• SIGN-STEALER: Former Portland Mercury editor Phil Busse, whose checkered résumé most recently includes “confessed McCain-Palin sign-stealer,” is back in town to teach a two-credit class at Portland State University on how the media portrays reality and how it leads the political agenda and social expectation.

• CHILD-KILLER: The father of Diane Downs, the Oregon woman convicted in 1984 of shooting her three children, one fatally, is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the “real killer.”

• B-BALLER: Remember how the Trail Blazers’ Greg Oden missed his rookie season because of his bum right knee? Remember how sad you were? On Feb. 13, Oden skipped the All-Star rookie challenge because of a bone chip in the other knee.

• ELECTION FRAUDSTER? The Oregon Elections Division has opened an investigation into whether right-wing initiative-pusher Bill Sizemore violated election law by neglecting to report campaign activities.

• LEAKY FLACK: Mayor Sam Adams’ new spokesman, Roy Kaufmann, confirmed WW’s request for comment Feb. 13 on the latest resignation by an Adams staffer—by sending an e-mail to all Portland media announcing the resignation WW was asking about.