Billy, a police dog here in Hillsboro, will soon have a bullet and stab proof vest. From a Hillsboro Police alert: Hillsboro Police Department’s K9 Billy will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Billy’s vest is sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Ty, California City Police Department”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks. Check out Vested Interest in K9s, Inc for more information about the charity providing the vest.

Hillsboro survey enthusiasts have spoken, and the Hillsboro Hops were deemed the “best” tourist attraction in theĀ 2017 Best of Hillsboro Awards. It was a tight call, though: the Hops took 30 per cent, but theĀ Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals wasn’t far behind with 27 per cent. Try harder next year, rock enthusiasts. Rood Bridge Park was named the Best Picnic Spot, and the Tuesday night farmers market took Best Place to People Watch. Here’s the full list of results, announced by City Council on Tuesday night. Best Tourist Attraction Hillsboro Hops at Ron Tonkin Field (30 percent) 2nd Place: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (27 percent) 3rd Place: Downtown Hillsboro restaurants (22 percent) Runners up (in[…]

Oregon is rolling out a new earthquake detection system, OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil reports. If the big one hits, this might give us a couple minutes heads up, which could prove vital. Portland Art Museum is showing of Hillsboro-based Lakita’s artwork later this year, with pieces from Oscar-nominated films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. Claymation fans should keep that in mind for October until May of 2017, according to Mike Rogoway of Oregon Live. Black Tri-Met riders face penalties six times higher than other riders for similar offenses, Lee van der Voo reports, digging into an in-depth analysis of incidents for Investigate West. Did you know Hillsboro has a symphony? They’re playing a bunch of Western-inspired pieces on[…]

Oregon lawmakers are considering a family leave bill, which could require companies to contribute to a fund offering up to 12 weeks off a year for unplanned family leave, Chris Lehman of OPB reports. Over at Stratechery, Ben Thompson has an interesting take on Intel’s acquisition of MobilEye, and what it could mean for Hillsboro’s biggest employer. Basically, companies like Intel have a chance to make a lot of money on self-driving cars if they position themselves well. School districts all over the state are going to have to make up for a budget shortfall, OPB’s Rob Manning reports. Hillsboro shortfall will be $9 million, and the school board is considering bigger class sizes and a shorter school year. It’s[…]

Your regional headlines to start the week off: Someone stole a street cleaner outside a Hillsboro WinCo over the weekend, and tried to make a break for it. No, seriously: police deployed spikes to stop the thing. Hillsboro Police Department Mayor Steve Calloway talked to Oregon Public Radio after last week’s sanctuary city vote. Here’s the audio; it’s worth a listen: Or listen in Spanish, if you prefer: Oregon’s two biggest colleges could see double-digit tuition increases. Andrew Theen/Oregonian Ballots could become free to mail, as Oregon legislators contemplate buying postage in bulk. Ballots currently require a stamp, though in recent elections the US Postal Service delivered unstamped ballots and charged the state retroactively. Gordon Friedman/Oregonian Here’s a fascinating map[…]

Pro-immigrant activists are getting ready for Hillsboro’s sanctuary vote next week. Travis Loose/Hillsboro Tribune Meanwhile, in Portland, Undocumented immigrants protested right outside ICE offices. Casey Parks/Oregonian “Jaime Miranda saw business cut in half at M&M Marketplace, his Latino-themed bazaar in Hillsboro, after a 2008 state law required proof of citizenship to get a license.” Adiel Kaplan/InvestigateWest TriMet has a plan to subsidize fare for low-income riders, giving 50 percent off day passes and 72 percent off monthly passes. If implemented, the discounted rate would be available to households that make up to twice the federal poverty rate: $23,760 for one person or $48,600 for a family of four. The agency wants $11 million a year to implement the plan, potentially[…]

Plenty of regional and state news have impacts in Hillsboro, so we’ve going to start rounding up stories from other publications we think readers will find interesting. Here’s the first issue. Oregon schools will continue to protect transgender students, despite Trump’s recent changes to Federal policy. Casey Parks/Oregonian Latinos are statistically more likely to get pulled over than white people in Oregon, even when you account for immigration status. Kate Willson/Pamplin Media The Oregon government found $200 million under the couch’s cushions (or the economy is growing faster than expected, whatever.) Chris Lehman/OPB Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, a Republican, says there’s no voter fraud in Oregon, despite what certain presidents might say. Laura Klinkner/OPB TriMet had no policy[…]