WATCH: Ediel Ruiz and his partner were visiting family in California City on Saturday when his Tesla caught fire. Ruiz says the fire started directly under his four-month-old’s car seat. No one was in the car, he says.
Full story tonight at 10/11 on
@bakersfieldnow
HEAD COACH FIRED‼️: John Parks, the head track & field coach at Lake Oswego High School, said the district terminated him after he wrote letters to officials advocating to change laws regarding transgender athletes.
In his letters, he proposed creating an “open division” for
“This is like a game of cat and explosive mouse.”
I spoke with Oregon military veteran
@tipofthespear42
about his work in Ukraine helping farmers take back their land by removing land mines.
Full story tonight at 4 and 6 on
@KATUNews
Check it out ➡️
Some BIG NEWS: I am BEYOND thrilled to finally announce I’m staying in the Northwest and joining the incredible team at
@king5seattle
! ✨
I’m so unbelievably honored to be part of a powerhouse legacy station and to work alongside such talented, dedicated, and passionate
BREAKING‼️: The Oregon Supreme Court has voted to disqualify the 10 senators who staged the 6-week walkout during the 2023 legislative session from running for reelection.
Nine Republicans and one Independent cannot file for reelection in 2024 or 2026.
Here’s our breakdown
STRIKE CONTINUES: Hundreds of
@pdxteachers
are sitting on the Burnside Bridge as the
@PPSConnect
strike moves into its 4th week. Teachers tell me they’re frustrated by the lack of movement from the district on approving a contract.
They tell me they hope this sends a message:
HOOD TO COAST🏔🏃♂️: Oregon’s world-famous relay race is back for its 40th year!
Over 19,000 participants head from Mt. Hood to Seaside with 50 states and 43 countries represented:
Today marks my 1 year at
@KATUNews
! I didn’t know what would happen transferring stations 1 year into my career and moving to a different state, but I’m so thankful my journey brought me to the PNW! ♥️ I’m grateful for everyone I’ve met this last year and for what’s ahead! 🫶🏻✨
HOTEL SHOOTING: Port of Portland Police confirmed a shooting at the Embassy Suites Hotel near PDX early this morning.
We spoke with one guest who told us they heard 10 to 12 gunshots and saw blood in the lobby
@KATUNews
MASS TREE DESTRUCTION🚨: Multiple large trees crushed several homes on Saturday in SW
#Portland
.
A homeowner tells me she’s asked the city to remove these trees from the adjacent city lot near her property, worried something like this might happen. One tree even crushed a
The sun is setting on my time in Portland (even though this is a sunrise picture 😂), and tomorrow will be my last day at
@KATUNews
It’s been two wonderful years - two years of telling amazing stories, meeting incredible people, hard lessons learned both inside and outside of
NURSE STRIKE: Nearly 2,000 Providence nurses and clinicians are hitting the picket line today, asking for better pay, better benefits and more staffing.
I spoke with the union chair who says staffing shortages have spread resources thin. The strike is expected to end Friday:
SYSTEM OUTAGE‼️✈️: The line for
@Delta
and
@AmericanAir
this morning… numerous delays at PDX after flights were grounded from the IT outage. Impacted airlines include American, Delta, and United.
@PortOfPortland
recommends getting in touch with your airline if you’re traveling
CRUNCHY… The ice cube that is
#Portland
is looking even more like a skating rink this morning. Be CAREFUL out there, we’ve been sliding around a lot, even with tire snow socks on:
HAPPENING NOW:
@pdxteachers
are marching on the Burnside Bridge as the
@PPSConnect
teacher strike continues. Major traffic impacts here, make sure to find alternative routes:
MORE OUTAGES🔌‼️: The
#Portland
metro area refroze overnight and 57,000+ Oregonians are without power this morning.
The new numbers:
▪️55,370
@portlandgeneral
customers without power
▪️2,020
@PacificPower_OR
customers w/o power
Road conditions are continuing to prove to be
HEAT DISPARITIES☀️🔥: A recent study highlights problem regions in the Portland metro area when it comes to the heat.
@NWSPortland
says some vulnerable zones can be 10-15°F hotter than adjacent neighborhoods ⬇️
🔸In Multnomah County, the hottest cities are Wood Village, Maywood
WILD WINDS‼️🚨: Gusts this morning were so strong they took down this massive tree in SE
#Portland
. It landed on a car and the side of a house, blocking part of the intersection at 13th & Belmont. Stay SAFE out there, conditions are deteriorating fast:
It was quite a busy weather morning! Thanks to everyone who watched
@KATUNews
earlier as
@evanbellKATU
and I ran all over the
#Portland
metro area! 😂 Stay warm out there! ☃️🥶
ADA LAWSUIT: In September, 10 Portlanders with mobility disabilities sued
@PortlandGov
over tents blocking sidewalks.
Attorney John DiLorenzo claims Multnomah County is the problem, having used $2 million of taxpayer funds to buy 90,000+ tarps/tents:
BUS PILEUP:
@trimet
is having a rough go of it this morning.. We’ve seen about 10 buses stuck in NE Portland in the last 2 hours. Slick roads are causing more vehicles to be stranded:
AVIATION TRAINING✈️:
@AlaskaAir
& Horizon Air donated a Bombardier Q400 airliner to
@PortlandCC
today, giving students advanced hands-on access to aviation technologies.
The aircraft will be housed at the Hillsboro Airport for students and faculty to work on
@KATUNews
SPOOKY SUNRISE🍁: What a view over downtown
#PDX
this morning! We’re kicking off the week with overcast skies and cooler temperatures — a change from this weekend’s summer-like weather
ICICLE TREES❄️: Look how THICK the ice is on these branches! This was taken at the Troutdale exit off I-84 —
@OregonDOT
closed I-84 through the Gorge yesterday ahead of the overnight freezing rain:
BIDEN IN PORTLAND:
@POTUS
motorcade crossing the Burnside Bridge at 11:35 this morning.
The President is headed to the East Portland Community Center where he’s expected to deliver remarks at noon. This is his second visit to Portland in 6 months:
PPS STRIKE DAY 5🪧: Classes are canceled again today as the
@PPSConnect
teacher strike nears a week. The district says it will now notify families of plans for the next day by 7 PM.
Lawmakers are getting involved, saying the district needs to find the money in its budget:
Hello 2024! 🎉✨
We had a blast kicking off the first morning of the new year on
@KATUNews
! Hope everyone’s day is off to a great start 🌟
#Happy2024
#HappyNewYear
TUNNEL 5 FIRE GROWS IN SIZE:
The
#Tunnel5Fire
has now burned 10 homes, 533 acres and is 5% contained. It seems to be quickly approaching the train tracks near the river.
Hood River has canceled today’s July 4th fireworks display as firefighters continue battling the flames:
I couldn’t have been MORE excited to be at the
@KATUNews
weather desk with
@WesleighOgle
this morning! Unfortunately the weather isn’t as exciting with rain on the way today 🌧️
#pdx
HAZARDOUS, ICY ROADS⚠️🚨: We’re seeing a number of traffic blocks this morning heading east on I-84. We saw trucks backed up at the I-205/I-84 split and a semi at Frontage Road in Troutdale that spun out, blocking the road entirely. We’ve also seen half a dozen cars abandoned
STREET RACING CRACKDOWN🚨:
@PortlandPolice
arrested 19 people and towed 21 cars related to street racing last weekend. They also recovered 7 firearms.
Police say some of the 21 vehicles towed could be forfeited under a new Oregon law that addresses street takeovers:
BILL SCHONELY: The celebration of life for the sports broadcasting icon is today at 4 pm at the Memorial Coliseum.
Bill Schonely died on Jan. 21 at the age of 93. He was the first broadcaster for the
@trailblazers
who coined the phrase ‘Rip City’:
The
@KATUNews
morning team won an Emmy for the 5th year in a row for best morning newscast!! So honored to receive my FIRST EMMY nomination and to work with such an incredible team!! ✨
#natasnw
SE PDX SHOOTING:
@PortlandPolice
is investigating a shooting in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood. Residents have been told to shelter in place and lock doors and windows. Multiple roads are shut down:
On
@KATUNews
this morning at 6:
DECRIMINALIZING PUBLIC CAMPING:
If passed, the “Right to Rest” bill proposed in Oregon would decriminalize camping in public spaces. It’s sparking mixed responses among both homeless advocates and community members.
More details on the bill
@KATUNews
:
ICYMI🚨‼️: Police have confirmed the fire at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Salem this morning was arson. They arrested 48-year-old Billy Sweeten on first-degree arson charges.
He was taken to the Marion County Jail. Police have not released a motive:
STOP CUBE❄️: This stop sign in Gresham looks like it’s been laminated in ice! There’s about 3 inches accumulated on the right side.
Maybe it’s a sign… if you’re thinking it’s safe to drive this morning — stop 😂:
PLANT EXPLOSION: Last night, a tank containing copper naphthenate exploded at the AmeriTies West treatment plant in The Dalles, putting 2 firefighters in the hospital.
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office has not been notified of air quality concerns:
BANNING HARD DRUGS‼️: A group of Oregon leaders has filed a petition with the state to reform Measure 110.
The group is looking to ban hard drug use in public, make addiction treatment a requirement, and classify fentanyl, meth, and heroin possession as a crime again:
ROAD RAGE SHOOTING: 46-year-old Geoffrey Hammond shot a man in the chest during an argument over parking, court docs say.
While the man was on the ground pleading with him, Hammond tried to shoot him again, but the gun jammed. He then shot another man filming the incident:
PDX CHRISTMAS TRAVEL✈️: Long lines at
#PDX
today, as the airport continues to face delays and cancellations. We counted 20 cancelled flights as of 12 p.m.
Make sure to call your airline before you head out and stay safe!
@KATUNews
Vanessa Zepeda graduates from
@CSUBakersfield
today with her master’s in special education. On her cap, photos of her grandfather, great grandma, best friend and a family friend. She says 3 of them passed away during the pandemic.
More tonight on
@bakersfieldnow
‘PREDATORY’ RENT: Today, Oregon renters will meet to share their experiences of high rent increases and demand legislative action.
They want lawmakers to pass
#SB611
to limit rent increases to 3% plus inflation with a max increase of 8% during a calendar year ⬇️
MEASURE 114 UPDATE:
Oregon’s new gun control law will not go into effect today after the Oregon Supreme Court denied the state’s appeal to end a pause on the measure.
The law continues to face a number of legal challenges.
This morning on
@KATUNews
:
POWELL’S STRIKE📢: Powell’s Books employees say they’ve been bargaining with the company for better wages and benefits since February.
Bargaining resumes tomorrow, but they tell me that if an agreement isn’t reached, they’ll be back at the picket line:
DISTRICT ATTORNEY RACE🗳️: Nathan Vasquez is currently leading Mike Schmidt by 12% in the race for
@multco
District Attorney.
Schmidt has not formally conceded. Vasquez says he’s confident he’ll take the race, saying it’s “time for a new direction.”
The county’s next round of
STREET FLOODING🚨: SW 149th and Division in Beaverton is seeing overflow from South Johnson Creek.
One car is already stuck and another drove through while I was filming. Avoid driving through high water if you can:
#TESLAFIRE
🔥: On Saturday, Ediel Ruiz was visiting family in California City when his Model 3 ignited.
@CalCityFD
@kerncountyfire
say while EV fires are rare, they can be hard to fight. They say they could be seeing more fires as more people go electric:
X-MAS IN NOVEMBER🎁: The Pioneer Courthouse Square Christmas tree (and Santa) have arrived in downtown PDX! The tree is a 75-foot Douglas fir and weighs over 7,000 pounds.
The annual tree lighting ceremony will take place at the Square on Nov. 24:
STORM OUTAGES🔌⚡️: More than 70,000
@portlandgeneral
customers are still without power this morning due to fallen trees and downed power lines.
Around 7,800
@PacificPower_OR
customers statewide are also in the dark.
PGE says crews are continuing to work to restore power, but
I-84 CLOSURE⚠️: Troutdale was coated in a layer of ice overnight with heavy winds this morning. Per
@NWSPortland
, gusts in the Columbia River Gorge are expected to reach up to 40 mph today with icy road conditions.
@OregonDOT
says I-84 is closed from Troutdale as the snow and
PPS STRIKE:
@PPSConnect
teachers hit the picket line this morning after months of bargaining.
The union and district failed to come to an agreement yesterday so the union authorized the strike. It’s the first strike in the district’s history:
SNOW PREPS🎿❄️: Major snowfall is expected overnight in the Cascades, and
@OregonDOT
says drivers need to be prepared for potentially treacherous conditions.
If you’re heading to the mountains this weekend, be aware of snowplows, check conditions and follow chain advisories:
ON STRIKE🪧: Powell’s workers are on strike today for the first time in 20 years.
The union representing Powell's Books employees said wages and health care benefits are big sticking points in current negotiations:
PDX FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS🚨: More than 2,000 flights nationwide have been canceled today from the tech crash.
@Delta
has announced the cancellation of ALL of its international flights.
@AmericanAir
and
@united
are also resuming operations, issuing travel waivers for those whose
CHURCH FINED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES:
St. Timothy’s in Brookings is facing fines from the city of up to $720 a day for services it’s providing to homeless individuals.
The church is now responding to
@TinaKotek
’s shelter plan. Read more on
@KATUNews
:
ICYMI‼️🚨: ALERT Wildfire is a new site that uses cameras across Oregon and the western U.S. to help people stay up-to-date on the latest wildfire information.
Oregon has about 30 cameras on the site. They can give you a 360-degree view of your area:
ICE STORM OUTAGES🔌🌨️: This morning, I’m tracking more
@portlandgeneral
and
@PacificPower_OR
outages following the overnight freezing rain.
In the last hour, PGE’s numbers have increased to 14,000 customers without power in
#Portland
. Pacific Power has gone down to 15,000
🌲LIFE UPDATE:🌲 I’m… moving!
In a couple weeks, I’ll be trading the sun for the rain and starting at
@KATUNews
as the newest morning reporter!
That means next Friday is my last day at
@bakersfieldnow
. Thank you to those who have made this last year so memorable ♥️
JULY 4TH FLYOVERS🇺🇸: The
@142ndWG
of the Oregon Air National Guard is taking off this morning for its 4th of July flyovers. They’ll be flying F-15 fighter jets over a number of locations in the area:
We’re live on Facebook right now filming the takeoff:
NEW INFO‼️: The man accused of groping a 10-year-old child at a grocery store in SE
#Portland
is in court this afternoon.
@PortlandPolice
arrested 42-year-old Adam M. Caldwell last night. He faces charges of third-degree sex abuse:
TAXI DRIVER STABBED TO DEATH:
@RadioCab
confirms the victim of a fatal stabbing that happened in SE
#Portland
on Easter Sunday was one of their drivers.
Radio Cab says the victim was a long-time driver for the company.
@PortlandPolice
tell us they have the suspect in custody:
Kevin Giovanni Esparza blew up on social media last week after a picture of him selling ice pops circulated on Facebook. “It’s really hard not living with a father, but my mom took me forward, and I want to thank her for that,” he said. Tune in at 10!
@bakersfieldnow
3-ALARM FIRE🚨:
@PDXFire
is on-scene at this massive fire at Royce’s Prop Shop in the Humboldt Neighborhood. Massive black plume of smoke, crews are fighting the fire overhead and at the ground level.
We’re working to find out more information:
GRAPEVINE: Some snow and hail along I-5,
@CHPFortTejon
reports no further collisions.
@AAASoCal
recommends drivers reduce speeds and keep a safe distance from other vehicles while on the road:
NEW GOVERNOR: Today, Tina Kotek will be sworn in as Oregon’s 39th governor.
Kotek declared victory in the race for the governor's seat on the morning of November 10th.
When Kotek takes office, she says she will focus on three things ➡️
CLASSES CANCELED AT CLEVELAND HIGH:
Yesterday, police responded to a shooting outside Cleveland High School that left a 16-year-old injured and sent the school into lockdown.
@PPSConnect
says classes are canceled today, with support services available for students ⬇️
DOG ATTACKED & KILLED‼️: Woodstock Neighborhood residents are demanding that
@multco
Animal Control take action after a Rottweiler allegedly attacked two other dogs, killing one of them.
A neighbor said he broke his hand trying to pull the Rottweiler off another dog during an
Today is move-in day for
@Portland_State
! 🎉 This year, 1,640 students will be living in PSU housing.
This morning,
@psuviksWBB
welcomed students to their new dorms ⬇️
More tonight on
@KATUNews
WELL… the truck from my last post ended up stuck like the first car and was towed from the intersection.
Moral of the story… don’t risk driving through flooded streets, even if you think you can make it
Crews continue to respond to the
#PeakFire
south of Lake Isabella.
@kerncountyfire
reports 5% containment with 1,600 acres burned. Officials are watching for any changes in wind conditions. Evacuation warnings are in effect for Walker Basin, Skinner Flat, and Claraville.
"When I came here 20 years ago, nobody was peeing on our equipment."
@PBOTinfo
employee Joshua Lapierre tells us city workers are asking for wages that reflect current challenges in the field and higher cost of living. “We can’t take any more loss,” he told me this morning:
Yes, my birthday is tomorrow and yes, I tried to make a snowball with dry snow. Thanks
@AngelicaKATU
for not making me feel too bad about it 😂
Also check out some photos of today’s snow and ice on
@KATUNews
:
SUNDAY FORECAST🌧️:
Today is the LAST DAY of winter! Temps expected to drop into the upper 50s with rain coming mid-afternoon. Showers throughout the week with temps in the 50s and 40s in the metro area.
Full forecast this morning on
@KATUNews
:
AQI: 🟣 — VERY UNHEALTHY
Oregon is facing some of the worst air quality in the U.S. due to wildfire smoke.
Earlier this morning, the AQI in
#Portland
reached 226, moving into dangerous levels. Schools are canceling events and keeping kids indoors:
Wondering why I look like this?
Tune in tonight to watch our story on
@PDXFire
and
@TVFR
’s efforts to empower young women through firefighter training! 🔥