(PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Wednesday, March 1 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.
1. Another person dies from suspected hypothermia on Tuesday in Multnomah County
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s office is investigating a second possible hypothermia death that occurred in Portland on Tuesday. Officials released few details about the death, but said it will take several weeks or months to determine the official cause of death.
Last week, Portland saw nearly 11 inches of snow. The first case of suspected hypothermia occurred on the first day of the storm. Since last week, temperatures have started to warm up. Because of this, county and city officials have begun closing overnight warming shelters.
2. New treatment center helps Black men struggling with homelessness, addiction and more
A new treatment facility for at-risk African American men held its grand-opening on Tuesday afternoon. The program is called “Karibu,” which means “welcome” in Swahili. The building, which can house up to 14 people, will treat Black men struggling with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health issues.
Karibu is run by Central City Concern, a local organization that provides affordable housing and social services to people in need. After receiving referrals from behavioral health departments in Portland, clients will be able to stay in the program for several months. Program Manager Tori Smith said Karibu’s staff are also Black, which helps their clients feel more comfortable.
“The African American and Black community does not have a tendency to go get help because there’s not a lot of programs out there that look like us,” Smith said. “Our staff looks like us and the people we serve look like us.”
The Imani Center, a separate program which provides addiction and mental health treatment services, will also move into the building.
Funding for the Karibu project came from Care Oregon and Multnomah County. It cost more than $1.2 million to complete.
3. Doug Fir Lounge relocating to SE Portland later this year
This year marks 19 years of Portland’s iconic Doug Fir Lounge, which has shared a space with the Jupiter Hotel since its opening in 2004. But by the end of this year, the live music venue will have a new home on the southeast side of town.
The Doug Fir Lounge will soon relocate to 301 Southeast Morrison Street - the former home of restaurant Le Bistro Montage, which closed in 2020 after 27 years of service. The venue will have high expectations to meet with its new location. In 2013, Rolling Stone named the venue one of the best clubs in the U.S.
However, there’s still time to catch a show at the Doug Fir Lounge before it moves later this year. Willamette Week reported that shows at the current location will run through summer 2023.
More Portland News:
- These are the most food-insecure neighborhoods in Portland
- More than 340 cars towed during Portland snowstorm. Some are seeing $700+ towing bills
- Legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and famed rapper Nas put Portland on to N.Y. State of Mind
- Buddy Guy to headline 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival
- These 3 Oregon small towns are among the best to visit in the US, according to a new poll
Comments / 1