Tag POLK COUNTY
Property tax assessments show record jumps in Salem-area property values
The value of homes and residential land in Marion County jumped nearly 27% in 2022 — but Measure 50 will limit tax increases to 3% in most cases.
Guilty plea closes Polk County cold murder case 25 years after body found
Brian Clifton pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering his wife Kathy Thomas in 1996 when the couple lived in Salem.
With school moving online, Polk County expands faster internet access to rural areas
Polk County Courthouse (Courtesy of Jolene Guzman/Polk Itemizer-Observer) Remote corners of Polk County will get improved internet access under a $1 million project that will allow more rural children to better connect to schools. The county is using a share of its federal pandemic funding…
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…
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…