Good morning, Portland. Get your Burger Week plans in order (starting Monday!) and then read these links, please.
Some big news yesterday: Portland City Council voted to approve a water filtration plant that could cost a half billion dollars:
The humble ultraviolet wave, it seems, never had much of a chance.From the first moments of a lengthy hearing Wednesday afternoon on what type of federally mandated water treatment Portland would choose, the cheapest option—a $105 million plant that would use UV rays to eliminate a parasite found rarely in Portland's water—was painted as inadequate.
Instead, the big-ticket option won out: A 30-acre filtration plant that's estimated to cost between $350 and $500 million. After a series of invited guests unfolded as an infomercial for a filtration plant, council voted unanimously to move forward, the first step in a lengthy process that will see Portlanders' water rates rise to pay for the facility.
Out in print yesterday is Dirk VanderHart's story on how East Portland homeless advocates are trying to fill a gap in services after a fire burned down the Clackamas Service Center, and how the Portland Police Bureau is cracking down on people handing out food to the homeless.
Portland cop Samson Ajir, who killed Terrell Johnson in May, was cleared by a Multnomah County grand jury. We found that the prosecutor running grand juries for police shootings has been emphasizing the family lives of officers being investigated.
It's fucking hot out this week. Yesterday afternoon, the county opened three more cooling centers for people vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. Reaching 103 degrees, yesterday was the hottest recorded August 2 in Portland's history.
Speaking of this fucking heat, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency yesterday because of wildfires. The Oregonian:
Record-breaking heat, continuing hot weather and forecasts for thunderstorms have put Oregon in critical danger of fires, Brown said in a statement."As Oregon faces a near record-breaking heat wave, the threat of wildfires increases," Brown said. "I am thankful to the firefighters and crews working tirelessly throughout the state and remind all Oregonians to be safe and follow posted fire bans."
Brown's declaration allows the Oregon National Guard to mobilize resources to assist the state Department of Forestry and the state Fire Marshal's Office.
An 18-year-old swimmer at Sauvie Island died yesterday evening.
ODOT reported traffic congestion in Portland is no longer limited to rush hour. If you're able to ride a bike or take public transportation, please do that:
So-called "rush hour" traffic now lasts six or more hours on some key Portland-area highways, according to a new report from the Oregon Department of Transportation.The agency found that the hours of congestion in the Portland area grew by 13.6 percent from 2013 to 2015.
The metro area's population grew 3 percent, to 2.4 million, during that span, but an economy on the upswing has put far more vehicles on the road. Vehicle-hour delays were up 22.6 percent.
"Traffic congestion in the Portland region can now occur at any hour of the day, including holidays and weekends," the report said. "It is no longer only a weekday peak hour problem."
The president of the United States is an unambiguously dumb person. He's stupid and bad.
Remember the chaotic Trump calls with Australia and Mexico? We have the transcripts. https://t.co/P8b3YDIdX9
— Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) August 3, 2017