This is KGWN news at
sunrise. Minimum wage goes
up across Oregon today.
A look at those numbers and how
it's changing in years to come.
And a fundraising roadblock that's
actually not about the money.
The bigger issue facing a
free bike program plus.
If I told you how I love to
hear you sing that song.
And sneak peek at Ben Rice and Karen.
Lovely two artists scheduled to
perform at the Blues Festival this
weekend when you can catch a show
coming up this morning at 5:15.
I love her name.
Lovely, that's the way we're going
to describe the weather lately.
Happy Friday, everybody.
Thank you for joining us.
Drew and Nina are starting their
holiday weekend a little bit early.
I know absolutely,
I'm a little jealous,
but tell us more about the
weather as we head out the
door. So today is a lot like the last.
Couple days is going to be quite lovely.
We are seeing a push of marine clouds already
coming at the coast and here into the valley.
But it's clear up top evidence that
it is a marine push so you can see
the cloudiness starting to spill in
a little bit earlier than we've seen
it the last couple of mornings.
By the way, we're 59 degrees right now,
but we should be sunny by noon again,
which has been the trend 68
degrees at that time.
Later today 81 that we do expect stormy
weather over parts of our state this weekend.
But on the flip side of that, Portland.
Could stay dry the seven days up shortly.
Alright thank you, Rod.
Oregon's minimum wage goes up again today,
but it won't be adjusted for
inflation until next year.
In the meantime, many businesses are
already offering higher pay to attract
workers who are in short supply.
Alma McCarty spoke with a
recruiter and an economist to
get a look at the big picture.
In 2016, Oregon's minimum wage was set at
$9.25 per hour. Since then,
it's gone up every year,
though by how much depends on where you live.
Starting July 1st, most of Oregon
will see a 75 cent raise wages
within the Portland urban growth
boundary will remain the highest at
$14.75 an hour near Oregon's other,
more populated areas.
The blue on this map,
the minimum wage goes to $13.50.
Rural areas, those in green will
see an increase to $12.50 as
of the last time we increased the
minimum wage in the summer of 2021,
about 5% of all jobs in Oregon were paid.
The minimum wage. GAIL
Krumenauer, the state employment
economist, says that percentage
spans all industries and is typical.
Most jobs do pay more,
but right now many entry level
positions also offer new
workers a good bit more. We've
had more. Job openings, than unemployed
workers since the summer of 2021.
So in that type of low unemployment and
high competition environment for workers,
we have seen that a lot of jobs
are starting above minimum wage.
It's a high demand for people to
work and we're we're willing to
pay the people what they deserve.
Vanessa Martinez works for the
hospitality Staffing Solutions,
Portland branch staffing local
hotels with housekeeping services,
their recruiting workers
with a starting pay of 19.
Dollars $0.50 an hour even though
it is a typical job that's
typically paid minimum wage,
I feel like it it goes down to how
many people are wanting to be employed,
and housekeeping,
and so I think that's kind of our
drive to keep our pay rates at A at
a rate where people are going to
be like I want to do that in 2023
the state's incremental increases
will end and minimum wage in
Oregon will go back to being set.
According to the inflation rate,
that was how things were.
Done prior to 2016.
The
idea was that the minimum wage would
maintain its purchasing power over the
year so that it would keep up with the
cost of living for minimum wage workers.
Currently Krumenauer explains average
hourly earnings for Oregonians have
not been keeping up with inflation
for the past several months. So
on average we are seeing that
workers paychecks aren't going as far
Alma McCarty. KGW news.
Well, despite the dollar not going
as far Oregon's three minimum wages,
again determined by geography are
still among the top in the nation.
The highest minimum wage this year
will be in Washington DC at $16.10.
That's followed by California
at $15.00 an hour,
and the state of Washington Pays 1449.
Also, when Washington, a new law,
goes into effect today to try and stop
thieves from stealing catalytic converters.
State lawmakers passed this unanimously and
Governor Insley signed it back in March.
It requires businesses to show
sales records and pay for catalytic
converters through a traceable source,
like a check or a credit card.
This kind of theft is a huge
problem in Washington.
One recent report showed it's
jumped 10,000% since 2019.
That's the largest increase
in the entire country.
Now to some of the other headlines
we're tracking this morning,
an update on a gas leak in East Vancouver.
People are back safe in
their homes this morning.
About 100 residents on 45th Street near 151st
evacuated for several hours last night.
Vancouver Fire told us a
homeowner accidentally ruptured
a gas line while doing repairs.
A man is now charged with attempted
murder for attacking a homeless
person in Portland's Old Town.
Police say Spencer Kilpatrick repeatedly
stabbed a man outside the Blanche House.
The victim,
who goes by the name Scotty,
was seriously hurt.
Police say the attack was unprovoked.
This is the second time this year that
a homeless person has been attacked
outside Blanche House and Eugene.
Police say a woman who had acid
thrown on her as she walked her dog.
Back in March has been targeted again,
this time at her own home.
Officers suspect that the same
person did this and they're now
investigating it as a bias crime.
The suspect reportedly made comments
about the woman being Native American.
Eugene police are asking the public for
help to find the person responsible,
and those are some of your
Friday morning headlines.
I know it's kind of strange to talk
about school this time of year,
but a lot of students are going back
to summer classes here in Portland.
The district says it's $15 million.
Summer program is the most
robust in state history.
Kids at McDaniel High this week
are part of a summer math program.
It's geared toward helping kids
of color develop better math
skills while adding sports you saw
basketball there and fun into the mix.
The program started after data showed.
That a high percentage of black
and indigenous students weren't
meeting academic benchmarks.
So we just have a lot of things
that are around helping kids
understand the importance of math,
how it fits into the real world,
how it fits into their world.
The district is also partnering with
more than 50 community organizations
and providing free summer enrichment
camps to more than 7500 students.
While a program that provides
free bikes to kids has run into
a bit of a supply chain problem,
as Tim Gordon explains,
their fundraising went great,
but now they can't find enough bikes to buy.
Are we chose this location because
people like to ride their bikes down
here along the waterfront and this story
is about bikes and kids and how a long
running campaign to provide them is so
far running into a bit of a roadblock.
These are pictures of happy
children getting bikes their
families couldn't otherwise afford.
It's the latest result of a free
bikes for kids program that
portlander David Yandell has
been spearheading for 20 years.
But this time around it's been tough.
Yandel says Walmart wasn't able to
sell them all the bikes they needed
in the past. What they've done
is burden some bike builders who
are independent and they would.
Build the bikes for us this year.
No such luck.
It appears supply chain and staffing
problems are why instead of getting
200 bikes to kindergartners and
1st graders before the end of
the school year, Yandell and crew
had to scramble to deliver 100.
We bought various bikes at various prices.
We just took whatever we could
over the years.
Yandell's bikes for kids has
given out more than 2000 bikes,
often with Portland.
Police or firefighters
helping to deliver them.
It got the attention of Pearl
District developer turned
philanthropist Homer Williams,
who became a friend and
partner on the program
because that David. He gets stuff done.
It was Williams who got on the
phone this year and quickly
raised $16,000 to buy 200 bikes.
They've got more money to spend, but
we're told they don't have them.
And and if that's the case,
then when they get some,
then we'll just keep on trucking.
Yendell wants to get
trucking or biking right now.
Yeah, I'd like to implore.
Walmart Fred Meyers target
any of these places?
Just sell us 100 bikes.
It's not brain surgery,
we just need bikes to buy.
That's all we need,
nothing more, nothing less.
Just solves the bikes.
I've got some good news to
add to the end of this story.
You know, I reached out to Walmart this
afternoon and a local representative
got back to me quite quickly.
I was really impressed.
She says they would love to connect
with Mr Yendell and get those
bikes to those kids are going
to work on making that happen,
so I think we're gonna have a
great follow up to come on this
story in downtown Portland.
Tim Gordon. KGW news.
How awesome is that? I love a happy.
Ending for sure, that's
crazy though. Here we are again.
I assume that's about supply?
Yes 200% here. Absolutely yeah,
by simple bike. Or you know, putting
heads together and making it happen.
Didn't I see you on TV last night?
You may have. Yes,
you had a mammoth day yesterday.
Yeah, since giving me an opportunity to
spend more time looking at weather maps.
Hopefully this forecast
information is correct. Perfect?
Alright, here's the the rain maker
for at least parts of the northwest
over the holiday weekend developing.
Up here, the low pressure center,
though, works itself off our coast,
but it never really comes inland,
and the forecast modeling is liking
that what the flow pattern that
actually develops a manageable
rain to mainly starting tomorrow
afternoon set up east of the Cascades,
and if that's true we will be in a
period of days where we have to tell you,
well, a shower could develop,
but now we're also kind of beefing
up the part of the story that says,
but we could stay dry unless
you live east of the Cascades.
So the first shower chance here on
the West side is tomorrow afternoon,
77 some cloudiness,
low 70s for Sunday and on July 4th.
But again,
a shower chance that may never develop
unless you live near or east of the Cascades.
Here's futurecast.
Now today is another day like the last
couple we are cloudy at the beach.
Right now we're seeing some clouds
coming to the valley this afternoon,
all clearing all areas including
the beach and it will go on to
just be a beautiful Friday.
We made it to 81 yesterday.
I haven't actually looked
at the final climate.
Or maybe 82.
We'll be back up in that area today.
Alright, here's tomorrow afternoon
is what I'm talking about.
Partly,
cloudy skies up and down I5 but there's
shower and thunderstorm activity
firing in Central Oregon and also
out toward Baker City across east.
Everything is moving South to north.
Here's Sunday, same deal.
Mix of clouds on the West side,
but really, no rain to speak of,
but here's central and Eastern Oregon
scattered showers and thunderstorms and
that pattern could continue on Monday,
July 4th as well.
Here's the marine layer.
We'll get back to right now.
He's stacked rock under the cloudy skies.
Clouds coming in quicker this morning than
they have been the last couple of starts.
That does not mean they're gonna last longer.
Temperatures outside right now.
Portland becoming cloudy as we speak.
59 degrees 55.
Overcast on Newport 66 in The Dalles.
You folks made it up to 90 degrees yesterday.
By the way.
81 today for Portland.
Beautiful Friday shaping up.
There are the shower chances that
may or may not ever develop and then
eventually getting into the mid
part of next week will start to warm
back up and that is your forecast.
Excellent rod. Check this out a little
music this morning. Working and.
Seems.
An original song there from
Blues Festival regulars
Ben Rice and Karen Lovely.
We talked to them about what
it's like to perform at one of
Portland's biggest events.
That's next on sunrise.