🌱 Mt. Tabor Arsonists Arrested + Scammers In Washington County

What up, peeps, Happy Supernatural Day! It's Tuesday the 13th. Not quite the same as Friday the 13th, but I'll take it. The Mt. Tabor arsonists have been caught, we're talking about what our food has eaten and people are taking beer vacations here. Let me lay it out for you.

First, today's weather:

It's a blessedly cloudy day with a high of 72.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. Portland General Electric announced it finished restoring all power to its 17 impacted areas after the utility company shut off service while trying to avoid sparking a wildfire. A Red Flag Warning was in place for much of Western Oregon and Southwest Washington on Friday and Saturday for strong wind and hot weather, which would cause any fire to quickly grow. PGE implemented Public Safety Power Shutoffs for roughly 37,000 customers over the weekend in 17 areas deemed at risk of wildfire. (KATU)
2. It must have been a peaceful weekend, because one of the biggest stories was about a thunderclap. From Twitter to Reddit, Portlanders were all abuzz about the loud BOOM! The weather has taken a dramatic turn, with Monday bringing us the first measurable rain in 67 days. I'm delighted to see highs in the 70s for much of our week ahead. (The Oregonian)
3. Three arrests were made Saturday night after a string of arsons near Mt. Tabor and the surrounding area, Portland Fire & Rescue announced Sunday. The suspects — identified as Wayne Chen, Malik Hares and Samuel Perkins, all 18 — will each be charged with five counts of Arson 1 and four counts of Arson 2, a spokesperson with Portland Fire & Rescue confirmed to KOIN 6 News. (KOIN.com)
4. Police say a pair of scammers have stolen about $10,000 of jewelry over the last few months in Washington County. The suspects, a man and a woman, pulled up outside the house of one of the victims and engaged him with pleasant conversation, greeting him with “Namaste.” The woman told him that it was her birthday and that they wanted to give him a necklace and a few dollars. Ignoring his objections, the woman put a necklace around his neck. When they left, he realized his own necklace was missing. (KPTV)
5. Multnomah County leaders held a press conference Monday to give an update on their efforts to turn the tide on the record gun violence that has plagued Portland. Portland's Community Safety Division Director Mike Meyers, Deputy Police Chief Mike Frome, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt were all present. Portland reported 114 shooting incidents in July. The city is expected to release the numbers for August soon. KATU News has a livestream of the conference. (KATU)

Today in Portland:

• It's a very special trivia night at the 4th Wall! Their Stone Brewery sales rep considers himself a Seinfeld expert and they’re hoping you can prove him wrong. Plenty of prizes and free samples will abound tonight. Trivia starts at 7 p.m. and is always free to play!
• There's an OMSI Science Pub tonight. The subject? What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health with Anne Bikle, biologist and environmental planner and David Montgomery, professor at University of Washington. Doors open at 6 p.m.
• The Oregon Historical Society presents Historians and the News: A Conversation between Keisha Blain and Christopher McKnight Nichols. This is a virtual program via Zoom. Dr. Blain and Dr. Nichols will discuss the implications of Blain’s research in the context of today’s news, offering the kinds of insights that only careful scholarship can provide. 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• As part of the Time-Based Art Festival, NIGHT SCHOOL: Drag Animism and the Cyborg Sissy will be at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. “Drag Animism” explores Pepper’s personal and artistic explorations into cyborg consciousness and dirt-witch-glamour. It’s a visual and performative meditation on digital and physical bodies, the enchantment of nature, and the slippery potential of activating “persona power.” The art starts at 6 p.m.
• Get ready for another Burleynomicon at The Coffin Club. Tonight Burlynomicon - A Darkly Decadent Burlesque Revue celebrates its 11th year of existence with an incredible, star-studded showcase in the BRAND NEW basement showroom at the Coffin Club!! 7 - 11 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "Yes, of course Portland has a "Robot Alley" and you shouldn't be surprised! Launched and operated by local artist, @plastorm, you can find it at 4215 N Kerby Ave. This shot here is just a glimpse of its awesomeness." (Travel Portland via Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "Thank you to everyone who came out to the 10th annual Catio Tour yesterday and to all our volunteers! Portland Audubon and our partners, the @feralcatsor, have a blast with this event each year as we work together to keep cats safe." (Portland Audubon via Instagram)
• Have you ever wanted to experience virtual reality? Well, the Portland Art Museum would like to give you the chance. The Portland Art Museum’s Center for an Untold Tomorrow (PAM CUT for short) now rents out virtual reality headsets, preloaded with 10 curated immersive VR pieces from around the world, for you to try out for a few days at home. (OPB)
• Do you think you're pretty handy with a camera? Cause KOIN 6 wants you to send them photos. Submissions are now open for a fall season competition in Portland led by the Portland Business Alliance — and you could win cash. It’s called Fall Back in Love with Downtown Portland: Artists Takeover. (KOIN)
• Pedalpalooza has been going on all summer. In fact, it's still going on right now. Whether you've gotten to experience it or not, there's a YouTube channel dedicated to Pedalpalooza 2022. Check it out. (YouTube)
• We know that Portland is a great city for beer, but, soon, the whole world will know. We're becoming something of a destination city for beer. Travelocity debuted a “Beer Tourism Index” in 2019 after a survey of just over 1,000 users found that over three-quarters showed interest in booking a trip that included local beer tastings or brewery tours. Portland made it to the top 5 cities for beer. (The Hill)

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We're approaching a whole new season, my friends. I hope you'll follow me as we journey into fall. It's been my delight to talk to you all through summer, but, wow, does Portland shine in the fall! I hope to see you all tomorrow, peeps. Until then, TTFN.

— 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? Contact me at portland@patch.com