Your trusted source for local Portland, OR news, updated daily with the most important stories from your community.
A Chicago woman, Surah Amon, faces charges of first-degree murder after allegedly drowning her 1-year-old son in Lake Michigan. Police found Amon in the water on Friday night, and the boy later died at Comer Children's Hospital. Amon's sister had previously called for a mental health team, citing concerns about her sister's well-being.
Portland will expand its overnight homeless shelters in 2025, emphasizing community engagement and safety. The initiative includes a proactive plan for neighborhood support and accountability from shelter operators. Mayor Keith Wilson stated that the city aims to restore dignity and improve livability for all residents.
Jeff Gianola, a veteran news anchor at KOIN-TV, announced his retirement after 43 years in the industry. He began his career at KATU News in 1983 and has been with KOIN since 1998. Gianola plans to reflect on his career with a series of retrospective pieces.
Damian Lillard returned to the Portland Trail Blazers on July 21, 2025, after spending two years with the Milwaukee Bucks. The nine-time All-Star expressed his joy in coming back home, despite facing rehabilitation from a torn Achilles tendon. Lillard will likely not play next season but aims to mentor younger teammates during his recovery.
KATU and Sinclair Inc. partner with the American Cancer Society for the "Sinclair Cares: Help Drive Out Cancer" initiative, providing free rides for patients to treatment. Board Member Lindsi Taylor discussed how the community can participate in this program. For more information, click here.
Portland's Water Bureau spent approximately $80 million during a construction pause at a $2.1 billion water filtration site due to a legal appeal. The project, which aims to treat water from the Bull Run watershed, has seen costs soar from an estimated $500 million in 2017. City officials express optimism about resuming construction amid ongoing community opposition.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced a $10 million investment in a partnership with Nvidia to establish an AI ambassador program in the state's colleges. This initiative aims to prepare students for careers in artificial intelligence and enhance public sector efficiency while addressing the evolving demands of the tech industry.
Alaska Airlines resumed flights after grounding all planes for three hours due to a hardware failure affecting key systems. The incident led to nearly 200 flight cancellations and significant delays, impacting about 13,500 travelers. The airline confirmed that the outage was not related to cybersecurity issues.
An NHRA Top Fuel driver, Shawn Reed, and a spectator sustained injuries during a crash at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, when Reed's dragster experienced a tire failure at nearly 300 mph. The incident sent a front wheel flying, injuring a woman who was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. Reed also suffered serious injuries, including fractured ribs and the loss of a finger.
A four-year-old child suffered injuries from a mountain lion attack on July 20 in Olympic National Park. The child was hiking with family when the collared cougar bit them, prompting a swift emergency response and subsequent investigation. Rangers located and killed the mountain lion the following day to eliminate any threat to the public.