As the state sets its sights on recovering from historic wildfires, the Oregon Department of Transportation will take a lead role, as part of the Oregon Debris Management Task Force, in ash and debris removal.

Oregon’s Joint Legislative Emergency Board approved $50 million last week to begin this work in the eight counties affected by wildfires – Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion counties.

The 2020 Labor Day fires were the largest and most expensive disaster in Oregon’s history. Nine Oregonians lost their lives, more than 1 million acres burned and over 5,000 homes and businesses were destroyed. The state has transitioned from immediate fire response to statewide recovery.

“The level of damage and magnitude of loss to Oregon’s communities cannot be overstated,” ODOT Director Kris Strickler said. “Our collective efforts to rebuild will be long-term, challenging, and will demand strong partnerships at all levels. We can – and will – do this together.”

Preparing to rebuild requires we first clean up the debris the fires left behind. Removing household hazardous waste, hazard trees, and other ash and structural debris will be a lengthy and expensive process.

The wildfire cleanup process is already underway. Step 1, removal of household hazardous waste, is fully funded by FEMA and the state of Oregon and is already underway in several counties. Step 2 is removal of ash and debris.

As the lead contracting agency for Step 2, ODOT will oversee the cleanup efforts, awarding contracts for ash and debris removal. ODOT has already begun removal of hazard trees across the state, a process that could take nine months to complete. The estimated timeline for ash and debris cleanup completion is 6-18 months and includes considerations such as weather impacts, property access limitations and geographic scope.

ODOT will work in close partnership with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Emergency Management, local governments, property owners, and private sector partners.

Initial estimates put the debris cleanup tally at over $600 million, including $326 million for ash and debris removal and $295 million to remove damaged trees. The estimate is preliminary and is likely to change. As debris cleanup efforts begin, the true costs of the damage will become clearer.

Property owners need to sign an access agreement, called a Right of Entry form, as soon as possible to allow crews to clean up their property for both steps 1 and 2. The sooner you sign this form, the sooner cleanup can get started in your area.

If you choose to clean up hazardous waste, ash and debris outside of this process, it will be at your own cost. Removal of household hazardous waste and debris can be an expensive process, costing as much as $75,000. Even with insurance, the cost will reduce the amount of money you can use to rebuild your home.

More information is available online, or you can email ODOT via a dedicated email for all wildfire debris related inquiries.

Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force, which includes ODOT, OEM, and DEQ, is coordinating federal, state, and local government agencies to clean up debris from the 2020 Oregon wildfires.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-29 11:30:38

Last Update: 2020-10-29 19:47:52

Senator Dennis Linthicum continues to advocate for Oregonians, businesses and other employers that are unfairly targeted by Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OR-OSHA).

Senator Linthicum issued the following statement:

“A preposterous parade of medical elites, bureaucrats and their media cohorts are needlessly frightening the people of Oregon during the COVID-19 political pandemic. Instead of leaders that portray optimism and innovation in the face of uncertainty, the Democrats and their bureaucratic cronies want to force all Oregonians into their twisted view of absolute subservience under the guise of safety.

“We see this with OR-OSHA making daily, indiscriminate attacks on employers and private enterprise. OR-OSHA’s new rule proposals are a callous assault on the American cultural, social, spiritual, and economic prosperity that rightfully belongs to every Oregonian.

“We are witnesses to the arbitrary overreach of Governor Kate Brown’s unhinged reign and fear- mongering to maintain power. COVID-19 cases are going up in Oregon because we are testing more, thanks to an influx of tests from the federal government. Follow the bottom line, or follow the money, to understand the governor’s arbitrary decisions during the political pandemic: some larger university sports programs are operational because they rake in revenue for the state, while smaller school programs remain locked down, forcing some students to pursue their dreams in other states.

“This example, and countless others, coupled with Governor Brown’s continuous Executive Orders, which were recently extended to keep Oregon locked down until early January 2021, are all declarations of unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power, which carries devastation and distress to new levels here in Oregon. I am proud to be part of a lawsuit to protect the people of Oregon in an attempt to curb Governor Brown’s horrific abuse of government power.”

--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-28 17:47:45

Last Update: 2020-10-28 18:26:00

Editor's note: This article contains offensive language.

You may have heard that a large, unpermitted, Black Lives Matter protest occurred over the weekend in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Perhaps you've seen the flyer that circulated around social media claiming "We are going to F### S### up in Lake Oswego"

But where did it start, and why Lake Oswego?

According to the Lake Oswego School District, an anonymous letter was sent to a home, displaying a window painting that stated "Silence Supports Police Violence."

The letter sent anonymously, signed "your neighbors", asks for the painting to come down, and to respect the values and views of all neighbors. A seemingly innocuous neighborhood issue, very quickly escalated into a community debacle, as the school board, district, city council, chamber of commerce, and then BLM, decided to get involved to offer their viewpoints on the situation. Beginning with Lake Oswego School District sending out an email to parents "reaffirming its commitment to creating environments of anti-racism"

Frustrated parents began to seek answers, upon receiving this email, trying to understand this choice of intervention. An email response to one parent, who wishes to remain unnamed, reads that the school felt it was important to get involved, as a student of LOSD, resides in that particular home. Mary Kay Larson goes onto add that the school (not the family unit) is "responsible for educating and supporting the whole child, not just academics."

The letter must have been extremely inappropriate to warrant such a response, be rendered "horrible" by school board members, and incite flyers calling to F### S### Up. One main point made, was the intent of the anonymous letter writer, who mentioned property values. The School Board responded that this individual placed greater value on property than Black Lives, therefore excusing whatever reactions would follow. Even excusing the flyer, calling for violence, as an acceptable means to an end, "dismantling white supremacy."

It's unclear who reached out to Portland based group "Moms United For Black Lives", or if officials within the city coordinated efforts for the protest, but Willie Poinsette of the Lake Oswego "Respond to Racism" group, told KOIN News "the march shows that people of color in Lake Oswego aren’t “sitting in a bubble,” and there are other people out there who support the movement within the city." Poinsette also expressed frustration that the Proud Boys were called to the march. According to their Oregon chapter, local area business owners requested the Proud Boys security services. Antifa was also invited for security reasons by "Moms United For Black Lives" founder Demetria Hester, according to Facebook posts pictured here.

Hester states "Yes awesome day! The wimpy chuds were (crying emoji). They was big scared and when they saw security they didn't want none." "Yes it was beautiful watching them be scared" added another protester on the thread. In the live Facebook feed, Antifa can clearly be seen armed to the teeth, open carrying shotguns, and AR semi-automatic rifles.

With Antifa security, the organizers of the event marched down Lake Oswego streets, chanting things like "burrrr it's cold in here, there must be some racists in the atmosphere" (as the group came upon cars in the Safeway parking lot with Trump flags, and the American flag), but not before getting a pep talk from Demetria Hester herself. Her speech reads as follows:

"Wake up wake up wake up, we're here to wake up you racist white people" Hester yelled into a bullhorn prior to the march.

"They think because they live in lake Oswego they're safe, we're here to wake them up. They think because they live in lake Oswego they're superior to everyone else". "Everywhere you look there's a Karen, they said it's not ok to protest. They don't have unity, we have unity. They hate themselves, they have hate in their hearts because they hate themselves."

"Start loving yourselves, start loving your family. These white people are evil, they have no hearts, they couldn't change if they wanted to. They don't know what it's like being another color, they don't know what it's like to be afraid of dying because of their skin color."

"Ya'll are evil, everything you do is evil, y'all ain't shit, y'all ain't shit. How bout y'all stop drinking, how bout y'all stop being alcoholics, lake no negroe. Your wives know you ain't shit, and they're leaving you. Wake up, white men don't know what the F### they're doing"

The march proceeded down 2nd street, by Safeway, to A avenue, ending by the water fountain on the promenade where the group began harassing restaurant goers, and demanding to hear the term "Black Lives Matter" from passersby. One woman was jeered at, and called a racist while sitting at a table, silently filming. Captured here by Twitter user "KittyLists." "Look at this, she's super racist", says Hester with the bullhorn. Another anti-racist marcher asked, "Do your kids go to L.O High? Are you teaching them to be racist like you? Or are they trying to teach you not to be a f###ing racist?"

It's abundantly clear that the protest was directly connected to, what started as, a minor neighborhood conflict over appropriate window signs. Normally a city council meeting would have taken public comment, and then determined what constitutes free speech vs divisive content, or an impediment to peace. However, in this case, members of the school district decided to take matters into their own hands, believing it's their job to "educate and support the whole child, not just academics".

After reviewing correspondence between parents and school district officials, it's also clear that the School District was well aware of the upcoming protest, along with the flyer calling for violence. It would appear the Lake Oswego School District is more concerned with racism, then it is with the safety of students. By taking on the role of families, to educate and support the whole child, LOSD has created a new set of moral and ethical dilemmas. Additionally, the failure to allow this situation to permeate through the proper channels of government, creates a new set of questions. What is the role of the School District?

Is the School District responsible for students, while they're at home, under the care of parents? Is the possibility of racism more important than actualized violence? What authority or responsibility does the school district have to maintain the peace in a community? Can government be a "made to order", individualized policy maker, or does it need to be equally applicable to all? Is it our government's role to create enforceable policies, involving thought, the human mind, or hearts?

In the continued fight for equality, and tolerance, how do personal biases, or violence help create a more tolerant or just society? Are we demonizing those who disagree with our own world views, while labeling them as racist, at the detriment of democracy?

One thing we can probably all agree on, is that true, two sided conversations are not happening in our reactionary, triggered world. Conversations that are desperately needed to understand one another, are being replaced by insults and bullying. As the divide continues, we're seeing these same dynamics playing out in city council meetings, legislative hearings, and on the Presidential debate stage. Rhetoric seems to be taking the place of solid policy discussions. In a recent Oregon legislative committee hearing, bipartisan support over simple budgetary appropriations, could not be found, but instead became a continuous, emotionally charged debate.

Our State, and our Country is at a critical crossroads. Will we be able to place personal feelings aside, and address the root issues, making sound policy decisions for all? Or will our country crumble, as two ideological extremes lock horns, like two rams fighting over the prized ewe?


--Breeauna Sagdal

Post Date: 2020-10-28 16:41:29

Last Update: 2020-10-29 08:32:08

The Lane County Board of Commissioners unanimously (4-0) approved the addition of 4.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) deputy sheriff positions in order to enhance rural patrol and service for the next five years.

Two FTE will be designated to work in the McKenzie River Valley area during the ongoing response, recovery and rebuilding related to the Holiday Farm Fire. The other two FTE will be assigned to the West Lane region.

“As most of our rural residents know, funding for the Sheriff’s Office has allowed for only minimal rural patrol over the past several years,” said Sheriff Cliff Harrold. “This new investment comes at a time when the McKenzie River area is in need of support and a sense of security as residents begin the rebuilding process. It also allows us to increase the level of service we can provide to West Lane County residents who live in the most geographically difficult area to provide law enforcement services. Overall, this will help reduce response times and increase our presence in rural communities.”

Prior to this new investment, funding for the Sheriff’s Office only provided 25 FTE to patrol 4,600 square miles of the county. Those 25 FTE, spread across 24 hours per day, seven days per week, provided about three deputies on at any given time to respond to calls throughout the county, resulting in very long response times for life safety calls, and often no response to property crime calls.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to provide designated District Deputies to both the McKenzie River Valley area and to the West Lane County area so we can continue to build those valuable relationships that result in safer communities,” said Harrold. “While this funding is temporary, we are hopeful that it leads to more conversations about how to fund public safety in the long term for Lane County residents and visitors.”

--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-28 10:52:16

Last Update: 2020-10-28 11:02:00

Oregon, Washington, and Nevada have joined California's COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which will independently review the safety and efficacy of any vaccine approved by the FDA for distribution. Last week, Governor Newsom announced the panel made up of nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. It's not clear if the State of California has the expertise, infrastructure and experience to adequately test a vaccine.

“The vaccines currently in development, once approved, are what Americans have been waiting for to protect their families, their children, and their loved ones in long-term care facilities,” said Governor Kate Brown. “The independent review conducted by this panel of doctors, scientists, and health experts will ensure that a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is available to everyone, especially communities that have been disproportionately impacted by this disease.”

Governor Brown will join the Governors of Washington and Nevada to identify public health experts that will join California’s workgroup to guide the review of any vaccine approved by the FDA. While there is no proven vaccine for COVID-19 yet, these top health experts will review any vaccine that receives federal approval and verify its safety before California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada will make the vaccine available to the public.

“We believe in science, public health and safety. That is why I am pleased that Washington is joining California and other western states in this effort,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said. “Any COVID vaccine must be guided by the expertise of scientists and medical professionals and that’s just what this workgroup will do. The Western States Pact will continue working together to ensure the best health outcomes for everyone in our states.”

This is not the first time Western States have collaborated in response to COVID-19. In April, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Nevada joined in a Western States Pact which shared a vision for fighting COVID-19 and reopening their economies. Western State leaders in May urged congressional leaders to approve $1 trillion in COVID-19 relief for states and local governments and are partnering to pilot a project testing new exposure notification technology pioneered by Google and Apple.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-10-27 20:37:10

Governor Kate Brown today extended her declaration of a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 for an additional 60 days, until January 2, 2021. The declaration is the legal underpinning for the Governor’s COVID-19 executive orders and the Oregon Health Authority’s health and safety guidance. She issued the following statement:

“As early as January of this year, the Oregon Health Authority began its COVID-19 preparedness efforts as cases spread overseas. Since then, more than 600 Oregonians and over 200,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 — and last week, we set a daily record with 550 new cases.

"Extending the COVID-19 state of emergency is not something I do lightly, but we know all too well that not taking action would mean an even greater loss of life. The second wave of COVID-19 has arrived in the United States, and this time it is hitting all of our communities.

“My goal is to keep Oregon on track to open more schools for in-person instruction for our students — and to continue to reopen, and keep open, our businesses, communities, and economies. Oregon is not an island. Without safety precautions in place, we could quickly see our case counts spike as well.

“We must continue to work together and follow the simple steps that have kept us safe throughout this pandemic: washing our hands, wearing face coverings, watching our physical distance, staying home when sick, and avoiding social get-togethers, especially indoors.”

The state of emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders the Governor has issued to keep Oregonians healthy and safe throughout this crisis, including her orders on reopening Oregon while maintaining essential health and safety protections, as well as orders around childcare, schools, and higher education operations. Extending the state of emergency declaration allows those orders to stay in effect.

The Governor reviews and reevaluates each of her emergency orders every 60 days, to determine whether those orders should be continued, modified, or rescinded. The findings of this review process are listed in the executive order.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-27 16:22:57

Last Update: 2020-10-27 17:25:57

Even though the state has been a vote-by-mail state since 1995, the problems with it persist in Oregon. Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess has sent a reminder to Marion County voters via text that provides only little detail to the situation, but suggests that the clerk himself had just previously sent out the wrong date for notifying voters of when the elections occurs. Voters were then reminded that it is too late to mail in your ballot, and it should be dropped off a Marion County ballot drop box.

The unusual message from Bill Burgess via text #41575 is seen here:

“##Welcome to Marion County Clerk - Elections Track Your Ballot##

You may have received an incorrect message with the wrong Election date. Election day is November 3rd. It's too late to mail your ballot. Use one of the many ballot drop boxes in Marion County.

Questions? Call 503-588-5041.

Visit the **[Marion County Elections Website](http://www.co.marion.or.us/co/elections)** for additional election information or visit the **[Oregon Drop Box Locator](http://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/drop-box-locator.aspx)** to find a ballot drop box near you.



**Bill Burgess** **Marion County Clerk** Phone: (503) 588-5041 Email: [elections@co.marion.or.us](mailto:elections@co.marion.or.us)’

--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-27 15:39:50

Last Update: 2020-10-27 17:31:08

The City of Portland continues its work to ensure recovery from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19, prioritizing housing stability, small business support, and safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness. These actions are designed to support Portlanders through the worst of the crisis into a safe, sustainable recovery and a more-resilient future.

Local Business Support
Last week, Prosper Portland announced the distribution of more than $11 million in small business relief grants from the latest round of the Portland Small Business relief Fund (SBRF). More than 900 small businesses—the vast majority owned by BIPOC community members—will receive support via the Fund.

The work of selecting among the more than 4,900 applicants was guided by the city’s Equity Toolkit and the knowledge that Black people, indigenous people and all people of color have experienced the greatest impacts from the pandemic.

An additional $3 million will be distributed as block grants to community-based organizations that serve culturally specific populations to ensure the funds reach community members most in need. The block grant process will begin during the week of October 26th.

In total, this year Prosper Portland distributed more than $17 million to more than 1,200 local businesses, most of which are owned by people of color.

Very early in the pandemic, Mayor Wheeler directed Prosper Portland to stand up its Economic Impact Task Force, convening community partners to identify the greatest needs and the most efficient and effective responses to support local businesses through the crisis and into recovery. The more than 80 task force partners shaped the City’s response for local businesses.

Actions include dedicating $200,000 to a retail activation strategy, redirecting $100,000 for areas impacted by increased graffiti in partnership with City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, and adopting a $1 million utility support pledge that prioritized Black-owned businesses.

Renter and Homeowner Stability, Safe Spaces for People Experiencing Homelessness
The Portland Housing Bureau dedicated $1.6 million in CARES Act funds to housing stabilization and home retention support for low-income BIPOC homeowners. On Friday, October 23rd, the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) announced a $15 million COVID-19 Household Assistance Program. Under the program, Portlanders struggling from health or financial impacts of COVID-19 can apply for $500 to help with food, dependent care, medicine, rent, utilities, and transportation. In total, the program is expected to assist 27,000 Portland households.

Housing relief actions through the PHB began in March, when the City and County adopted a six-month eviction moratorium for those unable to pay rent due to COVID-related economic hardship. The moratorium was recently extended to January 8, 2021. The mandatory relocation assistance program was extended until March 31, 2021. In August, in partnership with the County and Joint Office of Homeless Services, the City also committed $35 million in state, local and federal funds for rent assistance to thousands of Portland households.

Earlier, PHB distributed $1 million to boost people hurt by the pandemic. The bureau provided $200,000 in assistance to households suffering a loss of income due to COVID-19 for urgent household needs like groceries, utilities, and medical expenses. It provided $800,000 to households in need through internal referrals by social service agencies and homeless service providers. And, the City deferred rent payments for all commercial retail tenants on City property to allow small businesses to focus on getting through the crisis.

Despite the pandemic, the City also continues to exceed goals for the creation of new affordable housing. There are now 1,494 units of permanently affordable Portland housing-bond supported homes open or in development throughout Portland—enough for an estimated 3,076 people. Nearly 700 of the homes have two or more bedrooms to serve families with children. More than 600 of the homes are reserved for extremely low-income households, including those experiencing homelessness, seniors on fixed incomes, and veterans. Projects funded outside of the Portland Housing Bond also are moving forward.

Since February, the City, Multnomah County, and the Joint Office have partnered to help people experiencing homelessness stay safe. The City opened public restrooms and added dozens of portable restrooms and handwashing stations throughout the community. Portland Parks & Recreation provided community centers for use as COVID-compliant temporary shelters. The City also partnered with the Joint Office to open three new safe outdoor shelters during the spring of this year. The Joint Office is also supplying community partners and volunteers with life-saving gear to share with people in camps, including more than 110,000 masks and hundreds of gallons of sanitizer and water.

More recently, Mayor Wheeler announced nearly 300 new beds at three sites around the city to serve people experiencing homelessness through the fall and winter. These 24-hour sites will offer safe, physically distant beds with resources including housing navigation services, three meals a day, showers, and laundry. Two Portland Parks & Recreation community centers will serve as shelters, as will downtown’s Greyhound bus station.


--Sabrina-Marie Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-27 12:19:30

Last Update: 2020-10-27 21:06:54

Why do some voters receive multiple ballots? What if my signature doesn’t match the one on file with elections officials? How do I report suspected voter fraud? Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wants Oregonians to know they can call the Attorney General’s Voter Protection Hotline at 971-673-4111 with non-emergency questions and concerns.

“Voting by mail in Oregon is easy, secure, and resistant to fraud.” Attorney General Rosenblum said. “That said, there are reports of misinformation around this year’s election, and voters may have urgent questions. I want Oregonians to know they can call our hotline and get a pretty quick call back.”

Staff at the Oregon Department of Justice review hotline messages regularly and return most calls within 24 hours on weekdays and on Mondays following the weekend. The hotline currently offers recorded instructions in English and Spanish, but messages can be returned in other languages upon request.

Attorney General Rosenblum said that along with the Secretary of State’s “My Vote” web site, county elections officials are a key resource for voters.

“Oregonians of all parties are justifiably proud of our elections system,” she said. “That’s due in no small part to our County Clerks and elections staff in all 36 counties who provide a high level of service to voters and ensure that ballots are processed and counted with a high degree of security and transparency.”

Voter fraud in Oregon is extremely rare, according to every study of the state’s 20-year history with conducting elections by mail. But Attorney General Rosenblum says voters should still call the hotline if they suspect fraud or any illegal activity related to the election.

“DOJ will work with the Secretary of State and law enforcement to investigate and take appropriate action against anyone who commits fraud or otherwise interferes with an election,” Attorney General Rosenblum said.

The DOJ has also created a one-pager to ensure Oregonians understand how their right to vote is protected. The Oregon Votes 2020! one-pager is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese.

Voter Protection Hotline Summary

Since its launch on October 13, the Attorney General’s Voter Protection Hotline has logged more than 90 calls, many from voters worried that their ballots had not yet arrived. By now, all voters registered in Oregon should have received a ballot at the address on file with their voter registration. Voters can check their registration online at the Secretary of State’s website and contact their county elections office for a replacement ballot, if necessary.

Other callers had questions about multiple ballots arriving for the same voter, or about receiving ballots addressed to voters who have moved or who are deceased. Because Oregon prints ballots 30 days before they are mailed, any registration changes made after that date could result in duplicate ballots, as could requests for replacement ballots.

Regardless of how many ballots are sent, however, only one ballot is considered “active,” and only one ballot per voter will be validated by elections officials. After a voter’s ballot has been accepted, subsequent ballots would be rejected and flagged for review to determine whether voter error or fraud were involved.

Tuesday, October 27 is the last day to safely mail in ballots in Oregon. After Tuesday, voters should use an official ballot drop box (the Secretary of State has a drop-box locator, but check with your county elections office for the most up-to-date list of official sites near you). Your ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

The Oregon Department of Justice is led by Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and serves as the state’s law firm.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-27 10:33:12

Last Update: 2020-10-27 10:51:33

Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area saw record low temperatures this morning, getting down to an unseasonably cold 29° F, but a a far cry from the -29° F reported in Montana. Ironically, the Columbia River Gorge did not reach freezing because of the East Wind. Eugene even had Portland beat with a frosty 23° F this morning.

Noted climate realist, Dr. Gordon Fulks commented "I think that we can safely blame the Canadians or Mother Nature, not Global Warming, for the frigid morning."

Here is the official Record Report from Clinton Rockey at the National Weather Service:

Record Report

000
SXUS76 KPQR 261836
RERPQR

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
1136 AM PDT MON OCT 26 2020

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THIS MORNING (MONDAY) 26 OCT...
A VERY CHILLY AIR MASS SETTLED OVER THE REGION THIS PAST WEEKEND.
WHILE IT WAS CHILLY SUNDAY MORNING, IT TOOK UNTIL THE EAST WINDS
EASED LAST NIGHT FOR THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES TO BE REALIZED. THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS FALL SEASON OCCURRED THIS MORNING,
WITH MORNING LOWS DOWN TO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S INLAND, AND LOWER
MIDDLE 30S ALONG THE COAST.

FOLLOWING SITES SET NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY (26 OCT):

OBSERVED
LOCATIONS LOW THIS AM OLD RECORD (YEAR)
---------------------------------------------------------------
PORTLAND AIRPORT 29 *** NEW RECORD 30 (IN 1963)
VANCOUVER 26 *** TIED RECORD 26 (IN 1978)
HILLSBORO 24 *** NEW RECORD 27 (IN 1954)
EUGENE 23 *** NEW RECORD 26 (IN 1954)

FOLLOWING SITES WERE CLOSE, BUT NO NEW RECORD:
OBSERVED
LOCATIONS LOW THIS AM OLD RECORD (YEAR)
---------------------------------------------------------------
ASTORIA 33 32 (IN 1976)
MCMINNVILLE 25 23 (IN 1900)
SALEM 27 26 (IN 1978)

We also tied cold records at a couple of stations last Thursday:

Record Report

000
SXUS76 KPQR 230236
RERPQR

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
735 PM PDT THU OCT 22 2020

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THURSDAY OCT 22ND 2020...

OBSERVED
LOCATION LOW TEMPERATURE OLD RECORD (YEAR)
------------------------------------------------------------------
HILLSBORO 30 TIED 30 (2008)
ASTORIA 34 TIED 34 (1961)

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-10-26 14:53:57

Last Update: 2020-10-27 09:44:43

Editor's note: Michael Strickland is a free-lance photo-journalist in Portland.

Before Michael Forest Reinoehl shot Aaron Danielson. Before Kyle Rittenhouse. Before Marquise Love punted Adam Haner’s head into the ground. Before the McCloskeys. Before Jake Gardner in Omaha. Before the Albequerqe guy shot people shouting they were going to kill him.

Before Andy Ngo was attacked. Before Joey Gibson and Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys. Before riots were commonplace in Portland. Before everyone and their mother were accused of being white supremacists. Before “antifa” was a household term. Before Trump was even the nominee for President.

There was me.

My name is Michael Strickland. Some of you may remember me from my stints at The Gateway Pundit and affiliated site Progressives Today and my YouTube channel Laughing At Liberals. I used to film political events around the Portland area and report on them. What started off as a hobby blossomed into my actual job in 2015 after “documentarian” Skye Fitzgerald, who was caught lying to the mother of a disabled kid and the family of a shooting victim for a very biased documentary project on guns, stole two video cameras from me and body slammed onto the pavement, shattering my arm and leaving me too disabled to go back to my old line of work.

Since covering political events in the area had now become my job, I began covering more and more events. I was basically just filming wackjob leftists in the area saying and doing the things they say and do. Several of my videos and stories started going viral. News networks started buying my footage. International news distributors starting hiring me to cover local events. My videos were getting played on FOX news, MSNBC, and several local news broadcasts. I was becoming a serious problem for the left simply because I showed the world what they were all about.

This all came to a head on July 7th, 2016, when I was filming a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Portland. This was before one could assume that violence and destruction were going to happen. I was just standing there, holding a video camera on a monopod, filming the speakers on the steps of the Justice Center. I wasn’t there to argue with anyone or instigate anything, as I preferred a fly-on-the-wall style of filming protests.

A gang of antifa thugs made the conscious and deliberate decision to stage a physical altercation with me. They made a b-line right for me and started attacking me. I tried to get away, they kept coming after me, and with no police around, I eventually drew down on them with my legally carried Glock 27. Fortunately they all stopped coming at me at that moment, they ceased to be threats, and I reholstered, without firing a shot. Every move I made was in reaction to what other people were doing to me. Had I waited another second or two, until their bodies were on top of me, there would not have been that buffer zone, and there’s a significant chance that I would have had to do the unthinkable. I’m very thankful they all finally stopped and backed away from me at the point that I drew, and that that was the amount of force necessary to prevent them from doing further harm to me.

I reholstered after having my gun out for 7 seconds, just enough time to neutralize the threats. I was in a bit of a state of shock. I couldn’t believe I was in that predicament and I had to draw. I continued to retreat up the block until police eventually showed up. To arrest me.

I attempted to explain that I had been attacked and that my actions were in self defense and that I had a Concealed Handgun License, but they didn’t care about anything I had to say. They didn’t even want to watch the video of it on my camera. They threw me in jail.



Deputy District Attorney Kate Molina then cited a false police report at my arraignment involving a completely separate matter, and used it as justification for charging me with felonies and keeping me in jail on $250,000 bond.

Fortunately enough people were up in arms over all of this that enough funds were raised to pay for attorneys and bail me out (only 10% was needed for the actual cash amount).

While I was out on bail, pre trial release officer Chelsea Fonua ordered that I be banned from blogging, banned from talking to the media, banned from posting videos, banned from twitter, banned from even going to political events. I couldn’t make my own case publicly. Had I done any of those things I would have been thrown back in jail, forfeited bail, and been on the hook for the full $250,000. I was effectively banned from working.



My own first-person video, which is the only angle that showed the initial attack by the mob, was ordered as sealed evidence by Judge Thomas Ryan. Also part of the sealed evidence was video taken from the Hatfield Courthouse surveillance cameras that shows the gang huddling up, formulating their attack on me, masking up, and moving in to get me in an organized fashion. All the public got to see was what the news cameras picked up, which was the seven seconds I had the gun, yelling “Everyone needs to get the hell back! Get the hell back!” with no context.

After a trial in February of 2017, where many pieces of exculpatory evidence were ruled inadmissible and many due process rights violations were committed against me, I was found guilty of 21 counts, including 10 felonies of “Unlawful Use Of A Weapon”, all for not harming so much as a fly and trying to get away to avoid an altercation. The violent thugs who started the fight are considered to be the innocent victims.

I was sentenced to 40 days in jail, 240 hours of community service, and 3 years of probation. I was banned from filming political events or anything at the local colleges. Had I done that, it would have been a violation of my probation and I would have been thrown in prison.

I was kicked out of my apartment, been declined various different jobs, car insurance doubled, I was forced to pay $45 monthly probation fees, along with $3100 in fines. Sometimes I wonder, should I have just taken the beating instead? Should I have let them pummel me into the pavement, possibly rendering me even more disabled, possibly killing me, likely robbing me of my camera gear, computer gear, and gun? Would I have been better off?

Of course I’m banned from owning guns, or even being near one that isn’t in the control of someone else. If I’m visiting someone’s house, and a they have a gun in separate room that I don’t know about, that could be construed as a “felon in possession” since the gun would be accessible to me. The judge specifically said I can’t touch anything more dangerous than a butter knife. If I’m at a restaurant (which is rare because I can’t afford to eat out), and someone across from me is having a steak, and they put their steak knife down in the middle of the table, that’s technically a weapon that is accessible to me, and I could go to jail for that.

Since this incident, violence and riots have been common in Portland. A short time after this we saw the election week riots. Then the inauguration week riots. Then more May Day riots. Then the dueling protests between antifa and Trump supporters. Then the antifa and BLM gangs patrolling the streets, directing people around, smashing up cars when someone takes offense. Then the 120 days of nightly riots this summer. My case set the standard for legalized mob violence, while also invalidating the 1st and 2nd Amendment. The gangs of terrorists know they have the legal authority to attack whomever they want in the street, and not only face no consequences for it, but the person they target is the one who goes to jail for fighting back. Violence is now incentivized.

I immediately appealed the ruling, citing a variety of due process errors that occurred throughout the spectacle, and because my actions were solely in self defense. Three years later, spring of 2020, the state appeals court upheld the lower court’s ruling, saying that all of the things Judge Thomas Ryan ruled on, and all of the shady antics pulled by DA’s Kate Molina and Todd Jackson were all perfectly acceptable. The appeals court did this relying on several erroneous things that they referred to as “undisputed facts” that were in fact heavily disputed throughout the trial. They denied me a re-review after I politely corrected them. The state supreme court also denied reviewing the case.

Much of what I have been appealing on involved my state of mind at the moment of the incident, as it relates to mens rea and culpable knowledge that someone is committing a crime. You see, many pieces of evidence that pointed to my mindset were ruled to be inadmissible. Ironically, and disgustingly, the day after the state supreme court declined to hear my case, they overturned a sex abuse case because a woman saying “No, I don’t want to” while crying as a man forces himself onto her isn’t enough for the perpetrator to “KNOWINGLY” realize that the woman is not consenting. They will let state of mind play a factor in overturning rape cases, but not in my case.

I am now in the process of petitioning the Supreme Court Of The United States to hear my case.



Many people ask what they can do to help. Well, most pressing is raising funds to pay the attorneys. I usually hate begging for money, but it all goes to pay for the attorneys and other legal costs. I have a PayPal and Oregon Firearms Federation has been gracious enough to once again take donations for my fund. , just please make a note on the check-out page that it’s for my fund so they know where to allocate the money.

I’m very thankful to those who have donated, both in the past and more recently. I plan on hosting an exclusive livestream Q&A event for anyone who has donated, past or present. There’s no way I would have been able to survive this without the help of so many who have chipped in.

You can also share this story around. Share some of the videos about the case that I’ve posted on my YouTube channel. Share some of the stories on VictoriaTaft.com . Raise awareness over what has happened.

Speaking of Oregon Firearms Federation, they have been there every step of the way helping me out. The same cannot be said for a certain other, very large, supposedly pro gun organization.

Unfortunately, the NRA has been silent on this issue thus far. Though, now that the case is going up to SCOTUS and nationwide precedent can be set, maybe they’ll realize they have to take action and help out. If the Heller case established an individual’s right to own a gun for self defense, then the Strickland case may very well decide if a person can draw their legally owned and carried firearm in self defense. If you’re an NRA member, you should be lighting them up to get involved in my case. Heck, even if you’re not an NRA member, I implore you to hit the NRA pages on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, encouraging them to help out. My hope is that they will get involved.

The NRA and other organizations can file what’s called Amicus Curiae, which is “friend of the court” status. This allows groups and other interested parties who are not directly involved in the case to submit briefs to the court in support of me, and they can make other legal arguments and approach the matter from different angles.

Other groups, such as 1st Amendment and free press organizations and non profits, as well as justice reform groups, should also take interest in this. My case spans a variety of Constitutional, civil, and due process rights, regardless of political leanings. Leftist groups, such as the ACLU, should be up in arms over the way the courts treated me. My brief to the Supreme Court is due November 25th, and interested third parties have 30 days after that to file Amicus.

Regarding the 1st Amendment: Does a person have the right to be in public area, filming a public event, as part of their job, and in exercise of their right to free press? Or does a gang of thugs have the legal right and lawful authority to use force, threats, and intimidation to prevent a person from engaging in their 1st Amendment rights? If the gang of thugs does not have that right, then they used unlawful force against me, thus meeting the threshold for exercising self defense.

Secondly, can the courts threaten someone with imprisonment for engaging in 1st Amendment rights? At various different phases over the course of four years I was banned from blogging, talking to the media, going on twitter, posting videos, going to political events, filming political events, or filming anything at the local colleges. Had I done anything of those things, I would have been thrown in prison as a violation of the terms of my release and/or probation.

The 2nd Amendment ramifications are obvious. Can a person draw their firearm in self defense against a mob that the person believes is engaging in unlawful force, potentially deadly force, and further imminent unlawful force? Given the number of assailants against me and the fact that I am partially disabled, a large disparity of force was presented. Additionally, I used verbal commands, a non lethal alternative, and was attempting to retreat to avoid the conflict, all to no avail, as the mob continued to bear down and pursue me. I followed the training I had received from the numerous firearms courses I had taken over the years.

There are a litany of due process rights violations that have been committed against me at various different aspects:

At my first arraignment, deputy district attorney Kate Molina cited a false police report, filed by a guy named John Slaughter, whom I hardly knew, who had gotten in my face screaming and yelling at me a few weeks prior at the vigil for the Orlando nightclub shooting victims. Slaughter claimed that I had started sending him threatening race based text messages and voice mails, that I have ties to white supremacist groups, and that I drove by his house with my hand in the shape of a gun pointing toward me. Of course all of those accusations are untrue. I barely knew or cared who this guy was. On that evening he’s claiming I drove by his house I was caring for two cats that needed medical attention. But Kate Molina read that report out loud in course, lying to Judge Leslie Bottomly, stating these assertions as if they were fact, with the media there recording it and subsequently broadcasting it to the public. Molina was essentially able to unduly influence and taint the jury pool with these defamatory statements. That police report was so unconvincing that she never brought it up again, never charged me with anything from it, and never pursued anything from that because it never happened. But the damage was done.



Judge Thomas Ryan denied my motion for a change of venue, to move to the trial to a different part of the state, away from the Portland area media footprint. I was effectively denied my right to a fair trial before a jury of my peers, and forced to go with a bench trial.

It turned out that John Slaughter was one of the ones who had organized the mob to attack me, as he testified to that and admitted such on the witness stand.

My indictment is the only one I’ve ever seen that lists specific “victims” using vague descriptions but no names. It says things like “Michael Aaron Strickland, on or about July 07, 2016, in the County of Multnomah, State of Oregon, did unlawfully attempt to use, carry with intent to use and possess with intent to use unlawfully against another person, to wit: a male wearing jeans, a dark top, a backpack, a green cloth on his face, and a multicolor mask on top of his head.”

In fact, though the indictments and other charging instruments specify ten “victims”, only two were ever identified, ever came forward, and testified at the trial. Those two were Ben Kerensa (a 400 pound guy with a lengthy criminal history who led the mob to attack me) and Malcolm Chaddock (whom I had seen at previous protests engaging in criminal behavior and causing trouble, and who served as the distraction for Kerensa to run up along my blind side). The other eight were never identified, never came forward as “victims”, and never testified. I was denied my right to face my accusers, because eight of these people never accused me of anything unlawful. I was convicted of crimes against unknown John Does who were physical threats to me. “Unlawful Use Of A Weapon” has multiple definitions in Oregon. We motioned for the state to clarify which part of the law they were charging me with. Judge Thomas Ryan ruled that the state does not have to clarify such, which left me not knowing what I was supposed to be mounting a legal defense against.

My trial also featured an ambush witness who was allowed to testify after both sides had rested. Molina and Todd Jackson (the other DA on the case) had known for at least six weeks that we were planning on putting on our own expert use of force witness, and he testified that everything I did was correct and in line with how a civilian CHL holder should react in the situation that befell me. As per law, witness lists from both sides were provided to the other the week before the trial. After both sides had rested, Molina and Jackson told the judge they wanted to put on on their own expert use of force witness. We of course objected to this, but the judge allowed it anyway. This expert was Ryan Rasmussen, who serves as Gresham police’s use of force and firearms trainer, and he testified that my actions were wrong and unlawful. Rasmussen was not on any prior witness list and he did not testify at grand jury. He was not a witness to the incident, either. Another problem with all of that is that Rasmussen could only testify as to what a police officer is trained to do, as he has no experience as a civilian. He graduated high school, went into the Marines, then spent a year as armed security, then joined the police department. He has never had a Concealed Handgun License, had never taken a CHL course, does not have any certifications to train civilians, and even conceded that police are held to a higher standard than civilians with CHL’s. yet his testimony was still considered valid.

Can a judge rule that a person’s own experiences, training, and knowledge be irrelevant? Can a judge pretend to be a mind reader and tell a defendant what that defendant was or was not thinking in the heat of the moment, under duress, and under threat of physical harm? At numerous different points, Judge Thomas Ryan substituted his own mindset in place of my mindset. Judge Ryan ruled that a aforementioned incident with Skye Fitzgerald, just 16 months beforehand, where my arm was shattered and had to be surgically reconstructed, was “irrelevant” and somehow didn’t play into my mindset and decision making when I was staring down an even more precarious situation. Judge Ryan also ruled that my statements to the detective, where I explained how the mob attacked me, how I tried to get away, how I was in fear, and how I acted in self defense, were all inadmissible, irrelevant hearsay.

Judge Ryan didn’t even take 30 seconds to go back and deliberate and review evidence and arguments. He immediately announced a guilty verdict as soon as Todd Jackson was done with his closing statement. As Judge Ryan was announcing his verdict, he proclaimed that this is not about what other people were doing to me, it was about my actions. By refusing to consider the actions of those who premeditated and carried out this attack on me, Judge Ryan is essentially refusing to consider self defense as a thing, since self defense is predicated on the actions of others.

At sentencing, Judge Ryan stated with fact that the mob was not about to pummel me, and I could not react in the way that I did. He said “Regarding the acts. I know I’ve already ruled on guilt of innocence, but the Defendant’s acts were not justified. This was not self-defense. This was an unlawful escalation of the situation. Simply put, you cannot respond in the way that the Defendant did in this situation. Brandishing the weapon was not the Defendant’s only option. He was not about to be pummeled.”

He is basically trying to tell me what I was thinking or not thinking.

Further, there are no such terms as “unlawful escalation” or “brandishing” in the Oregon statutes. By stating that drawing was not my “only option” he is implying that some sort of action was necessary. Oregon has no duty to retreat (State v Sandoval, 2007), so that action was not legally necessary, even though I was retreating and trying to avoid conflict. The judge is basically making up the laws as he goes along.

If they can do these things to me, they can do it to anyone. They can do it to you, your family, your loved ones, your doctor, your auto mechanic, your neighbor. I have no doubt that shady police, unethical DA’s, and crooked judges are using these tactics to lock up innocent people every day. This is our best chance to overturn these practices. I am fighting not just for my rights, not just to clear my name, but for everyone’s rights. Help me win this for all of us.


--Michael Strickland

Post Date: 2020-10-26 12:57:52

Last Update: 2020-10-26 14:50:22

Portland Oregon is out of control in 2020. Unspeakable crimes seem to happen with regularity under Ted Wheeler and Kate Brown's leadership -- while most of the media remains silent.

On Friday, October 23rd at about 10:48pm., Portland Police responded with Portland Fire & Rescue to a vehicle fire in the area of Northeast 148th Avenue and Northeast San Rafael Street. Responders determined there was a person, deceased, in the vehicle.

The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and determined this death was a homicide. Additional information will be released at the direction of the investigators. It is not known if this incident is related to the Antifa and/or Black Lives Matter riots that have plagued the City of Portland for months.

Portland Police homicide detectives are investigating and ask that anyone with information about this incident contact Detective William Winters via email or at 503-823-0466 or Detective Anthony Merrill via email or at 503-823-4033.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-10-26 10:46:46

Last Update: 2020-10-26 13:49:00