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Community Corner

🌱Tobacco Ban May Head To Vote + Forest Grove Organ Donor Honored

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Beaverton.

Ash DeMello, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Friday, Beaverton! Let's get you all caught up to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Showers of rain and snow. High: 37 Low: 20.

Here are the top five stories today in Beaverton:

  1. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon dropped riot-related charges against a local last week, reports Joseph Clark. Police arrested Beaverton resident Eva Warner three times during the Summer 2020 riots. Warner reached a Deferred Resolution Agreement with the agency and completed 30 hours of community service prior to the charges being dropped. Get the rest of the story at the Washington Times.
  2. Washington County commissioners enacted a ban on flavored tobacco in November, the first ban of its type in the state. Plaid Pantry's CEO, Jonathan Polonsky, says the ban is bad for business and wants the voters to have a say. Polonsky is circulating a petition to bring the ordinance to the ballot in May. Find out more on CSNews Online.
  3. Read about a scary crash that left one car flipped upside down near Scholls Ferry Road at KATU. The incident happened Wednesday evening near Highway 217. Rescuers had to remove one individual who was trapped in a vehicle, but the agencies haven't yet released further details regarding the cause of the crash or extent of the injuries.
  4. Get the latest on hospital capacity in the Beaverton area at the Beaverton Patch. Statewide, officials report that approximately 74 percent of in-patient beds and 72 percent of intensive care unit beds in hospitals across the state are occupied as of December 30. In our area, St. Vincent reports 83.61 percent of all in-patient beds occupied (89.43 percent of ICU beds); Meridian Park in Tualatin reports 72.21 percent of all in-patient beds occupied (66.67 percent of ICU beds); and Tuality reports 92.20 percent of all in-patient beds occupied (89.39 percent of ICU beds).
  5. A Forest Grove organ donor is being honored with a float in Saturday's Tournament of Roses Parade. Stepsisters Anna Dieter-Eckert, 6, and Abigail Robinson, 11, died eight years ago when a car hit the leaf pile in which they were playing. Abigail had previously expressed interest in organ donation, and two individuals were able to benefit. Read the touching and tragic story at KOIN.

Today's Beaverton Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Beaverton!

Today in Beaverton:

  • Bubbles & Benedicts - D'Anu Wine Bar (Hillsboro) hosts a brunch event with champagne cocktails. Reservations required. (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)
  • Pay-What-You-Can Book Sale! - Aloha Community Library Association invites you to stock your shelves for less. (10:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
  • Teen Winter Photo Contest (ends) - Beaverton City Library reminds teens that submissions are due today! Click over for details. (All day)

From my notebook:

  • Celebrate a big accomplishment with Five Oaks Museum: Staff just compiled a research library. Click over to get a look and learn how to get access the newly-organized tools. (Instagram)
  • Congratulate the students and staff at Terra Nova School of Science and Sustainability. The BSD option school just won the WE Award for Career Technical Education Program of the Year. (Instagram)
  • Need a ride tonight? TriMet is offering free rides from 8:00 PM through around 3:00 AM. (Twitter)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Ash DeMello

About me: Check out my profile at the Beaverton Downtown Association's blog or follow me on Instagram (you'll be one of eight!).

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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