The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good Morning, Portland! It’s August. It’s hot. It’s also a little muggy, so brace yourself, […]
Courtney Vaughn
Courtney Vaughn is the news editor at the Portland Mercury. She appreciates your news tips and musings. Reach out at cvaughn@portlandmercury.com or find her on Bluesky @courtneyvaughn.
Posted inNews
Portland Police Bureau Identifies Cops Who Killed Legacy Hospital Gunman
Three officers involved in July 22 fatal shooting remain on leave. The incident is the second deadly police shooting of 2023 in Portland.
Three Portland police officers who fatally shot a suspected gunman in last month’s Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital shooting and lockdown have been identified. Officers Justin Thurman, Timothy Hoerauf and Seth Wingfield opened fire on 33-year-old PoniaX Kane Calles, formerly known as Reginal Kane Jackson, after a chase that ended in Gresham Saturday, July 22. The […]
Posted inNews
Nearly 11,000 Oregonians Want City Leaders To Shore Up Portland Street Response
Petition shows outpouring of support for crisis response program, but budget constraints and employee morale still threaten its success
Portland Street Response managers say a recent online petition garnering nearly 11,000 signatures is a resounding show of support, but internal memos indicate budget constraints and other directives still threaten the program’s livelihood. On Wednesday, Friends of Portland Street Response–a group formed to organize public support for the city’s alternative, crisis response program–delivered paperwork to […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland’s Prospects for a Women’s Basketball Team, a $750 million Clean Energy Future, and Etsy Screwing Over Sellers
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Today is the last day of July, so soak […]
Posted inNews
Police Delay Release of Information After Fatal Shooting of Hospital Gunman
Three Portland police officers fired at a suspect. It could be weeks before their names are published. Accountability advocates say the policy is out of line with other agencies and PPB’s own internal directives.
Five days after an incident that left a security guard gunned down at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital, and the suspect shot by police, names of the officers involved in the shooting have yet to be released. That’s largely because of a major policy decision made last year by Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. In December […]
Posted inNews
Report: Company Hired to Board Up Properties Violated City Contract and Swindled Business Owners
Portland ombudsman says lack of city oversight led to multiple contract violations and billing discrepancies, costing vandalized businesses thousands.
A company hired by the city of Portland to board up burglarized and vandalized businesses violated its contract and over-charged property and business owners numerous times, city auditors found. The city’s ombudsman found that 1-800-BoardUp–a company hired to board up buildings with plywood during emergencies–inappropriately profited by skirting its city contract and directly billing business […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Hospital Shooting Victim and Suspect ID’d, Portland’s Arts & Culture Contract Shakeup, and Elon Musk in Legal Trouble
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Two wonderful things happened last weekend: The Barbie movie was […]
Posted inNews
Tusitala “Tiny” Toese Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for 2021 Proud Boys Brawl in Portland
Prosecutors asked judge for lengthy sentence, citing Toese’s history of violence and arrest at politically-charged riots led by the Proud Boys.
Tusitala “Tiny” Toese will serve nearly eight years in prison for his involvement in a 2021 Proud Boys brawl with antifascists, after a sentencing decision by Judge Amy Baggio Friday, July 21. Toese, 27, was found guilty in March on 10 assault, weapons, mischief, and similar charges stemming from a far-right rally at an abandoned […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland Leaders Laud New Mass Shelter, Police Acknowledge Possible Serial Killer, and Trump Letter Sparks Indictment Buzz
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Prepare for gorgeous weather today (a high of 83 […]
Posted inNews
Portland’s First Temporary Mass Shelter Site Will Open This Month
Pods at the Clinton Triangle in Southeast Portland are a far cry from initial plans to corral up to 250 people in tents.
The first temporary alternative mass shelter site is slated to open later this month at an inner Southeast Portland industrial space known as the Clinton Triangle. What was initially pitched by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office last fall as part of a $27 million homelessness plan to serve up to 250 people in tents at […]
Posted inNews
Gun Violence, Arts Tax, and Homeless Services: City Auditor Reveals What’s Going Under the Microscope
Portland City Auditor’s Office will focus on auditing government functions that will have the greatest impact on residents.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services, the Portland Arts Tax, gun violence prevention, and climate justice initiatives will all be under the microscope by Portland auditors over the next year. Portland City Auditor Simone Rede’s office released the list of audit topics for the 2023-24 fiscal year, highlighting an effort to evaluate whether the city’s […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland’s New World Record Is for Drag, City Commissioners Changing the Charter, and Fran Drescher Is a Workers Rights Advocate?
Your contribution to the Mercury supports our editorial team. We try to ask unobtrusively, but there have been a couple surveys where an overwhelming number of readers said we should remind them more. The Mercury believes in Portland and smart, local journalism—we also like fun, sex, and staying curious about one another. Without you, there is no us. Thanks for your […]