Sophie Peel

Sophie Peel

Sophie Peel is a Portland native who earned a Journalism degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia where she reported on education, poverty and politics. She worked for NPR under a fellowship following graduation, and then freelanced for Willamette Week as well as a national publication before returning to the paper full time.

Commissioner Dan Ryan Proposes Four Additional Safe Rest Village Locations

An emergency declaration signed by the mayor will speed the process of both siting and developing sites, Ryan pledged.

By Sophie Peel●

Nike’s Tax Bill in Oregon Is a Secret. We Asked Three Analysts to Make an Estimate.

Nike has worked to block changes to Oregon law that would require the company to disclose its tax returns.

By Sophie Peel●

A Bill That Would Ban the Online Sale of Vapes Advances to Oregon Senate

The effort to keep vapes out of teen hands must now pass in the Legislature’s upper chamber.

By Sophie Peel●

Businesses In North Portland Ask the City to Crack Down on Street Racing

“It’s totally out of control, it’s like Mad Max,” Dan Legree, who owns a glass studio near a common racing spot in North Portland, tells WW.

By Sophie Peel●

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer Says It’s Light Rail or Bust for the Next Columbia River Bridge

In an interview with WW, Blumenauer was clear: light rail, or no bridge at all.

By Sophie Peel●

Renewed Pressure From Advocates Revives Committee Hearing for Bill to End Homeless Camp Sweeps

If passed, the bill would effectively end such sweeps.

By Sophie Peel●

Powell’s Books Is Rehiring, but Laid-Off Employees Will Have to Apply Afresh, to the Union’s Surprise

The union representing Powell’s employees says Powell’s decision to go forward with hiring without reaching an agreement was a surprise to them.

By Sophie Peel●

An Economist Warns That Oregon Could Soon Tax Its Weed Shops Out of Business

Biden's corporate tax hike carries major ramifications for Oregon cannabis.

By Sophie Peel●

Hillsboro Is Optimistically Vying to Host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game

It’s a long shot. And they know it.

By Sophie Peel●

Portland Advocacy Groups Sue Feds to Force a Closer Study of Pollution and Carbon From an Expanded I-5 in the Rose Quarter

The lawsuit says the feds rubber-stamped an incomplete and porous assessment last October.

By Sophie Peel●

Nike Has Paid No Federal Income Taxes for the Past Three Years

In November, the company notified state officials it was laying off 700 employees at its world headquarters in Beaverton.

By Sophie Peel●

Parent Rally to Reopen Oregon Schools Draws Ire From Teachers

Gov. Kate Brown moved teachers and school staff ahead of seniors for COVID-19 vaccinations, trying to prod teachers back into classrooms. But many teachers aren’t gung-ho about returning.

By Sophie Peel●

When the Living Room Doubles as an Office, School and Gym, Portlanders Think: Maybe It’s Time to Remodel

Portland interior designers sell color-coordinated book collections to add refinement to your Zoom background.

By Sophie Peel●

Census Workers Say They Tried to Count Portland’s Apartment Dwellers—but Got Stopped at the Front Gates

The enumerators who spoke to WW appear to be among the first in the nation to go on the record describing failures in the census.

By Sophie Peel●

Oregon’s Wildfires Struck the State’s Cannabis Farms at the Worst Possible Time

As wildfires raged through Southern Oregon this month, where many of the state’s cannabis farms are located, farmers found themselves on the fighting end of a natural disaster few saw coming. The blazes came at a particularly inopportune moment: Harvest season has begun, with the bulk of collection happening late this month and through October.

By Sophie Peel●