(PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Tuesday, Feb. 7 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.
1. Portland-based Mercy Corps helping victims after deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Syria, Turkey
After a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, organizations from around the world are rushing to help. One of those groups is Portland-based Mercy Corps, which has a team of 50 people stationed in northwest Syria. All of the members of the group are safe and accounted for, but some of their family members – including children – have lost their lives. Now the group is working to help people who still need to be rescued.
“Buildings are leveled and search-and-rescue efforts will be the priority over the next few days. To add insult to injury, Syria is facing severe winter weather – it’s snowing and it’s cold,” said Lynn Hector, senior director of global communications. “We had a presence in northwest Syria, we already had about 1,200 kits, tarps solar lanterns and blankets. So our priority over the coming days is assessing communities where our team members are already working.”
The region has already been hit with dozens of aftershocks following the initial earthquake on Sunday, some as strong as 7.5 magnitude.
Many organizations are accepting donations and those looking to help the effort can donate to Mercy Corps, UNICEF, Global Giving and Save the Children.
2. Pedestrian left with life-threatening injuries after hit-and-run incident
Police are investigating after a hit-and-run crash in north Portland left a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries Monday night. Officers responded to North Victory Boulevard underneath Interstate 5 just before 8:45 p.m. on a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle. PPB says the pedestrian was found in critical condition and is being treated at a local hospital.
The driver fled the scene before officers arrived. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov, attention Traffic Investigations Unit and reference case number 23-34659.
3. Grand Ronde Tribe opens opioid treatment facility in SE Portland
The Grande Ronde Tribe is opening a new opioid treatment facility in southeast Portland focused on using holistic methods to treat addiction. The facility will primarily serve the Indigenous community but is open to everyone. Executive Director of Health Services for the tribe and member Kelly Rowe said the neighborhood was selected for the facility because it has a lot of crime linked to drug abuse.
The project has been in the works for years. The tribe received funding through several grants for the new facility. So far, 17 staff members have been hired, including doctors, counselors, administrative, safety and security.
The treatment center, called Great Circle Recovery, will officially open next week. It’s not residential, meaning people do not stay the night.
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