Police Oversight Advances + Eagles Shot + Food Prices Rise

Hello, my friends! It’s a beautiful day and Portland is poppin’! Let’s see what all the hubbub is about.

Weather

No rain, but clouds throughout the day and a high temp of 67. Noice!

Today’s top news stories for Portland

1. The Oregon State Legislature has passed SB 621, clearing the path for Portland to implement a police oversight board. Voters approved the oversight board in November 2020, but it has been stalled due to the issue of whether it could operate without being subjected to mandatory collective bargaining by the Portland Police Association. (Willamette Week)
2. Troubles at the Portland Office of Community and Civic Life continue, as two more employees are paid to resign. The former bureau director Suk Rhee has already resigned and now she is followed by supervisors Dianne Riley and Meg Juarez. (OPB)
3. Portland Audubon is offering a $1000 reward for information related to the shootings of 2 bald eagles. One of the eagles was shot and killed at Portland International Raceway on April 5th and the other shot and injured in West Linn on April 28th. (KOIN)
4. Portland restaurants have been hard hit by the pandemic. Now that they are preparing to reopen, rising food prices are becoming their next challenge. Everything from beef to corn has gone up and restaurants are nervous about how much that will be reflected in their menu prices. (KATU)
5. A Latino advocacy group has launched a Spanish language, COVID-19 vaccine hotline. To make this hotline operational, the Latino Network has partnered with Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties, as well as the Oregon Health Authority. (KPTV)

Today’s events in Portland

1. Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, will be doing an online talk. She will be speaking with Shadiin Garcia, board chair of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon. Tickets are free and the talk will be from 4:00 – 5:00 PM.
2. Do you just want to slow down and curl up with a good book? You may be interested in the Worldwide Silent Reading Party. This online event features live piano music as readers silently get lost in their favorite novels. Tickets required. 6:00 PM.
3. Writing can be a lonely endeavor and finding other writers can often be a chore. That’s why Common Grounds Coffee House is hosting Screaming into the Void with Company. Attendees will write silently together with some breaks in between. 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
4. The group Hey, I Wanna Do That! is hosting a walkabout through the NE Portland Irvington Neighborhood. The group is meeting at the Lion and Rose Victorian Bed and Breakfast. It’s free to attend, but registration is required. 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM
5. Drag Queen Story Time with Poison Waters will take place this afternoon. Tune in as Poison Waters shares her favorite children’s storybooks on themes of equality, acceptance, diversity and friendship. It will be streamed over ZOOM. 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

1. The Cathedral Park Jazz Festival will return this summer as a live event. After going virtual last year, it has just announced that this outdoor festival will be live and in-person. It will still be free, but there will be regulated entry and masks are required. There will also be a livestream of the event. July 16th to July 18th.
2. Do you know someone who is homebound and having trouble accessing the COVID-19 vaccine? Multnomah County’s Emergency Operations Center has created a door-to-door vaccine project to help those who might have difficulty getting to a clinic. It is run, in part, by volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps and has vaccinated approximately 1400 people to date. (Multnomah County)
3. Is this even possible? Adventure enthusiast William McBride speaks to KATU channel 2 about his latest adventure, the Portland Trifecta. To achieve this, one must climb Mt. Hood, Mt. Defiance and walk the entire 31-mile Wildwood trail, all in a single day. Wow, now that’s an adventure! (KATU)

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This is one happening hump day! I hope it’s a fun one for you and I’ll be back tomorrow to talk about all things Portland.