Category Marion & Polk County
Swanson, Gordon take definitive early leads in Polk County commissioner races
As of initial ballot counts Tuesday night, John Swanson is leading the race for Polk County Commissioner, Position 2, earning 61% of the vote so far. Incumbent Jeremy Gordon has taken 45% of the vote for the Position 3 seat, far outpacing his challengers in a four-way race.
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Oregon judge on leave amid allegations of vulgar language at Sunriver conference
A spokesperson for the Oregon Judicial Department confirmed Monday that a judicial fitness complaint was filed against Marion County Circuit Judge Channing Bennett related to “serious allegations of misconduct.”
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VOTE 2026: Meet your candidates for Polk County Commissioner, position 3
There's a four-way race for Polk County Board of Commissioners Position 3 in the May primary. Incumbent Jeremy Gordon is running for reelection. His opponents include Dallas City Councilor Carlos Barrientos, Salem business owner Mark Gordon Adams and Polk County Treasurer Steve Milligan.
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VOTE 2026: Meet your Polk County commissioner Position 2 candidates
Monmouth City Councilor Roxanne Beltz is running again for a spot on the Polk County Board of Commissioners, facing off against longtime legislative staffer John Swanson.
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Marion County officials suggest unsolved murders, buried victims mar Wallace Marine Park
Marion County officials pushed to shut down homeless camping in Wallace Marine Park by spooling out graphic accounts of crime. They cited an unknown witness to claim murder victims were buried in the park soil. A Salem Reporter investigation established the county can’t back up that claim.
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Marion County Health & Human Services leaders abruptly depart under unclear circumstances
Ryan Matthews, Marion County’s Health & Human Services administrator, and Deputy Director Katrina Griffith are no longer working for the county as of Wednesday, April 22, according to an email to staff obtained by Salem Reporter. It did not clarify the circumstances of their departure.
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Federal judge orders Marion County to release parolee information to ICE
Marion County has provided immigration authorities with personal information about 14 people with previous local criminal convictions following a judge’s order.
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Oregon DOJ probe into sanctuary law compliance at Salem courthouse faces legal hurdles
Oregon's sanctuary law empowers individuals, not the Oregon attorney general or state prosecutors, to enforce its protections for immigrants.
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Commissioners decry homeless camps, seek more behavioral health support
During their annual State of the County address Tuesday, March 31, Marion County commissioners talked about the planned drawdown of Detroit Lake, the homeless population in Polk County’s Wallace Marine Park and how gaps in mental health systems weigh on Marion County.
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