Eric Murfitt News Today

Tweet Jazz wrote about this last weekend. After the most recent rampage through the city by black bloc anarchists aka Antifa, Mayor Ted Wheeler is talking tough and promising to unleash the police. The mayor’s tough talk seems to have been prompted by a letter a group of black leaders wrote basically calling on the anarchists to knock it off. However, shortly after his remarks, Wheeler was criticized by some black leaders who denied they were trying to separate themselves from other protest...

Downtown Portland businesses reeling, again, after latest spate of vandalism Updated May 14, 2021; Facebook Share John Helmer III covered the windows of his hat and apparel shop in downtown Portland with fabric every night last summer. By doing so, he hoped to prevent his shop from becoming a target for vandalism while avoiding the cost and eyesore of putting boards over his windows. As protests died down in the fall, Helmer decided those measures were no longer necessary. And earlier in April...

Insurance Woes Impede Recovery A lack of affordable insurance puts Portland businesses at risk of property damage and theft. On May 30, 2020, during demonstrations for social justice in Portland’s downtown, someone broke the storefront window of Mercantile Portland, a high-end women’s clothing store on the corner of Southwest Alder Street and Park Avenue. Over the next several hours, thieves stole goods and vandalized the interior. The shop was closed for the next four months as the owner f...

It doesnt cover civil unrest: Downtown Portland businesses face rising insurance costs, decreased coverage after riots Insurance underwriters are taking riots and damage into account when choosing whether or not to renew some policies. Author: Katherine Cook Updated: 11:26 PM PST January 5, 2021 PORTLAND, Ore. — In downtown Portland, plywood and graffiti are the new cityscape. Only, it isn’t new, anymore.  Since late last spring, businesses have been dealing...

Insurers balk at covering Portland businesses; brokers say downtown upheaval has made carriers wary Updated Dec 12, 2020; Posted Dec 12, 2020 Mercantile, a locally owned clothing store in downtown Portland, has kept boards on its windows since it was looted on May 30. (Photo by Jamie Goldberg) Facebook Share Eric Murfitt watched helplessly from a live security feed as looters trashed his downtown clothing store, Mercantile, during a riot on May 30. Murfitt said the business suffered $1 millio...