🌱 Overdose Deaths Of Students + East Multnomah Homeless Services

Happy Wednesday, neighbors! It's a fine day to be in Portland. The sun is shining and the birds are singing, but it would be pretty strange if it were the other way around. Let's talk about today.

First, today's weather:

We've still got some rain in the morning, but it'll be ending early enough and actually show us some sun. The high temp will be 47, but there's a wind chill that'll make it feel colder.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. If you have used rideshare options, like Lyft or Uber recently, you may have noticed a higher-than-usual rate. Mark Kikel says he has been a driver with Uber and Lyft for five years. In that time, he has made more than $11,000 in tips. Now, he’s spending about $275 a week just on gas. (KATU)
2. The Portland Police Bureau and Portland Public Schools released statements late on Monday announcing the overdose deaths of two students in the past previous two days. The students were both in high school though police have not said if they attended the same school. Officials say that if anyone finds pills that look like that, do not handle them. Immediately call the police. (Portland Patch)
3. Two more Portland police officers face discipline in the leak that falsely implicated Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in a hit-and-run last March. One officer has been suspended one day without pay. The other received a letter of reprimand. Internal investigations show Officers Kerry Ottoman and Ken Le told separate people, falsely, that Hardesty was the driver in the hit-and-run. (KATU)
4. The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program extended its deadline to apply, giving more people a chance to seek help. The portal to apply will stay open until Monday, March 14 at 11:59 pm and is available for new applicants only. OERAP has paid $285 million in federal emergency rental assistance to help more than 40,000 households, and now it’ll be able to help more. Thanks to additional funding of $13 million, OERAP will be able to help about 1,900 more households for a little longer. (Fox 12 Oregon)
5. More services are coming soon to East Multnomah County to help address the homelessness crisis. The large budget bill that lawmakers recently passed, House Bill 5202, included funding for a hub for homeless services and workforce development. Cultivate Initiatives, a local non-profit that helps the homeless, is receiving nearly $3 million to create and run the facility. It is tasked with purchasing and building out the permanent hub for its programs and services, including an expansion of its current job training and placement work. (KOIN)

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Today in Portland:

• Local favorites The Christopher Brown Quartet will be playing at the 1905 in North Portland. The Christopher Brown Quartet takes R&B sounds of the '80s and and filters them through jazz sensibilities. Get your tickets online. 7:00 - 9:45 PM.
• Come join Bars Over Bars PDX at the Big Legrowlski in downtown PDX as they build and provide a foundation for artists to succeed! Featuring Live Performances By: Killerex, Knowsee, Charlee Prayers, Hinnessy Da Goon, Live Cypher Jam W/ DJ Tuffshed and John Johns. Hosted by DDwili. Tickets available online. 8:00 - 11:00 PM.
• Town Hall Seattle presents the online event Elie Mystal with Shaun Scott: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution. The Nation contributor and lawyer Elie Mystal offers a sharper, more accessible lens through which to interpret the U.S. Constitution in his book, "Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution." Through quick-witted humor and snark, Mystal presents an easy-to-read primer on how to traverse topics from gerrymandering and voter suppression to cancel culture and gun control. Tickets available online. The talk starts at 6:00 PM.
• Are you confused by the news coming out of the Ukraine? Then you might be interested in this virtual panel, War in Europe! Context and Implications of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine. What are the possible outcomes and consequences of the Russian invasion? Join us for a panel discussion of experts in history, foreign policy, and political science analyzing the effect of the invasion on the people of Ukraine and surrounding nations, global stability and security, formal alliances like the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and US national interests. Register online for this free discussion. The talk starts at 4:00 PM.
• If you're a fan of the snarky, financial podcast Stacking Benjamins, come see a rare live edition at McMenanmins Ringlers Pub in downtown Portland. Stacking Benjamins is a magazine-style podcast featuring various guests and their stories to help people earn more, save better and invest wisely. Register online for this free event.6:30 - 8:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Travel Portland: "@BricksCascade, one of the Pacific Northwest’s best LEGO fan expos, takes over the @OregonConventionCenter March 12-13. With the motto “Come Curious, Leave Inspired,” this show is always such a fun time. Check out the link in our bio for..." (Instagram)
• Portland Audubon: "A Tricolored Blackbird was spotted recently over at the Purina factory near Kelly Point Park and noted in our Rare Bird Alert. It was seen along with a Yellow-headed Blackbird mixed in with hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Red-winge..." (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "👋 Have you ever wondered who works at an art museum? There are many roles at the Portland Art Museum that help us connect the community through art. Over the next month, we’d like to introduce you to a few of the faces you may not see ..." (Instagram)
• The Portland Parks Foundation’s Small Grants Program awards financial support to community-based organizations within the city of Portland who foster equitable access to our urban parks, natural areas, community gardens and community recreation centers. The program is founded on a generous bequest from Nancy Hebb Freeman, an artist, hiker and lover of Portland parks. Many Portland residents still lack equal access to parks that feel welcoming and safe. With our small grants, PPF focuses on the people and organizations working to fill these gaps. We intentionally prioritize organizations supporting low-income populations, communities of color, and other historically marginalized groups. (Portland Parks Foundation)
• Street Roots is launching a project delving into housing insecurity and its impacts on people’s lives. Through investigative and engagement reporting, the project will shed light on systemic inequities underpinning housing insecurity. (Instagram)
• When thinking about all things Portland, you don't get much more local than Shady Pines Radio, a place where you can tune in and hear performances by your friends, yourself, artists you love, and ones you’ve never heard before. It's a sonic playground where people can experiment, share ideas, and discover new sounds. Give it a listen! (Instagram)

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Events:

• Portland Chiropractors Announce Grand Opening (March 15)
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There's your Wednesday, my peeps. It's seems pretty mellow, but remember, in Portland a party could break out at any minute. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow to talk more about our favorite town.

— 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.