Support Smart, Local Journalism
Make a Small Monthly Donation

Give now
Avatar photo

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 Students Walk Out of Class to Protest ICE Activity

Lincoln High School students marched from their campus to City Hall, where they rallied against recent abductions and deaths in ICE custody.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Lincoln High School students walked out of class Tuesday afternoon to rally against recent ICE activity in Portland. Roughly 80 students marched from their downtown campus to Portland City Hall, where they gathered to chant, give speeches, and observe a moment of silence for those who’ve died in ICE custody. Students marched with signs like […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: New Seasons Workers Secure Labor Contract, How Your Hotel Stay Could Help Save Wildlife, and the Unfiltered Interviews Ruining Trump’s World

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inNews

Portland Police Officer Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

Jimmy Pryce, a 27-year employee at Portland Police Bureau, faces a criminal trial in Clackamas County.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

A Portland Police Bureau officer is under investigation after he was arrested last month on domestic violence charges. Jimmy Pryce, 50, was arrested Saturday, November 29, in Clackamas County on charges of strangulation, fourth-degree assault, menacing, and harassment of a woman he lives with. He was off duty at the time.  Pryce, who covers PPB’s […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: PCEF Pays Out $64 Million, National Parks Are Now Free on Trump’s Birthday Instead of Juneteenth, and At Last, the Return of Krampus!

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 just under two weeks away from winter’s official onset. Need […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: New City Administrator Selected, 1,900 Affordable Apartments Sit Vacant, and Maybe Billionaires Do Care About Children

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Oregon AG Vows to Investigate Excessive Force, New Hefty National Park Fees For Foreign Travelers, and How to Decolonize Your Thanksgiving

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inNews

Oregon to Feds: Rein in Your Officers or We’ll Prosecute

Top state attorney says his office will investigate federal officers’ criminal conduct during protests and immigration enforcement
Avatar photoAvatar photo Courtney Vaughn and Jeremiah Hayden

Prosecutors in Oregon are warning the US justice department to rein in federal agents who’ve repeatedly used excessive force on protesters, immigrants and even local police. A joint letter from Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and district attorneys from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties, demands the US Department of Justice “immediately halt unlawful and reckless […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Taco Bell Saves Thanksgiving, a Potential Snag in Epstein Files Release, and Who Will Be Portland’s Next Manager?

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! Time to get used to the gray. Today’s weather will […]

Posted inNews

Federal Judge Rules Against Trump, Barring Him from Deploying National Guard to Oregon

The long-awaited ruling, likely to be appealed, dismissed the administration’s case for sending the National Guard to Portland based on protests outside the city’s ICE facility. 
Avatar photoAvatar photo Taylor Griggs and Courtney Vaughn

US District Judge Karin Immergut ruled Friday, November 7, that the Trump administration is permanently barred from deploying the National Guard to Oregon. The decision was a long-awaited ruling in a case that catapulted Portland into the national spotlight. Immergut’s ruling is a permanent injunction against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary Pete Hegseth, […]

Posted inNews

City Council Caught in the Middle of Police Oversight Labor Strike

Councilors are avoiding City Hall while Portland’s Independent Police Review staff are on strike, bringing some Council operations to a halt. 
Avatar photoAvatar photo Jeremiah Hayden and Courtney Vaughn

Staff at Portland’s Independent Police Review (IPR) typically work out of a ground-level office at City Hall, but on Wednesday afternoon, they were setting up tents just feet from where they normally report to work. Wednesday marked the start of a three-day strike by IPR’s 11 union-represented employees. Despite wind and periodic bursts of heavy […]

Posted inNews

Man Suspected of Starting Fire Near City Councilor’s Home Arrested

Police say the man lit a fire near a shed to stay warm. It then spread to nearby structures.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Police have arrested a suspect who they believe started the fire near City Councilor Candace Avalos’ home on October 26. According to the Portland Police Bureau, Vashon M. Locust, 51, was trying to use an electrical outlet in a shed near Avalos’ house to plug in a heater in the early morning hours on Sunday, October 26. The outlet didn’t work, so he reportedly lit a small fire, which spread. The fire destroyed the councilor’s vehicle, carport, and part of her home. Initially, police said the blaze was suspicious, but later reported no sign of any accelerant or incendiary device that would indicate the fire was a targeted attack. Court records indicate Locust is likely unhoused and as recently as 2024, was documented as battling behavioral health issues.

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Dick Cheney Dead at 84, Multnomah County Pauses its Rapid Rehousing Program, and Dan Ryan’s Hypocritical Crusade Against the Parks Levy

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 Election Day. Did you remember to turn in your […]

Gift this article