No Deductibles Here.

By WW Editorial Staff
  1. Dog bites man. Man files tort notice: A Northeast Portland man has filed notice he intends to sue the city after he was bitten by a Portland police dog. Jacob Krein was driving home Jan. 21 after celebrating his 30th birthday when he hit a utility pole and left his car to get help, says his attorney, Todd Peterson. Cops pursued Krein and unleashed their German shepherd, Munson, after they found Krein hiding in a yard debris bin. Peterson says the attack left a 6-inch gash on Krein’s left leg and was unnecessary, but police reports say Krein was fighting with officers when the dog bit him. Krein—who was charged with DUII and reckless driving—may ask for $200,000.
  2. On the magical date of April 20 (4/20), Oregon NORML is inviting Portland potheads to pile into a biodiesel-fueled bus and head to the Legislature to protest bills that affect the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Several bills would allow employers to fire medical marijuana patients (see “Working Spliffs,” WW, Dec. 10, 2008); another would limit hash and other cannabis products and allow inspections of grow sites. “We’re gonna be fighting for our freedom, ” says Madeline Martinez, head of Oregon NORML. For details, go to ornorml.org.
  3. An email recently sent to staffers at Pamplin Communications spells out troubled times in Robert Pamplin Jr.’s media empire. As first reported at wweek.com, the email says the company is selling its campus off Southeast Division Street, including the company offices and a building that houses Pamplin’s enormous Christian Supply store. Those will move to the Pamplin Media Center in Clackamas County, home of the “closer to home” Portland Tribune. Pamplin Communications President and CEO Andrea Marek tells WW the Trib and other media are not at risk. “There’s no doubt about the company continuing, ” she says.
  1. Portland’s experiment with tackling its No. 1 and No. 2 problems—the lack of 24-hour public toilets—has been turned into a short documentary. Available online at shieldsfilm.tv and wweek.com, “People Can’t Wait” highlights Commissioner Randy Leonard’s project to create a prototype in Old Town for public toilets citywide. The six-minute film also features Rodney Haven, one of the ex-homeless men responsible for keeping Leonard’s new loo clean (see “Loo View,” WW, Dec. 10, 2008).
  2. So what’s a nice smoker like you doing in a half-marathon like this? That’s what Murmurs wondered when it saw this photo from the April 5 2009 Race For the Roses. The smoker’s name is Will Justice, according to Jeremy Hyatt, race co-chairman. And Hyatt says Justice ran the 13.1 miles in 1:20:35 to finish 19th out of 2,300 runners. “It was actually pretty amazing,” Hyatt said. “He dropped the cigarette, took off, and just flew.” In fact, Justice is so fast that Murmurs couldn’t catch up with him for comment.
  3. HUGE CONTEST, HUGE PRIZES. Wanna win a $100 bar tab or a gift certificate to a salon? Then get to wweek.com/shuttered by the end of Wednesday, April 22, for our Shuttered Portland contest with your photo showing how the recession has hit you, or with your recording of a message on the same subject. All entries will appear on wweek.com and the best will make it into WW.

WWeek 2015

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