Hellloo to you and goodbyeeee to February! It’s the 28th and last day of the second month of 2018, and here we are for a quick morning news-scan called Portland’s Daily Drip. The weather today is rainy, with highs of 45. There’s some concern about hillside snow and frost Gorge winds on Friday as a low pressure zone offshore will suck cold air in from the Rockies. Sunrise today 6:50 AM; sunset 5:56 PM.
News!
We can poke the fabled fork into plans to build America’s largest oil-by-rail terminal along the Columbia River, as Vancouver Energy announced it will not appeal Gov. Jay Inslee’s rejection of the project. It would have bought at least four 1.5 mile trains hauling Bakken crude down the Columbia Gorge every day, to a transshipment point at the Port of Vancouver where the oil is pumped onto supertankers bound for refineries up and down the West Coast. Not going to happen.
Last February, Portland had over 10 inches of rain. This year? One and a half.
Climate scientists say the Arctic is really warm. Like, 50 degrees above normal. The ice shield that normally extends in winter from Newfoundland to Siberia has two big breaks in it, and the North Pole is above freezing.
A 41-year old white man who dropped N words as he told a 56-year old black man who was walking home from church in NE Portland that he “was in the wrong neighborhood,” then tried to sic his dog on him–but the dog refused to obey–has been sentenced to 16 days in jail.
Some seriously messed up guy went on a cursing, homophobic Twitter rampage threatening gun violence at Oregon State University. He’s caught, he’s in jail.
Dick’s Sporting Goods says it’s stopping the sale of assault-type weapons immediately. The chain’s CEO says they’re strong Second Amendment supporters, but they’ve decided “we don’t want to be part of this story.”
Students at Stoneman Douglas High School go back to class today.
Unfinished business from Florida: The father of a survivor of the mass shooting admitted that he altered an email exchange between him and CNN, making it appear that CNN was “scripting” questions at its Town Hal meeting, a false claim that President Trump retweeted, but says he “didn’t do it on purpose.”
The timing is tragic, but a Dallas, Oregon girls’ softball program is raffling an AR-15 as a fundraiser. And it’s sold out. Lady Dragons Fastpitch says the raffle began prior to the February 14 Florida shooting, in which the same kind of weapon was used. The organization, unaffiliated with Dallas schools although they use the same team mascot, says the winner will have to meet legal qualifications including a background check.
Oregon’s first-in-America $15 bicycle sales tax could be expanded to children’s bikes worth more ta $200, under a bill in a legislative committee.
Jared Kushner begins his White House day minus his top-secret security clearance, which Chief of Staff John Kelly removed. That means the first son-in-law will, or at least should, be asked to leave meetings where intercepted communications are discussed.
Nice sign on a Heiberg garbage truck in Portland: “Satisfaction guaranteed, or double your garbage back.”
The University of Portland is building a 35-acre riverfront campus expansion that will include an environmental research center, two lighted soccer practice fields, a rowing center, a track and field facility, and more. It will be named the Franz Campus, after a gift from the estate of the late Robert W. Franz, a banker (not a baker).
Something for your cultural calendar: The Tonya Harding Film Festival, at the Alberta Rose Theater on March 8. Two films are featured: the first-ever screening of “Sharp Edges,” made by a childhood friend of Tonya’s as a senior project at Yale long before the Kerrigan incident, and some action flick Tonya acted in called “Breakaway” that went straight to Blockbuster.
Longtime Portland Trail Blazer fans remember this day with great regret: it was on this date 40 years ago, when the defending champion Blazers were 50 and 10, dominating the NBA and cruising toward a second consecutive title. But then, 13 minutes and five points into a game against Philly, Bill Walton hobbled up to Jack Ramsay and said, “Take me out, coach.” The painkillers he’d been given for his legs weren’t doing the trick anymore. And that was it. Walton never played a regular-season game for the Blazers again. He sued the team doctor, got himself traded to San Diego, and though they’ve come close a couple of times, Portland hasn’t won a title since. This was the pivotal day in the dynasty’s demise–40 years ago today.
Twenty years ago today, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” from the movie Titanic, went to #1 in the US.
Headlines from the bright side:
–“Dolly Parton donates 100 millionth book to children”
–“Hero military veteran, 88, declares ‘fear is not in my dictionary’ as he uses karate to save woman from five knife-wielding robbers near London.”
–“Thousands of Jews and Muslims sing “One Day” by Matisyahu in perfect harmony.”
–“Before they went on strike, West Virginia teachers packed bags to make sure kids didn’t go hungry.” (strike’s over)
–“Craving for chicken wings leads to $1 million lotto win for NC Woman”
–“Stolen Degas painting found intact on bus near Paris”
Quick reminder that I’ll be away from the keyboard for a couple of days–Friday and Monday–and might or might not pop up for a NTDD during that time. Hope your Wednesday is happy and productive, and we’ll see you on 103.3 FM from 5-9 as usual!
Portland's Daily Drip 