Oregon’s governor and top elections official are calling for an independent external audit of the state’s automatic voter registration system after the Motor Vehicles Services Division found another 302 people were incorrectly registered to vote. The latest numbers, included in an “after-action” report Gov. Tina Kotek requested from the DMV, join an earlier 1,259 people who were registered to vote despite not providing proof of citizenship when they obtained driver’s licenses. At least 10 of those individuals voted, though election officials have since determined that...

Oregon and more than a dozen other states are suing the social media giant TikTok for allegedly harming children with its short-form video app. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said TikTok's business model exploits and harms young people through deceptive and manipulative practices aimed at keeping people addicted to the platform. “Social media companies, out of basic greed, intentionally design their platforms to addict users and...

For nearly a year, Loran Beck believed he did not belong in an Oregon state prison – even though Oregon’s governor sent him there. On Sept. 19, a Multnomah County District Court judge found that Beck, not the governor, was correct. After Judge Michael Greenlick heard the case, he ordered Beck’s immediate release. “I don’t want to spend another day drafting an opinion if it’s going to delay his release...

Can a factory race-ready performance car ever serve as a daily driver? In the case of the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO, the answer is a surprising yes, at least much of the time. I did not think that when I tested a 2020 370Z NISMO, the last year of the previous generation of Nissan’s long running sports car. Although I enjoyed the 350 horsepower produced by its normally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 and optional six-speed manual transmission, the ride was so stiff that I described it as...

Ann Marie Durjan was found a local hospital after she went missing, intending to go to Fred Meyer in Wood Village, around 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. Portland Police Bureau seeks the public's help in locating her. Durjan left her home in the area of 16200 block of Southeast Salmon Street. She was driving a black 2009 Ford Fusion with Oregon license plate 238DYY. Around the back plate is a Minnesota Vikings frame. She takes medication regularly and it is unknown if she had any with her. Durjan’s family and police are concerned for her welfare, given her medical condition and that this is uncharacteristic for her not to return home. If you see Durjan, call 911. Anyone with information that is not time sensitive is urged to contact detectives at missing@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-256485

Voters across Oregon will have more on their plate than the presidential election this November. Several high profile ballot measure could change Oregon's political landscape forever, with questions about how Oregonians elect, pay and penalize elected officials on the ballot, as well as a controversial ballot measure that could bring a form of universal basic income to Oregon residents... for a price. Here's our breakdown of the statewide ballot measures appearing in the Nov. 5 election. ...

Assessment data released by the Oregon Department of Education on Thursday, Oct. 3 paints a bleak picture of declining test scores. The summative assessments in science, math and English language arts were taken in spring 2024, with tests issued to third through eighth graders and high school juniors. Statewide, the assessment scores remain significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with only 31% of all Oregon students testing at proficiency in math,...

Property crimes are more common than people may realize. Data from the Council on Criminal Justice indicates residential burglaries declined by 26% in 2023 compared to 2019. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that nearly seven million property-related crimes were committed in 2019, meaning more than five million were committed in 2023. Homeowners recognize the importance of protecting themselves, their loved ones and their valuables. Locking doors at night is one measure of protection anyone can employ, but individuals can take a host of...

(North Plains) -- Combat in Vietnam was not limited to ground battles. For Herb Hirst, flying the skies over the embattled war zone was a part of his duties. The 86-year-old Hirst, who lives with his wife Cindy in North Plains, joined the U.S. Army, serving in the 2nd Battalion, 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery and 1st Cavalry Division. “I had the opportunity to join the National Guard, so I did,”...

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 WHITE BIRD DANCE — The Portland dance company White Bird Dance brings fantastic companies to Portland, and the season starts with BodyTraffic, Oct. 10-12 at Newmark Theatre), which begins the We Are One Festival. More: whitebird.org WANDA SYKES — The comedian Wanda Sykes, on her “Please & Thank You Tour,” performs at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. More: portland5.com ...

Drive through a suburban neighborhood in October, and you will likely find yards filled with inflatable witches, animatronic grim reapers and makeshift graveyards bearing witty sayings on tombstones and bony hands reaching out from the soil. Decorating for Halloween has become big business, with consumers spending a collective $10.6 billion in this category in the United States in 2022, according to a survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics and the National Retail Federation. Decorations, particularly outdoor decorations, were the second most popular way to...

In an unofficial survey from Your Oregon News, 95% of 86 reader respondents said they love grabbing a slice of pizza. This comes after Portland was ranked among nation's best cities for pizza. Gold Medal Winners Three pizzerias tied for first place in our survey of the best pizza place in Oregon. ...

Some automotive writers are disappointed Mercedes is dropping the 382-horsepower AMG GLA45 4MATIC from its lineup. I prefer to focus on the good news: Mercedes is still producing the 302-horsepower AMG GLA35 4MATIC subcompact hatchback, which is still an absolute blast to drive. And yes, I did say hatchback. Although Mercedes markets the GLA as an SUV, it is actually a hatchback and the AMG GLA35 4MATIC is really an upscale hot hatch — a contemporary, premium version of the small sporty hatchbacks that first...

In appreciation of the City of Milwaukie’s Ledding Library having volunteered to store and preserve the microfilmed records of all the copies of THE BEE that still exist, going back to its beginnings in 1906 – and keeping them open to everyone in the library, with a microfilm printer available to reproduce any pages that might be sought after by visitors – the writers of the historical stories in THE BEE have agreed to expand their area of influence southward to include occasional articles about the history of Milwaukie and the surrounding towns and places. ...

Want to help at park’s “Portland Marathon” stop? Editor, Volunteers and musicians are needed to support the October 6th “Portland Marathon”, as runners pass through Sellwood-Moreland. Be a part of the Portland Marathon without breaking a sweat! The Moreland Presbyterian Church invites 40 volunteers of all ages gather at the location where they will hand...

THE BEE was in the forefront in advocating for a new form of city government a year ago, with a first-ever series of editorials on the same subject – urging the passage of the reform plan on the ballot. The big vested interests downtown worked hard to create fear intended to defeat the measure, as had worked every time before when city government reform reared its head – after all, the old inadequate city government form meant keeping the power in the city centered downtown, as it had been for over a century. ...

A substantial contingent of Central Precinct officers responded to the report of an assault in Sellwood, at S.E. Tacoma Street and 17th Avenue – on Sunday evening, August 25, at 8:32 p.m. Several of the police cruisers which had responded at high speed down McLoughlin Boulevard with lights and sirens clearing their way, pulled into the 7-Eleven store’s parking lot; others parked along the street. The man who was suspected...

The large grassy area and outdoor pavilion at historic Oaks Amusement Park proved to be the ideal location for the 13th Annual Arab Mahrajan Festival on Sunday, September 1st. The sights, sounds, and exotic aromas of stewing Middle Eastern food transported visitors to far-away destinations, at this unique and free cultural celebration, open to all. “Simply put, Mahrajan is the Arabic word for ‘festival’ – and is usually associated with...

Often referred to as “the Mother of All Relays”, this year’s Hood to Coast Relay – drawing 19,000 participants from more than 40 countries, and all 50 states – trotted through Inner Southeast Portland on Friday afternoon and evening, August 23rd. On their way from Mt. Hood to the coast at Seaside, the participants jogged into our area along the Springwater Corridor Trail, with relay “transfer stations” situated in the northwest corner of the Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighborhood. From there each team’s fresh runner heads off...

With there being five Thursdays in August, Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighbors looked forward to a bonus “Concert in the Park” this year – but alas, a late-in-the-month rainstorm cancelled the fourth of the planned shows this year in Ardenwald Park. “We invited ‘Rich Layton & Tough Town’ to start our series this year on August 1st with their signature rock, rhythm, and honky-tonk blues,” said concert organizer Lane Rollins, completing his second season of putting on the shows. ...