Showing that someone reads the Mercury, a handful of social justice activists showed up at City Council this morning to remind commissioners about a story we ran several weeks ago, about how dodging fare on the MAX has led, according to an immigration attorney, a disturbingly high number of deportation cases. The cases stem from […]
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.
Posted inCops
Panel’s Two Words for Cop Behind Nazi Memorial: “Discredit and Disgrace”
The Oregonian this weekend broke a bit of juicy news about one of the longest-running and most controversial stories involving the Portland Police Bureau: Capt. Mark Kruger—the cop accused of building a shrine for five Nazi Germany soldiers at a city park several years ago—could face discipline after a top commander and the city’s Police […]
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
The Portland Marathon is winding its way past the window of the place where I’m typing this. Here’s the marathon at a glance. Among the runners? Police Chief Mike Reese, out to raise cash for the police bureau’s Mounted Patrol. Oregon Democrats are sweating. The three-fifths super-majority delivered two years ago in the Year of […]
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
They invited him to a party. They told him to bring the alcohol, which he did. And when he showed up for this promised bash in the Bronx, they proceeded to mercilessly beat, torture and sodomize the man they had invited over—because he was gay. They also savagely beat two teenage boys, one whom admitted […]
Posted inElection 2010
Missing (Apparently): One GOP Candidate for Governor
Denis C. Theriault Bet you didn’t know the Mercury has its own very special wishing tree. A little while ago, some enterprising “good person” turned a normal, humdrum tree outside the Mercury‘s front door into a magical, cloth-and-slogan-festooned “wishing tree.” Its maker even left a box with markers and more cloth strips to write more […]
Posted inCity Hall
Sam Adams Gets “Mortified”—He Also Says “It Gets Better”
“I was going for Shaun Cassidy, of course.” Portland Mayor Sam Adams graced the stage at the Bagdad on Thursday as part of a very special Wordstock edition of Mortified—and, indeed, we actually learned some mortifying things about the man who leads our fair city. (And who knew there was anything remotely as mortifying as […]
Posted inPortland
Now’s Your Chance: Become Facebook Friends With a Toilet
A public toilet might make a for a shitty Facebook friend. Just sayin’… Thank you, Randy Leonard. Thank you. Portland’s water commissioner has just given us (or maybe just me?) another excuse to make pee-and-poop jokes—all in the name of one of the truly great and sensible ideas to emerge from City Hall in recent […]
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
Let’s start out with a few developments in City Hall yesterday that you might have missed, because they happened late and we posted ’em late. After a summit with regional leaders last night, Mayor Sam Adams and Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen buried the hatchet over the Sellwood Bridge rebuild. (You can also read the […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor
In Cop Talks: Dollars or Sense?
Pocketbook issues and strong union opposition could doom police oversight proposals like drug testing.
Posted inNews
Stop Your Engines
Neighbors Gripe about Portland Raceway Noise
Kenton neighbors are getting revved up over noise at the nearby Portland International Raceway.
Posted inTransportation
BREAKING: Sam Adams Details Sellwood Bridge Funding Deal
The impasse over how to pay for a $330 million rebuild of the dangerously decrepit Sellwood Bridge—a battle that flared between Mayor Sam Adams and Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen—has been resolved. The deal was struck tonight at a summit including Adams, Cogen, TriMet boss Neil McFarlane, Clackamas County Commissioner Bob Austin and a representative […]
Posted inCity Hall
BREAKING: Details on Trade Unions’ Deal With City
A week ago, members of the city’s largest labor group—the District Council of Trade Unions—were rallying in Chapman Square and marching on City Hall in hopes of goosing along stalled contract talks. They called those talks imminent, and hoped for a tentative agreement by the end of the week. It took a few days longer, […]