🚭Wednesday and it’s a cooker. High of 94 today, as a smoky red sun rises over the City of Roses. The air is toxic, and it brings a sense of dread. You see the news out of Spokane, the weather reports from around the NW, and mourn such reckless destruction. Let’s see what the news is bringing today: Evacuations at Mt Hood Meadows, an arborist felled by a tree and a ballot initiative that didn’t quite make it. Reminder that there is a burn ban across Multnomah County.
🚨 THE NEWS
from skihood.com
Mt. Hood Meadows tells everyone: Go Now
Mt. Hood Meadows is under a Level 3 Go Now evacuation order after the Grasshopper Fire shifted west overnight, pushed by strong easterly winds. The resort broke the news on social media with the kind of resigned honesty only a mountain full of smoke can inspire: "Whelp, we hoped we wouldn't have to post this." The fire has burned 34,659 acres and sits at 19% containment. Timberline Lodge remains clear of evacuation orders for now, though a Level 2 Be Set zone sits just to the east. Highway 35 is still open, according to ODOT. Crews are asking everyone to stay off the mountain so they can do their jobs. KATU
This photo was sent in by Chris Rentzel, saying “It’s kind of stark, but a good representation of the smoke in the air, some nature, some not…” chrisrentzel.com
An arborist died doing tree work in NW Portland, and it wasn't even his tree
An arborist died Tuesday morning after a tree fell on him in Northwest Portland, and the cruelest detail is that it wasn't even the tree he was working on. Portland Fire & Rescue says crews responded to the 5200 block of Northwest Cornell Road just before 10:30 a.m. after a tree unrelated to the crew's job uprooted and struck the worker. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A technical rescue team used a rope system to bring his body down to the roadway. His name hasn't been released yet, and no other details are public. KPTV
Portland's cop-funding ballot measure just got kneecapped by paperwork
Portland's ballot measure to funnel a quarter of the Clean Energy Fund into police hiring just missed the cut, and it wasn't close. The City Auditor's Office says the petition needed 40,437 valid signatures and came up short after verification found only 61% of sampled signatures were legit. Officials pointed to many duplicate signers and people who weren't registered Portland voters. The Portland Police Association put nearly $800,000 behind the effort, and its president isn't going quietly, calling the process unfair and vowing legal action. Petitioners say they'll sue. Until then, the Enhanced Community Safety Initiative won't be on your November ballot. Portland Mercury
LLOYD CENTER CLOSING SPOTLIGHT
Lloyd Center closes forever on August 8, but Portland will have one last chance to say goodbye with a slew of events and parties at the mall this Saturday. There will be a prom on ice, lots to eat, a bike ride around and through the mall, and more. You’ll notice that construction has already begun on the new music venue See all the events on KOIN
📚 ON THIS DAY
On this day in 1860, Abraham Lincoln wrote to Oregon newspaperman Simeon Francis about his chances in that year's presidential race. Spoiler: he won.
🥳 UPCOMING EVENTS
