Northeast Portland News

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Police Bureau, in cooperation with Crime Stoppers, is asking for the public's help in identifying the "Oxy Bandit", a robbery suspect.

At approximately 1:18 p.m. Feb. 21, a southwest Portland Safeway Pharmacy (8145 Southwest Barbur Boulevard), was robbed by a lone male. The suspect entered the store and stole Oxycontin from the pharmacy before fleeing the scene.

Within the past month, this same suspect has robbed several locations within the Portland-metro area and police need the public's help to find him.

The "Oxy Bandit" is a white male, in his 50s, between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10 and between 190-210 pounds. He has graying hair, a gray stubby beard and was wearing a red and black baseball cap. He has also been seen wearing a white baseball cap and glasses.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in this case, or any unsolved felony, and you remain anonymous.

PORTLAND, Ore. - If you think driving around inner northeast Portland is confusing right now – just wait.

Portland city officials are preparing to make Burnside and Couch one-way streets in the coming weeks, completely changing traffic flows.

Will the streets look completely different after all the work is done?

"It could be and it couldn't be, you know,” said Angie Thomason, who lives nearby. “It might affect us in a negative way … like raising rent or less parking that kind of thing."

City officials say this project will also do another important thing: spark redevelopment in the central east side section of the city.

But one local business manager in the middle of all the traffic isn't so sure all the new changes will do what city officials say they will. 

"Timing isn't the best,” said Mike Davis, a manager at Northwest Fitness. “It would have been nice if we could have done the switch over here two or three years ago when the economy was a little better. It's going to impact us a little bit. How much we don't know."

With this project criss-crossing others on the east side -- how long will drivers have to suffer?

Concrete repairs require closing the 181st on-ramp to I-84 west from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday

The contractor working on a project to pave an eight-mile stretch of Interstate 84 between Interstate 205 and N.E. 181st Avenue will close the N.E. 181st northbound on-ramp to I-84 westbound, beginning at 9 p.m. March 19, and ending 5 a.m. March 22. The closure allows the contractor to perform concrete repairs to the ramp.

During the closure, motorists can take I-84 eastbound to Fairview Parkway (exit 14), then head north to the I-84 westbound on-ramp.

Message signs will alert northbound traffic on N.E. 181st of the I-84 westbound on-ramp closure to give motorists the opportunity to seek an alternate route before approaching the N.E. 181st interchange.

The concrete repairs are weather dependent. If weather conditions or other difficulties arise, the work may occur on the following weekend, March 26-28 and will require another full closure of the ramp. 

PORTLAND, Ore. - Women gathered at the Convention Center Saturday to share and learn more about making it through a difficult journey: breast cancer survival.

KATU and Family Matters are proud partners of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Watch as KATU Reporter Margy Lynch reports from Saturday's conference by clicking the video above. There she talks to people in all stages of breast cancer - some there to prevent cancer, others recently diagnosed and others with some very helpful advice.

After seeing 23 physicians in 22 months, breast cancer survivor Julie Beliel realized she needed to advocate for other breast cancer patients dealing with that onslaught of physicians.  

"Often times you're repeating your story," Beliel said.

Cancer free, but still carefully looking into every little lump and bump, she even can joke about it.

"I got my diagnosis in a white envelope," Beliel tells us. "The envelope disintegrated a few months ago, because I had gone to so many physician visits."