PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Hector Carranza, the Gresham police officer accused of child sex abuse, formally resigned from his position in law enforcement Friday, authorities said.
The Gresham Police Department announced the resignation of Carranza in a press release but declined to comment further due to “the ongoing criminal case.”
Hector Carranza (right), a Gresham police officer facing more than 50 charges in connection with a child sex abuse case, faced a Multnomah County judge on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 (Credit: KOIN)
Carranza is facing charges that include multiple rape, sex abuse and child sex crimes after being indicted in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of a then 16-year-old girl.
The accusations span from 2014, the same year Carranza initially joined the Gresham Police Department, to 2017.
Carranza is facing 56 charges in total, including 12 counts of third-degree sodomy, 24 counts of second-degree sex abuse, five counts of using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, five counts of encouraging child sexual abuse, five counts of luring a minor, and one count of attempting to use a child in display of sexually explicit conduct.
Last week the state gave $20,000 to retail crime prevention. Oregon City Fred Meyers became so excited they arrested two people for allegedly stealing a bottle of water. Taking to the senior citizen, they handcuffed him and threw in jail, he claimed to be having a migraine and was sick, he says he bought the water and stuck it in his bag, just to be thrown in jail. Why aren’t they going after Fentynl dealers and child abusers? I hope the man sues them, he’s never been to jail in his over 60 years of life. The Murcury has always shown these facist tyrants, hopeful more is show. This was a crime by FM and OCPD against a protected status innocent citizen.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Todd Crist, the head football coach with Tigard High School, was taken to the hospital after a “medical event” occurred in the middle of a football game Friday night, the Tigard Tualatin School District said.
The medical event occurred at the start of the second half of Friday night’s game at Tigard High School against Sunset.
“He was given medical attention and transported to a hospital,” said Alex Pulaski, a spokesperson with Tigard-Tualatin School District. “The district is thinking of him and hoping for the best outcome.”
The coach appeared conscious when he left the game, officials said.
More information was not made immediately available.
This is a developing story. KOIN 6 News will update this article if more information becomes available.
President Trump says he’s considering sending federal resources to increase safety in Portland. The president said residents are living in hell.
The president said images that he saw of protests there this week were “unbelievable” and he’s going to look at sending federal resources there.
He suggested without evidence that the protesters were “paid” and said, “When we go there, if we go to Portland, we’re going to wipe them out. They’re going to be gone,” he said.
Trump has already said he’s considering sending National Guard troops to Baltimore, New Orleans and Chicago the same way he has in Washington, D.C., as part of a crime and immigration crackdown.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said if the President sends troops, he’ll take the action to court.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson says:
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention. We are proud that Portland police have successfully protected freedom of expression while addressing occasional violence and property destruction that takes place during protests at the ICE facility in Portland. We anticipate that the site, and the half-block surrounding it, will continue to be a focus of protests. Portland will continue to rise to the moment as a proud sanctuary city, taking legal action to stand up for our community and our rights.”
Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1) says:
“Trump is using the same old tired playbook from 2020. We saw what happens when unidentified federal agents flood our streets. It causes harm, erodes public trust, and threatens marginalized communities. Under federal law, the National Guard can’t be used for domestic policing without extraordinary circumstances, and a federal judge just ruled that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in L.A. was illegal. Trump is trying to divert attention from the fact that his dangerous mass deportation agenda is deeply unpopular. Portlanders and Americans are seeing the stories of families ripped apart, immigrants detained in horrific conditions, and ICE violently harassing people who are just trying to live their lives. They see through the lies and propaganda that Trump and his cronies want you to believe. I am not going to back down because the East Portlanders I represent are counting on me and other Oregon officials to protect our communities. When Trump sent federal agents to our city in 2020, he and his administration ultimately left as the losers. We’re not going to let him win this time either.”
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega-Pederson also released a statement:
“We’ve seen this before. President Trump wasting your tax dollars to attack cities who value diversity and stand up for our immigrant and refugee neighbors. It’s uncalled for and unnecessary. Recent reports show that Portland has seen a rapid decline in homicides and other violent crime this year, and crime has been trending downward overall for multiple years. If the President truly wanted to help Portland and Multnomah County, he would reverse his callous cuts to public health and safety net services like Medicaid — decisions that harm people in red and blue states alike. The President’s policies are supercharging an affordability crisis that is hitting us hard locally, raising the cost of food, housing and medicine for thousands of our residents. Multnomah County is a beautiful and proud place. We welcome genuine cooperation that would improve the lives of hard-working County residents, protect our Constitutional rights and bring us together to help our community thrive. But if the best President Trump has to offer is more harm and chaos, then we don’t want or need his intervention here.”
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Ten days and counting, that’s the number of days 22,000 students in Evergreen Public Schools have missed at school, as the support staff’s union and the district negotiate a new contract.
The school board passed a resolution to file an injunction claiming the strike is causing irreparable injury to the educational process. The district can now file that with the courts in an attempt to stop the strike.
The resolution said that the Public-School Employees of Washington, Evergreen Chapter, Large Group (PSE Large Group) strike is unlawful.
The resolution said that “school-age children in the community are facing actual and substantial injury through the actions of the PSE Large Group and its members.”
It continued to say the Board tried to avoid uncertainty for families by delaying the first day of school by an entire week, from August 26 to September 2, so that parents and children could plan childcare.
The resolution said, “Despite the District’s willingness to engage, PSE Large Group has insisted on unlawful conditions to bargaining, submitted regressive proposals, and refused to allow school to begin.”
They claim that despite no new agreement, PSE Large Group’s current bargaining agreement is in effect for one year and that negotiations could happen at night while school continues during the day.
“An emergency exists requiring immediate legal action to avoid irreparable injury to the educational process,” the resolution said.
Evergreen PSE members said they remain united on strike despite the resolution.
“This resolution doesn’t change a thing: our members are still on strike, and we remain committed to bargaining in good faith until we win a contract that provides stability for students and dignity for staff,” said Mindy Troffer-Cooper, Evergreen PSE Chapter President. “Legal maneuvers won’t build stronger schools, bargaining in good faith will. We urge the District to stop wasting time on threats and start addressing the core issues that keep Evergreen students from having the stable, supportive schools they deserve.”
The union said is a statement that legal threats and injunctions will not resolve the issues at the heart of the strike.
“Our fight is not against students or families, it’s for them,” Troffer-Cooper continued. “Every time turnover pushes a paraeducator or bus driver out of the district, students lose the consistent relationships and care they depend on. Livable wages and fair working conditions mean we can attract and retain the staff our kids deserve. We are paraeducators, bus drivers, mechanics, maintenance staff, pro techs, security, and service workers. We don’t take this action lightly, but Evergreen students deserve schools that are safe, stable, and fully staffed. That means ensuring the employees who make schools run can afford to stay.”
Evergreen support staff, including paraeducators, bus drivers, and service workers, are striking for better pay and working conditions for their 1,400 employees.
“I’m also really making good memories here with my daughter, so like I said, mixed bag. But we’re really excited for this strike to be resolved,” said Samantha Tewid, whose daughter is ready to go to school.
Breakfast and lunches are being passed out for students at no cost each school day during the strike at select schools. KOIN 6 News spoke with parents picking up those sack lunches about how they are handling their kids not being in class.
“I am, I am very worried about losing my job. Mean, I’m a single mom and the things that it takes to be a single mom and missing work, me being sick, kids being sick, things happening. I’m already at that edge and no daycare because the strike is very hard,” said Wolff.
“Yeah, honestly, it hasn’t been that hard for us because this last year, mid-year, is the first year we did public school. We home-schooled before that,” said Peter Philbrook. “So, I’m kind of ready for things like this to happen. But I know a lot of people, and I feel really bad for them because they’re suffering a lot.”
For $40 a day, the Clark County Family YMCA is offering strike day camps for 6 hours, during the week, but they said they are getting close to capacity.
The district’s new childcare provider camps, right at school, will run from 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. starting next Monday for $60 per elementary-age child.
But for some parents, those prices are out of their budget, forcing them to not go to work or rely on family to watch their children.
“I can’t afford it. I can’t afford nothing right now, so it’s hard,” said Wolff.
SACRAMENTO, CA – California is aiming to set its own healthcare and vaccine standards especially as the Food and Drug Administration approves its new COVID-19 vaccines. Under FDA guidelines, COVID vaccine access is now limited. Only people at higher risk for severe illness can receive them. That’s adults 65 and older, and those ages 5 to 64 with certain health conditions.
With a rise in cases, California health officials are looking into vaccine supplies, and as of now, there is a pause on vaccination appointments.
California, along with Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii are collaborating to create their own science-based COVID-19 vaccination guidelines. They have created the West Coast Alliance in response to what they call the Trump Administration’s “destruction” of the Centers for Disease Control.
The Oregon House of Representatives managed to squeak through the latest version of a long-awaited transportation funding package earlier this week. But nobody’s popping champagne yet—and they probably won’t be anytime soon.
That’s partially because momentum on the transportation bill, which Governor Tina Kotek and Democratic leaders introduced ahead of the special legislative session, is once again stalled. Democrats need every vote they can get for the controversial bill, so its passage in the Senate relies on the healthy return of Democratic Senator Chris Gorsek, who is dealing with health issues. Word from the Senate is that Gorsek will be available to vote on the bill on September 17, which is unfortunate for legislators who were hoping the late summer special session would end quickly.
But Gorsek’s absence isn’t the main problem contributing to the palatable malaise surrounding this bill. During Monday’s House vote, Republicans dripped with contempt, searing their Democratic colleagues for supposedly screwing over Oregon’s working people—and on Labor Day, no less. Republican lawmakers say the bill, which seeks to fund Oregon’s transportation system through a set of tax and fee increases, is the height of liberal excess and an example of Democrats’ unwillingness to compromise.
This criticism has seemed to resonate with many Oregonians, who have expressed their disdain for the tax increase in thousands of public comments. But it rings hollow when you take a look at what the bill actually includes, and how most Democrats are reacting to it.
The bill currently making its way through the legislature, House Bill 3991, is expected to raise around $4.5 billion over the next decade. But it’s a significantly watered down iteration of what Democrats proposed last spring with House Bill 2025, which was expected to bring in somewhere between $11 and $15 billion over the same time frame. In fact, the bill is less ambitious than it was last week, thanks to a last-minute amendment reducing the impact of a proposed transit payroll tax increase.
Democrats who voted for the bill repeatedly referred to it in less-than-ideal terms.
“Oregon deserves better than a Band-Aid. This bill keeps the lights on, but it doesn’t light the path forward,” Representative Mark Gamba said during the House vote on Monday. “It delays hard decisions, creates uncertainty, and leaves our most vulnerable communities to fend for themselves.”
But Gamba, along with others in the left-flank of the Democratic Party, still voted for the bill. Senator Khanh Pham supports it, despite her major reservations about the bill’s limited public transit and safety funding. But Rep. Cyrus Javati, who was the only Republican to vote in favor on the bill on Monday, felt forced to re-register as a Democrat, in part because of the disconnect between himself and his Republican colleagues about the transportation bill. Javati is already facing a recall campaign from far-right Republicans in his district (Oregon’s north coast) for voting against party orthodoxy in the past. Which party is incapable of compromise?
The most notable aspect of the Republican rhetoric about the transportation bill is their newfound focus on fiscal accountability at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Many people involved in Oregon transportation reform work have long acknowledged ODOT’s accountability problems. As Joe Cortright, Oregon’s most well-known ODOT critic, said during an August 31 hearing for the bill, the department is “dangerously addicted to megaprojects and debt.”
ODOT repeatedly comes in over budget for freeway projects. The I-205 Abernethy Bridge project, for example, was initially expected to cost about $250 million. It now has an $815 million price tag. The agency is also moving forward with the I-5 Rose Quarter expansion project, which began as a $450 million plan and is now expected to cost $2.1 billion, despite major funding losses. The first phase of the plan, which only includes basic maintenance work on the freeway, is projected to cost $75 million, which is money that could be spent elsewhere. ODOT also takes out bonds to pay for these major projects, requiring the agency to spend a significant portion of its budget paying back debt. A full 10 percent of ODOT’s 2023-25 budget, or $615 million, was allocated to debt service.
Some Republicans have acknowledged the outsized impact of megaprojects and bonds on ODOT’s spending. But putting the blame on freeway expansions doesn’t really fit into the conservative dogma of the day. It’s more convenient to take the DOGE approach and blame ODOT’s overspending on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, “woke” public transit and climate programs, and, of course, bike lanes.
Most of these programs make up a very small portion of ODOT’s budget. They’re barely accounted for in HB 3991, which has no dedicated funding for safety projects or active transportation infrastructure, and is woefully inadequate when it comes to public transit. This is unfortunate, because contrary to the sentiments of many Republicans, people all over Oregon rely on public transit and bike lanes.
During the HB 3991 hearing on Sunday, legislators heard from public transportation supporters from urban and rural areas alike, asking them to support increasing the transit payroll tax so they could continue to access vital services. In response to the concerns they deemed legitimate, some Republicans said they acknowledged the value of public transit, but wanted to find a way to pay for it without a tax increase. How? Well, that part doesn’t matter as much. (They don’t have a real answer to that question.)
Democrats have a responsibility to counter their Republican colleagues’ hypocrisy and ridiculous claims. But they largely haven’t. As a result, misguided—or purposefully misleading—sentiments about transportation spending are being accepted as fact by many Oregonians. And they may not forgive the Democrats who vote in favor of this bill.
HB 3991 should pass. If it doesn’t, hundreds of jobs at ODOT will be lost and our state’s roads will continue to fall apart. But Democrats must not let this bill be seen as anything other than a drastic compromise, necessary to accommodate Oregon’s terrible quorum requirements in an age when Republican lawmakers won’t do their jobs. If they don’t change the narrative, every subsequent attempt at transportation funding will be more and more abysmal.
As Gamba said before he voted “aye” on the bill, the policy—and the conversation around it—sets a dangerous precedent. But there’s still time for Democrats to (ahem) take the driver’s seat.
“Some conversations around defunding safety and transit mirror the radical vision laid out in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025…Oregon should be rejecting that vision and bracing for it by shoring up our system, not by implementing it ourselves,” Gamba said. “We need our leaders, especially Democrats, to reject the vision of austerity and invest in a transportation future that works for all Oregonians.”
PORTLAND, Ore. — The FBI is asking for the public’s help in locating a Georgia man wanted in connection with a 2020 arson attack on a federal building in Atlanta. Authorities believe the suspect may be in the Portland metro area.
Ronald Watson, 28, of Kennesaw, Georgia—also known by aliases Sarah Watson, Miranda Kyle, and Emily Smith—is wanted for setting fire to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta during the summer of 2020. Federal prosecutors allege Watson intentionally damaged the property during a period of heightened protests and civil unrest.
Watson, a convicted felon, now faces federal charges including arson and destruction of government property. A federal arrest warrant has been issued, and investigators believe he may have traveled to or is currently hiding in or around Portland.
The agency urges anyone with information about his whereabouts to submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.
PORTLAND, Ore. – A former Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit entered guilty and no-contest pleas in federal and state courts on Friday as part of agreements with prosecutors.
Joseph Emerson reached the plea agreements because he said he wants to take responsibility for his actions.
He was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted to Portland, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.
Emerson told police he was despondent over a friend’s recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier, and hadn’t slept in over 40 hours. He has said he believed he was dreaming at the time and that he was trying to wake himself up by grabbing two red handles that would have activated the plane’s fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.
Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, was charged in federal court with interfering with a flight crew. A state indictment in Oregon separately charged him with 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.
He previously pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and in December 2023 he was released from custody pending trial, with requirements that he undergo mental health services, stay off drugs and alcohol, and keep away from aircraft.
On Friday, Emerson pleaded guilty to the federal count and no-contest to the state charges, which carries the same legal effect as a guilty plea.
He will be sentenced for the federal charge in November.
As for the state charges, a Multnomah County judge sentenced him to 50 days in jail, with time served, and 5 years probation. He must also serve 664 hours of community service and pay about $60,000 in restitution.
Half of his community service can be performed at a pilot health nonprofit Emerson founded after his arrest.
He must also undergo assessments for drug and alcohol and mental health treatment, refrain from using any non-prescribed drugs, and keep at least 25 feet (7.6 meters) away from operable aircraft unless he has permission from his probation officer.
This month, Portland venues will close out summer with a psychedelic swirl of films merging myth and magical adolescence. Teen girls time-travel and chat with dolphins; cosmic heroes emerge from horse goddesses. Meanwhile, here on earth, a sex worker undertakes her own journey from a donut shop to a laundromat in Los Angeles.
Screenings are of the “rare” and “for real, don’t miss this” varieties, like Gakuryū Ishii’s surreal August in the Water, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s lesser-known teen dreams, and a little glittery Y2K irony. Microdosers, I hope you’re listening.
Church of Film: August in the Water
For fans of petrographs, water signs, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010).
Last month’s screening of Gakuryū Ishii’s The Crazy Family at Clinton Street Theater showcased the director’s anarchic, satirical style. But in the ‘90s, Ishii abandoned his earlier manic energy to explore a dreamlike approach. The tonal shift culminated in what might be his most poetic and overlooked film, August in the Water (1995).
The story follows Izumi, a cool, enigmatic champion diver at a Fukuoka high school. She attracts the attention of two teenage boys, who trail her past the diving pool’s electric-blue shimmer and through the scorched, drought-laden city. There, meteorite crashes and an organ-petrifying illness threaten something otherworldly. Meanwhile, Izumi might be more than human; rumors swirl that she conjures water and telepathically talks to dolphins.
August in the Water is unlike any film you’ve seen. It’s part teen melodrama and part cosmic mystery; ritualistic moments, like a water-throwing festival, lend a weird, elemental resonance. A minor character who decodes horoscopes with an ancient computer exemplifies the film’s adolescent ennui and deep metaphysical inquiry. Hiroyuki Onogawa’s ethereal, minimalist score is a standalone sound art piece echoing Japan’s environmental music movement—pull up this related compilation on Bandcamp if you need to focus.
The film remains unstreamable—found only on Internet Archive and YouTube rips—and has never received a physical reissue, which makes screenings like this all the more rare and vital. Ishii’s noir-adjacent, existential mystery Labyrinth of Dreams, screening at Clinton Street Theater on September 18, is a dreamy follow-up. (Dream House, 412 NE Beech, Sept 8, 8 pm, free/donations encouraged, more info, 21+)
Beyond House
For fans of Jang Joon-hwan’s Save the Green Planet! (2003), Shinji Sōmai’s Typhoon Club (1985), Juzo Itami’s Tampopo (1987).
Initiates of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s ‘77 cult classic House will be at least somewhat prepared for the director’s lesser-known, yet equally idiosyncratic sci-fis and pop-art fantasias. While House’s Scooby-Dooian antics have long overshadowed Obayashi’s other output, the Hollywood’s Beyond House series makes headway by screening four of his most vibrant seishun eiga (coming-of-age films). Jittery neon magic spells, random dance numbers, and telekinetic teens are involved.
One of cinema’s most avant-garde pop artists, Obayashi blended kitschy teeny-bopper hyperbole with gonzo special effects. His green screen use stayed playful and unpolished; Obayashi’s visuals feel dreamed up by his teen characters themselves. School in the Crosshairs follows a high schooler with telepathic powers and a brush with celebrity—the plot’s marginally more coherent than House, which doesn’t say much. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, adapted from Yasutaka Tsutsui’s ‘67 novel, centers a student who sniffs a lavender scent and wakes up with time-travel capabilities.
The Beyond House series will screen these alongside the breezy road romance His Motorbike, Her Island and The Island Closest to Heaven, a grief-struck summer vacation film. (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Sept 11-Oct 2, $10-$12, more info, not rated)
Son of the White Mare
For fans of Suzan Pitt, György Kovásznai’s Bubble Bath (1979), Eiichi Yamamoto’s Belladonna of Sadness (1973).
Academy Theater’s monthly international series will screen a hallucinogenic swirl of Eurasian folklore and mythic archetypes with Son of the White Mare, Hungarian animator-director Marcell Jankovics’ cult masterpiece. The film (presented in a 4K restoration) draws from ancient steppe poetry and Freudian dream logic to illustrate a dark night of the soul, complete with a quest to the underworld and a hero who suckles a horse.
Its cosmogony is built from the equine goddess, who sends her sons on a dangerous mission (slaying dragons, freeing princesses). Familiar fairy tale motifs echo throughout, but the film’s visual inventiveness carves new territory. Jankovics’ animation style is difficult to oversell, a riot of color and motion, swirling, elemental, and sublime. Steadied by a cosmic oak, it is eye-poetry with a primordial sensibility. Plus, stoned people online often proclaim the film to be the greatest they’ve ever seen, and who are we to doubt them? (Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark, Sept 19-25, $6.50-$9.50, more info, not rated)
Cinema 21 Centennial Celebration, and Yi Yi
For fans of Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009), Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy (2008), Yasujirō Ozu
Cinema 21 first opened its doors in 1925 with a live organ and a steady rotation of silent films. It has held many names—State Theatre, Vista, 21st Ave Theatre—remaining a pillar of Portland’s independent film culture all the while. The theater will celebrate its 100th birthday with a 10-day slate of films, one worth a loop around the block in Nob Hill: Sean Baker’s Tangerine (2015).
Shot on an iPhone 5S, Tangerine serves as an early example of Baker’s interest in depicting intersectional class struggle—the film follows a trans sex worker’s search for her cheater boyfriend across lo-fi Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Fresh off his 2024 Best Director Oscar win for Anora, Baker will offer an in-person Q&A with former Oregonian film critic Shawn Levy.
But the week’s true jewel isn’t part of the Centennial Celebration lineup. Edward Yang’s Yi Yi (2000) slipped onto the schedule amid the festivities. A paragon of Taiwan New Cinema, Yi Yi is delicate, observational, and maintains an ultra-rare 4.5 Letterboxd rating. It’s rarely screened; here’s your chance to catch a fresh 4K restoration. (Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, Centennial Celebration Sept 19-28, pricing and times vary, more info, Yi Yi Sept 20-21, $8-$11, more info, not rated)
Also worth it:
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Studio Ghibli’s other incredible filmmaker, Isao Takahata, created some of the studio’s gentlest and most lyrical output (like Only Yesterday, a personal fave). His folklore-inspired 2013 film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya employs a floaty, windswept animation style. (Academy Theater, through Sept 11, more info)
Josie and the Pussycats Pairing metallic pleather with unparalleled dialogue (“If I could go back in time, I would want to meet Snoopy,”) Josie and the Pussycats (2001) is the Dr. Pepper Lipsmacker of cinema history: cloying, nostalgic, and somehow perfect. (Hollywood Theater, Sept 6, more info)
La Ciénaga Argentine director Lucrecia Martel’s 2001 feature debut follows a wealthy family’s languid summer; a quiet plot unfolds amid a creeping, heat-struck malaise. La Ciénaga introduces the hallmarks of Martel’s later films, with nuance found in class-informed atmospheres. (Clinton Street Theater, Sept 23, more info)
Dogtooth Prep your nervous system for Yorgos Lanthimos’ forthcoming sci-fi Bugonia with Dogtooth, the director’s breakthrough 2009 feature. It’s (perhaps predictably) a story of psychosexual absurdity and bizarre endurance—David Lynch called it a “fantastic comedy.” Jonathan Glazer and Julia Ducournau’s fans can stomach its freakiest scenes. (Tomorrow Theater, Sept 27, more info)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man was arrested during a traffic stop in Scappoose after his injured female passenger claimed he had stolen her car, repeatedly assaulted her, then tried to kill her.
On July 23, Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies conducted the traffic stop after officials said they saw expired registration stickers.
Approaching the vehicle, they identified the driver as 59-year-old David Botts, along with a female passenger.
Deputies said the passenger immediately pleaded for help, claiming Botts was attempting to kill her.
When deputies observed the woman had a swollen face and a laceration above her eye, Botts was removed from the vehicle and placed in handcuffs.
The woman further told deputies that Botts had stolen her vehicle days earlier and repeatedly assaulted her. She added Botts had been “taking her into the woods with the intent to kill her,” deputies said.
After an initial investigation, Botts was arrested on charges of domestic assault, coercion, harassment, as well as DUII.
Deputies then obtained and executed a search warrant on Botts’ vehicle, where they found a firearm and nearly 40 grams of methamphetamine.
Further investigation led to additional charges of attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping (two counts), second-degree kidnapping, menacing, attempted delivery of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm.
Officials say Botts remains in custody at the Columbia County Jail.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aiming to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War — a long-telegraphed move aimed at projecting American military toughness around the globe.
“It’s a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now,” Trump said. He said the previous name was “woke.”
The order comes as some of Trump’s closest supporters on Capitol Hill proposed legislation that would codify the new name into law, with Congress having the sole power to establish, shutter and rename federal departments. Absent a change in law, Trump will authorize the Pentagon to use secondary titles.
“From 1789 until the end of World War II, the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War,” Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube, an Army veteran, said in a statement. “It is only fitting that we pay tribute to their eternal example and renowned commitment to lethality by restoring the name of the ‘Department of War’ to our Armed Forces.”
Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are introducing companion legislation in the Senate.
The Department of War was created in 1789, then renamed and reorganized through legislation signed by President Harry Truman in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. The Department of Defense incorporated the Department of War, which oversaw the Army, plus the Department of the Navy and the newly created independent Air Force.
“We decided to go woke and change the name to Department of Defense,” he said. “So we’re going Department of War.”
Pentagon leader Pete Hegseth, who spoke alongside Trump, said, “We haven’t won a major war since” the name was changed. He said, “We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense.”
Trump has said he wants to change the name back to the Department of War because it “just sounded better,” and Hegseth recently hinted that the switch was around the corner.
Speaking to an auditorium of soldiers Thursday at Fort Benning in Georgia, he said he might have “a slightly different title tomorrow.”
In August, Trump told reporters that “everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”
When confronted with the possibility that making the name change would require an act of Congress, Trump told reporters that “we’re just going to do it.”
“I’m sure Congress will go along,” he said, “if we need that.”
Trump and Hegseth have been on a name-changing spree at the Pentagon as they uproot what they describe as “woke” ideology, sometimes by sidestepping legal requirements.
For example, they wanted to restore the names of nine military bases that once honored Confederate leaders, which were changed in 2023 following a congressionally mandated review.
Because the original names were no longer allowed under law, Hegseth ordered the bases to be named after new people with similar names. For example, Fort Bragg now honors Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine, instead of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg.
In the case of Fort A.P. Hill, named for Confederate Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, the Trump administration was forced to choose three soldiers to make the renaming work.
The base now honors Union soldiers Pvt. Bruce Anderson and 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, who contributes the two initials, and Lt. Col. Edward Hill, whose last name completes the second half of the base name.
The move irked Republicans in Congress who, in July, moved to ban restoring any Confederate names in this year’s defense authorization bill.
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a Republican who co-sponsored the earlier amendment to remove the Confederate names, said that “what this administration is doing, particularly this secretary of defense, is sticking his finger in the eye of Congress by going back and changing the names to the old names.”
Portland Mayor-elect Keith Wilson speaks during an interview with the Associated Press before being sworn in, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
I need to call out Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s latest lies.
The Mayor is demanding that citizens volunteer their time to help the homeless — or else, he claims, the Trump “bogeyman” will come.
Let’s start with the facts. Portland and Multnomah County spent just over $500 million of your tax dollars last year on the homeless. That works out to more than $62,000 for every homeless person counted by the county.
Not enough, says the Mayor. He wants you to volunteer even more to help them.
Does that make sense to anyone?
Next, Mayor Wilson threatens “federal intervention” by President Trump.
Wilson knows that’s a lie. Trump did intervene in Washington, D.C., because of its insane crime problem — and it worked. In the last 30 days:
Carjackings are down 85%
Robberies are down 42%
Violent crime is down 25%
Trump has also promised to arrest illegal aliens sheltered by sanctuary cities like Portland and Seattle.
Wilson could tell the truth. But imagine if the Mayor said, “I need Portlanders to pony up more than that half billion because otherwise President Trump plans to crack down on crime in our community and arrest criminal illegal aliens.”
That would make Wilson sound like a fool — so lying remains his only refuge.
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. — Don & Jo’s Drive-In has been doing what they do since 1968. The family owned restaurant serves burgers, fries and shakes but also other soups and food and drink. And their Operations Manager Courtney Zumstein tells KXL’s News Partner KGW they’ve been pretty much swamped ever since national burger giant In-N-Out added a location in their town of Ridgefield.
She says instead of hurting their business, the long lines at In-N-Out have provided Don & Jo’s the chance to serve some new people.
The family owned restaurant has been run by family members like Courtney for years. She says they are currently training the next generation to keep the Don & Jo’s tradition alive for years to come.
A medical staff member prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Tudor Ranch in Mecca, Calif. on Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Health has issued a new Standing Order for the COVID-19 vaccine. The state says it’s aimed at expanding access and reaffirming the state’s recommendation that everyone 6 months and older stay up to date on their vaccinations.
The order allows most residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies or clinics without needing an individual prescription. The vaccine remains covered by most private insurance plans, Apple Health, and through Washington’s Adult and Childhood Vaccine Programs.
The DOH’s guidance echoes recommendations from major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. It also reaffirms the vaccine’s safety and importance, particularly for pregnant people and young children.
The state’s move follows the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance, a multistate coalition announced earlier this week. Washington joined Oregon and California on Sept. 3, with Hawaii joining a day later. The alliance aims to ensure public health decisions are grounded in science and shielded from political interference.
Some health care providers have already received doses of the 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine. However, availability remains limited in many areas as additional supplies are expected to arrive later in September or October. The DOH encourages residents to contact their health care provider or local pharmacy to confirm availability and make appointments.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the emergency ordinance at a meeting on Thursday, amending local code to remove the “affirmative defense” policy for those with concealed carry licenses.
The policy was brought forward by District 2 Commissioner Shannon Singleton and District 3 Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. According to Brim-Edwards, there are almost 37,000 concealed carry license holders throughout the county.
“We know that our buildings serve vulnerable populations, and presence of firearms in public buildings — even when carried by individuals with a concealed handgun license — can contribute to a culture of fear and undermine trust safety with the community, as well as increase the risk of accidental discharge, intimidation or escalation during conflicts,” Singleton said during their presentation.
Local leaders noted that counties were left out of Oregon Senate Bill 554, a 2021 measure that established that school administrators could determine whether concealed weapons are allowed in their public buildings. It wasn’t until Monday that this year’s Senate Bill 243 went into effect, allowing more local jurisdictions to establish their own concealed carry rules.
But the newly-approved Multnomah County ordinance comes with a few exceptions. People who receive authorization from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and government workers whose employers require them to carry firearms are exempt from the amendment.
Officials are also still determining which buildings will be eligible for the ordinance. The county will spend the next 45 to 60 days conducting internal communications and outreach before signage is installed at the eligible buildings and the rule goes into effect, according to Chief Operating Officer Christopher Neal.
People who violate the new policy could potentially be excluded from certain facilities.
“This is really a small but important step that we can do as a board to create safer spaces in our county and to take advantage of the tools we have available to do that at the local government level — which frankly aren’t a lot of tools that we have,” County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
A couple of Portland-based authors are in the spotlight on the other side of the country. Leslie Barnard Booth’s “One Day This Tree Will Fall” and Elizabeth Mehren’s “I Lived to Tell the World: Stories from Survivors of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War” are the titles that Oregon will represent at this year’s National Book Festival.
Oregon’s state librarian Wendy Cornelisen shared information about why these books deserved to be put in the national spotlight.
“These two books in particular were selected by staff here at the state library,” Cornelisen said.
“They really represent Oregon,” Cornelisen continued. “They’re by Oregon authors and also really help celebrate reading and books.”
She also said there will be a booth set up to discuss these pieces of literature.
“There will be people, especially lots of kids, in the venue,” Cornelisen said. “We have sent a wide variety of materials to be there at the booth.”
“We’re really excited to be able to showcase these books and these authors at this event,” Cornelisen continued.
The festival takes place near the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. all day tomorrow.
Staff at one of Portland’s largest employers say they were caught off guard by a dramatic change in timeline for a return-to-office mandate.
In late July, a number of Portland State University (PSU) employees were notified they’d need to return to working downtown by mid-November—a large jump from an earlier September 2026 timeline.
The original return-to-office order in early June stated that employees would need to return to in-person work four days per week by next September, but this quickly ratcheted up. In an email on July 31, 2025, Research and Graduate Studies employees were told they would need to return to in-person work five days a week by November 17, 2025—barring an approved exception or short-term transition plan.
PSU’s Office of Academic Affairs took the same approach, noting in a staff memo that “a desire to lower personal costs” is not a valid exception for extended remote work and remote work “is not a substitute for dependent care.”
The university employs just over 5,200 staff, according to fall 2024 data, making it among the top 10 largest employers in the Portland region.
“As an essential part of our mission as Oregon’s Urban Research University, it is important that we continue to work toward returning PSU to pre-pandemic levels of campus vibrancy,” PSU President Ann Cudd wrote in a statement in June. “We take our public service mission seriously and an active campus environment serves not only our students and our community but also our city and our region.”
PSU isn’t the only employer trying to cut down on remote work.
In hopes of increasing downtown foot traffic, the city of Portland has used tax incentives to encourage employers to lease office space downtown and bring employees back to the office. Mayor Keith Wilson has also required city managers and supervisors to return to full-time in-office work.
The consequences of returning to the office could mean a substantial financial burden for PSU staff, who may soon have to pay for child care, or move.
Janet Albarrado works in a department within Research and Graduate Studies. She’s lived in Oakridge—nearly 150 miles from Portland—since before she was hired and would now need to move to keep her job unless an exception is made.
“The economic vibrancy of downtown is being privileged over the health and wellbeing of your staff,” Albarrado said. “The impact of this is blowing up our office.”
Albarrado isn’t the only one who’d have to move to adhere to the new requirements.
Nick Crivello works in the same department as Albarrado and lives in Olympia. He said he couldn’t sustainably live in Portland on his current salary.
“Others in my department have it worse than myself, and I’m speaking out because of how devastating this will be to many workers who are doing essential work to ensure research funding endures through these troubling times,” Crivello told the Mercury, noting a lack of clarity or clear guidance on when his return-to-office deadline is. “In my 20 years working in higher education at various institutions, this initiative is the most disruptive and inconsiderate decision I’ve seen, and it negatively affects everyone in my department.”
Exceptions to the return-to-office policy appear limited. PSU says it won’t grant exceptions for things like caregiving arrangements, employee preference, convenience, or employee commutes. Historical or informal arrangements without a current business rationale—i.e. remote work arrangements made during the COVID-19 pandemic—won’t be honored either.
Katy Swordfisk, PSU’s media relations manager, says remote work decisions are made at the department level, and that supervisors are encouraged to work with their staff to develop individual plans. Despite this plan going forward, staff were not included in the decision-making process around the return-to-office order.
“For people who currently live outside of commuting distance, their individual circumstances and plans will be coordinated by the respective department,” Swordfisk said. “What we are hoping for is ongoing conversations about when and why on-campus work should be prioritized and what makes a vibrant urban campus.”
At least three employees in the Research and Graduate Studies department have quit because of the return-to-office order.
Emily Grafton moved to Minnesota with approval from the university just a few weeks before the initial June 4 return-to-office notice. The notice ultimately resulted in her decision to leave.
“None of [this] feels very vibrant to me,” Grafton said. “I really feel terribly for my colleagues.”
Mandate could face legal hurdle
PSU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the union representing more than 1,200 workers, has also taken issue with this shift in remote work policies.
“The new policy imposes a hard shift to on‑campus work—one‑day cap by default, “rare” multi‑day exceptions, and fixed deadlines—which are material changes to working conditions,” David Kinsella, PSU-AAUP vice president for collective bargaining, said. “Our position is that changes like these must be bargained, and we’re pursuing the appropriate bargaining and legal avenues to protect members’ rights under the [collective bargaining agreement].”
The return-to-office notices have also presented issues for staff with disabilities.
Megan McFarland, the digital inclusion and universal design coordinator at PSU, supports faculty to better serve students with disabilities. The return-to-office orders and other interactions over the past few months have left McFarland’s own accommodations under threat.
With multiple disabilities, McFarland has gone through the accommodations process, resulting in fully remote work since 2021, only coming to campus as needed. Through the years, she’s received multiple positive performance reviews and worked successfully without issues, until recently.
Since March, McFarland says PSU has consistently pushed for her to return to campus, despite her ADA accommodations.
“They want me [on campus] for prescheduled full days,” McFarland said. “My accommodation is largely rooted in my need for a private, sound-proof, quiet workspace, and that is not available to me on campus. …There’s vague promises to explore amendments to private workspaces on campus to meet my needs, but not reassurance that will be in place before I’m forced to go back.”
McFarland pushed back against what she called “vague business needs” as the reason for being required to return to the office—things such as team collaboration, “campus vibrancy,” and concerns that her remote status could make other staff uncomfortable asking for in-person services.
“It’s been tremendously impactful on me to have my accommodations almost lorded over me like a shadow or a dark cloud, that I don’t know if I’m going to open my email any day and be told I’m forced to go back and cause harm to myself,” she added.
Swordfisk, the media relations manager, says PSU is “fully committed to ADA accommodations” which could include remote work.
With fall term approaching, PSU has many contentious issues to sort out. Bargaining with the adjunct faculty union, PSUFA, is also on the docket, but this does not appear to be going smoothly.
PSUFA filed an unfair labor practice charge against PSU for halting “key benefits for roughly 1,200 adjunct faculty and researchers when their contract expired June 30.”
With that case still pending and AAUP questioning the return-to-office orders, a turbulent bargaining season is likely in store.
Oregon elected leaders, others gathered at the Portland City Hall to encourage Congress to block the use of weapons by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.
PORTLAND, OR – On Thursday, elected leaders from cities, counties, and the Oregon Legislature, along with faith and community leaders, gathered at Portland City Hall to launch a petition calling on Oregon’s Congressional delegation to sponsor Block the Bombs Act. That legislation, titled HR 3565, is meant to stop the United States from sending the most deadly offensive weapons to Israel, so those weapons can not be used in Gaza. It would limit President Trump’s ability to authorize the use of the weapons.
Oregon U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Val Hoyle are co-sponsors of the bill, while Representative Maxine Dexter has not joined as a co-sponsor.Dexter has previously called for a “halt the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel.”
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley visited Israel and went to the Gaza border.He also has supported legislative efforts to stop weapons exports to Israel.However, Senator Ron Wyden has voted against legislation to curb US military aid to Israel.He is on the record as saying Israel needs U.S. defense aid to defend itself against “threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies.”
If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s newsreporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋
Get ready for a partly sunny (and still hazy) weekend, with temps hovering around the 86 degree mark today and dipping into the upper 70s on Saturday and Sunday. I would make a reference to the “hazy, lazy, crazy days of summer,” but if you’re like me, you’ve only experienced two of those things. Now let’s read up on some hazy, crazy, and never lazy NEWS!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Lots of people—probably including yourself—are not happy about the federal government spending your tax dollars to finance Israel’s continuing genocide of the Palestinian people. And yesterday a large group of Portlanders and elected officials gathered to hold a press conference outside of City Hall to urge Oregon’s congressional lawmakers to stop providing financial (tens of billions of dollars so far) and military support to Israel in their ongoing siege on the people in Gaza. Speakers at the press conference urged the state lawmakers to co-sponsor the Block the Bombs Act, which if enacted, would prohibit sending deadly defense weapons and services to Israel. Think stopping a genocide might be a good idea? 🙋Then find out more in this article by our Taylor Griggs.
Local lawmakers joined Palestinian Oregonians and other advocates at a rally outside Portland City Hall today. The group urged US legislators to support an effort to curtail military spending in Israel amid its ongoing siege on Gaza. So far, two Oregon US congresswomen have signed onto the bill.
• Yesterday on Capitol Hill, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden really laid into the brain worm-addled Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chastising his insane attempts to gut and reshape the CDC, limiting vaccine access to millions, and endangering the lives of Americans. “Instead of finding ways to help American families pay less for health care,” Wyden snapped, “Robert Kennedy is singularly focused on his anti-vaccine mission, fueled by a messiah complex, the consequences be damned.” Even some of Kennedy’s Republican comrades were blasting him in an unusually fiery session in which Wyden correctly noted that “I don’t think Robert Kennedy should be within a million miles of this job.” (I’d say closer to ten million… but why nitpick?)
• Meanwhile on Wednesday, anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted a Q&A session with Mayor Keith Wilson at a weekly Bike Happy Hour event, which eventually ended in the mayor getting up and walking away. While the mayor’s intent was to speak about transportation safety, members of the crowd reportedly peppered Wilson with questions about what he was going to do about the city’s ICE facility, and demanding that Portland must end its sister city relationship with Ashkelon—a city in Israel just north of the embattled Gaza Strip.
West Coast states are teaming up to issue their own vaccine guidelines in the face of rapid changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The federal turmoil has some people wondering what this means for their seasonal shots.
• In labor news, Portland’s popular Powell’s Books have reportedly laid off 18 workers in the last two months. According to a company spokesperson, the layoffs primarily affected “management and business services positions across several departments,” and cited lagging sales that have not returned to the level of pre-pandemic profits.
Swedish pop girlie Zara Larsson brings her Midnight Sun tour to Portland, former Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt will promote his newest album on his 3L World Tour, and Aussie comedy queen Celeste Barber is adding more US tour dates. All this and more in this week’s TICKET ALERT! 🚨
• BAD NEWS FOR THE CHEETO-IN-CHIEF: According to the latest abysmal jobs report, hiring across the country continues to crater under Trump-onomics. Thanks to King Fool’s stunningly idiotic tariff plans, American employers have been reluctant to hire new workers, citing the country’s current (and verrrry shaky) economic situation. As a comparison, in July companies made 77,000 hires (not great)—but then in August, only 22,000 people were hired, while unemployment continued rising to 4.3 percent. Following the prior disappointing jobs report, an infuriated Trump fired his director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, for not giving him the numbers he would prefer. Wonder who will get shit-canned this time?
Early job numbers ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Friday jobs report are painting a grim picture of the American economy, one that some are labeling as an indicator that a “Trumpcession” is well underway.
• Roughly 450 immigrants were kidnapped by ICE agents at a Hyundai plant in Georgia yesterday, marking what is most likely the biggest mass arrest in the agency’s history. The kidnappings brought operations at the company to a complete standstill—which cannot be making Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp very happy, since he has been proudly touting the Hyundai factory as “the largest economic development site in the state’s history.” (Sorry, GOP! You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.)
Stephen Miller has emerged as a key enforcer of President Trump’s D.C. takeover.
Miller’s team provides a daily report on the arrests made the night before, including a breakdown of how many of those arrested are undocumented immigrants.
• In an all-too-clear example of “bumbling white guys failing upward”: Despite the fact that billionaire crybaby Elon Musk and his pimple-faced DOGE cronies have decimated many necessary government agencies without achieving any considerable savings, while also causing his company Tesla to experience its biggest ever losses, the company is setting him up to be awarded a whopping $1 trillion if he does his job achieves certain benchmarks. The good news is that in order to get that $1 trillion, under his watch the failing company would have to reach a market valuation of $2 trillion while also delivering 20 million vehicles—though in 2024 it only sold two million total. (Will this be the most excruciatingly slow firing we’ve ever seen in our lives? LET’S WATCH. 🍿)