Mandy Dalton is a professional clown. She likes to make kids laugh.

"We're kind of the blue-collar workers of the entertainment industry. We get paid contractually," she said. "We're the ones that have to show up with a big smile on our face and make sure everyone is having a good time."

The number of bankruptcies in North Central Washington dropped in May, the first monthly decline since the beginning of the year.

Americans continued seeking bankruptcy relief at a faster pace as more than 120,000 petitions were filed in May. Filings last month represent a 3 percent increase over April and 42 percent more than the same month in 2008, according to data compiled by Automated Access to Court Electronic Records.

The number of bankruptcies in Washington state dropped in May, the first monthly decline since the beginning of the year.

A new report from Automated Access to Court Electronic Records (AACER) shows that in May alone, bankruptcy filings rose to more than 6,000 a day.