An overturned truck has snarled part of Northbound I-5. ODOT Good Morning, Portland. If you are working today, your commute is being killed by an overturned truck that was filled with trail mix, a delicious and energy-rich development that has snarled traffic on I-5 north at the Terwilliger curves. Things are worse east of Oregon, […]
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
Remember the Top Stories of 2017 With Us
Then Put It Behind You Forever
Then put it behind you forever.
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: Your Icy Prison, Your Icy Future, and Cool Boarders 2
It’s Still an Icy Hellscape, Portland. I write this from Michigan, where the inches of snow are accumulating and it’s something like 11 degrees Fahrenheit. But damn it, that’s how Michigan’s supposed to be. You, poor Portlander, are beset and imprisoned by unsporting ice. And ice means crashes, if you have to commute with your […]
Posted inNews
In Order to Spruce Up Streets, City Offers to Burn Down Woman’s House
CHRIS BIGALKE AROUND THE TIME Mavis Willford became a thorn in the city’s side earlier this year, officials quietly considered burning down her home. A 67-year-old employee of David Douglas School District, Willford had reason to make a fuss. She’d been on the verge of finally replacing her mold-infested manufactured home in East Portland’s Mill […]
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: Loretta Smith’s Big(?) Day, Chloe Eudaly Gets Sued, and Ted Wheeler Looks Back at His First Year
Loretta Smith had herself a day on Thursday. The county commissioner learned that she was in violation of state election law, for not properly filing as a candidate for Portland City Council even though she clearly is. The gaffe will cost Smith $250, but also raises questions about whether she’s required to resign her position. […]
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County Commissioner Loretta Smith Says Chair Deborah Kafoury Called Her a “Bitch” in a Public Meeting
County Commissioner Loretta Smith Multnomah County Things got heated at this morning’s meeting of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, though the full extent might not be captured in the official video of the proceedings. According to County Commissioner Loretta Smith, after the meeting was hastily called to a close, County Chair Deborah Kafoury called […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor: Scoff Medicine
Portland Probably Misspent Millions in Utility Funds. It’s Finally Paying Some Back.
Portland probably misspent millions in utility funds. It’s finally paying some back.
Posted inNews
A New Fee Meant to Spruce Up City Streets Has Property Owners Enraged
It’s Also Got City Officials Contemplating Bizarre Workarounds
It’s also got city officials contemplating bizarre workarounds.
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: Train Hell Near Olympia, Fuel Spill Imperils Salem’s Water, and Trump’s War on Bears
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department “At a certain point the train wobbled for a second, and the next thing we knew we were being sort of catapulted into the seats in front of us.” You’ve seen the images by now. A dramatic Amtrak derailment north of Olympia yesterday left three people dead, dozens injured, and enormous […]
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Good Morning, News: Net Neutrality’s Dead, Republicans Ready Their (Bad) Tax Plan, and the Death Toll of Portland’s Homeless Crisis
iStock / Getty Images Plus Net Neutrality is Dead: In a long-foreshadowed split decision, the FCC voted 3-2 yesterday to repeal rules preventing Internet service providers from picking favorites. It’s probably not going to be good (though lawsuits are expected on behalf of Oregon and other states). “Want to access Facebook and Twitter? Under a […]
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The City Won’t Investigate Misconduct Claims Against Former Mayor Sam Adams, Attorney Says
Former Mayor Sam Adams As the #metoo movement rages on, the City of Portland will not conduct an investigation into allegations that former Mayor Sam Adams subjected his former assistant to inappropriate conduct. City Attorney Tracy Reeve told the Mercury on Wednesday that claims by former mayoral aide Cevero Gonzalez appeared to be “time-barred” from […]
Posted inHousing
Eighty Homeless People Died On City Streets Last Year, New Report Shows
Adam Wickham Eighty homeless people died on the streets of Portland last year, a downtick from 2015’s grim figure that nonetheless “should remove all doubt that homelessness is the challenge of our time,” according to a report released by Multnomah County this morning. The annual Domicile Unknown report [PDF] tallies the deaths of people in […]