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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

2024 Election: Portland City Council Candidates Already Scrambling For Public Campaign Dollars

With new City Council districts confirmed, campaigns are already underway for 12 council seats.
Avatar photoAvatar photo Taylor Griggs and Courtney Vaughn

The next Portland City Council election isn’t until November 2024, but candidates are already announcing their intent to run.  Since the beginning of August, five people have filed paperwork with the city’s Small Donor Elections Program, signaling forthcoming bids for City Council.  Another five people filed campaign finance forms with the state, making 10 City […]

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Good Morning, News: Burgerville’s Unsavory Antics, This Week’s Super Blue Moon, and Even the Pope Hates Conservative Zealots

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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! As summer withers away, you can expect another cool, dreary day with […]

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Defendant Sued By Andy Ngo Says They Never Received Legal Summons Before Being Ordered To Pay $100,000

A Portlander is fighting the justice system after a right-wing blogger won a legal judgment against them for failing to appear in court. They say they never received proper legal notice.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

In early 2021, Sammich Schott-Deputy was living in a Safe Rest Village not far from the Multnomah County Courthouse in Portland, wearing a GPS ankle bracelet as part of court-ordered probation.  Inside the same courthouse that kept records about Schott-Deputy’s whereabouts and their upcoming court hearings, attorneys for far-right blogger Andy Ngo argued Schott-Deputy couldn’t […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Timbers Coach Canned, Rapid Response Agrees to Payout, and the Search For the Loch Ness Monster Rages On

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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! We’re back to gorgeous summer weather this week after […]

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Rapid Response Bio Clean Settles Lawsuit With Man Whose Property Was Thrown Away During Homeless Camp Sweep

Portland’s contracted homeless campsite removal company was recently ordered to pay damages in another lawsuit stemming from the same 2020 sweep.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Joe Angel never expected to get his belongings back, much less be paid for their value.  Angel and his partner live out of a car and travel trailer in the St. Johns neighborhood. In 2020, several of their items were confiscated by Rapid Response Bio Clean–a city-contracted cleaning company that removes unhoused people’s items and […]

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Public Apology Issued To Former Commissioner Hardesty After City Settles Lawsuit Over False Claims Leaked By Police

City of Portland agrees to pay Jo Ann Hardesty $5,000. Claims against police union and officers remain unresolved.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

An apology letter to former Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was issued earlier this week by Mayor Ted Wheeler on behalf of the city of Portland, as part of a legal settlement with Hardesty. Hardesty, who served on the Portland City Council from 2019 to 2022, sued the city and police union in 2021, following […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: How To Beat the Heat, the Roots of Oregon’s Criminal Defense Crisis, and Trump’s Indictment For the 2020 Election Scheme

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! No one needs to remind you it’s hot outside, but as the city and county are in a state of emergency over this week’s high temperatures (today’s high is 102) I feel a civic duty to remind you, beloved reader, to STAY HYDRATED and go somewhere cool, if possible. It will be […]

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Jury Rules Against Andy Ngo in Activist Lawsuit

Right-wing media figure sought damages stemming from attacks in Portland.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

A Portland jury ruled against right-wing media figure Andy Ngo Tuesday, Aug. 8 in a lawsuit seeking damages from antifascist activists for two separate attacks. After nearly a week of hearing testimony from witnesses, watching video footage and hearing from defendants, jurors concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to fault them for the attacks. Ngo is […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Cops Who Shot Hospital Gunman ID’d, Oregon Woman Holds World Record for Breast Milk, and Attack of the Angry Raccoons

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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, […]

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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.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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 […]

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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
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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 […]

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