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Marion County to consider funding homeless liaison another year, accept FEMA grant

(Salem Reporter archive) Here is what the Marion County Commission will discuss on Wednesday. • First on the docket for the the commission is whether to send $45,000 to the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments for another year. The money helps pay for a program coordinator position for the Mid-Willamette Valley[Read More…]

Polk County to vote on fair board appointee

The Polk County Courthouse. (Courtesy of Janet Guzman/Polk County Itemizer-Observer) The Polk County Commission has a light week this week.  • There will be a vote on appointing Shellie Berry to the Polk County Fair Board. There will not be further discussion before the vote. • Dean Bender, the county’s[Read More…]

Oregon Youth Authority tries to find the balance between safety and child welfare as it transitions from isolation

John, a youth mentor at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, helps 18-year-old Zack understand the various personalities of staff at the facility. John regularly works in the STEPS program, an alternative to isolation, which Zack uses several times each week. (Courtesy of Oregon Youth Authority) WOODBURN — Early on the Friday[Read More…]

Speaker Kotek vows to act following report detailing poor response to sexual abuse, but says report was rushed

In compiling a damning report airing the Oregon Capitol’s dirty laundry, investigators failed to do their due-diligence and interview key witnesses, House Speaker Tina Kotek said Friday.  The report detailed years of sexual harassment and claimed leadership failed repeatedly in addressing it. Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian[Read More…]

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State to investigate claims of sexual discrimination at Marion County

The doors outside the Senator Hearing Room, where public works employee Jamie Namitz in October publicly announced she was sexually discriminated against at work. Namitz recently complained to the state Bureau of Labor and Industries to investigate the county public works department. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) A Marion County worker is[Read More…]

State investigation determines legislative leadership ignored sexual harassment claims

SALEM — A five-month state investigation found that Democratic leaders in the Oregon Legislature knew legislative employees in the Capitol worked in a “hostile” environment amid pervasive sexual harassment but did little about it. A 52-page report released Thursday by the state Bureau of Labor and Industries’ Civil Rights Division[Read More…]