PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🦩Tuesday okay fine. High of 60°F, partly sunny — cooler than yesterday's freak warmth. Today we have some upsetting news, some good news and some I-don’t know-what. Plus a sweet tattoo.

Around 2 a.m. Monday, a car fled a routine traffic stop in downtown Portland, sped the wrong way down Harvey Milk Street, blew through Naito Parkway, crashed through the seawall at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and went into the river. There were four occupants, all believed to be between 17 and 20 years old. Two bodies were recovered. One person was rescued by Portland Fire & Rescue after crews threw a ring buoy from the dock. One person remains unaccounted for and the car has not been retrieved — the river floor here runs 45 to 60 feet deep. Police say they are not calling it a pursuit; the officer activated his lights, the driver ran. Waterfront Park remains closed near the Maritime Museum.

Saturday night Portland police — aided by an air unit — moved in on multiple illegal street takeover events near N. Whitaker Road and NE 33rd and Broadway. Hundreds of people had gathered. Drivers were doing donuts. It did not go great. During the bust, a car struck a pedestrian who then disappeared into the crowd. A man was found severely assaulted at one of the events. In total: six people arrested, eight vehicles impounded, at least one gun recovered. Among those cited: 21-year-old Ciana Hughes, whose Ford Mustang clipped a bystander, and Marquez Quintero, who tried to run from police in his own Mustang and did not succeed.

Portland's Bureau of Transportation is reminding restaurant owners that those curbside patios are a permit, not a promise. With warm weather drawing people back outside, PBOT put out a notice warning that neglected outdoor dining structures — hazed-over plastic, clogged storm drains, mildew, debris — can lead to lost permits and, yes, actual health risks. The city has run this outdoor dining program since COVID turned parking spots into patios, but the message is increasingly clear: the free-wheeling days are over. Clean your drain. Wipe down your yellowing panels. Portland is watching.

This picture was posted on Instagram by @sarabeth_tattoo who works as Solstice Tattoo. The art design is by Portland’s favorite cartoonist- @mikebennettart. She said the client recently bought a home in St. John’s and wanted to celebrate with this tattoo.

On April 7, 1890, the Portland Hotel opened — a grand, turreted landmark at SW 6th and Morrison. It stood for 61 years before being demolished for a parking lot.

The car went into the river. The donut guys got caught. Mmmmm, donuts

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]