🌱 Body Camera Questions +New Mask Mandates+ Omicron Surveillance

It's Saturday, my peeps! Ah, the weekend, my favorite day of the week. After all this time, I still long for cartoons on a Saturday morning. Sorry, all you've got this morning is me. Read on and I'll try to make it worth your while.

First, today's weather:

The rain returns today with a high temp of 51. But our sense of holiday cheer will keep us warm, right?

Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. The Mental Health Alliance hosted a virtual town hall Thursday night to address policies surrounding police-worn body cameras. A core question regarding body cameras is whether or not they will do anything to prevent police violence. "We have video of police brutality. The problem is when we have the footage, what is done with that, that is what we don't trust," said Jake Dockter from Portland. (KATU)
2. Memories of the devasting heat wave that gripped Portland this past summer continue to haunt residents, but it has spurred action from the city of Portland. City leaders on Wednesday approved an $11.5 million program to outfit low-income seniors and others with free, portable AC units. During June's record-breaking heatwave temperatures reached as high as 116 degrees and caused 68 confirmed deaths in Multnomah County. (KPTV.com)
3. The Oregon Health Authority’s Rules Advisory Committee met on Thursday to begin the process of drafting a permanent set of rules for the state’s indoor mask requirement. OHA lifted Oregon’s outdoor mask mandate last week, but separate mask rules for indoor spaces, schools and healthcare settings all remain in place. The current indoor mask mandate is a temporary rule and is set to expire in February, so Oregon health leaders wants to be able to switch to a permanent rule before then. (KGW)
4. Multnomah County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk has taken the unusual step of halting an audit of the placement of homeless Portlanders into housing after her team found data from the Joint Office of Homeless Services to be “not reliable.” The upshot: Auditors found that the Joint Office may have overstated the number of people for whom it found permanent housing by more than 20% over the past two years. (Willamette Week)
5. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced Wednesday that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths declined last week from the previous week. While this is good news, the state remains vigilant for the Omicron variant to make an appearance. The first case of the new COVID-19 variant known as Omicron was reported in California on Wednesday. Researchers at both Oregon State University and Oregon Health and Science University have already set up surveillance programs to look for Omicron in the state. (Portland Patch)

Today in Portland:

• Get into the holiday spirit with the Raging Grannies at their Figgy Pudding Caroling Contest taking place in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This is a fun, festive, and COVID-safe competition that will bring caroling groups to Portland’s Living Room and extend to a ten-block radius in the Pioneer District. The top three caroling groups will hold a “carol-off” at the Square hosted by KGW’s Drew Carney and the grand prize winner will be selected by crowd applause and awarded $1,000. 5:30 - 7:30 PM.
• Make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened and take off to the Flight Lounge for its "First Class" Puff & Paint Dining Experience! Presented by PNW PAINT NIGHT and DYFFERENT STROKES, attendees will receive instruction from PNW Paint Night's Artist "Theo" on how to paint a 11X14 "Who Stole the Who-Hash" canvas...attendees will also be treated to a gourmet dinner by "Chef Marcus Branch" aka @brunchwitbranch! Tickets available online. 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
• For a fun and festive night, check out the Crag Carnival taking place at The Redd in SE Portland. Connect with Crag Law Center, Bark, OPAL Environmental Justice, Verde, Columbia Riverkeeper and Friends of the Columbia Gorge for a night of carnival games, festivities and a dance party with DJ Cooky Parker. Get your tickets online. 7:00 - 11:00 PM.
• Stylish boutique Urbanite in SE Portland would like to invite you to their Santa Dance Party! Grab a friend, mosey in for a warm holiday sip, a photo with Santa, or just come enjoy the festive feeling of returning to your happy place. Kids and families welcome. 4:00 - 10:00 PM.
• Feel like a millionaire at Hot Import Nights taking place at the Portland Expo Center in North Portland. Presented by Nexen Tires, this will be the world's largest and most unique automotive lifestyle event and the leading influencer in the modified car market. In addition to a dazzling display of the nation's best and most numerous customized show cars, this one-of-a-kind pop culture experience also features live performances with social media influencers in a unique lights-out, nightclub atmosphere. Tickets available online. The show starts at 5:00 PM.

Portland Patch Notebook

• Travel Portland: "Nothing like a PNW sunrise ... #ThisIsPortland 📷: @nicolas_steven_ #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOregon #HereForPortland" (Instagram)
• Portland Police: "“I was thrilled to help welcome 4 new Public Safety Support Specialists to @PortlandPolice this morning! We are now up to 16 PS3s and counting. @joinportlandpolice is working hard to increase our hiring … stay tuned for more!” - Chief Lo..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "In late August, we received three orphaned baby Douglas Squirrels that were found on the ground near a trail, shaking and squeaking. They were obviously too young to be on their own, so the concerned good Samaritan brought them straight ..." (Instagram)
• Friends of Family Farmers: "We invite you to read this article. This was an incredibly interesting read highlighting the shortcomings of the small independent family farm. It begs the question - what do we want Oregon’s agricultural future to look like? Through our ..." (Facebook)
• Shopping local helps your community. It supports small and local businesses, reduces the carbon footprint of delivery services and gives gifts a more personal feel. The Portland Mercury wants to help out with their handy, dandy Gift Guide. Check it out, because everyone needs a little help with holiday shopping. (Portland Mercury)
• TriMet, which operates busses, light rail and commuter rail trains, announced Thursday that it had switched all of its buses in the Portland metro area to a renewable diesel fuel. The new fuel is called R99 and is a blend of 99 percent renewable diesel and 1 percent petroleum, the latter needed for lubrication. The fuel is identical to petroleum, but is made from renewable sources including vegetable oil and natural fats, and it contains almost no fossil carbon, according to TriMet representatives. (Portland Patch)
• Portland is a great city for seeing some phenomenal street art. Whether it be Gorilla Wallfare's giant banana from the 80's or the more recent works of the "grandfather of Portland murals" Joe Cotter, there's not a single quadrant that lacks great art. PDX Street Art did a piece on the history of street art in Portland and it's a pretty interesting read. (Portland Street Art)

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That's your day and I hope it's a marvelous Saturday. There's nothing like a Santa DanceSanta Dance and declining COVID numbers to get me in the holiday spirit! Enjoy yourselves and meet me back here next week and we'll talk more about Portland. If you're into these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Reach out anytime to portland@patch.com.