Your Friday evening update on Salem news

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Good evening, Salem.

The partisan politics and big donors dominating Salem city races caught the attention of Oregon Public Broadcasting on Thursday.

The media outlet published a story on May 14 pointing out that the hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing into campaign finance coffers for Salem city races has made the current election one of the city’s most expensive.

As of last week, Salem Mayor Julie Hoy’s campaign had raised almost $200,000, dwarfing the nearly $80,000 brought in by her challenger, Salem City Councilor Vanessa Nordyke.

Nearly a third of Hoy’s money came from real estate companies and political action committees.

OPB also homed in on how the race has featured partisan attack ads to the chagrin of some local leaders.

Here is the count of ballots returned as of 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 15.

  • Marion County – 36,199 ballots; 233,757 registered voters; 15.5% return 
  • Polk County – 12,388 ballots; 64,918 registered voters; 19.1% return 
  • Oregon – 512,859 ballots; 3,103,717 registered voters; 16.5% return

Here’s some of today’s news. Head to our website anytime for the latest in Salem.

www.salemreporter.com

A dozen Salem-Keizer teachers, counselors and leaders take home Crystal Apple Awards

The 12 educators who took home Crystal Apple Awards on Thursday were nominated for their dedication to supporting students through major life challenges, overcoming barriers and thinking creatively to make…

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www.salemreporter.com

PHOTO GALLERY: Celebration, smiles at the 2026 Crystal Apple Awards honoring educators

See photos from the 27th Annual Crystal Apple Awards, which took place Thursday night, May 14. A dozen educators took home trophies for their work supporting and encouraging Salem-Keizer School…

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www.salemreporter.com

Expert team of volunteers make organizing thousands of kids look easy at Awesome 3000

Around 2,100 kids are expected to race at this year’s Awesome 3000 fun run, which takes place throughout Bush’s Pasture Park. Its volunteers have event management down to a science.…

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www.salemreporter.com

Local fire agencies partner to give safety advice ahead of wildfire season

A wildfire preparedness meeting on Monday, May 18, will teach people how to clear space outside their homes to reduce fire risk and keep up with information during an emergency.…

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READERS REACT: “Tears in my eyes. This is confirmation that a well thought-out partnership of compassionate, experienced adults with faith in the can change the trajectory of the community, individual by individual. I hope that other community leaders will be inspired by this story to initiate their own similar partnerships. Now, how about something for the girls?” -Jinglebell, on Madeleine Moore’s report on new violence intervention meetings starting with teens in Salem.

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