Oregon Media Insiders

Shares of Cascade Corp. dropped 12 percent Friday, a day after the company reported a 31 percent decline in quarterly earnings. (CAE)

After leading the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the last several months, Oregon public company stocks tracked through the Davidson 99 Regional Index have fallen back behind the Dow in terms of yearly returns.

One of Portland’s largest law firms has formalized its commitment to representing clients within the sports and entertainment industries.

The U.S. Treasury has announced that Social Security beneficiaries can now sign up to receive their benefits on a special debit card, rather than by check or direct deposit.

Columbia Bancorp, the holding company for Columbia River Bank, is shutting down its mortgage division over the next two months. (CBBO)

An ecology group has dubbed the fledgling South Waterfront area as the city’s first “salmon-safe” neighborhood.

Horizon Air on Friday said it would submit a new bid to provide air service in Pendleton, this time adding service to Portland.

A majority of the responders to last week’s Business Pulse survey like their jobs.

Fifty-nine percent of companies intend to keep down rising health-care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits, according to a survey by the Mercer consulting firm. (MMC)

Continental Airlines Inc. will begin charging some economy class passengers $15 for their first checked bag beginning Oct. 7. (CAL)

Cascade Corp. on Thursday reported a 31 percent decrease in second quarter earnings, led by a drop in North American sales and increased materials costs. (CAE)

Alaska Airlines said it carried fewer passengers last month compared with a year earlier. (ALK)

In a reorganization of its sales management structure, printing and imaging equipment company Xerox Corp. has assigned a new leader to the company’s Oregon operations. (XRX)

Paul Allen, billionaire owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, said his Vulcan Productions movie company will make a film about the life of George Washington.

Things are slowing down at Nordstrom Inc. In August, comparable-store sales dropped by 7.9 percent compared with a year earlier and net sales dropped 4.2 percent. (JWN)

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted Wednesday night to strike Boeing Co., but a federal mediator stepped in and asked the union for 48 hours before going to the picket lines.

Portland’s City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a program that will give students at two Portland High Schools free rides on TriMet busses and trains.

The Minnesota investment firm that bought the last Pope & Talbot pulp mill in the U.S. will be the subject of protests claiming it slashed the wages and benefits of workers at the Halsey, Ore., plant.

Alaska Airlines’ on-time performance improved to 79.9 percent in July, up from 77.8 percent in June and better than the average performance of all major U.S. carriers. (ALK)

Five Portland bars made Imbibe Magazine’s list of the 100 best places to drink beer across the United States.