🌮 Portland Mercado reopens after fire

🌮 Portland Mercado Reopens After Fire

The food carts at Portland Mercado have reopened after a lengthy closure stemming from a massive fire on January 3. The food carts themselves were not severely damaged during the blaze, but the entire market was left without water and power. Vendors will only be offering take-out and delivery service while they continue with repairs. [Portland Mercury]

💊 Overdose Deaths Continue to Surge

Deaths from drug overdose in Oregon have risen every year since 2019, with total fatalities more than tripling through 2022, according to new data from the Oregon Health Authority. A public health spokesperson says that one of the leading causes is the saturation of fentanyl in illicit drugs like counterfeit painkillers. [Oregon Capital Chronicle]

• ➡️ Legislation passed last year has increased the availability of naloxone, an FDA-approved medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. The bill allows emergency responders to freely distribute the medication and school teachers to administer it without parental permission. [Oregon State Legislature]
• Related: Another pilot program offering mobile addiction treatment is hitting Portland’s streets [City Cast Portland 🎧]

🦺 Construction Jobs Are Booming

Oregon’s construction industry is experiencing a historic boom, employing over 123,000 people in 2023, a notable 5% increase from the previous year. Major projects from companies like Amazon and Intel are posed to fuel further job growth — the state anticipates 4,000 new construction job openings this year. The challenge is whether construction projects can find enough workers to fill the position. [🔒 Oregonian]

Last week, Rachel wrote about her love of rain — and it turns out a bunch of Portlanders love it too. There’s even a word for that:

“You are a ‘pluviophile’ if you are a lover of rain and rainy days! How's about that!? Just thought you might like this word!!” — Leslie

“Love the rain in the Portland metro area! I am impressed by how everyone goes about their day with cheer and courtesy, whether in sprinkles or in a near downpour! The wet camaraderie says Oregon to me.” — Gail

“After retiring I moved to Sunriver, built a house on the Deschutes, had a load of fantastic friends, but I hated the dry and longed for mist, fog….rain. I sold and came back. Love it.” — Anonymous

“We moved to Portland in 2021 after living in southern California for all of my 67 years. Two words can be used to describe the whole scenario, green and brown. Southern California is just brown, no matter how much you try to landscape and how many trees you plant. Oregon, of course, is green. So wonderfully green and full of countless beautiful trees. I love it here. I love all the rain. I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever tire of its beauty. I hope not.” – William N.

A ‘Colossal Heist’ and Killer Birds. Plus, More From Our Listener Mailbag

We’re talking about the largest-ever alleged heist against a single person in Oregon and ancient birds with deadly feces taking over the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Plus, we’re diving into our listener mailbag to hear what you thought about last week’s episodes. Executive producer John Notarianni and host Claudia Meza round up the midweek news.