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, ROSE CITY! It’s 7/11, AKA Free Slurpee day. If you don’t feel like […]
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’s O’Bryant Square to Be Renamed Darcelle XV Plaza
Dormant pocket park on Southwest Harvey Milk Street will honor legacy of famous drag performer.
Updated: July 14 O’Bryant Square–the small public square in downtown Portland–will soon pay homage to one of Portland’s most iconic and beloved figures. Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan’s office announced Friday, July 7, that O’Bryant Square will be renamed Darcelle XV Plaza, bearing the name of the legendary local drag performer. City commissioners unanimously approved […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Pete Buttigieg in Portland, PETA’s Cash Reward For a Stolen Chicken Truck, and Elon Musk Doesn’t Want You Using Threads
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! Hopefully you found a way to stay cool throughout […]
Posted inNews
Two Days Before Portland’s Camping Ban Takes Effect, City Has Yet To Clarify Rules
Fake signage in Southeast Portland aims to deter homeless sites as mayor’s office promises outreach and education is forthcoming.
Two days before new daytime restrictions on homeless camping in Portland are set to go in effect, the city has yet to release any maps or signage clarifying the rules. The city is promising “phased in” enforcement of a new ordinance prohibiting campsites in public parks, on sidewalks, and along high-crash corridors, as well as […]
Posted inNews
A 112-Year-Old Building in Downtown Portland Will Play a Key Role in Tackling Homelessness
The Fairfield Apartments, set to open in 2025, aims to house formerly homeless Black Portlanders with ultra affordable units
Amid a homeless crisis and affordable housing shortage, the site of a future affordable housing building in downtown Portland is being celebrated as the latest example of a “housing-first” approach. The Fairfield Apartments at Southwest Harvey Milk Street and 11th Avenue is currently being gutted for renovation and construction, but by early 2025, developers expect […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
A Mother’s Fight for Her Gay Son’s Military Honors
The Navy discharged Martin Cerezo for being gay. His mother is now fighting for LGBTQ vets across the nation.
In 2022, Martin Cerezo received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy. It was the one year anniversary of his death and more than three decades after his service. Cerezo’s mother, Cheryle Cerezo-Gardner, had fought for the decision—carrying on a long protracted petition process with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, which Cerezo himself started […]
Posted inNews
Mayor Wheeler Abandons Proposed Prohibition on Public Drug Use, Citing New State Law
Portland mayor wanted council’s blessing on city code change, despite inevitable legal and enforcement challenges.
Citing a new Oregon law stiffening penalties for fentanyl possession, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is abandoning a proposed ordinance that would have criminalized public drug use. Last week, Wheeler announced he would ask the Portland City Council to vote on an amendment to city code that would prohibit consumption of a controlled substance on public […]
Posted inNews
A Portland Woman Is Fighting the City to Keep a Free Pantry on Her Property
Southeast Portlander says a disgruntled neighbor is using the city’s code enforcement system to stymie her efforts to aid area’s homeless.
Updated: June 30 On a rainy afternoon in Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood, a man on a bicycle stops to peruse dry goods and emergency supplies in bright yellow bins lining Moire Cubbin’s yard. The repurposed Amazon bins–double stacked on their sides in a row affixed to the ground–comprise what Cubbin calls her “giving fence.” The fence […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland Freeway Projects Shelved, SCOTUS Safeguards Elections, and Your Comprehensive Guide to Portland’s 2023 Pride Month
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! The fourth of July is just one week away. […]
Posted inQueer Guide 2023
A Mother’s Fight for Her Gay Son’s Military Honors
The Navy discharged Martin Cerezo for being gay. His mother is now fighting for LGBTQ vets across the nation.
In 2022, Martin Cerezo received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy. It was the one year anniversary of his death and more than three decades after his service. Cerezo’s mother, Cheryle Cerezo-Gardner, had fought for the decision—carrying on a long protracted petition process with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, which Cerezo himself started […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Get Ready to Pump Your Own Gas, Nurses Strike While Providence Execs Make Millions, and Lab Grown Meat Has Arrived.
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 officially summer (as of yesterday) so go replenish […]
Posted inNews
City Contractor Ordered To Pay for Personal Items Confiscated During 2020 Homeless Camp Sweep
Lawsuit against Rapid Response Bio Clean alleged company threw away personal property in violation of local and state laws.
Rapid Response Bio Clean–a company contracted by the city of Portland to clean up and remove homeless camp sites–has been ordered to pay for items taken from an encampment during a sweep in 2020 that were never stored properly or returned to the owner. Rapid Response is the primary contractor the city uses to clean […]