Category Government
Investigated child welfare workers had sex near juvenile, lawyer says
Polk County Courthouse (Courtesy of Jolene Guzman/Polk Itemizer-Observer) Just days before Thanksgiving last year, a juvenile was taken to a hotel in Dallas and fell asleep. As he slept, a state worker assigned to care for him overnight invited another worker to come over. The…
Oregon OxyContin lawsuit remains on track amid massive settlement
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Oklahoma on Tuesday settled a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma over the OxyContin manufacturer’s role in the over-prescribing of opioids leading to a national spike in overdoses. The lawsuit mirrors one Oregon has against Purdue, alleging the company targeted the elderly with…
A long-ago execution and a modern apology from Oregon
Kintpuash, known as Capt. Jack, once leader of the Modoc tribe. He was executed with three others after a standoff with the U.S. Army (Photo: Klamath County Museum) SALEM — Nearly 150 years ago, the nation’s attention was fixed on a remote area near the…
Construction costs rise another $4 million at Salem police headquarters
Heavy machinery rests at the construction site for the upcoming, 104,000-square-foot headquarters of the Salem Police Department. City and police officials say they need to find another $4 million for construction. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Costs for Salem Police Department’s new headquarters continue to rise, sending…
West Coast needs to move together on time change, legislators decide
SALEM — Oregon may not go it alone on switching to daylight saving time year-round. In the latest legislative proposal, Oregon would only stop “falling back” in November if neighboring California and Washington do likewise. Washington lawmakers approved the idea this month. They still need…
Public defense services pitches legislature on new, state-run model
SALEM – On Tuesday, public defenders from around the state pitched their plan to revamp Oregon’s public defense system by arguing the status quo is unconstitutional and leaves the state susceptible to a lawsuit. It was the first hearing on House Bill 3145, which would…
New BOLI commissioner asks for more funding to protect Oregonians’ civil rights
SALEM — Oregon employers and workers could get more help from the state’s labor bureau if Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle gets her druthers. Hoyle is on a quest to secure $1.7 million in the next two-year budget to make the agency more responsive to Oregonians,…
Second version of carbon cap bill gives nod to rural Oregonians, pulls coveted exemptions from industry
Rep. Karin Power, D-Milwaukie, and Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, third and fourth from the left, join in a rally supporting their bill to price carbon emissions. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) SALEM – Climate advocates are coming up roses after legislative revisions to a proposed carbon pricing…
State investigated workers at Polk County child welfare for child abuse
Polk County Courthouse (Courtesy of Jolene Guzman/Polk Itemizer-Observer) Two state Department of Human Services workers in Polk County remain on paid leave and stationed at home after the state investigated them for child abuse that involved indecency, Salem Reporter has learned. Recently released state records…