Good morning Drip buddies! It’s Thursday, September 20, 2018, and overnight, a weak little system that was heading our way dissipated, so it looks like a dry day with highs of 70, and then some rain starts in Friday night. But next week, for the first week of Autumn, we’re back in the sun with highs that could near 85 by Wednesday. Sunrise 6:55 AM, sunset 7:11 PM.
A mom-to-be in Cascade Locks knew the time had come, so she and her hubby hopped in the family SUV for a trip to the birthing center, and they *almost* made it. Baby Claire was born on a side road near the Troutdale Outlet Mall.
A two-alarm fire erupted late last night in a 7-Eleven on 185th near the Sunset Highway. Everyone escaped.
Fox 12 reports that three boys have been booted from the McMinnville High soccer team because of a hazing incident that occurred on a bus heading home from a match at West Salem. Five others were suspended for three weeks.
A protester is set to sue the city over injuries suffered when police broke up an anti-Patriot Prayer crowd in August. Aaron Anthony Cantu says he was running away from officers when he was hit by a flash-bang device that penetrated the back of his bike helmet, causing a traumatic brain injury. Police have stopped using that crowd-control tool pending a review into what happened.
Status report from wildlife agents about the search for the cougar that killed a hiker near Mt. Hood: no more cougars have been shot, or detected on the trail cameras. Still waiting for lab results on the one that was killed. (They’re looking for the hiker’s DNA, because she fought back).
There’s word that County Cork, the Irish tavern at 13th and NE Fremont, is closing. I’ve had a wee Guinness or two with an old friend who lives nearby, and it’s sad to see neighborhood spots like that giving up. The space’s future is TBD.
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The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee is giving Christine Blasey Ford one more day to decide whether she’ll testify on Monday. Instead, she demands an FBI investigation into her charge that SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh attacked her at a party in high school. If you’re not telling the truth, why would you want the FBI to investigate? Meantime NBC has come up with a classmate of Ford’s who remembers hearing talk at school about the incident, but wasn’t there.
There’s an op-ed in the New York Times with the bold headline, “Voting at Home Will Help Save Our Democracy. All 50 states should follow the example set by Oregon and Washington.” It’s written by Phil Kiesling and Sam Reed, former secretaries of state from the states which originated voting by mail (Oregon was way out front, starting in 1998). They make the point that voting by mail is the best way to increase turnout, and that if every state had matched Oregon and Washington’s 80% rate, 15 million more votes would have been cast in the 2016 election.
Oregon’s Sen. Ron Wyden made the disturbing discovery that foreign government hackers are targeting the personal email accounts of US Senators and their staffs–and the Capitol security force is shrugging it off, saying they’ll protect official email accounts only. Wyden writes, “The November election grows ever closer, Russia continues its attacks on our democracy, and the Senate simply does not have the luxury of further delays.”
The foreign minister of Spain says Donald Trump suggested building a wall across the Sahara Desert to solve Europe’s migrant crisis.
One year ago, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, resulting in 2,975 deaths.
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Sports! The Portland Timbers defeated the Columbus Crew 3-2 last night at Providence Park. They needed that win, their 100th in MLS play.
It was twenty years ago today when, after playing in an unbeatable record of 2,632 consecutive games over 16 seasons, Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles sat out a game against the New York Yankees.
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Let’s conjure up some good news. If the headlines aren’t enough, check the Daily Drip link depot!
–“Students save bus driver during medical emergency”
–“Custodian enjoys vacation paid for by university students”
–“Blind Grocery Shoppers Access ‘Second Set Of Eyes’ Through App”
–“Mother-of-three becomes fastest human being on a bike at 183.9mph” (we’re pretty good at chasing our babies around, too!)
–“Blind Arizona high school football player scores two touchdown.”
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OK! Time to roll out. One more day until the first weekend of Autumn!
Portland's Daily Drip 