City Cast Portland
🐢 Look at these tiny turtles at the Oregon Zoo
August 17, 2023
Good morning! Today is likely Portland’s first sub-100-degree weather day in what seems like a hot minute. And make sure you stay off the Willamette River — there’s still an unsafe amount of algae in some sections.
What's CITY Talking About?
🏠 Multnomah County Shelter Debut Stalls
Multnomah County's much-anticipated launch of a safe park shelter in Montavilla has been postponed, marking another setback in efforts to provide effective services for residents struggling with homelessness. The county is also sitting on more than $100 million of funds, $60 million of which is earmarked for homelessness services, but a spending plan has yet to be finalized. [The Oregonian 🔒]
Defendants Wait Out Court Delays in Jail
Court delays across Oregon are getting worse, and Multnomah County is chief among them, with less than half of cases being resolved in a timely manner. Pre-trial bottlenecks in the county are causing some people to spend excessive time behind bars while they wait for their case to be processed. The court has been playing catch-up since the beginning of the pandemic. Conversely, a federal judge has limited pre-trial jail times in Washington County to no more than 10 days for anyone without a court-appointed attorney. [Willamette Week / OPB]
- Related: The settling scrap between the police and the DA over prosecutions [City Cast Portland 🎧]
🎩 No Funding, No Theatre
Portland’s Artist Repertory Theatre announced Tuesday that they are canceling their 2023-2024 season amid a shortage of funding. A statement on the company’s website points to state pandemic funds that did not materialize, along with a nationwide arts funding crisis. The cancellation comes during construction for the theatre’s new $30 million facility, which representatives say will continue, albeit on a slightly different timeline, depending on finances. [OPB]
What To Do
🤪 Cool Kids Patio Show | Thursday | 6 p.m.
We could all use a laugh. Why not catch one on the patio at Doug Fir Lounge with some of the funniest comedians in town? [Buckman; Free]
⚰️ ‘Our Dead Dead Druglord’ | Thursday | 7:30 p.m.
The Imago Theater hosts this award-winning play about four teenage girls who try to summon the ghost of a drug lord to better their personal lives. [Kerns; $25]
🏟️ Maggie Rogers | Thursday and Friday | 6:30 p.m.
One for the indie girls. The singer-songwriter is playing on the lawn at McMenamins Edgefield with the band Alvvays. [Troutdale; $65+]
Today on City Cast
How to Backpack in Oregon (And Not Become Bear Food)
The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the country’s best backpacking trails, but hiking and camping for days can feel daunting. So we called up Karrie Carnes, a volunteer ambassador for the nonprofit women’s outdoor empowerment organization, Women Who Explore. Karrie’s sharing her best-kept tips for first-time backpackers and a few of her favorite trails to start your journey.
That’s all for today. I’ll leave you with a video of how the Portland Zoo animals are staying cool (and if you still need more otter content, listen back to this recent City Cast Portland podcast episode). 🦦
— Adrian González
Today's newsletter was edited by John Notarianni and copy-edited by Giulia Fiaoni.
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