Update: The city agreed to pay Adena Long more than $142,000 to step down.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Portland parks director resigns weeks after placed on administrative leave Adena Long, the director of Portland Parks & Recreation, stepped down from her job Wednesday, weeks after she was placed on administrative leave.

Portland parks director resigns weeks after placed on administrative leave (and hours before City Council's scheduled vote to refer a significant parks levy increase to voters this fall).

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Top Portland official offered to change city rules to give fire chief candidate premium pay bump City Administrator Michael Jordan floated a financial “carve in” to entice his desired pick to lead Portland Fire & Rescue, records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive show.

Portland fire chief finalist asks for housing assistance on top of $247K salary & $10K moving stipend.

City admin offers unilateral rule change to create special "carve in" for finalist.

City blocks release of this info, reverses course after our appeal to DA.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Foundational Portland painter who revealed Black history in PNW dies at 84 Isaka Shamsud-Din was a dedicated Civil Rights activist and created many of the city’s best loved murals.

Isaka Shamsud-Din was a dedicated Civil Rights activist and created many of the city’s best loved murals.

Too soon? 🫠

Prosper Portland promises five-figure relocation bonus for new exec’s cross-country move Portland generally caps relocation assistance for new, non-union employees at $10,000. Prosper's offer is far higher.

Prosper Portland is in the biz of doling out low-interest loans to ec/dev ventures.

Apparently, it also just granted a $45,000 NO-interest loan to its new exec director as a relocation bonus.

Prosper says it plans to forgive the debt incrementally...

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

Copper-wire thieves are knocking out streetlights across Portland, leaving highways – and police – in the dark The Oregon Department of Transportation has already spent more than $500,000 repairing streetlights in 2025.

"So far in 2025, copper bandits have already done more than $500,000 worth of damage to streetlights and lighting junction boxes in the Portland metro, using prybars, bolt cutters, torches and sledge hammers to get at the valuable metal inside them."
www.oregonlive.com/news/2025/07...

Portland taps Dallas assistant chief to lead Fire Bureau Lauren Johnson will be just the third woman to lead Portland Fire & Rescue.

Johnson is just the third chief to be selected outside of Portland Fire & Rescue — and will be only the third woman to lead the bureau.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Oregon stops paying Portland to remove homeless camps along freeways, other state property The move will likely lead to an increase in tents and trash along major state-owned roadways in Portland.

Latest fallout from Salem's transportation funding package implosion: Oregon has stopped paying Portland to remove homeless camps along major state-owned roadways within the city.

However, ODOT's $1 million fence along I-405 will continue as planned.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Portland says basic street maintenance ‘at risk’ after sweeping state transportation package implodes Mayor Keith Wilson warned that layoffs and a host of service reductions were likely coming.

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"In a presentation to the Portland City Council last week, city budget officials showed that between 22% and 27% of the Transportation Bureau’s annual discretionary fund will be used to cover its current debt obligations over the next five years."
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Portland fire chief finalist poses w/ cigar & Portland firefighters union T-shirt in IG post days after city job offer.

I ask if he's gotten the job. He responds:

“I’m not sure why any post that I have made would indicate anything of that nature."

3 days later, he withdraws.

Google what is “Neom”

Portland fire chief finalist accepted city job offer, then turned it down Reginald Freeman, a former Oakland, Calif. fire chief now working as a private contractor in Saudi Arabia, agreed in writing to the $247,000-a-year position June 17.

Portland's top pick for the city's next fire chief had bounced between at least four jobs in the last four years, currently works as a private contractor in Saudi Arabia & teased his PDX job offer on IG w/ a splashy post — days before abruptly backing out.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Prosper Portland selects Alabama economic development official as new leader Reached by phone, the candidate confirmed he had accepted the Portland job.

Prosper Portland has tapped a high-ranking economic development official from Birmingham, Alabama, to become its new executive director, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned.

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

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"As I look at the data that was made public, I’m reminded of my many years as an educator and teacher mentor—I’ve learned that shame and control rarely lead to lasting, positive change," Koyama Lane said.

www.wweek.com/news/city/20...

Two men on Portland City Council speak way more than most of their colleagues Some members of Portland’s new 12-person City Council have had an awful lot to say during their first six months in office.

Portland councilors are complaining about their long-winded colleagues. Here’s who talks the most (and least)

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Asylum seeker’s courthouse arrest illustrates Trump administration’s latest immigration enforcement tactic Legal experts say some asylum seekers are being moved from a process with legal protections into expedited removal, which has "almost none."

An inside look at the Catch-22 the federal attorneys and immigration agencies are working to deport people legally seeking asylum in the U.S.

Essentially, requiring people to show up to court, dropping the court case and then having immigration officers grab that person for deportation.

Witness video shows immigration arrest of man in downtown Portland: ‘Like he was just snatched off the street’ An immigration attorney for the man said she believes arrests like this one are happening daily in the area, but most aren’t caught on video.

A Portland public defender happened to be at the right place just in time to record a video of a Colombian immigrant being detained by ICE in downtown Portland. The man's immigration attorney said he has no criminal history. My story: www.oregonlive.com/pacific-nort...

Thousands have gathered at Portland's Waterfront Park for a No Kings Protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Photo by @bethnakamura.bsky.social

Read more here: www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

Laura Gunderson named editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive Gunderson joined the newsroom in 1995 and has served in a variety of roles.

Big news at The Oregonian.

And very good news, too.

Laura Gunderson named editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive

www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

Are you ‘jonesing to fire less lethal rounds’ and ‘launch gas canisters’? Oregon State Police SWAT email misses mark Oregon State Police tried to conceal this controversial SWAT recruitment email when The Oregonian/OregonLive requested it. Now state police are distancing themselves from it.

The Oregon State Police tried to hide from the public an internal email that reinforces police critics' worst fears of a shoot-first culture.

It's only public today because of @maxbernstein.bsky.social's dogged reporting.

Portland City Council scrambles to balance budget in marathon meeting Portland’s new city councilors tentatively passed their first budget Wednesday, in a unanimous vote that came after a far more divisive debate.

The budget vote all but wrapped up a monthslong process that tested the new 12-person council’s ability to work together. Ending in a tense showdown between weary councilors, whether or not they succeeded at this test is... unclear.

Novick, who routinely drops music, sports & pop culture references from the dais, also had this Beach Boys-tinged comment yesterday:

"Brian Wilson just died. I hope that wherever he is he's sending us 'Good Vibrations' over the next hour and a half because God knows we need them."

Portland City Council, with lots of talk but few major tweaks, nears final passage of mayor’s budget “I know there’s a lot being left on the table. I think everybody up here is disappointed and frustrated,” Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said Wednesday night.

“I have asked us many times today to move quickly and speak less, and I think for some of our colleagues that did not sink in."

Portland City Council, with lots of talk but few major tweaks, nears final passage of mayor’s budget

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Wasn't until this morning that I realized Councilor Mitch Green was riffing on the Big Lebowski last night after Steve Novick lambasted his omnibus proposal as “the Green nihilism amendment.”

My write-up of this week's marathon council budget meeting. 👇

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Today in: "Bespattered with memes"

‘Who the hell are they serving?’: Portland agency’s staff skewered councilors as budget hung in the balance, group chat shows Bespattered with memes, emojis and personal digs, the internal exchanges disclose Prosper Portland employees' reactions as their agency’s future hung in the balance.

"Bespattered with memes, emojis and personal digs, the internal exchanges from 8:33 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. offer an extraordinary glimpse into the minute-by-minute musings of Prosper leadership while their agency’s future hung in the balance."
www.oregonlive.com/news/2025/06...

New fencing to prevent homeless camping at 1 site in Portland will cost $900K The Oregon Department of Transportation is collaborating with the city of Portland on the project with the state covering the construction costs.

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New fencing to prevent homeless camping at 1 site in Portland will cost $900K via @lmonghughes.bsky.social & @jamiebgoldberg.bsky.social

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

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