The Skanner News has had a whirlwind 2014; from the showdown between the Portland Police and the hip-hop community at the Blue Monk show to the protest outside of the IRCO office. Whether it was covering neighborhood reactions to gentrification to policy on public health, the street fee or police accountability, we were there.
Here is a look at our most read stories from each month of 2014:
January
Victim's Family Seeks Information on Assault
Krystal Guinn, 25, was punched in the face early in the morning of Jan. 5 at the Black Book after turning down the advances of a young man who was sexually harassing her, her family says, and could lose the range of vision in her right eye.
Right-Wing Bloggers Ridicule Portland Students, Teachers, Administrators
A massive demonstration drew national attention and name-calling from a prominent conservative blogger, as well as a political “citizen journalist” who videotaped the students’ activities and posted them online as a form of ridicule.
February
PAALF Responds to Trader Joe's Pullout
The Portland African American Leadership Forum held a press conference where they explained why they opposed the original development plan, rolled out a set of four demands, and announced a series of visualization meetings to gather community input, from existing neighbors, but also specifically from people who were forced to move because of gentrification.
Mic Crenshaw, Monica Beemer Hired to Run KBOO Community Radio
After a year of leadership upheavals, KBOO Community Radio in Portland has hired two respected community organizers as co-station managers of the 45-year-old institution.
March
New Battle in Portland’s ‘War on Hip Hop’
Community outrage over what some see as a racist targeting of hip hop events peaked over the weekend when recording artist Luck-One and Illmaculate’s Saturday night show at the Blue Monk was halted, reportedly by the Portland Fire Marshall due to overcrowding.
PCC's Passage to Higher Education Program in Limbo
Some 300 students attended the first-ever Portland Community College Black Student Success Summit on March 1 – a resounding victory for organizer Noni Causey, director of the Passage to Higher Education program.
April
Groundbreaking Parks Director Charles Jordan Dies
Beloved former Portland Parks & Recreation Director and City Commissioner Charles Jordan passed away in his home last week after a long illness.
A Kidney for Hasan: Local Dad Needs Donor, Could It be You?
Hasan Artharee is a big, strong man. In his years of working in his family’s business, and now as a supervisor for Portland Parks and Recreation, Artharee has helped a lot of people,now he needs someone to step up and help him.
May
Dancer Attacked Outside Seattle Club
A random beating outside a Seattle bar April 20 has left a celebrated local dancer severely injured and crowdsourcing for financial help.
Master Musician Janice Marie Scroggins Dies at 59
One of the most respected and admired artists in the Pacific Northwest, musician and songwriter Janice Marie Scroggins died Tuesday in Portland.
June
City of Portland Sued Over Stolen Car Mixup
Michael Fuller of OlsenDaines law firm, served a civil lawsuit claim notice against the City of Portland this week claiming the Police Bureau “failed to equally protect Ms. Battles as a crime victim, and violated her rights by failing to inform her when they located her car.”
Albina Head Start Appeals State Funding Decision
The Albina Head Start community has been deeply shaken by the partial loss of grant funding through the new state agency in charge of early childhood education programs.
July
Outside IRCO Protesters Claim Diversity Equals Anti-White Genocide
A small group of protesters displayed anti-immigrant signs outside the entrance to the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization Monday morning.
Portland Ban the Box Campaign Could Remove Barriers to Housing and Jobs
Portland activists from the Urban League, Oregon Action and the AFL-CIO are building a ballot measure campaign to eliminate job and housing discrimination against people with arrest and conviction histories by “banning the box.”
August
Three Shootings Sunday Leave a Young Mom Dead and Four Men Injured
Three shootings over the weekend left a young mother dead and four people injured. The Medical examiner says the homicide victim Ervaeua Herring, 21, was in the early stages of pregnancy when she was killed by gunfire.
City Inks Alberta Street Grocery Deal With Natural Grocers
Mayor Charlie Hales announced this morning that the streetcorner lot that tore communities apart over a proposed Trader Joe’s store will be the home of Golden, Colo.-based Natural Grocers, an affordably-priced national chain known for “free nutrition education and healthy food.”
September
Dr Steven Fritz Husband to Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz Dies in Car Crash
“I remember Dr. Fritz for his compassion, intelligence and his deep care for all the people he worked with,” Silvis said. “Everyone here at The Skanner feels very sad for Commissioner Fritz’s loss.”
Videos Show Portland Officers Arresting and Tasing Boy
Police tased a 16-year-old boy in North Portland early Sunday and charged him with two counts of assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, resisting arrest and interfering with a police officer.
October
Development Wraps Black History and Career Education into Preservation Project
A corner lot on Northeast Martin Luther King Boulevard at Shaver St. is on track to become a soul food cart court and an education center where youth can learn about Black History.
Portland's Gang Task Force Renamed Community Peace Collaborative
Portland’s gang task force has changed its name. About 100 people in attendance Sept. 26, voted to rename the task force Community Peace Collaborative, with the tag line: A Coalition for Violence Prevention and Achievement.
November
Almost-Forgotten Law Revived by Nonprofit Watchdog Group
While SB 111 mandated local law enforcement jurisdictions send their data on use of force incidents to the Department of Justice, all the data has been instead forwarded to the Oregon Department of Human Resources and combined into the state’s overall Oregon Violent Death Reporting System – defeating the purpose of creating an information set allowing public scrutiny on trends in police use of force against citizens.
Oregon’s 'Forever Crimes' Law Hurts Black Families
Oregon Statute 342.143 lists 69 crimes that disqualify you from working in an Oregon school. Anyone who has committed one of these “Forever Crimes” is barred from working with students forever. No matter how long ago the crime was committed, or how much good the person has done since, “Forever Crimes” never go away.
December
One of the most beloved women in Northeast Portland, Geneva Knauls of Geneva’s Shear Perfection, has died. A businesswoman for decades and a supporter of many, many grassroots projects and organizations, Mrs. Knauls died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014 at 9:22 p.m., just days before her birthday on Christmas Eve.
Moms Host Party for Portland Police
Along with Youth Services Division Captain Chris Uehara, Officer Julia Rico and about a dozen others, Sheldon found himself in a tiny, steaming-hot apartment last Thursday afternoon watching incoming Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea repair a broken down old dining room table.