report today stated that the oil industry's profit margins from West Coast refineries are about twice the global average, meaning the industry reaps disproportionate profits from Californians and other motorists in the region, said the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. Californians are currently paying about 40 cents more per gallon than the U.S. national average. Even after ... [full story]