News A new bill in the Oregon Legislature would require a prescription for a pack of smokes.Rep. Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland), filed a bill that would put nicotine in the same category as ketamine, and would make having the addictive substance without a doctor’s note a crime.   More

Q & A A lot of people in City Hall have interacted with police, but Baruti Artharee may be the only one who can say he’s had the business end of a cop’s gun pressed against his head. That was a lo   More

News Oregon legislators changed a law forbidding liquor raffles—after they were handed a bottle of rare bourbon to raise money for the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.To be fair, it's really good bourbon. In 2011, Buffalo Trace Distillery gave one of just 174 bottles of its Millennium Barrel batch to the nonprofit, dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Salem building.The bourbon was made on ...   More

News Because its already slobbered over our food scene and pedaled its way through our bike paths, the NYT has reached its next logical Portland story: our karaoke scene is a BFD.Our Ruth Brown offers    More

News In case we weren't sure about how Clark County feels about light rail, Washington legislators introduced a bill yesterday asking for a law to block it.The bill comes two months after the county voted down a $2.5 million a year sales tax to pay for the operation of an extension of MAX into downtown Vancouver as part of the Columbia River Crossing.The CRC, the largest infrastructure project the area...   More

News It's a dreary job, sorting through Multnomah County's Circuit Court filings.
Every now and then, a hot case comes up, but mostly the stack of documents tells the sad tale of foreclosures, credit card laws suits and auto accident fights.But, thanks to people like Barry Edward Montgomery, sometimes reporters get a smile. People change their names for all kinds of    More

News The road for the Oregon State Hospital in Junction City stretches across an open field, waiting to lead people to the state’s newest mental health facility. State officials have spent $61.8    More

News Portland officials are asking for the Oregon State Legislature's help to make voter-approved pension reforms.

After almost 75 percent of Portland voters approved changes to the Police and Fire Disability and Retirement Fund in November—for a savings of $47 million over 25 years—police union leaders filed a grievance against the change.

The union says the changes must be negotiate...   More

News One of the two men stopped by Portland police yesterday carrying assault weapons does this all the time, all over the state.Medford resident Warren R. Drouin, 22, keeps a YouTube channel called Markedguardian, festooned with the Libertarian "Don't Tread on Me" snake and hosting videos of Dr...   More

News It’s a new year, and plenty of people are on a self-improvement kick—but many resolutions require more than a solemn vow.Now Portland has a self-help clearing house.

A new website, freesupportgroups.com, lets Oregonians search for dozens of local, free self-help groups and professional associations to...   More