What's making news in Salem you might have missed

Good morning………

Nearly 300,000 people in Marion and Polk counties have a right to decide the course of government.

Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon

As of Friday morning, about 110,000 registered voters had cast their ballots for the Nov. 5 election.

In Marion County, turnout on Friday stood at 37%. In Polk County, the figure was 40%.

The highest turnout so far in Oregon has been in far eastern Wallowa County, which clocked in with 56% of its voters already turning in ballots.

By party, 48% of Democrats in Marion County and 50% in Polk County had ballots in as of Friday. Republican returns stood at 51% in both counties.

There’s still time to vote. Ballots can be put into official drop boxes up to 8 p.m. Tuesday. They can be mailed, but they have to be postmarked by Tuesday.

As we wait for the final bell, the team at Salem Reporter is ready with a plan to cover election results. Managing Editor Rachel Alexander will outline what you can expect from us in her Editor’s Note that will appear Monday.

Halloween proved a perhaps useful distraction for a lot of Salemites. Photographer Laura Tesler caught the Fairmount Halloween Parade, a lively event despite the weather. She also caught the car-based trick-or-treating at the Willamette Heritage Center.

Reporter Madeleine Moore watched special weddings conducted by a costumed justice of the peace and we also found a remarkable Halloween display at a Salem home.

But it wasn’t all fun-and-games in town this week, of course.

At City Hall, Salem councilors got the latest financial forecast and it wasn’t pretty. As reporter Joe Siess explains, the city reported it is going to be short millions to cover costs.

And Councilor Virginia Stapleton advanced a plan to create a new business licensing system in Salem. She’s aiming to do something about human trafficking in her final weeks on the council. “To do nothing would mean knowingly turning a blind eye to illegal activity and the suffering of others,” she said.

Councilors also approved new contracts with the city’s labor unions, granting pay raises that are estimated to cost $25 million over the next three years.

At Salem Reporter, we enjoy sharing accounts of volunteers who make the community hum.

Reporter Abbey McDonald has the story of Dylan McDowell, who is retiring from the city Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

McDowell has advice for his fellow Salem residents: “There’s so many ways to get involved, and it’s easy, it’s free and it’s a great way to make your voice heard,” he said.

On the business front, reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian tells about the rebirth of a downtown art gallery and Abbey takes a look at the first year of commercial flights out of Salem.

Housing remains a big issue in Salem and elsewhere around Oregon, and a huge advance with the opening of the largest affordable housing complex in Salem.

“Each unit here at Mahonia Crossing stands as a testament to our collective resolve to ensure that everyone in our community has access to a place they can call home,” according to Nicole Utz, housing administrator of the Salem Housing Authority.

Switching to education, Rachel Alexander reports on what the Salem-Keizer School District plans to do about dismal reading abilities among local students.

Accounts of flooding after hurricanes in the East and in Spain usually include the struggle to get one of life’s basics: Clean water. Columnist Mark Wadell has tips on how to be ready with your own water supply should disaster strike here.

And looking for a diversion from politics? We’re here to help with our monthly guide to what’s showing in local galleries and museums.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

Ryan Jossy, dressed as Beetlejuice, and Gabriela Morales, dressed as Jack Skellington, came from Portland to get married on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (Courtesy/Justin Kidd)

I’m always delighted to hear from readers. Send me your ideas, your questions, even your concerns or complaints. My direct email: [email protected].

Let’s go have a great week and do something helpful for the community.

– Les Zaitz, co-founder and editor, Salem Reporter

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