Bottle returns suspended at 2 shops downtown

The Pickathon Show Will Go On

The beloved summer music festival Pickathon has won a 10-year extension to its quarter-century run. For most of the time, Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley has hosted the outdoor concerts, but neighbor complaints and development had organizers and fans concerned about its future. The city of Happy Valley approved the new decade-long permit on Tuesday. [OPB]

Bottle Returns Barred at 2 Downtown Locations

Gov. Tina Kotek has temporarily suspended bottle and can returns at two downtown stores, providing an unusual exception to Oregon’s cherished Bottle Bill. As part of the fentanyl state of emergency Kotek declared, the Safeway on Southwest 10th Avenue and a nearby Plaid Pantry will not have to accept returns for at least 30 days. Willamette Week previously reported on fentanyl users collecting cans to redeem for quick drug money. [Willamette Week]

Notable Support for Drug Crimes

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, previously known as a high-profile reformer, now supports making possession of hard drugs a crime again, but why? This Friday’s news round-up tries to make sense of the shift in position — and other developments from the week, including a controversial location for a new bottle drop. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Federal Judge Rules for Oregonian in First Amendment Case

A federal judge has ruled that the Oregonian cannot be barred from publishing materials it obtained from an apparently inadvertent email. A lawyer suing Nike over sexual harassment emailed documents to the newspaper last month, but attempted to get a court order for their return of documents. The First Amendment protects against prior restraint from publication, a federal judge found. The decision is still subject to review and will likely face an appeal. [Oregonian]

DA Mike Schmidt’s Change of Heart, the Portland Police Union’s New Ballot Petition, and a Controversial Bottle Drop Location

On the Friday news round-up: Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, previously known as a high-profile reformer, now supports making possession of hard drugs a crime again. Portland’s police union is trying to weaken a civilian-run police oversight board. And a potential bottle drop location is coming to the St. Johns neighborhood. City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza, producer Giulia Fiaoni, and City Cast director of digital strategy Bryan M. Vance make sense of this week in Portland.