Category Public Safety

West Salem man accused of making fake mail keys gets probation for identity theft
A Polk County judge has sentenced a West Salem man to probation for having a fake driver’s license and agreed to drop a mail theft charge, with a prison sentence looming if he violates conditions. Brett T. Regimbal, 49, pleaded guilty on Nov. 12 in…

5 accused of street beating in NE Salem Sunday, handgun seized from teen
Salem police said an officer heading to work early Sunday morning saw a group of teenagers and young men assaulting another man on the street in the area of Northeast Market Street and Northeast Hawthorne Avenue. Police arrested the suspects and seized a handgun from a 16-year-old boy.

Wallace Park gunman sentenced for killing man, wounding another at homeless camp
Arlie Thomspon, 24, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday for shooting two men, one fatally, at Wallace Marine Park in April. Prosecutors say Charley Hodges, 29, tried to protect the other victim from the gunman before he was killed.

UPDATE: Police boosted summer patrols, reached out to teens in Salem’s hotspots for violence
The Salem Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Office this past summer assigned officers to overtime patrols in northeast Salem and downtown, and checked in more with minors on parole and probation.

Shooting leaves man wounded in Hayesville apartment parking lot
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday night that a shooting left a man in critical condition in the parking lot of the Silverpark Apartments in Hayesville. The agency did not say if a suspect was arrested and asked the public to share tips about the shooting.

Consultant says personal outreach, dedicated staff needed to reduce violence in Salem
A consulting firm recommends that Salem officials hire two local nonprofit executives to temporarily lead violence reduction efforts.

Marion and Polk counties plan road, bridge improvements for 2025
As legislators consider a major transportation funding package in 2025, Marion and Polk counties are facing a backlog of deferred maintenance on roads and bridges.

Wildfire survivors appeal to Congress to end federal income tax on settlements, lawyer fees
Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, vowed at a Portland town hall to get a bill passed by the end of the year, and potentially by Thanksgiving

Former prison worker charged with brother’s murder after standoff at Salem prison
Alonzo Rowell is accused of fatally shooting his brother, Tony Miller, in Dallas on Saturday and then getting into a standoff with police at the Salem prison where he used to work as a prison guard.

