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March 27, 2019
The
Week in Review
Blazers’ Nurkic Brakes Leg
Trail Blazers starting center Jusuf Nurkic suf-
fered compound fractures to his left leg in the
second overtime of Portland’s win over Brook-
lyn on Monday. The good news after surgery on
Tuesday was that he’s expected to make a full
recovery, but will likely be out for the season.
Smollett Charges Dropped
In a stunning development, prosecutors in Chi-
cago dropped all charges against “Empire” actor
Jussie Smollett on Tuesday, a month after he was
hit with felony counts stemming from what police
said was a staged street attack. After appearing in
court, Smollett thanked his attorneys, friends, the
citizens of Chicago and “the state of Illinois for
attempting to do what is right.”
Mueller Delivers Trump Report
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence that President
Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia
to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion
on whether Trump obstructed justice, Attorney General William Barr
declared Sunday. That brought a hearty claim of vindication from
Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.
Oregon Teams to Sweet 16
The women’s team from Oregon State
and the men’s team from the Univer-
sity of Oregon have each advanced to
the Sweet 16 brackets of their respec-
tive rounds for an NCAA basketball
championship. OSU withstood No. 5
Gonzaga for a 76-70 victory on Mon-
day and will play Louisville. The Ducks beat UC Irvine 73-54 on
Sunday and will face top-seeded Virginia.
An adult in custody plays music in a mental health ward at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem
where the drab walls of the space were recently transformed into a more humanized environment by
painting a tranquil outdoor scene to create a more humanized environment.
Prison Walls Get Touch of Humanity
These efforts were made to create a more human-
ized environment because 95 percent of the inmate
will release from custody and return to Oregon’s
communities, officials said.
“Disability Rights Oregon and DOC agreed
to solve this challenge together in the conference
room and not the courtroom, and that is exactly
what we have accomplished,” said Colette S. Pe-
ters, corrections department director. “Through
our partnership and the incredible work of the
employees at the Oregon State Penitentiary, we
significantly improved the lives of the adults in
custody and the wellness of the team who works
in BHU.”
The Oregon Department of Corrections, in part-
nership with Disability Rights Oregon has creat-
ed a better environment for inmates with mental
health issues in the Behavior Health Unit of Ore-
gon State Penitentiary in Salem.
The department reached an agreement with the
disability advocates in 2016 to make substantive
changes to the operations and physical structure of
the unit which currently houses 40 adults in cus-
tody with sometimes severe mental health issues.
Since then, the prison has increased available
treatment and outdoor recreational space, in-
creased security and treatment staffing, and col-
laborated with experts on mental health treatment.
Established 1970
Racial Bias in Traffic Stops
A study of nearly 100 million traffic stops from around the country
has concluded that, on average, black drivers are 20 percent more
likely to get pulled over than white drivers. The Stanford University
study reflects experiences that have long been shared by people of
color, an observable racial bias in both traffic stops and subsequent
decisions to conduct vehicle searches.
Turbines Top New Crossing
TriMet began installing 12 small wind turbines Monday on top of ex-
isting poles on TriMet’s new light rail bridge, Tilikum Crossing. They
will generate electricity to be stored in batteries that power lights,
which will shine on the turbines at night.
E-Scooters to Return
Portland announced a new one year pilot program for electronic
scooters Monday. It will start as early as April 26 and follows last
year’s 120-day pilot program that showed e-scooters have the poten-
tial to help reduce congestion and pollution, but also raise concerns
about people riding e-scooters on sidewalks, violating traffic laws
and creating issues with people walking and people with disabilities.
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