This time around, Jim Francesconi says he’s treading lightly. When he lost a bid for mayor in 2004, the attorney and former city commissioner says, people were suspicious of the money he raked in from downtown businesses. He told the Mercury he’ll go out of his way to avoid that impression in the race for […]
Dirk VanderHart
I'm a news reporter for the Mercury. I've spent a lot of the last decade in journalism — covering tragedy and chicanery in the hills of southwest Missouri, politics in Washington, D.C., and other matters elsewhere.
I've been in Portland three years, love it and want to help make it better. Let's keep it amicable!
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
It’s Christmastime (in Hollis, Queens) and money’s tight. Thankfully, there’s an easy option more and more folks are using to shore up precious cash: bilking the United States Navy for millions of dollars! It’s easy, apparently, and everyone’s doing it. Orwhy not save cash by helping along your nation’s proud tradition of gluttony and violent […]
Posted inNews
County: Woman Conceded to Being Groped By Juvenile Worker
The county—after a months-long procedural lapse—has offered a conflicted response to claims one of its juvenile probation officers forcibly groped a colleague’s vagina last summer. While one portion of the document explicitly denies Department of Community Justice staffer Leslie Taylor made lewd comments to a county contractor before running his hand up her dress in […]
Posted inFeature
Spice World
Secret Aardvark Could Become a National Sensation. (So Maybe You Should Stop Stealing It?)
Portland’s Secret Aardvark could become a national sensation. You should probably stop stealing it, first.
Posted inNews
Not So Special?
The County’s Vaunted “Specialty Courts” Are Running Dry
As courthouse “specialty” offerings grow less popular, we appear to be paying more.
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
As precious time ticks away on the United States’ UN-sanctioned stint in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai continues to waffle on a deal that would allow around 10,000 American troops to stick around for 10 more years. The proposed agreement is “one of the most-important decisions in Afghanistan’s recent history,” says the BBC, but Karzai is […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Abbreviated Work Week!
Probably some of you have to work on Thursday. Still others don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m sure. Me? I woke up today and realized I’m more excited for the holiday than common sense would dictate. If you still need a bit of prodding, check out this new video from the folks at Funnelbox Production Studios in […]
Posted inNews
Good Morning, News!
Everyone’s talking about Iran this morning, as a deal over the sanction-battered nation’s nuclear activities remains just out of reach in Geneva. An agreement with Iran, on the one hand, would amount to historic diplomacy. On the other, there’s a lot of grumbling sentiment—from Israel, Republicans and others—that an approach involving the carrot of lighter […]
Posted inNews
Water Activists Challenge the City’s Interpretation of Trust Measure
Kate Summer In Portland, when water’s involved, things are seldom cut and dried. Activists pushing new oversight of the Portland Water Bureau say the city did an imperfect shoddy job crafting language that would explain their effort to voters. A member of the group, the Cascadian Water Trust Initiative, has formally challenged the city’s ballot […]
Posted inNews
The Race for Jeff Cogen’s Old Job Is Warming Up
It’s still about six months until voters select who’ll replace Jeff Cogen as Multnomah County Chair, but the race between the most-credible two candidates is clearly under way. Yesterday, former-county commissioner Deborah Kafoury (who had to resign to run for Cogen’s spot) revealed a roster of supporters , including governors and most of the current […]
Posted inNews
Who Is (And Isn’t) Getting Behind Deborah Kafoury
Deborah Kafoury, the former Multnomah County commissioner vying for Jeff Cogen’s abdicated county chairship, unveiled a list of supporters earlier today, and it’s formidable. That’s mainly because the roster includes both former Gov. Barbara Roberts and current Gov. John Kitzhaber. But Kafoury also name drops social services advocates, former County Chair Bev Stein and almost […]