🐝Tuesday Got the Bluesday. Cloudy with a chance of rain, high of 49°. Three stories today: a kids' recovery center burned to the ground days before opening, a body pulled from the Willamette may be the last missing victim from last week's crash, and City Hall says it's finally going to fix permitting. Also please note that heavy snow is forecasted for the Cascades tonight, if you plan to travel.
🚨 THE NEWS
Help Police ID the Person Who May Have Torched a Teen Recovery Center
A 3-alarm fire Saturday night gutted 4D Recovery's nearly completed Adolescent and Family Recovery Campus near NE 100th Avenue and East Burnside — days before it was set to open. Nearly 100 firefighters responded; the cause is under investigation and the Portland Fire Investigations Unit is now asking the public to help identify a person of interest. Executive director Tony Vezina said the facility was meant to fill a critical hole: Oregon ranks last in the nation for adolescent addiction and mental health services. "We're not stopping," he said. Tip line: 503-823-FIRE. Portland.gov / KPTV
A Body in the River Could be the Missing Car Crash Victim.
A body was recovered from the Willamette River Sunday morning, found between the Burnside and Morrison bridges near Southwest Naito Parkway. A 911 caller reported seeing it around 11:20 a.m.; the Multnomah County Sheriff's dive team pulled it from the water and transported it to the medical examiner. The sheriff's office acknowledged the recovery's proximity to the April 6 crash — when a 19-year-old drove a car into the river at high speed, killing two and leaving one person unaccounted for. Officials have not confirmed whether this is that fourth victim, citing the ongoing autopsy. Identity and cause of death remain pending. KGW
Raymond Lee, photo from Portland.gov
The City Administrator Is Counting Cranes — and There Aren't Enough
Portland City Administrator Raymond Lee, three months into the job, sat down with KATU this month and said permitting is one of his first priorities. The numbers explain why: in 2016, the city issued permits for nearly 8,000 new housing units worth over $1 billion. Last year — fewer than 1,800 units, valued at $311 million. Commercial and residential permitted projects combined fell from $2 billion in 2022 to just $930 million last year. Lee brought in a new permitting director from Houston with a mandate to make the process faster, cheaper, and more predictable. His broader theory: fix safety and livability downtown, then take the story on the road to investors. "How many large cranes do you see?" Lee asked. "We need more." KATU
🍵 NEW CAFE SPOTLIGHT
Mako Matcha Mill opened in mid-February at 414 SW 13th Ave. in the former Cacao space, and it's already drawing hour-long lines. Co-owners Edison Zeng and Emily Dewey source tea directly from Japanese farms, mill it on site, and price most drinks around $4. They're also growing matcha in Salem. on Instagram @makomatchamill
📚 ON THIS DAY
On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. — he died the following morning. Portland church bells tolled for days.
🥳 UPCOMING EVENTS
