Portland Authority is the story of Nicole Kelley and Scott Fielding, reporters with The Oregonian. Nicole is new to serious news stories and is reluctant when her editor wants her to work on a major story with Scott. Scott seems a little arrogant, but Nicole and Scott investigate the story they are given and find horrible information about the subject of their investigation, one Doctor Charles Morgan, a physician at Halladay Hills Mental Institute. He is suspected of giving his patients lethal amounts of medication. After talking to a former employee and acquiring the assistance of Nicole’s ex-boyfriend, an actor, they find that the suspicions about Dr. Morgan are true. A blooming romance between Nicole and Scott is halted by the inclusion of Nicole’s ex, Andrew, and they begin to work on the story separately. When Scott realizes that his help is actually needed for the investigation, his anger subsides, and he cooperates with admitting Andrew. Scott tells her that his mother is a patient at Halladay Hills. This news makes putting Morgan away even more important than getting their story. With the information from a former employee, Andrew’s admittance to the hospital, and the help of Nicole’s best friend who works for the D.A., and her husband Michael, a doctor at the local hospital, they are able to bring charges against the good doctor. It becomes known that Charles Morgan is also the rapist who has been attacking women at the local community college. Charges are filed with the district attorney’s office on patient endangerment, murder and five counts of rape. Scott and Nicole get their story, a front page article, and a dangerous criminal is put away for a long time.