March 17 2021
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said Tuesday s fire means the City Council must approve more homeless shelters.
A person and a dog were killed in a recreational vehicle fire early Tuesday morning.
Firefighters responded to the fire behind the Shalamar Apartments on Southeast Powell Boulevard around 2 a.m. on March 16. Another person and a dog who were in the vehicle escaped injury.
Portland Fire & Rescue said the fire was started by improper use of a propane heater used to keep the vehicle s occupants warm. Six such fires have happened so far this year, PF&R said.
At one point, firefighters were getting called out to three or four tent fires each day. Last month, a man died after being severely burned in a tent fire in Portland s Piedmont neighborhood. Investigators said the blaze likely came from a propane heating device.
In Oregon, schools are reopening, but some students feel safer at home
Years of maintenance issues within Portland schools have brewed mistrust of safety measures for COVID-19.
A year after schools across Oregon closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland schools now are rushing to prepare classrooms for a return to in-person learning.
But not everyone is ready to go back to school.
Danny Cage, a sophomore at Grant High School, said as a student of color with underlying health issues, he doesn t feel safe attending school in person yet. I m high risk and I have people in my house who are high risk, the teen said. Even if I m not sick, it s not safe to bring that back to anyone in my house.
Police surround, detain protesters, vandals in Pearl District
A planned direct action ends in 13 arrests with more arrests and charges possible.
Portland police wasted little time dealing with protesters and vandals who smashed windows in the Pearl District on Friday, March 12.
Authorities formed a perimeter around the protesters, detaining them for suspected criminal activity on Northwest Marshall Street between 13th and 14th avenues, Police said. About 100 protesters were inside the perimeter when it was formed around 9:30 p.m. Thirteen people were arrested.
The direct action event began around 8 p.m. in Jamison Square in Northwest Portland. After a while the group began to march in the streets. Police used a loudspeaker to tell them the march was not a permitted march.