Multnomah County Commissioner travels to Hawaii as COVID-19 cases surge at home
Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran is drawing criticism for her decision to travel to Hawaii despite a spike in coronavirus cases in Oregon that resulted in travel warnings. Multnomah County employees, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, said Meieran is sending the wrong message during a critical stage in the COVID-19 pandemic. But Meieran said she sees no problem with her interstate travel. "This seems to be a fairly minor story in the big scheme of the challenges that are facing Oregon in terms of COVID right now," she said. READ MORE
Tiny home pods help Portlanders facing homelessness
As winter nears, many facing homelessness in Portland will soon get access to new, temporary housing in the form of tiny homes. Yesterday, crews began construction on the first pod in Old Town, where Brian Hall will live. "Knowing you can sleep with peace of mind, there are no words I can use to describe it," Hall said. "You can actually sleep and focus on your day tomorrow and get your things done that you need to do to help you get off the street." READ MORE
Oregon starts sending out waiting week payments
The Oregon Employment Department estimates that payments were delivered to 246,300 Oregonians yesterday, totaling $176 million. The OED said most claimants should receive their waiting week payment within 3 business days. READ MORE