Here. You might enjoy another retelling of Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes’ recent life story—especially this one quote (which isn’t about Governor John Kitzhaber): “I guess she must have been more in love with him than he was with her.” When you’re slain (allegedly) in your outer East Portland ranch home someday, some reporters reporting […]
Denis C. Theriault
Denis C. Theriault is the Portland Mercury's News Editor. He writes stories about City Hall and the Portland Police Bureau, focusing on issues like homelessness, police oversight, insider politics, and civil liberties. Before arriving in Portland, Denis wrote and edited for the San Jose Mercury News, covering the California Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the city of San Jose—a real-live million-person town.
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Vote, Damn You: Why You Should Vote to Keep Funding Portland’s Precious Parks
If you haven’t already placed your ballot in a mailbox, stamped and ready to be counted by the kind people at Multnomah County, maybe you shouldn’t bother. It very likely won’t make it to the elections office in time. But don’t lose hope! County officials sprinkled several official “ballot drop” sites among us, all open […]
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Police Reform Liaison Won’t Be Chosen Until November 12—With Some Twists Potentially In Store
illustration by drew bardana There was some talk during a Portland City Council hearing yesterday that commissioners might fulfill a major part of the city’s police reform deal with the feds—choosing an independent “compliance officer/community liaison”—as soon as next week. Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who’s been running point on the hiring process, said a “placeholder” ordinance […]
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Good Morning, News: Ebola Nurses on Bicycles, Russians in the Clouds, Couches on Fire!
Do you drive a motor vehicle? Then dig this! Oceans of parking, or maybe just some pleasantly sized lakes, have opened in downtown Portland, the city’s transportation bureau reports—after a significant tightening of the rules governing so-called “disabled placards” earlier this year. Governor John Kitzhaber’s office seems hellbent on waiting until after next week’s election […]
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Hall Monitor
The Rest of the Police Reform Story
Amanda Fritz wants big changes in how a police reform “community advisory board” is chosen.
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Scare ‘Em Straight!
Hales Hesitating on Tougher Airbnb Enforcement
Hales is still hesitating on tougher enforcement of short-term rentals.
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Vote, Damn You: New Poll Shows Kitzhaber Still in the Lead—As We Remind You Why He’s Better than Dennis Richardson
The turbulence that’s snared Governor John Kitzhaber’s historic re-election bid over the past few weeks refused to ease itself away—not after it came out last week that Kitzhaber’s main challenger, State Representative Dennis Richardson, had written federal officials demanding a criminal corruption probe over accusations of ethical lapses involving Kitzhaber’s fiancée, first lady Cylvia Hayes. […]
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Vote, Damn You: Why the Mercury Thinks You Should Say No to a Top-Two Primary
For those of you still waiting to mark your ballots, consider this post—a sampling of our non-endorsement of Measure 90, one of several election picks in this week’s Mercury—a friendly reminder to get to work before it’s too late. *** THE PROMISES of the top-two election system pushed by Measure 90 sound remarkably reasonable: an […]
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Good Morning, News: Should Kitzhaber Trade His Jeans for Prison Stripes? Dennis Richardson Is Wondering.
It might be a “political stunt.” But no matter! Republican Dennis Richardson has convincingly upped the rhetorical ante in his suddenly more-viable campaign against Governor John Kitzhaber—after writing a letter to federal authorities asking that Kitzhaber and his first lady face investigation for highly consequential felony charges including bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy. The letter […]
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Good Morning, News: There’s Sewage in the River Again. And More Cylvia Hayes Scandalization.
How much did it rain yesterday? It rained so hard,and more importantly so fast, that the sewers overflowed into the Willamette River. Which means the river now has our poo inside of it, and you should keep out of it for the next couple of days. And much like rain always finds its way to […]
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Shrugging Off Widespread Community Concerns, Council Pushes Forward with Police Reform Appeal
Illustration by Joe Schlaud As expected, the Portland City Council tonight has agreed to pursue a narrowly framed, but potentially troublesome appeal of the city’s police reform agreement with the US Department of Justice—casting aside advocates’ and lawyers’ insistent concerns that doing so would shatter their sense of trust in city hall. Over and over, […]
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Hall Monitor
Nick Fish Holds His Nose Again
Dan Saltzman’s named just once in a damning audit of his old bureau—on its distribution list.