On this day, May 5, 1903, James Beard, US culinary expert, author (Delights & Prejudices), was born in Portland, Ore.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, the pregnant wife of a minister, and five children after they attempted to drag it out the woods in Lakeview, Oregon. The balloon was armed, and exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They became the 1st and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental US during World War II.
Also on this day, May 5, 1945, Bly minister Archie Mitchell, his pregnant wife Elsie, and five children from Mitchell's Sunday school class were on a Saturday morning picnic. Thirteen miles northeast of Bly, or about sixty miles northeast of Klamath Falls, Mitchell parked the car, and Elsie and the children headed to Leonard Creek. Mitchell later remembered: "As I got out of the car to bring the lunch, the others were not far away and called to me they had found something that looked like a balloon. I heard of Japanese balloons so I shouted a warning not to touch it. But just then there was a big explosion. I ran up there--and they were all dead." It was a Japanese balloon bomb. They were 70 feet tall with a 33-foot diameter paper canopy connected to the main device by shroud lines. Balloons inflated with hydrogen followed the jet stream at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Gun violence is the problem with Portland, says DA Schmidt
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt
has announced that he has hired four new prosecutors to add capacity to investigating and resolving cases involving a firearm — particularly homicides.
The new hires come just weeks after the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) received temporary funding from the County for this explicit purpose following a joint announcement with county leaders. The $1 million investment adds 4 prosecutors and 2 investigators to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. The search for the added investigator positions is still underway.
The volume of homicides this year has quickly outweighed the resources that the DA office has to handle resolving them.
“The families and loved ones of those we’ve lost over the last three years simply cannot wait for progress any longer. "DA Mike Schmidt said. "Our office, in partnership with the County, has met this need with urgency. Help is on the way.â€
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
In addition to added prosecutorial and investigative capacity, DA Schmidt and the County have emphasized an all-hands-on-deck approach, declaring the surge in community violence as a public health crisis.
Recently, DA Mike Schmidt has declared that he will avoid prosecuting many far-left AntiFa rioters, so the anouncement of these hirings seems like putting the cart before the horse to some observers.
The County has added two new deputies to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office focusing on family protection orders and dispossession of firearms and ammunition when court-ordered.
“I’ve been to seven call-outs this year. Our escalating caseloads are also compounded by court backlogs due to the pandemic. New prosecutors mean more time can be devoted to individual cases and means more people who can be called upon to help when a life is lost,†said MCDA prosecutor Kate Molina.
All four new prosecutors will start full-time by early December.
--Bruce Armstrong| Post Date: 2021-11-16 16:40:51 | Last Update: 2021-11-16 17:10:00 |
