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Family of Security Guard Killed at Hospital Sues Facility for $35M (AP) — The family of a security guard who was shot and  killed at a hospital in Portland , Oregon, sued the facility for $35 million on Tuesday, accusing it of negligence and failing to respond to the dangers that the gunman posed to hospital staff over multiple days. In a wrongful death complaint filed Tuesday, the estate of Bobby Smallwood argued that Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center failed to enforce its policies against violence and weapons in the workplace by not barring the shooter from the facility, despite staff reporting threats and aggression toward them in the days before the shooting. “The repeated failures of Legacy Good Samaritan to follow their own safety protocols directly led to the tragically preventable death of Bobby Smallwood,” Tom D’Amore, the attorney representing the family, said in a statement. “Despite documented threats and abusive behavior that required immediate removal under hospital policy, Legacy allowed a dangerous individual to remain on the premises for three days until those threats escalated to violence.” In an email, Legacy Health said it was unable to comment on pending litigation. The shooting at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland was part of a wave of gun violence  sweeping through U.S. hospitals  and medical centers, which have struggled to adapt to the growing threats.  Such attacks  have helped make health care one of the nation’s  most violent fields.  Health care workers racked up 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence injuries in 2018, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The gunman at the Portland hospital, PoniaX Calles, first visited the facility on July 19, 2023, as his partner was about to give birth. On July 20 and July 21, nursing staff and security guards filed multiple incident reports describing outbursts, violent behavior and threats, but they weren’t accessible or provided to workers who were interacting with him, according to the complaint. On July 22, nurse supervisors decided to remove Calles from his partner’s room, and Smallwood accompanied him to the waiting room area outside the maternity ward. Other security guards searching the room found two loaded firearms in a duffel bag, and his partner told them he likely had a third gun on his person, the complaint said. According to the complaint, over 40 minutes passed between the discovery of the duffel bag and Smallwood’s death. Two minutes before he was shot, a security guard used hand gestures through glass doors to notify him that Calles was armed. Smallwood then told Calles he would pat him down, but Calles said he would leave instead. Smallwood began escorting him out of the hospital, and as other staff members approached them, Calles shot Smallwood in the neck. The hospital did not call a “code silver,” the emergency code for an active shooter, until after Smallwood had been shot, the complaint said. Smallwood’s family said his death has profoundly impacted them. “Every day we grieve the loss of our son and all the years ahead that should have been his to live,” his parents, Walter “Bob” and Tammy Smallwood, said in the statement released by their attorney. “Nothing can bring Bobby back, but we will not stop fighting until Legacy is held fully responsible for what they took from our family.” After the shooting, Legacy said it planned to install additional metal detectors; require bag searches at every hospital; equip more security officers with stun guns; and apply bullet-slowing film to some interior glass and at main entrances. Around 40 states have passed laws creating or increasing penalties for violence against health care workers, according to the American Nurses Association. Hospitals have armed security officers with batons, stun guns or handguns, while some states allow hospitals to create their own police forces.

Trump gained a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020 (AP) — Brian Leija, a 31-year-old small-business owner from Belton, Texas, was not surprised that a growing number of Latino men of his generation voted for  Donald Trump  for president this year. Leija had voted for the Republican in 2016 and 2020. Leija’s rationale was simple: He said he has benefited from Trump’s economic policies, especially tax cuts. “I am a blue-collar worker,” Leija said. “So, tax breaks for small businesses are ideal for what I do.” For DaSean Gallishaw, a consultant in Fairfax, Virginia, a vote for Trump was rooted in what he saw as Democrats’ rhetoric not matching their actions. “It’s been a very long time since the Democrats ever really kept their promises to what they’re going to do for the minority communities,” he said. Gallishaw, 25, who is Black, also voted for Trump twice before. This year, he said, he thought the former president’s “minority community outreach really showed up.” Trump gained a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, when he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and most notably among men under age 45, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters. Even as Democrat  Kamala Harris  won majorities of Black and Latino voters, it wasn’t enough to give the vice president the White House, because of the gains Trump made. Voters overall cited the economy and jobs as the most important issue the country faced. That was true for Black and Hispanic voters as well. About 3 in 10 Black men under age 45 went for Trump, roughly double the share he got in 2020. Young Latinos, particularly young Latino men, also were more open to Trump than in 2020. Roughly half of young Latino men voted for Harris, compared with about 6 in 10 who went for Biden. Juan Proaño, CEO of LULAC, the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization for Hispanic Americans, said the election results make it clear that Trump’s messaging on the economy resonated with Latinos. “I think it’s important to say that Latinos have a significant impact in deciding who the next president was going to be and reelected Donald Trump,” Proaño said. "(Latino) men certainly responded to the populist message of the president and focused primarily on economic issues, inflation, wages and even support of immigration reform.” While about 4 in 10 young voters under 45 across racial and ethnic groups identified the economy as the top issue facing the country, older white and Latino voters were likely to also cite immigration, with about one-quarter of each saying that was the top issue. A clear majority of young Black voters described the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” compared with about half of older Black voters. Majorities of Latino voters, regardless of age, said the economy is in bad shape. That belief made it more difficult for Harris to highlight the actual numbers in the economy, which show that inflation has receded dramatically, unemployment remains low and wages have risen. These voters simply did not feel that progress. This is the first time Alexis Uscanga, a 20-year-old college student from Brownville, Texas, voted in a presidential election. The economy and immigration are the issues that drove him to vote for Trump, he said. “Everything just got a lot more expensive than it once was for me,” Uscanga said. “Gas, grocery shopping even as a college student, everything has gone up in price and that is a big concern for me and other issues like immigration.” Having grown up selling tamales and used cars, and washing cars, Uscanga knows how hard it can be to make a living. When Trump was president, he said, it did not feel that way, he said. “Under the Trump presidency more opportunities were abound,” Uscanga said. “I was not very fond of President Trump because of his rhetoric in 2016 but I look aside from that and how we were living in 2018, 2019, I just felt that we lived a good life no matter what the media was saying and that’s why I started supporting him after that.” Though the shift of votes to Trump from Black and Latino men was impactful, Trump could not have won without the support of a majority of white voters. “Men of color are really beginning to emerge as the new swing voters,” said Terrance Woodbury, co-founder of HIT Strategies, a polling and research firm that conducted studies for the Harris campaign.“ For a long time, we talked about suburban women and soccer moms who can swing the outcome of elections. Now men of color are really beginning to emerge as that, especially younger men of color, who are less ideological, less tied to a single party, and more likely to swing either between parties or in and out of the electorate,” Woodbury said. A majority of voters nationally said Trump was a strong leader; slightly fewer than half said the same about Harris. Among Hispanic voters, even more saw Trump as strong in this election. Roughly 6 in 10 Hispanic men described Trump as a strong leader, compared with 43% who said that in 2020. About half of Hispanic women said Trump was a strong leader, up from 37%. Black men and women were about twice as likely as in 2020 to describe Trump as a strong leader. David Means, a purchasing manager in Atlanta who is Black, abstained from voting in the election because he did not feel either Harris or Trump was making the right appeals to Black men. But the results of the election did not disappoint him. “I’m satisfied with the result. I don’t feel slighted. I wasn’t let down. I wasn’t pulling for Trump or Kamala, but I did not want a woman in that position,” he said. And if it were to be a woman, Means said, “I’d rather have a really strong and smart woman, for example, like Judge Judy.” Figueroa reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela in New York, Sharon Johnson in Atlanta and Darren Sands contributed to this report.

March 22, 1924 – November 10, 2024 Emma Lou Brown, a beloved and esteemed member of the Portland, Oregon community, passed away peacefully on November 10, 2024, at the remarkable age of 100. Born on March 22, 1924, in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Emma was a shining example of kindness, resilience, and generosity. Emma was the only child of Paul and Mary Smith. In 1946, she relocated to Portland with her husband, Finn Brown, where they built a life rooted in love and purpose. In 1949, they welcomed their only child, Louise Brown Gillette, and purchased a home on NE Rodney Street in the historic Eliot School neighborhood. After the passing of her husband in 1978, Emma continued to reside in their cherished home until 2018, when mobility challenges required her to transition to new living arrangements. A woman of deep faith, Emma was a devoted member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church since 1950, where she was the church’s oldest living member. Over her decades of service, Emma contributed to her congregation in numerous ways, including as a member of the Deaconess Board, gospel choir, coffee hour hostess, caterer, and the bereavement committee. Emma worked tirelessly as a domestic worker and caterer, dedicating herself to her profession until her retirement in 2017 at the age of 94. Despite her long career, her greatest joy was her role as a matriarch, deeply devoted to her family, friends, and community. Known for her love of gardening, cooking, and sharing stories, Emma created a warm and welcoming home where all felt embraced and valued. Emma is survived by her beloved daughter, Louise Gillette, her grandchildren, Bobette Gillette and Corey Lucas, and her great-grandchildren, Miles Gillette and Kobe Lucas. She also leaves behind many dear friends who will forever cherish her memory. Emma’s legacy of love, compassion, and unwavering faith will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her. A celebration of Emma’s extraordinary life will be held at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 8501 N. Chautauqua Blvd., Portland, OR, on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, with a viewing at 10:00 a.m. and service at 11:00 a.m. Arrangements are entrusted to Terry Family Funeral Services, 2337 N. Williams Avenue, Portland, OR. Personal condolences may be shared through Emma’s online guestbook at www.terryfamilyfuneralhome.com . Emma Lou Brown will be deeply missed but fondly remembered. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

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Legendary Music Producer Dies at 91 (AP) - Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91. Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. Jones was to have received an honorary Academy Award later this month. “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.” Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for “Roots” and “In the Heat of the Night,” organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa. Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.” In a career which began when records were still played on platters turning at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For “Thriller,” some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the title track. The list of his honors and awards fills 18 pages in his 2001 autobiography “Q,” including 27 Grammys at the time (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two) and an Emmy for “Roots.” He also received France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of a 1990 documentary, “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones,” and a 2018 film by daughter Rashida Jones. His memoir made him a best-selling author. As a music executive, he overcame racial barriers by becoming a vice president at Mercury Records in the early ’60s. In 1971, he became the first Black musical director for the Academy Awards ceremony. The first movie he produced, “The Color Purple,” received 11 Oscar nominations in 1986. (But, to his great disappointment, no wins). In a partnership with Time Warner, he created Quincy Jones Entertainment, which included the pop-culture magazine Vibe and Qwest Broadcasting. The company was sold for $270 million in 1999. He was at ease with virtually every form of American music, whether setting Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” to a punchy, swinging rhythm and wistful flute or opening his production of Charles’ soulful “In the Heat of the Night” with a lusty tenor sax solo. He worked with jazz giants (Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington), rappers (Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J), crooners (Sinatra, Tony Bennett), pop singers (Lesley Gore) and rhythm and blues stars (Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah). On “We are the World” alone, performers included Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. He co-wrote hits for Jackson – “P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)” – and Donna Summer – “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) – and had songs sampled by Tupac Shakur, Kanye West and other rappers. He even composed the theme song for the sitcom “Sanford and Son.” Jones was a facilitator and maker of the stars. He gave Will Smith a key break in the hit TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which Jones produced, and through “The Color Purple” he introduced Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg to filmgoers. Starting in the 1960s, he composed more than 35 film scores, including for “The Pawnbroker,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “In Cold Blood.” He was not an activist in his early years, but changed after attending the 1968 funeral of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later befriending the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jones was dedicated to philanthropy, saying “the best and only useful aspect of fame and celebrity is having a platform to help others.” His causes included fighting HIV and AIDS, educating children and providing for the poor around the world. He founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up! Foundation to connect young people with music, culture and technology, and said he was driven throughout his life “by a spirit of adventure and a criminal level of optimism.” “Life is like a dream, the Spanish poet and philosopher Federico Garcia Lorca said,” Jones wrote in his memoir. “Mine’s been in Technicolor, with full Dolby sound through THX amplification before they knew what these systems were.” Along with Rashida, Jones is survived by daughters Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.

The Astronauts Should Have Been Back Two Months Ago A NASA astronaut was taken to the hospital for an undisclosed medical issue after returning from a nearly eight-month space station stay extended by  Boeing’s capsule trouble  and  Hurricane Milton , the space agency said Friday. A  SpaceX capsule carrying three Americans and one Russian  parachuted before dawn into the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida coast after undocking from the International Space Station mid-week. The capsule was hoisted onto the recovery ship where the four astronauts had routine medical checks. Soon after splashdown, a NASA astronaut had a “medical issue” and the crew was flown to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, for additional evaluation “out of an abundance of caution” the space agency said in a statement. The astronaut, who was not identified, was in stable condition and remained at the hospital as a “precautionary measure,” NASA said. The space agency said it would not share details about the astronaut’s condition, citing patient privacy. The other three astronauts were discharged and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. It can take days or even weeks for astronauts to readjust to gravity after living in weightlessness for several months. The astronauts should have been back two months ago. But their homecoming was stalled by problems with  Boeing’s new Starliner astronaut capsule , which came back empty in September because of safety concerns. Then Hurricane Milton interfered, followed by another two weeks of high wind and rough seas. SpaceX launched the four — NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin — in March. Barratt, the only space veteran going into the mission, acknowledged the support teams back home that had “to replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us ... and helped us to roll with all those punches.” Their replacements are the two Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose own mission went from eight days to eight months, and two astronauts launched by SpaceX four weeks ago. Those four will remain up there until February. The space station is now back to its normal crew size of seven — four Americans and three Russians — after months of overflow.

Eighty-Five New Supportive Housing Units Help Address Oregon’s Housing Shortage Central City Concern (CCC) celebrates the Grand Opening of Meridian Gardens. Speakers honoring the new building include Dr. Andy Mendenhall, President and CEO; Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson; City Commissioner Carmen Rubio; Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang, among others. Entertainment will be provided by Conjunto Alegre , a premier live Latin band playing a mix of tropical music from all over the Caribbean.  Meridian offers a total of sixty-five units of permanent supportive housing for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders, along with twenty deeply affordable units. All residents will benefit from recovery-focused programming. The housing is accessible to those earning between 0-50% of area median income. Referrals to Meridian will come primarily from CCC programs including Puentes, River Haven and our future 16 x Burnside Recovery Center, as well as several outside partners.   “Our region continues to face an affordable housing crisis combined with a lack of psychiatric and substance use treatment services,” says President and CEO Dr. Andy Mendenhall. “Folks are struggling clinically more than ever before. For individuals who are committed to their recovery and benefit from living in a community of neighbors free from alcohol and drug use, this programming is an oasis of long-term recovery and support. Alcohol and drug free communities like Meridian Gardens are more important than ever to help close the affordable housing gap while providing the healthiest and safest possible community for low-income individuals in recovery.”  The four-story building, located on a popular high-frequency transit line, features shared communal spaces such as kitchens, lounges, meeting rooms and an outdoor courtyard. The architectural team from Ankrom Moisan emphasized trauma-informed design to evoke feelings of security and support residents’ recovery journeys.   As part of CCC’s Climate Action Commitment, Meridian Gardens is designed to be a model sustainable community and has achieved Earth Advantage Platinum rating. The building features the largest solar array among all of CCC’s housing properties, with a 52-kW capacity generating clean, renewable energy. The community is 100% electric with no natural gas on-site, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting CCC’s mission to address the ecological hazards of climate change. EV charging is available on-site thanks to the PGE Drive Change Fund. The Energy Trust of Oregon provided grant funding and energy efficiency incentives.   The development team includes Central City Concern, Walsh Construction, Ankrom Moisan Architects and GLI Advisors. The $29 million project is being funded by long-term operating subsidies through Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services in partnership with Multnomah County’s Department of Behavioral Health Services to support ongoing services including case management, employment support, addiction treatment and recovery-focused programming; the Portland Housing Bureau thanks to Metro area voters who passed Measure 26-199, and Measure 26-210, the Metro Supportive Housing Services program; Oregon Housing and Community Services, with their award of 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Housing Trust Fund dollars. US Bank and Umpqua Bank.

SW District Health Appears to be the First in the Nation AP-A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing  COVID-19 vaccines  to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department. While policymakers in Texas banned health departments from  promoting COVID vaccines  and Florida’s  surgeon general  bucked medical consensus to recommend against the vaccine, governmental bodies across the country  haven’t blocked the vaccines  outright. “I’m not aware of anything else like this,” said Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She said health departments have stopped offering the vaccine because of cost or low demand, but not based on “a judgment of the medical product itself.” The six-county district along the Idaho-Oregon border includes three counties in the Boise metropolitan area. Demand for  COVID vaccines  in the health district has declined — with 1,601 given in 2021 to 64 so far in 2024. The same is true for other vaccines: Idaho has  the highest childhood vaccination exemption rate in the nation , and last year, the  Southwest District Health Department rushed  to contain a rare measles outbreak that sickened 10. On Oct. 22, the health department’s board voted 4-3 in favor of the ban — despite Southwest’s medical director testifying to the vaccine’s necessity. “Our request of the board is that we would be able to carry and offer those (vaccines), recognizing that we always have these discussions of risks and benefits,” Dr. Perry Jansen  said at the meeting.  “This is not a blind, everybody-gets-a-shot approach. This is a thoughtful approach.” Opposite Jansen’s plea were more than 290 public comments, many of which called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines, neither of which are happening in the district. At the meeting, many people who spoke are nationally known for making the rounds to testify against COVID vaccines, including  Dr. Peter McCullough , a Texas cardiologist who sells “contagion emergency kits” that include  ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine  — drugs that have  not been approved to treat COVID-19  and can have dangerous side effects. Board Chairman Kelly Aberasturi was familiar with many of the voices who wanted the ban, especially from earlier local protests of pandemic measures. Aberasturi, who told The Associated Press that he’s skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines and national public health leaders, said in the meeting and in an interview with the AP that he was supportive of but “disappointed” in the board’s decision. He said the board had overstepped the relationship between patients and their doctors — and possibly opened a door to blocking other vaccines or treatments. Board members in favor of the decision argued people can get vaccinated elsewhere, and that providing the shots was equivalent to signing off on their safety. (Some people may be reluctant to get vaccinated or boosted because of misinformation about the shots despite evidence that they’re safe and  have saved millions of lives .) The people getting vaccinated at the health department — including people without housing, people who are homebound and those in long-term care facilities or in the immigration process — had no other options, Jansen and Aberasturi said. “I’ve been homeless in my lifetime, so I understand how difficult it can be when you’re ... trying to get by and get ahead,” Aberasturi said. “This is where we should be stepping in and helping. “But we have some board members who have never been there, so they don’t understand what it’s like.” State health officials have said that they “recommend that people consider the COVID-19 vaccine.” Idaho health department spokesperson AJ McWhorter declined to comment on “public health district business,” but noted that COVID-19 vaccines are still available at community health centers for people who are uninsured. Aberasturi said he plans to ask at the next board meeting if the health department can at least be allowed to vaccinate older patients and residents of long-term care facilities, adding that the board is supposed to be caring for the “health and well-being” of the district’s residents. “But I believe the way we went about this thing is we didn’t do that due diligence.”

Longtime Strong Family Property will Soon be Home A one-acre property at the prominent intersection of N Alberta Street and N Williams Avenue, once owned by a longtime North Portland family, will soon provide affordable apartments to 75 households with incomes from 30% to 60% of the area median income.   An official groundbreaking for the four-story Strong Family Apartments at 4985 N. Williams Avenue will take place next week on Oct. 22. Co-owned and co-developed by Community Development Partners (CDP) and Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI), the development will provide 75 affordable apartments in a welcoming, family-friendly setting, with resident services and youth and adult programming led by SEI. The building is expected to open to residents by March 2026.   The Strong family, with deep roots in North Portland, sold the property to the Portland Housing Bureau, which selected CDP and SEI to develop the site through a competitive process. SEI founder and president Tony Hopson Sr. has a long relationship with the Strongs.   “It was very important to Mr. Hopson, and to SEI and CDP, to ensure that the Strong family felt valued and appreciated throughout the project, and to honor their ultimate desire to see a building that serves the Black community on this land,” said Sahaan McKelvey, SEI’s Director of Advocacy and Engagement.    The Strong Family Apartments will be the fourth housing development to open under the Alberta Alive initiative, a community-driven revitalization effort aimed at creating long-term stability and opportunity for residents. Alberta Alive is co-led by CDP, a mission-driven affordable housing developer, and SEI, Oregon’s largest African American-led nonprofit. Hopson Sr. said The Strong Family Apartments are designed to create “true community” for all future residents: “SEI wants to create opportunities for families in our community to have an optimal living experience that is also affordable. We know that in reaching for these goals to create the best possible experience for residents, we will make the Strong family proud.”  The building’s mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments will be reserved for individuals and families who qualify under the City of Portland’s N/NE Preference Policy, which prioritizes people with generational ties to North and Northeast Portland. The development includes an outdoor courtyard, play area, and multiple community gathering spaces. Eric Paine, CEO of Community Development Partners, said CDP is fortunate to partner with SEI to bring The Strong Family Apartments and Alberta Alive to life: “We share the goal of creating vibrant spaces that will fortify the historically Black neighborhoods of North and Northeast Portland.” The Strong is the fourth of five Alberta Alive housing developments within one mile of each other that address a variety of housing needs. Three are already open: The Dr. Darrell Millner Building (63 units); The Ronnie Herndon Building (21 units); and The Paul and Geneva Knauls Building, with 31 homes for veterans. The Alberta Alive Townhomes, which will provide eight Black households the opportunity for homeownership, are in the planning stages. The Strong Family Apartments is a $44 million project made possible through a combination of funding sources, including approximately $11.4 million from the Portland Housing Bureau’s 2023 Metro Bond Offering; a 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) allocation with equity investment from Hudson Housing; State of Oregon weatherization funds; ITC Solar Tax Credit Equity; and grants from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund and Energy Trust of Oregon and City of Portland’s Brownfield Program.  The development team includes Holst Architecture, Colas Construction, DCM Consulting (construction management), VEGA Civil Engineering, KPFF (structural engineer), and Ground Workshop (landscape architecture). SEI will provide resident services and Guardian Management will be the on-site property manager and operator. JPMorgan Chase is providing construction financing and Citibank will provide permanent financing.

SOAR is the Kick-Off of the 49th Performance Year On Friday, November 15, Portland’s longest running dance company, the Jefferson Dancers , will take the stage at BodyVox in a wide-ranging display of talent. This annual event, aptly named SOAR , will feature 7 pieces, including hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz, aerial, and African.  SOAR  is the kick-off of the 49th performance year for the Jefferson Dancers. The company is made up of students from Jefferson High School/Middle College for Advanced Studies and led by Steve Gonzales, now in his 26th year as Artistic Director. In addition to school, the Jefferson Dancers have an intense daily rehearsal schedule: dancing for three hours each school day in addition to a 90-minute dance instruction class.  "Throughout the year, we bring in professional guest artists and choreographers, and the dancers also perform student-led pieces crafted by our talented company members," says Gonzales. The Jefferson Dancers will go vertical for this year’s SOAR  event with a new aerial piece, “Be Here.” According to Gonzales, “The Jefferson Dancer’s versatility is elevated to exhilarating heights in the silks as inventive floor movements morph into the air in a collaboration with AWOL Dance Collective.” The SOAR  2024 fundraiser is a critical annual event that helps sustain the Jefferson Dancers program. Once federally funded, they now rely heavily on donor support to continue to be a training ground for aspiring artists. Explains Gonzales, "The Jefferson Dancers offer an extraordinary opportunity for students at one of Oregon’s most racially diverse high schools. Our mission is to provide students with an immersive experience in a professional environment that fosters creativity, commitment, and achievement. We lay a foundation for success in all aspects of life and further study in the arts."

MHCC Celebrated Cybersecurity Awareness Month It’s estimated that every 11 seconds, a business falls victim to a cyberattack, according to leading researcher Cybersecurity Ventures. With increased sophistication of cyberattacks, more activities being conducted online, not to mention the rapid proliferation of AI, cybersecurity is going to be a growing concern for businesses in the near future. To help meet the community demand for trained cybersecurity experts, Mt. Hood Community College just became the first community college in Oregon to launch a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in cybersecurity. Classes began at the end of September, just in time for October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Students are learning the basics of cybersecurity, developing skills necessary to protect digital assets, adhere to an organization’s cybersecurity requirements, and will also get trained in secure programming. "Cybersecurity is more than a technical issue—it's a critical responsibility we all share in today's digital world. As we celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s very fitting that the college is launching this first of its kind program in Oregon, said MHCC President Dr. Lisa Skari. “This program equips students with the skills needed to tackle the evolving threats of our time while strengthening the security of our communities and industries." The future looks bright for those who pursue the cybersecurity path. “Cybersecurity is a component of everyone’s life, and the degree is applicable to every type of business,” says Kristin Lima, Ed.D., dean of applied technologies, business, and information systems at Mt. Hood Community College. “Everyone needs a cybersecurity analyst as part of their team or otherwise they are open to a lot of threats. Smaller companies are now adding cybersecurity experts.” Indeed, Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that there are 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally. “The great thing about someone choosing cybersecurity as their work field is that they will always be employed,” says Lima. Career paths include roles such as security management specialists, IT project managers, database architects, information security analysts, network and computer systems administrators, and computer network architects. “We work with the students to be able to search for jobs that align with what they’re interested in, and there are so many opportunities that are local, and in the communities, they already live in,” says Lima. Students can choose from three classroom settings: in person, on-line, or via live Zoom, which allows flexibility for those who are already working full-time or who live outside the Mt. Hood CC area—or even elsewhere in Oregon. “Our live Zoom technology is set up in such a way where you really feel like you’re a part of the room,” says Lima.   As indicated in the name, the word “applied” means that students will gain hands-on, practical experience throughout the two-year program (the college already offers an associate’s degree in cybersecurity), through experiences such as national cybersecurity competitions. While classes started with the Fall 2024 semester, those interested still have a chance to enroll. The college offers a rolling admissions process, so students can also enroll in the winter term (which begins January 6) or spring term (which starts March 31).   “The way that it’s designed is that so many of the courses are stand-alone, you don’t need to complete them in any specific order, which means you can start whenever is convenient for you,” adds Lima.  For more information on the program, visit https://www.mhcc.edu/education-options/degrees-certificates/cybersecurity/bachelor-applied-science-cybersecurity/program-details

Cellphone and Keys Mistaken for a Weapon A former police officer was convicted of murder Monday in the shooting of  Andre Hill , a Black man who was holding a cellphone and keys when he was killed. Officer Adam Coy, who served nearly 20 years with the Columbus police force, shot Hill four times in a garage nearly four years ago. Coy, who is white, was fired after the shooting. He told jurors that he thought Hill was holding a silver revolver that turned out to be keys. “I thought I was going to die,” he testified. It was only after he rolled over Hill’s body and saw the keys that he realized there was no gun, Coy said tearfully. “I knew at that point I made a mistake. I was horrified.” Coy, who was partially blocked from view by his grim-faced attorneys, did not visibly react to the verdict but muffled cries could be heard in the courtroom when it was announced. Prosecutors asked that the former officer be sentenced immediately. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh instead set a sentencing date of Nov. 25. Coy, who is undergoing cancer treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma, was devastated, said defense attorney Mark Collins, who slightly shook his head “no” when the verdict was read and later promised to appeal. Police body camera footage showed Hill coming out of the garage of a friend’s house holding up a cellphone in his left hand, his right hand not visible, seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy. Almost 10 minutes passed before officers at the scene began to aid Hill, who lay bleeding on the garage floor. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Weeks after the December 2020 shooting, the mayor  forced out the police chief  after a series of fatal police shootings of Black men and children. Columbus later reached a  $10 million settlement  with Hill’s family, the largest in city history. The Columbus City Council also passed Andre’s Law, which requires police officers to render immediate medical attention to an injured suspect. Prosecutors said Hill, 47, had followed the officer’s commands and was never a threat to Coy, who now faces at least 15 years in prison. The jury also found him guilty of reckless homicide and felonious assault. “We’re taught, ‘Do what the cops tell you to do and you can survive that encounter,’” Franklin County assistant prosecutor Anthony Pierson said during closing arguments. “That’s not what happened here.” Shawna Barnett, one of Hill’s sisters, hoped the jury’s decision would a send message that violence from police won’t be tolerated. “It’s been way too long, but I’m glad it’s over,” she said. “It’s time to stop. It’s time to make everything fair.” Brian Steel, president of the police union in Columbus, said he was shocked by the murder conviction and said it would cause ripple effects for officers in Ohio and beyond. “Your split-second decision can now be led to murder,” he said. “It is absolutely insane.” “Officers are willing to die for their community, they are willing to die for this job,” Steel said. “They do not want to go to prison for this job.” The officer’s attorneys argued that Hill’s lack of a weapon did not matter because Coy thought his life was in danger. “He wasn’t reckless, he was reasonable,” Collins said during the trial. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented Hill’s family, said the verdict showed no one is above the law and sent a message that “accountability in law enforcement is not optional.” “Andre was an unarmed, innocent man, and his life was taken with disregard for the duty to protect and serve,” Crump said in a statement. Coy had gone to the neighborhood to investigate a complaint about someone inside a running vehicle when he first encountered Hill sitting in an SUV. Hill told Coy he was waiting on a friend to come outside. The officer said he thought Hill seemed dismissive and then suspicious after Hill walked to a house and knocked on the door before entering the garage. Coy said he lost sight of Hill and suspected he might be trying to break into the house. Coy used a flashlight to spot Hill in the garage and told him to come out, the officer testified. When Hill walked toward him, Coy said he could not see the man’s right hand and then saw what he thought was a revolver. He said he yelled, “Gun! Gun!” and then fired at Hill. Family and friends said Hill — a father and grandfather —  was devoted to his family  and was a skilled tradesman who dreamed of one day owning his own restaurant, after years of work as a chef and restaurant manager. Coy had a  lengthy history of complaints  from residents, with more than three dozen filed against him since he joined the department in 2002, according to his personnel file. A dozen of the complaints were for use of force. All but a few were marked “unfounded” or “not sustained.”