200 more shelter beds for winter

More Winter Shelter Beds

There’ll be 200 new winter shelter beds within the next two months, with Portland and Multnomah County each contributing $375,000 to the effort. It’s a win for Mayor-elect Keith Wilson, who has pledged to end unsheltered homelessness by the end of 2025 by opening new shelters. [Oregonian 🔒]

Actually, Oregon Saw Uptick in Population

For the last two years, Oregon’s population has been growing ever so slightly, according to revised U.S. Census data. Economists pay close attention to the data because economic growth and federal funding (not to mention congressional districts) depend on it. [Oregonian 🔒]

Federal Monitoring of Pollution

On the Friday news roundup, the federal government is requiring nine companies, including Zenith Energy, that operate in Northwest Portland’s energy hub to monitor their emissions and report the results every two weeks. Federal inspectors visited sites across the country and are requiring extra monitoring in 27 communities. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

The plaza featured in last week’s photo is at Northwest Portland's Slabtown Square. The mural in the background — at 2045 NW Pettygrove — was designed to reflect the diverse history of the Slabtown neighborhood. (A hat tip to photographer Mark E. McClure, who sent in details on the mural.)

And a shoutout to readers Keri Gill, Heather Van Etten, Brian Finlayson, and Krystal, who knew the location.

Thanks again to reader Michelle Matthews for the photo.

For this week, a holiday-themed scavenger hunt:

Where is this merry crowd? If you need an extra hint, here’s the Santa Clones’ official account. Please email me your answers.

📸 Want to submit a photo? Send me a snapshot of somewhere in the Portland metro area, and we’ll consider it for an upcoming Where Is It? segment!