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There are just some situations that a person can't just make up and sweet irony rules the roost. Such an event has occurred in Portland, Oregon, recently where the Trader Joe's supermarket chain found itself being opposed by one of the biggest scourges in the last thirty years: community organizers. It seems that Trader Joe's wanted to open a new store in Portland and decided to open one in a struggling neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Two acres of land that had been vacant for years was going to be developed, but then the Portland African-American Leadership Forum (PAALF) decided to...

A man police said is responsible for a shooting in a downtown parking lot ran from the scene, but shot himself in the testicles as he shoved the gun into his waistband Tuesday night. Joseph Johnson, 40, has been released from the hospital and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and felon in possession of a firearm. Robbery detectives said Johnson and the victim, 32-year-old Jordan Merrell, knew each other well and lived in the same apartment building near Southwest 10th Avenue and Columbia Street. Johnson apparently confronted Merrell in the parking lot...

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) - A man police said is responsible for a shooting in a downtown parking lot ran from the scene, but shot himself in the testicles as he shoved the gun into his waistband Tuesday night. Joseph Johnson, 40, has been released from the hospital and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and felon in possession of a firearm. Robbery detectives said Johnson and the victim, 32-year-old Jordan Merrell, knew each other well and lived in the same apartment building near Southwest 10th Avenue and Columbia Street. Johnson apparently confronted Merrell...

A pimp is suing Nike for $100 million -- and says that its Air Jordan shoes failed to include a warning on them that they could be used as dangerous weapons after he used his own pair to beat a man.Sirgiorgiro Clardy, 26, alleges Nike is partially responsible for Clardy's 100-year prison sentence for beating a man in 2012, The Oregonian reports. Clardy, a Portland-based pimp, was wearing a pair of Jordans when he stomped on the face of a man who was attempting to leave a hotel without paying Clardy's prostitute, the paper adds. Clardy was found guilty of second-degree assault by...

A Santa Clara University student is recovering at an Oregon hospital after officials say someone ran him over on purpose. Conor McMahon, 20, was visiting his family in Portland for the holidays. After a New Year's Eve party, McMahon and a few friends were walking down a street in North Portland when a man in a mini-van or small SUV pulled up and offered them a ride. McMahon’s parents say their son and his friends declined and the man drove away. But he made a U-turn, sped into the wrong lane, and hit McMahon from behind. McMahon suffered a broken...

A quintessentially American lunch item is the peanut butter & jelly sandwich.  Yet, one principal has a unique perspective on this lunch staple. Did you know that eating or even talking about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could be considered racist?That’s right.Apparently, it’s because people in some cultures don’t eat sandwich bread. Verenice Gutierrez, principal of Harvey Scott K-8 School in Portland explained in an interview with the Portland Tribune: “Take the peanut butter sandwich, a seemingly innocent example a teacher used in a lesson last school year,” the Tribune said.“What about Somali or Hispanic students, who might not...

A young entrepreneur was baffled when a Portland security guard thwarted her attempt to help her father pay for her braces by selling mistletoe - but told her she could beg, instead. Madison Root, 11, arrived bright and early at Portland Saturday Market, setting up a sign and basket next to the Skidmore Fountain in the downtown area to sell her wares to the crowds. ... Madison Root knew her upcoming orthodontic work would be expensive, and wanted to contribute. She spent Friday cutting mistletoe at her uncle's farm in Newberg, then wrapped it in clear cellophane and tied it...

Cameras on Portland police cars are starting to collect information on local vehicle license plates, and can track up to 128,000 vehicle license plates per day. That means that if authorities are investigating a murder and want to check on the whereabouts of a suspect's car three years ago, they can tap into a computer and perhaps find out where it was on a particular day. The system is already solving dozens of crimes. But some civil liberties advocates have reservations.

"Representative Earl Blumenauer, whose congressional district includes most of Portland, Ore., told National Review Online today that a TV show skewering his city seemed pretty realistic to him. The third season of Portlandia, a sketch comedy that pokes fun at hipsters, progressives, and other West Coast denizens, is now on Netflix if you need something to binge-watch. And if you’re like Blumenauer, who often sports a bow tie and a bright-green bicycle lapel pin, you might forget it’s satire. I asked him today before the Upton vote if he watches the show. He simply said, “Those are my people.” “It was the first three episodes...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Authorities say an employee at an Oregon animal sanctuary has been attacked and killed by a wildcat. Sgt. Robert Wurpes of the Clackamas County Sheriff's office says the attack was reported Saturday night at WildCat Haven in the suburban Portland community of Sherwood.

PORTLAND, Ore., - An Oregon radio station said it will change a billboard in Portland's Chinatown criticized as insensitive for its message: "We love you long time." A statement issued by KXL-FM, Portland, said the billboard was not meant to be disrespectful and will be changed following complaints, KPTV, Portland, reported Tuesday. "It's a famous quote from an old rap song, we thought it would get attention but in no way meant disrespect to anyone," the station said. "This was a decision from the marketing and programming department. However, after our news department came to us and said they believed...

The Slants, a six-member band from Portland, Ore., calls their sound "Chinatown Dance Rock" — a little bit New Order, a little bit Depeche Mode. They describe themselves as one of the first Asian-American rock bands. Their music caters to an Asian-American crowd, they've spoken at various Asian-American events, and they're proud of all of it. But the Slants have been duking it out with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) over the past four years because of their name. The PTO refused the band's two trademark applications, saying that "slants" is a disparaging term for people of...

**SNIP** But who in their right mind would pay $2000 for a single, 12.7 oz. bottle of beer? Quite a lot of people, it turns out, judging by the frenzy unleashed Wednesday over the release of “Dave,” an English Barley wine from Hair of the Dog Brewing in Portland, Oregon that sold out less than five hours after it went on sale. Admittedly, it was just a tiny batch of 12 bottles, but still. **SNIP** What’s so special about Dave? First brewed in 1994 — that’s right, it’s 19 years old! — it achieves the absurdly-high alcohol level through a...

In a recent citizen’s view, Steve Holgate proposes that even if climate scientists are wrong, good will come from their point of view. Indeed, “climate” scientists are wrong. The last 17 years shows no statistically significant trend in the global temperature. Here in the Pacific Northwest, NOAA records show our winter temperatures have cooled at a rate of 1.2 degrees F per decade during the last 20 winters. Of 75 climate models predicting a hotter future climate, not a single one has been correct to date. Steve’s anecdotes of alarm can be factually dismissed. However, let’s look at the bigger...

Portland is in the middle of a nasty bout of black mob violence. This time directed at bicyclists. But Tim Oberlander does not want us to know. Oberlander says he wants to be able to live in a city that does good things for good people. So what’s wrong with that? Everything.

Portland is in the middle of a nasty bout of black mob violence. This time directed at bicyclists. But Tim Oberlander does not want us to know. Oberlander says he wants to be able to live in a city that does good things for good people. So what’s wrong with that? Everything. Oberlander is a news editor at KGW TV in Portland. His city is under attack from black mob violence centered around Martin Luther King Boulevard. This mob has been attacking bike riders, housewives, students, seniors, you name it. These attacks are part of a long — but quiet...

In between bowls of chicken poodle soup and deciding to provide air cover for al-Qaeda in Syria, our Dear Leader, Barack Hussein Obama, found time to meet with mayors from our crumbling major cities. From Justin Sink of The Hill: *** "President Obama told a collection of big-city mayors Tuesday at the White House that he would continue to use executive actions to combat gun violence plaguing major cities. In the meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder and the mayors of 18 cities from across the nation, Obama discussed commonly applicable strategies to reduce youth violence. 'He also vowed to...

PORTLAND, Ore. – A bar owner has been ordered to pay $400,000 to a group of cross-dresser he banned from his club last year. The Oregonian reports the Bureau of Labor and Industries civil rights division imposed the penalty against Chris Penner, owner of the Twilight Room Annex. Penner had told members of the Rose City T-Girls they could not return to his bar.

A cyclist who had his front teeth shattered after an attack by teenagers while riding through Portland, Oregon will soon be speaking clearly again thanks to a generous dentist. Andy Sweeney, 20, was intentionally struck with a traffic cone last weekend and a photo of his cracked-tooth grin quickly went viral. Instead of being an embarrassment, the photo became the key to fixing his smile after a fundraising effort and a kindly dentist came to his aid. ‘Some kids threw a traffic cone at me while I was riding my bike down MLK,’ Sweeney wrote next to the aftermath photo...

In March, Portland’s City Council unanimously voted to enact mandatory paid sick leave for Portland businesses. While the law sounds well intentioned, it is poised to hurt the very employees it’s meant to help and may damage the businesses that employ them. A recent survey by the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) reveals that Seattle’s 2012 paid sick leave ordinance is increasing the cost of doing business there. Our law could have similar results in Oregon when it takes effect in January.