Portland has questions.
Posted inNews
In a Sudden Shift, a County Analyst Was Fired for Sharing Racial Disparity Data
Portland Has Questions
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
Hall Monitor: Crossing Columbia
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s Office Has Been Quietly Looking to Expand Sidewalk Regulations for Months, an Aide Says
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office has been quietly looking to expand sidewalk regulations for months, an aide says.
Posted inNews
Bullseye Glass Sues State and County Officials, Saying It’s Been Unfairly Maligned, Regulated
It’s Bullseye Glass’s turn to sue. Presenting itself as a caring business unfairly and improperly maligned over faulty testing, the Southeast Portland art glass factory filed suit in federal court today, naming as defendants Gov. Kate Brown, the director of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, the Multnomah […]
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: RIP Vera Katz, SF’s Mayor Dies, and Alabama Seriously Considers an Accused Child Molester
BJ IMAGES The Big News from Yesterday: Vera Katz, the last mayor Portland had for more than one term, whose 12 years at City Hall created mammoth changes in the city, has died at 84. The Oregonian has a fairly comprehensive obituary. OPB spoke with Katz’s son, Jesse. (Katz’s political career ended well before my […]
Posted inHousing
Severe Weather Shelters Are Opening for the Cold Snap. Here’s How You Can Help.
A security guard tries to roust campers Monday morning in Old Town. Dirk Vanderhart Last night was bitterly cold, and that weather pattern is expected to stick around. With the National Weather Service predicting freezing temperatures over the next two nights, the Portland-area’s severe weather shelter system kicked into gear last night—and might be open […]
Posted inNews
A County Employee Has Been Fired For Sharing Racial Disparity Data
Amanda Lamb Multnomah County A county employee who shared data showing persistent racial disparities in Multnomah County’s justice system has been fired because of it, the Mercury has learned. As we reported last month, local justice officials were angered by a presentation county research analyst Amanda Lamb gave in October at the Tableau Conference, a […]
Posted inNewsblast!
Good Morning, News: Wheeler Bounces Housing Director, Al Franken Bounces Himself, and LA’s Bros Are Upset
cosmonaut / Getty Images First up this morning, Mayor Ted Wheeler is saying goodbye to two more of his bureau directors. The city announced yesterday that Housing Director Kurt Creager’s departure has been hashed out over the last month—he was pretty clearly forced out—and Office of Equity and Human Rights Director Dante James is setting […]
Posted inNews
In Shake-Up, Ted Wheeler Announces the Departure of Directors of Housing, Diversity
Two of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s bureaus—including one of his highest profile assignments—are getting a major shake-up. Wheeler’s office today announced the impending departure of Housing Director Kurt Creager and Dante James, director of the city’s Office of Equity and Human RIghts. The surprise departures, one of which appears to be forced, come as Wheeler grapples […]
Posted inNews
Booming Portland Might Now Be Facing a Budget Hole of Between $9 Million and $30 Million Next Year
cosmonaut / Getty Images At a time of record revenues, the city’s financial outlook is dimming a bit. The City Budget Office now believes Portland might see between $9 million and $30 million in increased costs for providing the same services next year, Budget Director Andrew Scott said Wednesday. That’s up from a potential $5 […]
Posted inHousing
Portland Has Strict Standards For Outlawing Sidewalk Sitting—Unless Cops Ask
Now the recent decision to expand no-sit sidewalks has created a headache for Mayor Ted Wheeler
Now the recent decision to expand no-sit sidewalks has created a headache for Mayor Ted Wheeler.
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor: Portland’s Future Decongestants
While Abetting ODOT’s Rose Quarter Plans, the City Just Took a Step Forward
While abetting ODOT’s Rose Quarter plans, the city just took a step forward.
Posted inHousing
A New 200-Bed Shelter in Old Town Is Inching Forward
Plans to create what could be Portland’s largest permanent homeless shelter are pressing forward, despite neighborhood opposition and a city commitment to not expand social services in Old Town. On November 20, architects representing Multnomah County filed an application [PDF] with the city’s code-enforcement office, asking for early assistance as the county works toward building […]