Oregon Community Foundation announced nearly $5.3 million in fall grants for 259 organizations statewide, including 105 awards worth $2.31 million in its Portland Metro region. The newly released recipient list identifies which local organizations received support, what their grants are intended to fund and when the next application cycle
Oregon natural gas rate hikes begin October 31, adding about $6.30 a month to a typical NW Natural residential bill. Cascade Natural Gas and Avista customers also face increases approved by state regulators. The changes affect households entering the heating season, with bill estimates, cost details and available assistance
Interest rates rarely stay still for long. Over the span of a few years, the cost of borrowing can swing dramatically, reshaping which financing products make sense, how lenders evaluate applications, and what a smart borrowing strategy looks like. No one can reliably predict where rates will go
Readers today discover books in many places, and more of those places are visual. Social media feeds, video platforms, author websites, and online ads all reward content that moves. A short, well-crafted video can capture the mood of a story or the promise of a nonfiction book in less
Oregon ballot drop boxes have expanded at 17 new sites statewide, including two in Multnomah County, as the Nov. 3 election deadline approaches. Three planned installations had not been confirmed in the state’s Oct. 27 update. The latest public records identify new Portland-area addresses and clarify how late ballots
A grand-opening decor plan built for a suburban strip mall doesn’t just look wrong squeezed onto a narrow city sidewalk. Often, it doesn’t fit at all, not physically and not legally. Most first-time owners planning a storefront grand opening don’t discover the mismatch until the week of the event,
Ranchers Katie and Keith Baltzor of Harney County are adjusting their cattle operations after wildfires damaged mountain grazing areas, while drought conditions and higher diesel expenses have complicated hay production. The losses have forced changes to cattle grazing and increased the need to manage fuel use as the ranchers
The H-2B is the visa American businesses use to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs: hotel and restaurant seasons, seafood processing runs, landscaping contracts, construction pushes. Demand for it routinely outruns supply, which makes the program as much a scheduling problem as a legal one. The current state
By: Seth Adams Undercover police work depends on deception, but Javier Guzman’s memoir Riptide: Cartels, Cocaine, and an Undercover Cop’s Fall from Grace explores what happens when the deception begins to reshape the officer. Guzman focuses on the emotional consequences of living as two people at once. By the
Portland’s residential deconstruction rules have helped recover millions of pounds of reusable lumber from older buildings. City figures show that 765 buildings have undergone deconstruction under the ordinance, while officials assess whether the approach can extend to larger commercial properties through a pilot involving four projects. Key Takeaways Portland
Portland parking fees will apply to more Central Eastside spaces as the city updates street signs in November and December 2026. The Portland Bureau of Transportation says 11% of spaces in its study area will receive new rules. The changes affect customers, employees and residents, while a separate event-parking
Business funding scams rarely begin with a stranger walking through the door. They begin with a text message promising pre-approval, a direct message on Instagram from a “funding specialist,” a voicemail claiming your application is ready, or a polished ad promising same-day capital with no credit check. The channels
PPS school closures could require thousands of Portland children to change schools or programs under two proposals drawing questions from local families. With 11 or 14 buildings potentially closing, parents are seeking more details about school assignments, transportation, classroom services and the district’s timeline before a planned December board
By: Dr. Tamara Patzer October 12, 2026 In Brief: A 2026 estimate puts the income needed for the top 1% of Oregon filers at $650,746, far below Washington at $903,303 and California at $987,325. This feature uses those gaps to explain what changes, and what does not, for owners
By Dr. Tamara Patzer In brief: Coordination fails when it is a project and succeeds when it is a habit. A New Orleans tax attorney offers a ninety-minute yearly family meeting agenda for Oregon owners, drawn from his book, with federal estate figures and SmartAsset’s 2026 estimate that an
This is a city of independent bookstores, handmade zines, small presses and people who care how things are made. Readers here can tell a lovingly crafted book from a rushed one within a few pages, even if they cannot say exactly why. Very often, the reason is the interior.
Business owners working in revenue-based financing for inventory-heavy brands face funding challenges that are easy to overlook in a generic conversation about small business lending, but that become obvious the moment you look closely at how this specific type of business actually generates revenue and incurs cost. Understanding those
Portland Public Schools has released two draft “rightsizing” scenarios that could close up to 14 schools and alter attendance boundaries across the district. The proposals affect elementary and middle schools and would begin in fall 2027 if approved following community input, superintendent recommendations and a school board vote. Key
Audiobooks have become an important part of modern publishing, giving authors a powerful way to connect with readers who prefer listening over traditional reading. Whether someone is commuting, exercising, traveling, or simply relaxing at home, audiobooks allow stories and ideas to fit more easily into everyday life. For authors,
By: Rowan Messenger Portland has always had room for musicians who don’t fit neatly into the industry’s boxes. This is, after all, a city where indie rock can share cultural real estate with experimental electronics, folk, punk, ambient music, yoga studios, ecstatic dance and practically any other creative practice
Portland’s specialty coffee scene connects independent cafés, local roasters and coffee professionals with the city’s broader small-business economy. Coffee businesses operate alongside restaurants, retailers and other hospitality companies, contributing to commercial activity across Portland neighborhoods. The sector also forms part of Portland’s established food and beverage culture. From neighborhood
For marketers, the internet has always been a place to build a professional identity. LinkedIn profiles document careers. Personal websites showcase work. Social platforms reveal opinions and expertise. Agencies maintain pages filled with clients, campaigns, and credentials. Marketing Crunch is adding another possibility to that digital identity: a public
In a fashion industry shaped by frequent launches and changing trends, Uptown Common is building its identity around a very different idea: permanence. Founded by husband-and-wife team Grant and Jennifer Anderson, Uptown Common creates handcrafted leather goods designed not simply to be purchased, but to become part of the
By: Marcus Hale Any city that has grown quickly in the last decade knows the pattern. Development outruns the infrastructure around it, the housing stock turns over faster than anyone planned, and then the insurance market catches up and starts repricing the whole thing. The West Coast has been
