March 11, 2020 the U.S. had 38 confirmed coronavirus deaths and 1,300 cases nationwide, but reality was starting to sink in: stocks tanked, classrooms started closing and people began donning masks.
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! A lot happened last night while we were sleeping (or doom scrolling on Twitter, let’s be honest)—here are the latest headlines. In local news: • Well would you look.
Five severe weather shelters in Multnomah County will open at 8 pm Tuesday as the region braces for freezing overnight temperatures. Portland is expected to hit a low of 19 degrees Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Multnomah County opens severe weather shelters if temperatures drop below 25 degrees, forecasts predict overnight temperatures below 32 degrees with rain, or if there is an inch of snow. The following locations will open February 22.
Portland’s homeless shelter providers will be the first to tell you that building more shelters is not the solution to ending the city’s homelessness crisis. “It doesn't end homelessness. It relocates it,” says Andy Miller, director of nonprofit shelter provider Human Solutions. “We always favor permanent housing over short-term shelter.” That’s why some of the region’s top shelter providers have come out strongly against a seemingly slapdash proposal from Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office to relocate.
This article was produced as a collaboration between Bolts and the Portland Mercury. Anthony Pickens’ best memories from his 24 years in Oregon prisons involve voting. From the mock presidential elections held every four years to the elaborate campaigns he ran to win leadership roles in prison clubs, Pickens’ experience with the democratic system behind bars brought entertainment, exhilaration, and a sense of community to an otherwise bleak environment. But Pickens’ vote didn’t count outside.