Why the sheriff won’t jail anyone for Portland’s camping ban

A Different Kind of Newspaper Troubles

The owner of the St. Johns Review, a beloved neighborhood newspaper, is in an Alabama jail facing charges of threatening kidnapping and rape. Richard Colvin, a musician who bought the paper in December 2022, had a history of allegedly making harassing calls including to the FBI’s Portland Field Office and the Portland Police Bureau. [Willamette Week]

• Related: Since 2001, three-quarters of the jobs at Oregon newspapers have disappeared. [Oregonian 🔒]
• Related: But the Portland Mercury (and the Stranger) have a new owner who is promising no layoffs. [Portland Mercury]

A Deal for Faster Portland Ambulances

Under a deal announced yesterday, Multnomah County would, after all, allow its ambulance contractor to include less technically trained EMTs in staffing some ambulances. It’s part of a deal to try to speed up response times. Contractor American Medical Response has racked up $7.1 million in fines, which could be reduced if it responds to 90% of calls within eight minutes. [Oregonian]

Sheriff Declines To Jail People Experiencing Homelessness

On the Friday news roundup, Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell declined to jail the first person in Portland arrested under the city’s camping ban. The sheriff says she’s prioritizing resources for “a genuine danger to the public,” starting a conflict with the city. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Civil rights activist Beatrice Morrow Cannady (1890-1974) was the first Black woman to graduate from law school in Oregon. She left her mark, helping repeal the state’s exclusion laws that prohibited Black people from settling in the state.

A multistory mural on Home Forward’s Schrunk Riverview Tower in St. Johns commemorates her.

“She stares into my kitchen window while passersby stare up our driveway making me think they are either admiring my garden or casing our garage. 😀” wrote Angela Goldsmith, in identifying the location.

A shoutout to the readers who knew the location: Jim Tung, Jud, Dylan, Cindy Stockton, Reagan, Becky, Bryauna Clark, Nicole, Phil Hochstetler, and Denise Cloud.

Here’s next week’s scavenger hunt: Do you recognize this spot for boating, paddling, and summer fun? Email me your answer.