PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Woodstock Library is set to reopen Friday after closing for improvements in March.
Nearly 6 months after the library closed, the Multnomah County Library announced the Woodstock Library will finally be reopening for the community.
The Library received several small improvements, including new furniture, an area for teens and tweens, a ‘Tech Bar’ with access to a copying machine, scanner and computers and new paint and carpeting.
The upgrades came as part of Multnomah County Library’s Refresh projects, using voter-approved money to improve several libraries throughout the county.
In 2025, Multnomah County Library said that they have seen “dramatic reinvention” by building and expanding five libraries.
So far, new and expanded libraries have opened at Holgate, Midland, North Portland and Albina.
In total, the library said it plans to bring upgrades to 11 libraries.
I would like to give a HUGE Thank You to my co-workers…Thank YOU ALL who participated in bullying and harassing me for over the past year. It has been quite an education experiencing Professional Adults acting like 14 y//o mean girls actually DO exist. I remain baffled, yet despite this you have taught me resilience, to use my voice, to stand up and NOT be ignored/silenced/ or retaliated against. Game On Bitches!!! Your jobs are in jeopardy. Vengeance is a dish best served cold
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland’s downtown office vacancies are now among some of the highest in the country.
In Old Town, those struggles come into sharp focus — where empty buildings stand alongside a dense network of social services and visible homelessness. But one group is working to show that the neighborhood is much more than its challenges.
A self-guided walking tour is transforming vacant storefronts into a vibrant, open-air art gallery—free and visible from the street.
Matthew Claudel with Field States, an urban design and real estate firm, says they’re focused on the Old Town/Chinatown area, where he says the city’s struggles are the most visible.
“(We) got to take care of the problem where it’s the worst,” said Claudel. “It’s got great history. It’s also one of the places where you see the highest vacancy rates and the most boards on windows.”
Claudel hopes this project helps attract more people and businesses back to the city.
“A space that looks vibrant, a space that looks creative, a space that you can peer into and imagine their future in that space is a lot easier to lease than a space with boarded-up windows,” he said.
Building owners recently donated 17 storefronts to showcase 17 local artists. Organizers are covering the insurance costs, with the goal of demonstrating how art can spark neighborhood revitalization.
“When you make a commitment, you know that’s really when you start investing,” said Laura Lesueur, owner of Elle Gallery.
Lesueur’s gallery is one year into its five-year lease, and also serves as a starting point for the tour. She sees this project as a way to uplift the neighborhood through art, especially as so many businesses across the city are struggling.
“I wanted to be able to learn the neighborhood, and contribute and invest in the neighborhood,” she said.
While similar models exist in San Francisco and Seattle, artist Kim Smith Claudel says having her art displayed at the Starlight Affordable Apartments is especially meaningful.
“To create art that’s on the street that is accessible for all people is a gift,” she said.
The free, open-air gallery runs through Dec. 1. There are already plans to expand to more Portland neighborhoods soon.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The third and final person missing from a group that went over Dillon Falls in July was recovered on Thursday.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office identified Derek Slesinger as the last person to be recovered.
Six people went over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River around 3 p.m. on July 19. Officials said the group was floating on inner tubes tied together when they hit the rapids. Three of them jumped from their tubes and made it to shore while the other three were swept away and died.
Authorities identified the two other floaters as Amanda Lloyd of Rockwall, Texas and Lindsay Bashan of Parkland, Florida. Lloyd had just turned 40 days before the incident. Bashan was 33. Their bodies were recovered just days after the incident.
Photo provided by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. – A man was discovered secretly living in the crawl space of a condominium near Happy Valley late Wednesday night, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded shortly before 11 p.m. on Sept. 3 to a condo complex on SE Old Town Court after a witness reported suspicious activity. The witness noticed a man — who did not appear to live in the area — parking his car and walking behind one of the buildings. Moments later, they observed light coming from an open crawl space door, which then shut.
When deputies arrived, they found the crawl space door damaged and locked. An extension cord was also seen running through a vent. After contacting the property owner, deputies learned no one was supposed to be inside the crawl space and that the owner had previously heard strange noises coming from beneath the unit.
The homeowner provided keys, but they did not work. Deputies then forced entry and discovered 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur living inside.
According to investigators, Bucur had transformed the crawl space into a livable area, complete with a bed, lighting, electronic devices, and chargers — all apparently powered using electricity from the home. Authorities believe he had been living there for some time.
Deputies also found a pipe containing a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Bucur was arrested and booked into the Clackamas County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. At a preliminary hearing Thursday, a judge set his bail at $75,000.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone with additional information to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 503-723-4949. Tips can also be submitted online or via the ClackCo Sheriff mobile app. Refer to case #25-018688.
WASHINGTON, DC – Officials in the nation’s capital are filing a lawsuit against President Trump over the deployment of National Guard troops. The lawsuit argues Mr. Trump “has run roughshod over a fundamental tenet of American democracy — that the military should not be involved in domestic law enforcement.”
This legal action comes after a federal judge ruled earlier this week that the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in California was illegal.
According to a senior official familiar with planning, the administration is working on an extension that could keep troops in the nation’s capital through December.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark react at the end of the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Golden State Valkyries, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the Indiana Fever’s season because of a right groin injury.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said in a statement. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty.
“This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the playoffs.”
Clark was injured late in a July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun, and later sustained a bone bruise. The former Iowa star averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games in her second season in the WNBA.
“Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side,” Fever COO and GM Amber Cox said in a statement. ”“While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season.”
The 2024 Rookie of the Year had been trying to get back to help her team reach the postseason for a second straight year. She participated in full-court drills without defense during a shootaround before the Fever faced the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night. Coach Stephanie White said Thursday at practice that Clark hasn’t done much contact work yet.
Indiana is currently in eighth place in the standings, 1 1/2 games in front of Los Angeles with three games to play.
It has been a rough season for Clark, who also dealt with injuries to her left quad and left groin. This was the first time she’s had injury issues. She never missed a game in her collegiate career at Iowa or her first year in the WNBA.
The Fever have lost five players for the season with injuries now including Clark. Fellow guards Sydney Colson (knee), Aari McDonald (foot) Sophie Cunningham (knee) and forward Chloe Bibby (knee) are also out.
Clark has helped women’s basketball grow in both college and the WNBA. The league had record attendance this season even with Clark missing most of the season.
Mohanad, a Palestinian who currently lives in Oregon, says he is proud of his adopted home in the United States. But during the last two years, Mohanad has spent most days worrying about his family in Gaza, including his mother, who lives with multiple chronic health conditions, and mourning those who have been killed by the Israeli military.
One of the most difficult parts of this experience, Mohanad says, is knowing that the tax dollars he pays to the American government “contribute to the weapons that killed members of my family.”
At a press conference outside Portland City Hall on Thursday, September 4, Mohanad joined a group of Oregon elected officials and community members in calling for the US government to stop providing financial and military support to Israel amid the country’s ongoing siege on Palestinians in Gaza. The group, which included Portland City Council members, state lawmakers, and religious leaders, urged Oregon’s congressional delegation to support legislation to restrict US arms exports to Israel.
The US has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid and arms shipments to Israel since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on the country. Speakers at the press conference said the total military aid given has surpassed $31 billion over two years. The number is difficult to verify, as the US government has not always been transparent about how much support it provides to the Israeli military. Reports have tallied that the US provided almost $18 billion in direct military assistance in the first year of Israel’s war on Gaza, by far the most aid provided to the country in a single year.
Over the last two years, some federal lawmakers have also made multiple attempts to pass legislation that would halt arms sales and military aid to Israel. At the Thursday event, speakers urged lawmakers to co-sponsor the Block the Bombs Act, which was introduced in May and seeks to prohibit the transfer of the most lethal defense weapons and services to Israel. Advocates for the bill made the connection between extensive military spending in Israel and a lack of investment in domestic programs Americans rely on.
Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo listed some ways the city could’ve spent the billions of dollars provided to the Israeli military over the last two years, suggesting Portland could make infrastructure upgrades for seismic resiliency, build a cap over I-5 at the Rose Quarter to reconnect the Albina neighborhood, and help hungry children.
“We could do anything with $31 billion,” she said. “Instead, our $31 billion is going towards starving, bombing, and maiming children in other countries, because our leaders do not find their lives to be valuable.”
Oregon US Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Val Hoyle have joined the bill as co-sponsors. Rep. Maxine Dexter has called for the US to “halt the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel,” but has not officially joined as a co-sponsor for the Block the Bombs Act.
The local lawmakers who support the Block the Bombs Act say their endorsement is in line with what Oregonians, and Americans as a whole, want, with recent polling showing most Americans oppose continued US military aid to Israel.
At the Thursday press conference, Oregon State Senator Khanh Pham spoke directly to “those in our US congressional delegation who have not yet [co-sponsored the bill], or who have remained silent or or have voted against stopping the bombs and offensive weapons to Israel.”
“We urge you to listen to the stories of Oregonians who we’ve heard from today, whose family members have been injured and killed by the offensive weapons sent and funded by the US,” Pham said.
Oregon Representative Willy Chotzen said he “ran for office to focus on housing and education and streets and bridges and schools.”
“That’s why I haven’t spoken publicly [about Gaza] much, even though I have a lot of beliefs about this issue,” he told the Mercury after the press conference. “To me, it’s more human than being a state representative in the capital. Almost everything I work on [in Salem] is something I have direct control to improve lives over. But I think I’ve also been given a position of power, and with that power comes responsibility to disrupt violence.”
The Block the Bombs Act, which was introduced by Illinois Democratic Representative Delia Ramirez, has been co-sponsored by 40 others. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, but it’s unclear if or when it will receive a wider vote.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More than a week after two firefighters working on the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a Pacific Northwest lawmaker is calling out the Trump Administration for what she is calling “unconstitutional treatment.”
U.S. Rep. Andreas Salinas (D-OR) said one of the firefighters arrested lived in Keizer, Oregon and is one of her constituents. Following his arrest on August 27, the man’s lawyers said he went missing for two days, as federal authorities allegedly refused to divulge information about his whereabouts. Earlier this week, the lawyers at Innovation Law Lab later said they finally found out their client’s location, and that he’d been moved to a Tacoma, Washington facility.
On Thursday, Salinas took to the House Floor to call out the treatment of her constituent, one of two wildland firefighters arrests that coincided with the termination of Bureau of Land Management contracts with two Oregon-based companies.
“Mister Speaker, I rise to call out the Trump Administration for their arrest and unconstitutional treatment of my constituent,” Salinas said. “Last week, my constituent was working as a wildland firefighter to combat the Bear Gulch Fire when CBP stopped his crew and arrested him.”
Salinas said the man had been brought to the U.S. at four years old, and it is the only country he has known as home for multiple decades. The man’s lawyers have also said he was on track to legal status when he was arrested.
“For the past three years, he has bravely served as a wildland firefighter, putting his life on the line to protect us. Arresting a firefighter — who is actively fighting a wildfire — does not make our communities safer.”
Salinas said for the two-day period during which the man’s lawyers could not locate him, his constitutional rights were violated, and he was allegedly denied a phone call to his attorneys.
“Let me be clear. Immigrants deserve to be treated with dignity. The Constitution deserves to be followed. Communities deserve safety from wildfires, and first responders deserve to do their job unimpeded. Anything less is a slap in the face to the values we share as Americans,” Salinas said.
Innovation Law Lab Attorney Rodrigo Fernandez-Ortega told KOIN 6 News that even after his client’s location was finally revealed to them, it’s still been a struggle to be in touch with him. He said that whenever they were able to connect, the call was too rushed to provide adequate support.
On Friday, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement to the Associated Press that the two arrests “did not prevent or interfere with any personnel actively engaged in firefighting efforts.”
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Police Bureau, in partnership with the Gresham Police Department, has launched a Drone as First Responder pilot program aimed at improving emergency response times, enhancing public safety and de-escalating potentially dangerous situations.
The program will operate out of Portland Police’s East Precinct, where two of Gresham’s unmanned aerial systems have been installed on the roof. The drones will soon begin responding directly to certain emergency calls within a 2.5-mile radius — covering roughly 19 square miles.
Unlike traditional drone use where devices are stored in vehicles and deployed by officers at the scene, the DFR model keeps drones in a “ready-to-launch” state. Pilots stationed in a control room — including both PPB and GPD personnel — will remotely operate the drones, which can reach calls at the edge of their range in under two minutes.
The drones are intended to provide real-time situational awareness to officers en route, allowing for better coordination, faster decision-making and, in some cases, redirecting calls to non-police resources when appropriate.
Gresham’s DFR program has been operational since May 2023 and includes a similar setup at City Hall and the Rockwood Public Safety Facility. Portland will not be purchasing new drones for the pilot; instead, it will use Gresham’s existing “drone-in-a-box” equipment. The only added cost will be staffing.
The drones will not be used for general surveillance, and their use is bound by Oregon state law and PPB’s internal policies. Cameras are angled toward the horizon during flight and are only activated to record when there is a reasonable expectation of capturing evidence of a crime.
Privacy concerns are being taken seriously, police officials said. Drones will not record or transmit images from private areas without a warrant or exigent circumstances. The devices are also prohibited from being weaponized, used for mass surveillance, or deployed in discriminatory ways.
In the first seven months of 2025, PPB drones were deployed 426 times without receiving a single community complaint, according to the Bureau.
The DFR program will initially run on a limited schedule and involve just two drones at East Precinct. If successful, officials say it could be expanded to other parts of the city — with full transparency and public reporting.
UPDATE 9/4, 2 pm: The spectacular Eyes & Ears: A Survey of Visuals in Music 2020-2024 closed at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in February. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the original show, Bijan Berahimi of FISK—curator of Eyes & Ears—is locking in with former FISK designer and founder of Barn Radio, Cole Johnson, to reframe the scope of the exhibition. The newly dubbed Eyes and Ears: Barn Radio, Werk-in-Progress takes a look at Johnson’s graphic design work for Barn Radio. In collaboration with Wieden+Kennedy, the show is up at W+K through September 27, supplemented with archival footage of the DIY underground space, as well as the world-class programming that’s come to be expected of Barn Radio.
Eyes and Ears: Barn Radio, Werk-in-Progress opens Thursday, September 4 with a party from 5pm–8pm. The party is free, open to the public, and will see some of Portland’s best DJs behind the decks: Black Daria, Lapaushi, and Plus. Wine by Marigny.
There’s something very magical realism about walking into a space expecting to experience one thing, only to be met with a fully different sensory onslaught.
Bijan Berahimi, the graphic designer and creative behind Portland’s Fisk Gallery, has done just that with his new exhibit, Eyes & Ears: A Survey of Visuals in Music 2020-2024, which feels like a full sensory experience exploring the relationship between graphic design and music.
Hosted inside the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA)’s Center for Contemporary Art & Culture (CCAC), the exhibit features iconic graphic design made for musicians like Kedrick Lamar, Chappell Roan, Sega Bodega, Eartheater, André 3000, et al. for albums, tours, merch, and music videos from 2020-2024. I sat down with Berahimi in the exhibition space to learn about how it came to be, his creative curation process, and where he wants to take Eyes & Ears next.
PORTLAND MERCURY: When entering the exhibition, it doesn’t feel like we’re in Portland, it feels like we’re in a New York or LA gallery.
BIJAN BERAHIMI: I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider in Portland. I grew up in LA, and I’ve always wanted to bring more global projects and programs to Portland because that’s what I was used to seeing at the Getty, kind of connecting dots from around the world. When I came to Portland—which is known for its DIY and community-driven art, which is beautiful and I really enjoy that—as an outsider, it made sense to bring in a different perspective. Throughout the last decade of hosting and curating shows in Portland, I’ve always tried to bring the outside in, making the city’s art scenes stronger and more interesting, helping people feel like they aren’t missing out because they’re not living in LA or New York.
I don’t often see a lot of graphic design in the CCAC space at PNCA, how did it come about that you were able to use it?
I taught adjunct here from 2016-2020 and was involved in setting up the PNCA lecture series for design. Even after I stopped teaching here, I continued to help curate the lecture series.
This semester, CCAC is dedicated to the graphic design program, which hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s really rare that graphic design gets this space, it’s typically fine art, performance, multimedia, etc., so I jumped at the opportunity to curate an exhibit here.
You’re known by and connected to artists and designers from around the world, what was your curation process like while pulling Eyes & Ears together? Did you personally know all of the artists in the exhibit?
I knew, or had worked with about half the designers and artists now featured in the exhibit. I also wanted to use this opportunity, because I don’t live in LA or New York and am not often bumping into major art people at parties and galleries, to reach out to designers and creatives that I have been admiring, but who I don’t get to engage with regularly. I wanted to feel more connected to my industry, to establish more real connections—something that felt important and healthy for me.
It feels like the musicians featured are pretty genrefluid. You have trans experimentalists, high femme pop girlies, spiritual jazz heads, pop-punkers, and the biggest names in hip-hop all represented. Was there selection criteria that you kept in mind?
The show was supposed to feel eclectic, I knew I didn’t want the exhibit to be one genre or one note. There’s a lot of musicians in here who are genrebending, there are a lot of different genres represented and that’s how a lot of people listen to music now. I listen to everything—I listen to pop, I listen to rap, I listen to indie, I listen to folk. There’s so much happening in music right now as far as genres—where people are coming from, if the musicians are independent or on a label—realities that are changing and expanding constantly.
Often, with music exhibits, they’ve been so zoomed in, like the psychedelic posters from the ’60s up at Portland Art Museum right now. It’s an amazing show, but I think music is often too narrowly curated, presenting specific movements.
The current music landscape feels so large that a narrow style of curation didn’t make sense for this exhibit. So the thought was to feature art and artists I had been observing over the last few years regardless of whether it was pop or indie or hip-hop, I didn’t want to be bound by genre.
A musician’s music can sound like anything, and their campaigns can look like anything. To use Charli xcx’s Brat as an example, it was literally a movement. These artists have to consider everything: live shows, choreography, styling, makeup, album packaging, music videos, stage design, merchandise, TV appearances… It’s a lot. It requires hiring multiple full-time people. With that said, there’s a lot to show. This is just scratching the surface of what artists and musicians are capable of. There’s a really special energy working with people in music, and when I reduced this exhibit to its essence, I really wanted to celebrate the work regardless of music genre or scene.
I also wanted to highlight the importance of tangible art. All of these artists believe in their music so much that they print tour posters, press vinyl, and make eye-popping merchandise. They don’t just confine their music to social media and streaming platforms when they absolutely can, they believe in their music and their messages so much that they want it out there in the physical world. Seeing these posters blown up to massive scale, with the colors jumping out at you, is special. We don’t see this all that often since the advent and domination of social media.
What’s next for Eyes & Ears? Are you wanting to take it on the road?
I’m definitely thinking and working towards expanding Eyes & Ears. A lot of my projects have been more rigid, so working in this more museum-like space was really refreshing—I had access to a lot of resources I often don’t have because I do everything myself at Fisk. Looking ahead, I really want to push for the longevity of Eyes & Ears, which will hopefully include a digital space where artist interviews and stories can live, highlighting the designers and creatives behind these and other music projects.
I also want to travel an expanded version of the exhibit to New York and LA that would include a whole room of posters, a dark room for the music videos to be played in, and vinyl listening stations so people can interact with the records.
Eyes & Ears is up in the Pacific Northwest College of Art’s Center for Contemporary Art & Culture, 511 NW Broadway, until Thurs, April 3. Gallery hours: Mon-Sat, 10 am-4 pm, FREE.
Bijan Berahimi gives a lecture on Tues, March 11, 6:30 pm with Chicago-based designer Crystal Zapata, giving a lecture on Tues, April 1, 6:30 pm. Both lectures will be hosted at PNCA.
UPDATE 9/4, 2 pm: The spectacular Eyes & Ears: A Survey of Visuals in Music 2020-2024 closed at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in February. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the original show, Bijan Berahimi of FISK—curator of Eyes & Ears—is locking in with former FISK designer and founder of Barn Radio, Cole Johnson, to reframe the scope of the exhibition. The newly dubbed Eyes and Ears: Barn Radio, Werk-in-Progress takes a look at Johnson’s graphic design work for Barn Radio. In collaboration with Wieden+Kennedy, the show is up at Barn Radio through September 27, supplemented with archival footage of the DIY underground space, as well as the world-class programming that’s come to be expected of Barn Radio.
Eyes and Ears: Barn Radio, Werk-in-Progress opens Thursday, September 4 with a party from 5pm–8pm. The party is free, open to the public, and will see some of Portland’s best DJs behind the decks: Black Daria, Lapaushi, and Plus. Wine by Marigny.
There’s something very magical realism about walking into a space expecting to experience one thing, only to be met with a fully different sensory onslaught.
Bijan Berahimi, the graphic designer and creative behind Portland’s Fisk Gallery, has done just that with his new exhibit, Eyes & Ears: A Survey of Visuals in Music 2020-2024, which feels like a full sensory experience exploring the relationship between graphic design and music.
Hosted inside the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA)’s Center for Contemporary Art & Culture (CCAC), the exhibit features iconic graphic design made for musicians like Kedrick Lamar, Chappell Roan, Sega Bodega, Eartheater, André 3000, et al. for albums, tours, merch, and music videos from 2020-2024. I sat down with Berahimi in the exhibition space to learn about how it came to be, his creative curation process, and where he wants to take Eyes & Ears next.
PORTLAND MERCURY: When entering the exhibition, it doesn’t feel like we’re in Portland, it feels like we’re in a New York or LA gallery.
BIJAN BERAHIMI: I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider in Portland. I grew up in LA, and I’ve always wanted to bring more global projects and programs to Portland because that’s what I was used to seeing at the Getty, kind of connecting dots from around the world. When I came to Portland—which is known for its DIY and community-driven art, which is beautiful and I really enjoy that—as an outsider, it made sense to bring in a different perspective. Throughout the last decade of hosting and curating shows in Portland, I’ve always tried to bring the outside in, making the city’s art scenes stronger and more interesting, helping people feel like they aren’t missing out because they’re not living in LA or New York.
I don’t often see a lot of graphic design in the CCAC space at PNCA, how did it come about that you were able to use it?
I taught adjunct here from 2016-2020 and was involved in setting up the PNCA lecture series for design. Even after I stopped teaching here, I continued to help curate the lecture series.
This semester, CCAC is dedicated to the graphic design program, which hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s really rare that graphic design gets this space, it’s typically fine art, performance, multimedia, etc., so I jumped at the opportunity to curate an exhibit here.
You’re known by and connected to artists and designers from around the world, what was your curation process like while pulling Eyes & Ears together? Did you personally know all of the artists in the exhibit?
I knew, or had worked with about half the designers and artists now featured in the exhibit. I also wanted to use this opportunity, because I don’t live in LA or New York and am not often bumping into major art people at parties and galleries, to reach out to designers and creatives that I have been admiring, but who I don’t get to engage with regularly. I wanted to feel more connected to my industry, to establish more real connections—something that felt important and healthy for me.
It feels like the musicians featured are pretty genrefluid. You have trans experimentalists, high femme pop girlies, spiritual jazz heads, pop-punkers, and the biggest names in hip-hop all represented. Was there selection criteria that you kept in mind?
The show was supposed to feel eclectic, I knew I didn’t want the exhibit to be one genre or one note. There’s a lot of musicians in here who are genrebending, there are a lot of different genres represented and that’s how a lot of people listen to music now. I listen to everything—I listen to pop, I listen to rap, I listen to indie, I listen to folk. There’s so much happening in music right now as far as genres—where people are coming from, if the musicians are independent or on a label—realities that are changing and expanding constantly.
Often, with music exhibits, they’ve been so zoomed in, like the psychedelic posters from the ’60s up at Portland Art Museum right now. It’s an amazing show, but I think music is often too narrowly curated, presenting specific movements.
The current music landscape feels so large that a narrow style of curation didn’t make sense for this exhibit. So the thought was to feature art and artists I had been observing over the last few years regardless of whether it was pop or indie or hip-hop, I didn’t want to be bound by genre.
A musician’s music can sound like anything, and their campaigns can look like anything. To use Charli xcx’s Brat as an example, it was literally a movement. These artists have to consider everything: live shows, choreography, styling, makeup, album packaging, music videos, stage design, merchandise, TV appearances… It’s a lot. It requires hiring multiple full-time people. With that said, there’s a lot to show. This is just scratching the surface of what artists and musicians are capable of. There’s a really special energy working with people in music, and when I reduced this exhibit to its essence, I really wanted to celebrate the work regardless of music genre or scene.
I also wanted to highlight the importance of tangible art. All of these artists believe in their music so much that they print tour posters, press vinyl, and make eye-popping merchandise. They don’t just confine their music to social media and streaming platforms when they absolutely can, they believe in their music and their messages so much that they want it out there in the physical world. Seeing these posters blown up to massive scale, with the colors jumping out at you, is special. We don’t see this all that often since the advent and domination of social media.
What’s next for Eyes & Ears? Are you wanting to take it on the road?
I’m definitely thinking and working towards expanding Eyes & Ears. A lot of my projects have been more rigid, so working in this more museum-like space was really refreshing—I had access to a lot of resources I often don’t have because I do everything myself at Fisk. Looking ahead, I really want to push for the longevity of Eyes & Ears, which will hopefully include a digital space where artist interviews and stories can live, highlighting the designers and creatives behind these and other music projects.
I also want to travel an expanded version of the exhibit to New York and LA that would include a whole room of posters, a dark room for the music videos to be played in, and vinyl listening stations so people can interact with the records.
Eyes & Ears is up in the Pacific Northwest College of Art’s Center for Contemporary Art & Culture, 511 NW Broadway, until Thurs, April 3. Gallery hours: Mon-Sat, 10 am-4 pm, FREE.
Bijan Berahimi gives a lecture on Tues, March 11, 6:30 pm with Chicago-based designer Crystal Zapata, giving a lecture on Tues, April 1, 6:30 pm. Both lectures will be hosted at PNCA.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – For decades, Portlanders have enjoyed the spectacle of tiny wings circling the chimney at Chapman Elementary School as the Vaux’s Swifts migrate their way south for the season.
This annual event typically kicks off at the start of September when temperatures begin to fall. But in 2024, the chimney in Northwest Portland remained notably empty. The swifts also have yet to be spotted at the school this year.
“Birds change what they do. It can be hard for people to get used to that,” Liebezeit said. “They go where they want to go. They could show up at Chapman tonight, who knows?”
Chimneys like the one at Chapman serve as an urban substitute for the hollowed-out trees these birds seek out in old growth forests. But the act of entering that shelter — the dramatic air show that attracts spectators every year — is when swifts are their most vulnerable.
“They need large chimneys during fall migration to roost in large numbers. We know that they like to sometimes roost in larger numbers because that provides some thermal benefit to them,” Liebezeit said. “They also want to keep away from predators.”
At Chapman, there have been instances of predators, such as hawks, loitering around the chimney waiting to pick off a swift for dinner, Liebezeit said. Other threats include climate change, wildfire smoke, and even man-made drones.
“We do know that recreational drones can cause a disturbance to swifts, and actually to lots of different kinds of wildlife,” Liebezeit said. “A couple times over the past few years, with people using drones at Chapman, we were able to advise them not to do that and move away.”
Liebezeit said there are several possibilities, but none have been confirmed as a direct cause.
In this Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2016 photo, migratory Vaux’s Swifts are a blur as they race to roost for the night inside a large, brick chimney at Chapman Elementary School in Portland, Ore. Numbers of Vaux’s Swifts are in decline, in part scientists say because of the destruction of the brick chimneys that they use to roost during their annual fall migration. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Swifts flying around Chapman Elementary School. (KOIN)
In the meantime, the birds have found other places to roost within city limits. The Bird Alliance encourages Portlanders to pay attention to their neighborhoods, where they may find the swifts visiting another chimney.
Liebezeit also added that spectators should avoid overwhelming their neighbors in large crowds.
“When the birds were showing up at Chapman, we had worked really closely with the community there for many years on best places for people to park and worked with Portland Public Schools to allow access for the public on that huge lawn they have,” he said. “A lot of these other sites where the birds are showing up at, we don’t have that luxury.”
If you happen to live in a home where swifts have chosen to occupy your chimney, Liebezeit said you should avoid disturbing them, as they do not pose any danger and will soon be on their way.
The Vaux’s Swift season is short and sweet, lasting only a month from early September to early October. But the Bird Alliance said there is still time to enjoy the swifts in your area.
“Think of it as another way to explore Portland, to find the swifts where they are and enjoy them and also respect people and their property,” Liebezeit said. “Maybe meet some new neighbors and new friends.”
FILE – In this July 28, 2019, file photo, a Spirit Airlines jet comes in for a landing at the airport in Latrobe, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Spirit Airlines announced today that Portland is one of 11 U.S. cities that will no longer be flown through. Oakland, Sacramento, and San Jose are just some of the other destinations that Spirit will no longer operate out of.
KXL received official confirmation from a a PDX spokesperson, who released the following statement:
“(We) can confirm that Spirit Airlines will be suspending all operations at PDX, with the last flight to operate on 10/3/25. It is worth noting that their service at PDX had already decreased this year compared to last.”
Spirit’s response to the news was shared in a statement:
“We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience this may cause and will reach out to those with affected reservations to notify them of their options, including a refund…We are grateful to the airports, business partners and community members in these markets who welcomed and supported us.”
The Florida-based airline has chosen a more strategic operation to serve its largest hubs. The decision comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in the last year, including most recently last month.
Who’s ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland’s best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst… if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin’!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!
Portland’s own Aminé brings back The Best Day Ever Fest! This year stars Thundercat, Amaarae, Smino, MIKE, SoundsByDonta, Zack Fox, and Chlothegod! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!
McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater, 2126 SW Halsey St. Troutdale, OR, Sat September 13 + Sun September 14, pm, $80.50-$181.50, all ages
Over the last four years the Black and Loud Fest has grown from a free local artist community event in a parking lot in Seattle to a full-on music festival. This year, festival founder, producer and King Youngblood band leader Cameron Lavi-Jones with his Dreaming in Color Team have utterly outdone themselves announcing LIVING COLOUR, the iconic multi-Grammy, genre-breaking GOATs of alternative Black Rock, one of the few groups with all four original members: guitarist Vernon Reid, vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun, and bassist Doug Wimbish. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!
Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, Sun September 14, 6 pm, $49.40, 21+
Disconnect from the digital world and take a load off with TWRP in a brand new chapter of their energetic live show, when they visit on ‘The Longest Weekend’ Tour! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Tues September 16, 7 pm, $40.14-$104.55, all ages
Fronted by songwriter Will Anderson, NYC rock quartet Hotline TNT shares their most sweeping and compelling album to date, Raspberry Moon! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!
Polaris Hall, Polaris Hall, 635 N. Killingsworth Ct, Fri Sept 19, 8:30 pm, $22.20, All Ages
Headspace carries the spirit of Sabertooth Festival into a new era — showcasing Portland’s finest local bands in a haze of heavy riffs, swirling sounds, and psychedelic vibes. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair here!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Sat September 20, 8 pm, $21.25, all ages
Patrick Wolf released his long-awaited seventh album Crying The Neck this year. The first single is set in the days before the passing of his mother. “Dies Irae” is an anthemic “affirmation of life in the last days of knowing you are about to lose someone you love, and a courageous – almost rebellious – choice against the misery to use the time remaining to deepen your love or joy with each other.” Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair here!
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St, Wed September 24, 8pm, $34.10-$40, all ages
With more than 25 million albums sold over a longstanding career, James are amongst the most commercially and artistically successful alternative rock bands of their era. Get your tickets now, or enter to win a free pair here!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Thurs October 2, 8 pm, $52.25-$68.50, all ages
The Portland Erotic Ball’s 25th Anniversary is eye-popping spectacle that includes 3 floors of non-stop entertainment, live bands, a $10,000 cash + prize costume contest, DJ OG One, world-class burlesque dancers, aerialists, circus acts, contortionists, stilt walkers, a full floor of fetish demonstrations and live kink performances on an all-new stage. The event is presided over by Emmy-nominee and hostess, Sasha Scarlett. This event sells out year after year. All lifestyles are welcome. Costumes are mandatory. Remember YOU are the PARTY, so DRESS to THRILL! We will see out for the 25th Anniversary of the legendary Portland Erotic Ball! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair here!
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Sat November 1, 8 pm, $64-$125, 21
GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday, and check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!
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!👋
Gird your loins for a hazy, sunny day in Portland with the high reaching 90 degrees! And while you’re “girding” things, might as well gird your loins for today’s NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Let’s kick off with some good news: A 68-year-old military veteran will stay in his home after previously facing eviction for verrrrry dubious reasons. Dan McLean got an eviction notice at his apartment last week, instructing him to be out in less than five days. But McLean, who lives at a property owned by Home Forward—and is severely visually impaired—didn’t know he’d been served previous eviction papers or that he was behind on rent. He says the housing voucher he receives wasn’t covering his full rent, but no one at The Yards at Union Station apartments bothered to tell him, and he started racking up back rent and fees. To make things worse, court summons were being sent to a mailbox he didn’t have access to. BUT! (And here’s where the good news comes in.) McLean’s neighbors and the tenant union at his apartment complex immediately stepped in to help, as did City Councilor Mitch Green’s office. After sternly-worded letters from the tenant union and Councilor Green, the eviction case was dismissed and the property management company has now agreed to work with the tenant to get him caught up on payments. (Phew! But it’s insane that we need this many people to convince a landlord they’re in the wrong.) Our Courtney Vaughn has the details.
• Mayor Keith Wilson pulled the unusual move yesterday of sending out an email blast asking citizens to donate their time and money to area houseless shelters and support agencies, warning that if the city doesn’t do more to fix our situation, Trump could deploy “bulldozers” and order “mass arrests by masked agents.” When Trump decided to militarize Washington, DC on August 11, he wrongly linked crime and houselessness to justify his authoritarian move. Wilson reasons that if Portlanders volunteer and donate their services, it will “prove the administration’s heavy-handed tactics are not needed in our city.” (I think we all know that Trump will never listen to reason, and that if he sets his beady eyes on our city, he will justify his actions with any lie that pops from his bloated, cracked lips.) Despite the flawed reasoning, Wilson’s plan happily appears to be working, with the city’s houseless support services reporting a substantial uptick in donations. Here’s where you can donate time and help.
• The governors of Oregon, Washington, and California are forming a super team to combat the misinformation being spewed by Robert Kennedy Jr.’s takeover of the CDC, by coming up with their own vaccine and immunization recommendations for their respective states. “The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences,” read the statement signed by Oregon’s Tina Kotek, Washington’s Bob Ferguson and California’s Gavin Newsom. The three say they will pull information from “scientific experts in trusted medical professional organizations,” as opposed to the musings of a brain worm-addled, dead baby bear kidnapper, who swims in sewage contaminated creeks… IN JEANS.
The democratic governors of Oregon, Washington and California are forming a new public health partnership aimed at preserving access to vaccines.
• In case you didn’t know, Portland’s high school band directors are workers too, and most in the area are refusing to allow their musicians to play at area sports events until they are fairly compensated for their time. Band nerds already know that their directors spend A LOT of time outside of school hours practicing with their students, performing at parades and pep rallies, and going on road trips to football games… and should be fairly paid for their efforts. The directors have been negotiating with Portland Public Schools for two years, and have little to show for their efforts—hence the walk off (or “march off,” if you prefer).
• Bird lovers are anxiously waiting to see if the Chapman Swifts will return to the famed elementary school’s chimney, where their swooping antics have entertained viewers for years. The worry? While the number of swifts peaked in 2023, when 11,440 of the tiny, acrobatic birds were counted, that number crashed to a mere 1,000 in 2024. Bird watchers noted that, for reasons unknown, the swifts changed their migratory patterns and have been taking up residence across the city—in particular the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral on NE Glisan.
• Aaaaaand here’s your last reminder:
LAST CALL! The Mercury is hiring an additional news reporter to beef up our excellent staff—could that person be YOU or someone you know? Let’s find out! 🔍 Applications are due this Friday!
• The aforementioned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (AKA the brain worm guy, dead bear cub kidnapper, jeans in sewage swimmer, etc) is currently being grilled by lawmakers after throwing the CDC and the nation’s vaccine program into turmoil. Oregon’s own Sen. Ron Wyden has been spitting fire during the hearings, correctly noting that Kennedy has “elevated conspiracy theories, crackpots and grifters,” and is putting America’s children in danger. Kennedy, for his part, is thus far unsuccessfully defending his baffling views on vaccines, and his ridiculous firing of the CDC’s top scientist.
• After a federal judge put a stop to Trump’s economy-wrecking tariffs, King Fool is taking the predicted next step: asking his mostly hand-picked Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. If they decide to take the case, the Supremes will be rendering a judgement that could have sweeping, negative ramifications for the nation and world’s economy, and the consumer (that’s you). Trump’s legal team is asking (ordering?) the court to issue a ruling by September 10.
• And the cascade of Trump court losses just keep on cascadin’: A federal judge has reversed King Fool’s evil plan to cut more than $2.6 billion in research funding to Harvard University. The judge noted that Trump’s cuts were obvious retaliation for the school’s refusal to go along with the president’s outrageous demands to change their programs and directives, such as campus protests, academics, and admissions.
You know that boat the administration blew up? A former law enforcement official told the NYT the boat seemed to be carrying not drugs but *’migrants * www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u…
• RIP to famed designer Georgio Armani—the mastermind behind the power suit and the refined, urban silhouette favored by celebs and fashionistas for decades—who has died at the age of 91.
• And finally… LOOK. I know I’m giving free advertising to the Gap, and yet? I cannot stop watching this dance, and that includes anyone or anything that participates in it! LEAVE ME BEEEEEEE!
This story has been updated with input from Home Forward.
A veteran with disabilities who faced eviction will stay in his apartment, after intervention from a tenant union and a Portland city councilor.
Last Friday, Dan McLean, 68, got an eviction notice at his apartment in The Yards at Union Station—an affordable housing complex in Northwest Portland—that instructed him to be out by Tuesday. McLean, who’s battling serious health issues and had severe vision impairment up until a series of recent laser surgeries, says he had no idea he was behind on rent or that he’d been served eviction warnings.
The retired military vet says he receives assistance from a HUD VASH program, which combines US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental vouchers with clinical services provided by a local Veterans Affairs office. The rental assistance previously covered his entire monthly rent, but at some point, the rental voucher stopped covering the whole amount and McLean was on the hook for a portion of his monthly rent. He says he was never notified.
A few of his neighbors who help run a tenant union at The Yards apartment complex sprang into action. They contacted the site’s property management company, Pinehurst Management, and reached out to District 4 City Councilor Mitch Green’s office for help.
“I was blind for two and a half years. This is the first time I’ve seen anything,” McLean told staff in Councilor Green’s office during a video interview. “I had people read for me. My surgeries ain’t done and they wanna throw me out on the streets. Said I owed money.”
“We just started making phone calls and sending emails,” says Melody Frye, a resident at The Yards and an organizer within the tenant union. A letter sent to Pinehurst Management on McLean’s behalf outlines several alleged missteps.
“Until very recently, Dan has been functionally blind for an extended period due to cataracts. The leasing office staff were made aware of this fact well in advance of filing for eviction, but never took the necessary steps to accommodate him or connect him to a caseworker,” the letter to Pinehurst states. “Dan was crucially unaware that Home Forward stopped paying the full amount of his rent last September, and that he was now responsible for $140 a month, the reason for his eviction.” The letter indicates McLean owes about $1500 in unpaid rent and fees.
Last weekend, Councilor Green and a member of his staff visited McLean in his apartment. By Tuesday, Green’s office sent a letter to Home Forward, which owns the property. Green urged the affordable housing agency and its contracted property management company to halt the eviction.
Portland City Councilor Mitch Green visits a man in his district facing eviction. jordan karr-morse
“I’m writing with urgency to convey my alarm at the news that Home Forward is set to evict Mr. Daniel McLean, a disabled veteran, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025,” Green wrote, demanding an “immediate halt to his eviction.”
“I also demand a correction of the negligence that has led to a situation where Home Forward is set to throw a 68-year-old disabled veteran into the streets over a matter of roughly $1,500, only for the City of Portland to inevitably spend far more money trying to bring him back into housing at a future date, while jeopardizing his health and safety until he is housed again,” Green added, citing “serious procedural and governance questions” regarding Pinehurst Management’s actions.
Neighbors say McLean couldn’t read his mail, and wasn’t receiving legal notices about the eviction.
McLean is one of several tenants who was moved to a different apartment at the complex after pipes burst and flooded some of the units during a spell of freezing weather in January 2024. The arrangement was supposed to be temporary, but McLean was never placed back in his original unit, nor was he ever given a mailbox key for the temporary unit, where the court summons letters were sent, his neighbors told Pinehurst Management.
McLean’s neighbors say they intercepted a mail carrier to get access to the mailbox for his temporary unit, where they found court notices.
“Dan, like many residents, has been displaced for the last 19 months since our building was flooded,” the letter to Pinehurst states. “It has been Pinehurst’s practice to continue correspondence with residents through the original, primary mailbox of their main lease. To that end, Pinehurst has never proactively provided keys for the mailboxes associated with temporary leases here at The Yards.”
The advocacy from an elected official and McLean’s neighbors seems to have worked.
By Wednesday, McLean was informed his eviction case was dismissed, and the property management company would work with the tenant on a payment plan for the back rent still owed.
Staff in Councilor Green’s office say it’s unlikely McLean would’ve gotten his eviction stopped if not for his neighbors in the tenant union intervening on his behalf. The tenant union credits Green’s office for getting the eviction overturned.
Green says what happened to McLean is part of a larger problem that sees local government agencies spend millions to address homelessness, rather than preventing it.
“Dan’s story is not an anomaly. It’s the direct result of a system that neglects properties and neglects people,” Green stated in a news release Wednesday. “We are spending vast sums of public money on an affordable housing system that isn’t really affordable, then exponentially more to deal with the homelessness that results.”
The councilor called the issue “a fiscal and moral failure.”
Frye, the tenant union organizer, is a friend of McLean’s. She says the two bonded over their past military service, but lately, both war vets are bonding over their struggles with affordable housing.
She suspects what happened to McLean is the byproduct of indifference and a lack of oversight on behalf of the management company and the agencies tasked with providing affordable housing.
“Nobody is watching what’s going on,” she says. For the most part, residents at The Yards have learned to look out for their neighbors.
“We all help each other out,” Frye says.
Home Forward, a local housing authority that serves more than 18,000 families, says it works with tenants to get current on their rent payments, and offers reasonable repayment options. The agency says it regularly connects with tenants informally to discuss overdue rent and make referrals to caseworkers when needed.
“In the unfortunate case when a resident fails to enter into a repayment agreement and an eviction case is filed, we continue to offer the same reasonable repayment agreement and dismiss the court case as soon as the repayment agreement is signed,” Ian Davie, Home Forward’s chief operating officer, told the Mercury via email. “The processes that Home Forward uses are dramatically different from what is common in the private rental market. When we were contacted about this specific resident’s situation, we confirmed that we followed these steps to prioritize the resident’s housing stability throughout the past year. Regardless, we did decide to dismiss the case to make additional efforts to assist.”
Home Forward declined to discuss the specific circumstances of McLean’s case, citing tenant confidentiality, but Davie said the agency does regular re-certifications of rent amounts and income levels, to make sure those with housing vouchers are paying rent that reflects their income.
“When a household’s income increases, we make sure that residents know that their portion of the rent will increase,” Davie stated. “We also take steps to ensure that both the resident and property manager understand the resident’s portion of the rent.”
Ahead of a housing-focused press conference and rally scheduled for Thursday Morning at The Yards, Councilor Green used the near-eviction as a clarion call for Portland to rethink its housing model.
Last month, Green was among the 11 councilors who voted for a social housing policy at the local government level, to create a supply of permanently affordable housing stock.
“We need a model that is financed and governed right here in Portland,” Green stated. “That model is Social Housing—permanently affordable, high-quality housing for all that serves the public good, not private profit.”
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Summer heat and humidity remain as Portland and much of the Pacific Northwest are just weeks out from seeing fall foliage.
A few pops of color are already starting to show around Portland as drought and high heat puts stress on some trees. These varieties of trees will start showing fall colors much sooner. However, the majority of trees in Oregon will start seeing the fall transition depending on elevation.
KOIN 6 Chief Meteorologist Josh Cozart shares Oregon’s first potential pop of fall foliage this September 2025
Higher-elevation locations are expected to see some color change by the middle and end of next week. The higher elevations of the Cascades and Coastal Range will start seeing the pop of color against the deep greens of the Oregon’s evergreens by the September 14. The higher elevations provide cooler temperatures and in some cases more shade due to hillside. It’s this combination and the decreasing daylight hours that help speed up the color change process in the mountainous locations.
The second big wave of fall foliage isn’t expected to arrive in Portland or much of the Willamette Valley until late September. Leaf peepers can expect to see a few more trees starting to change as early as the last two week of September. Typically, the ash trees and some maples start giving up their shades of green first around Portland and Vancouver.
The higher elevations of the Cascades will likely near peak fall foliage by early October. Portland and much of the Willamette Valley will have to wait until the end of October to see peak fall foliage.
(Portland Tribune) — A scenic, tranquil garden tucked away in the Rose City has been called on as the prettiest garden to visit in Oregon.
Alexis Benveniste, a writer and editor with HGTV, a cable network, magazine, and news site focused on stories about homes and gardens, claims the Portland Japanese Garden is the most beautiful garden one could visit in the state.
“These 50 spots make our hearts flutter when we think about their colorful flower beds, inventive landscaping and inspiring art,” Benveniste writes in the article, which showcases the most beautiful garden in each state.
The Portland Japanese Garden, 611 Kingston Ave., was designed in 1963, offering an all-encompassing experience between eight separate garden styles, an authentic tea house, streams, walkways, views of Mount Hood and more. A nonprofit, the garden is rooted in core values of inspiration, serenity and tranquility, while providing an authentic representation of Japanese culture, tradition and aesthetics.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A former Oregon Youth Authority employee is accused of sexual misconduct, providing contraband to inmates and supplying a former inmate with guns upon their release.
On Wednesday, Cherie MacDougall, 42, was arraigned in a Marion County court after a grand jury indicted her on multiple charges stemming from an investigation back in 2022, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office said.
“According to a court exhibit, MacDougall was paid by incarcerated individuals to provide them with vaping devices. She later provided [someone] with two firearms after that individual was released from custody on conditional release in the community. The grand jury also indicted MacDougall for engaging in a sexual relationship with that same person,” the Marion County DA said in a statement.
A judge has imposed a $100,000 bail and the next court date is scheduled for September 11 in Salem.
MacDougall’s employment with OYA’s MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility ended on May 10, 2023.
McDougall is facing charges that include three counts of supplying contraband, three counts of conspiracy to supply contraband, two counts of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
