It’s a timely conversation; the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh-in on the constitutionality of marriage laws as early as today/Monday.  A Portland State University researcher has completed a study that shows that allowing gay marriage does not affect how many straight couples get married. PSU's Alexis Dinno says she used standard, trusted research methods to analyze the rates of marriages and civil unions between 1989 and 2009.  She says, in 2009 or so, she was hearing a lot of political leaders and pundits claim gay marriage would "dilute the brand" of traditional marriage, possibly leading to a reduction in the number of heterosexual couples who married.  The findings just published in the academic journal "Public Library of Science One." 

The Portland man who admitted harassing relatives of victims from the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting won't go to jail.   Kevin Purfield, 45, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stalking and phone harassment.  He repeatedly called the brother of a 24-year-old woman killed in the Aurora theater shooting.  He also posted on his blog that he contacted 11 to 12 people.  He told them their loved ones weren't dead, but missing.  The Oregonian reports that Purfield was sentenced to a year of probation where he'll attend mental health court.  They’ll make sure he attends doctor's appointments; takes medication and stays out of trouble.  The judge also ordered Purfield against contacting anyone related to the theater shooting.

Randall Children's hospital has opened a first of its kind Children's Sleep Medicine Clinic in Portland.  Sleep specialist Dr. Teng Ji says up to half of children between the ages of 1 and ten have sleep disorders.  Dewey Halpaus' 21-month-old son Grayson was recently diagnosed with a mild form of the problem during an overnight sleep study at the center.  He has been referred to a specialist for treatment, before the disorder causes any other health problems.  The center has been open since April.

An Oregon State University researcher hopes you and your insect-loving kids will help her learn more about butterflies. Katy Prudic invites you to share pictures of the butterflies you've spotted in your travels, or your backyard, on a website: www.ebutterfly.org.  She'll use the information to learn how butterflies adapt to changes in the environment, or move to find the conditions they need to survive.  So far, about 10,000 people have been involved; but many of them are in Canada. Collection of information from amateur etymologists in the U.S. has just begun.