Taylor Griggs

KOIN-TV’s videographers, photographers, engineers, directors, and other production staff have always worked hard to get Portland’s news out to television screens across the city. But for the last several years, employees have had to put up with more than grueling overnight shifts and the typical ups and downs of the news industry. Since massive media conglomerate Nexstar purchased KOIN in 2016, unionized production staff at the station say they’ve experienced relentless union-busting tactics from their...

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, jam-packed event calendars, our spicy news roundups, 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...

Parking enforcement in Portland has ranged from lax to nonexistent over the past few years thanks to pandemic restrictions and staff shortages, but the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) says the days of leniency are officially over. With Portland City Council giving the bureau the green light to hire 22 new parking enforcement officers, the fleet of officers will soon be larger than it was before the pandemic. Starting July 8, PBOT’s expanded team of...

Portland Japanese Garden employees say they love the work they do, but they need to see change in the workplace in order to continue serving the community at one of Portland’s most beloved destinations. On April 22, employees from the Japanese Garden’s cafe and gift shop announced their intent to unionize with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 483. In a statement to the Mercury, unionizing employees wrote that over the past six...

[Welcome to our second annual “SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT PORTLAND” issue! Read it online here, or if you like physical, paper-y things, you can find it in more than 50 locations all around the city!—eds] Portland has been a bike city since the 1890s, just after the invention of the modern bicycle. By 1896, the city’s bike culture was strong enough to warrant distribution of a map of cycling routes, which contained advertisements for bike-friendly...

Need a new place to hang out? Look no further than Soho House, which just opened in Portland’s Central Eastside: A combination community workspace, gym, restaurant, social club, and solution to any isolation you may feel. We all know about the demise of American public gathering places—what could be better than a local Soho House (a chain club with more than locations around the globe) to make Portlanders social again? Hold on a second… I’m...

Portland advocates for parks and public space were excited when city officials announced the plan to overhaul and reopen O’Bryant Square, the downtown park now named Darcelle XV Plaza, after the late, renowned drag performer. Now, roughly a year since the plaza’s rebirth process began, some early project stakeholders and local urban design leaders fear the plans are being swayed by private business interests. Though it was once seen as a feat of public planning,...

Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan wants to continue serving on City Council. After months of silence about his political future— in contrast with his three fellow commissioners, each of whom have begun 2024 mayoral campaigns— Ryan announced today he plans to run for Portland City Council again this year. He will be vying for one of three seats in District 2, which encompasses the majority of the Northeast and North city quadrants. Ryan’s time on City...

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. 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! It’s the last ~real~ week of December (that purgatory week between Christmas and New Year’s Day doesn’t count). Where has the time gone?! I wish you all joyous holidays,...

Portlanders have seen several iterations of the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) since they voted to approve the fund to kickstart more climate-friendly initiatives in 2018. PCEF— which is funded by a 1 percent surcharge on local sales at large retailers— has consistently outperformed expectations, requiring leaders to reevaluate the fund’s purpose and strategy. Now, an unanticipated surge of cash has prompted yet another paradigm shift for PCEF. This week, leaders in Portlan…