IN LOCAL NEWS:• From where I sit, República closing is a big fucking deal. Portland’s revered Mexican fine-dining restaurant República has announced that it plans to close in February. (Yes, I didn't know Medina was also about to announce República would be closing... still would have written about it!) • Mercury Music Picks is hard launching a new section: New Music Portland! • I try to edit this out of all our columns, but you know what they say: People in the know gotta vaguepost.