🌱 Alaska Airlines Adds Flight to Portland + AI Takes Over Radio Show

Hello again, friends! It's Saturday in Portland and I'm back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening in the community.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Partly sunny. High: 71 Low: 52.
• Sunday: Cloudy, showers; cooler. High: 62 Low: 48.

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Here are the top three stories today in Portland:

1. A 19-year-old female accused of running an online drug ring in and throughout the Portland area made her first federal court appearance on Thursday, Jun. 15. Averi Rose Dickinson has been under investigation since January and is currently being charged with conspiring to distribute and distributing controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to recent court documents, Dickinson confessed to investigators that about 50 percent of her clients were minors and that she used underage individuals as delivery runners. (KPTV)
2. Alaska Airlines announced that they will now launch their first-ever service between Miami and a second Pacific Northwest destination, Portland. This new East to West Coast route will officially begin in late November, just in time for the busy Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel seasons. Last June, Alaska Airlines also resumed daily flights from Miami to Seattle after a 10-year hiatus. (Aviation Week)
3. One of Portland's popular radio stations will now be using artificial intelligence to take over their mid-day DJ segments. Live 95.5 is using voice cloning software to create "AI Ashley," who will occasionally host their afternoon radio show to play a variety of Top 40 hits. As of right now, the station controls what AI Ashley is playing, but the team is looking into ways for the software to host the show all on their own eventually. (Oregon Live)

Today and tomorrow in Portland:

Saturday, June 17

• Brewers & Their Bands At Ecliptic Brewing (3:00 PM)

Sunday, June 18

• Oregon Music Festival At First United Methodist Church (4:00 PM)
• Comedian Ben Schwartz At Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• On Tuesday, Jun. 20, join Portland's Police Bureau as they host a World Refugee Day Walk from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Portland Waterfront. For more information about the event and how you can attend, visit here. (Portland Police Bureau via Facebook)
• As the northern hemisphere enters the summer solstice, April-like temperatures will be returning to Portland next week as the spring season comes to and end. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the low 60s at this time of year haven't been recorded in Portland since 1962 and this isn't even the coldest the city has seen. (KOIN)
• Oregon's Repertory Singers' Summer Sing day camp is still accepting participants in grades 1st through 5th. The camp will focus on building community through music and art, and feature a final performance to showcase the creativity of all their students, so visit here if you're interested in registering your child. (Oregon Repertory Singers via Facebook)

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• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (June 19)
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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.