Is it possible for a week to be too newsy? There are a hell of a lot of things going on right now.
First, Union Pacific has resumed running its trains past the tiny Columbia River Gorge town of Mosier, days after part of an oil train derailed and exploded. The town had asked for it to hold off. While UP says it'll chill on oil trains on that particular segment of track for an undisclosed period of time, it's pressing on with most of the 20 to 25 trains that pass Mosier each day.
Next, Bullseye Glass has inked a brand new deal with state environmental regulators, and it appears fairly stout. The company is going to share a boatload of information with officials about metals it melts, but is strictly prohibited from melting that metal to begin with unless there are filtration systems in place. The DEQ has said it'll consider letting Bullseye burn four metals (selenium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese) without those filters, but only after the company proves it can do so without risking public health.
By the way, get ready for more potentially interesting news. As we reported over the weekend, the US Forest Service is preparing to unveil moss data that shows the top seven metals hotspots in Portland air. One's in the Pearl, apparently. Another's near Portland State University. We should learn more about the readings in coming days.
What else? Oh just Portland Parks and Recreation's leaders clamming up when asked how high lead readings in some community centers weren't addressed for years (until last week, in fact, around the time the Oregonian began asking questions).
Enough with the environmental cataclysm for a moment, though. Because, according to the AP, Hillary Clinton has sealed the Democratic nomination for president. "The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state has ended more than two centuries of national history in which only men have been the standard-bearers for the major political parties." Begin screaming at each other whenever.
You know how Daimler Trucks North America just unveiled a fancy new Swan Island headquarters? They're now axing 170 jobs locally, and many more across the country.
Portland just lost its largest bike-centric advocacy group. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance says it'll now rep cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users, in a bid to increase its membership base and become more effective.
Just to be safe: If you've been putting off reading a woman's powerful statement to the college student who sexually assaulted her, READ IT NOW.
That student received six months in jail for those crimes, out of a possible 14 years. There's now a recall effort against the judge.
Here's what the O's restaurant critic looks like. Much like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he's fed up with a life in the shadows.
RIP, former Portlander and decorated war photographer David Gilkey, killed in Afghanistan while on assignment for NPR.
Another hot one.
