A single sentence change in House Bill 3666 ensures certificates awarded to utilities for wildfire prevention plans are not used to determine their legal liability in a wildfire.

In the coming months, the Salem City Council and members of the planning commission will consider a broad list of proposals to increase housing development and help renters and homeowners.

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Three Salem-area high schools competed Monday in the Oregon ProStart Championships, a cooking and restaurant management competition. Students at the Career Technical Education Center won the management portion for the second year in a row.

The Salem City Council on March 10 approved a plan to upgrade Fairview Park with a list of new amenities starting in 2027, including a dog park, gardens and a marketplace.

A new food cart called Cherry City Bagels at the Beehive Station Food Truck Pod is set to debut its fresh traditional bagels and spreads at a grand opening event on Saturday. Cherry City is the newest addition to Salem’s fledgling local bagel scene.

A federal appeals court on Monday denied the Trump administration’s emergency effort to block the rehiring of federal employees at six government agencies.

Dozens of relatives, friends and former colleagues of Jason Myers gathered Monday morning at the Oregon Public Safety Academy to honor the retired Marion County sheriff, who died from cancer in October.

Mr. Sprinkles the unicorn was unveiled at the Hazel Patton Riverfront Carousel on Friday. Behind the design is a decade-long orthodontics program giving free braces to children who are in foster care or have terminal illnesses.

Oregon’s “Momnibus” legislative package looks to improve outcomes through multiple supports, including expanding access to doulas.

Despite rain on Saturday, bagpipers and drummers played during a Riverfront Park walkabout to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Oregon and nine other states recently fulfilled a 2013 agreement to collectively register 3.3 million new electric vehicles in an effort to reduce pollution and combat climate change.

AROUND OREGON: Facing concerns over cuts to federal health insurance, Dr. Mehmet Oz on Friday, March 14, wouldn’t answer directly whether he opposes such cuts. He did tell U.S. senators that if confirmed as a federal official, he would visit Malheur County within 60 days.

PHOTOS: Despite gloom skies and blossoms still days away, Salem residents turned out for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in front of the Capitol on Saturday, March 15. Lanterns adorning the trees will be on display through the month.

About 500 people joined a veterans protest in Salem, one of many nationwide Friday against President Donald Trump’s planned cuts to the federal workforce and VA.

Salem-Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castañeda is among the school district leaders who say an ambitious state education accountability effort needs significant changes to work as intended.

Local public defenders say Marion County Judges will soon start appointing them to new cases which they are too overloaded to take on, a move intended to reduce the number of criminal defendants without an attorney.

Salem’s Community Police Academy was canceled for the year due to a city cost-cutting request. The request led to cuts in the department’s nonessential overtime work, including police attendance at neighborhood association meetings.

A state program created in 2022 helped more than 14,000 low income taxpayers file last year, many earning refunds or credits they otherwise would not have.

Construction will start in 2026 to make Salem’s Center Street Bridge earthquake-safe after years of planning and funding changes. The project, which will happen in two phases, is estimated to be finished by 2029.

A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration Thursday over the U.S. Education Department’s efforts this week to cut more than 1,300 employees.