Your Daily Guide

MAC Bombing Exposes Gaps in Oregon's Mental Health Laws

On Saturday, a man who police have identified as Bruce Whitman, 49, drove a rental vehicle filled with explosives into the Multnomah Athletic Club in southwest Portland, killing himself in the process. Whitman's long and complicated history of mental health issues and run-ins with law enforcement has brought renewed attention to the ongoing discussion about how Oregon deals with severe mental health cases. [Willamette Week]

• Early signs: Whitman was a bartender at the MAC for many years before he was fired in 2019; in the years that followed, he engaged in aggressive behavior towards the facility and its members, including stalking, verbal threats, and protests. Whitman was involuntarily committed for a mental health evaluation and ordered by police to surrender his firearms (under Oregon's red flag law) twice: Once in 2022 and again after a suicide attempt earlier this year. [OPB / Willamette Week]
• Community observations: Whitman's mother and friends said he seemed normal in the days leading up to the incident, but neighbors reported it was clear that he had been suffering for years. [Oregonian / OPB]
• Civil commitment law: In both instances, Whitman was released after a few weeks, consistent with Oregon's laws on involuntary holds. Those laws were strengthened by new legislation that went into effect at the beginning of this year. [KATU]
• Local leaders respond: The debate over further lowering the threshold for civil commitment has brought up difficult questions about civil liberties and public safety. On Monday, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez made calls for more options to help those in crisis, including "active monitoring" in circumstances of clear "violent fixation" and laws that go beyond just removing guns. [Willamette Week / Oregonian]

Upcoming I-5 Closure

Starting September 11, construction will close all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter for up to five weeks. Crews will be working 24 hours a day to carry out significant safety upgrades and repairs. Travel times near the two-mile-long stretch could be two to three times longer than usual, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. [KATU]

Another Place To Indulge at the Airport

This summer, a new cocktail lounge is coming to Portland International Airport. Straightaway Cocktails will expand their existing kiosk to a full bar in concourse C, serving drinks specifically made for PDX and delicious "pizza cones.” [Oregonian]

A Tragedy on Mt. Hood

Last week, emergency crews were called to Mt. Hood Skibowl East after a chairlift malfunction. Two employees were inside a maintenance basket when it fell into "rugged terrain" — one person was killed, and one was injured. Yesterday, police identified the employee who died as Gregory Steven Hunter, 29. The incident is currently being investigated as a workplace death by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. [OPB / Oregonian]

Mayor Wilson vs. Food Deserts

Today on the podcast, the results are in: we’re officially better than Denver. Also, we're talking about the mayor’s proposal to help alleviate food deserts, and the latest on the Multnomah Athletic Club bombing. Joining host Claudia Meza are Stumptown Savings founder Bryan M. Vance and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. [City Cast Portland 🎧]