By Stephen Floyd A nurse fired from Legacy Silverton Medical Center in 2021 over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate has sued the hospital for discrimination, while the hospital claims her firing was not based on her religion. Rachael Brady was a registered nurse in Legacy Silverton’s birthing center when she was fired Oct. 19, 2021, after the hospital enforced a state […]
By Stephen Floyd A former Silverton woman accused of stealing more than $50,000 from her elderly landlady claims she did so after allegedly being threatened by a local man. On Sept. 9, counsel for Joan Renee Anderson-Varner, 61, currently of Salem, filed a motion asking for the unsealing of the criminal records of a 52-year-old Silverton man. The motion claimed […]
By Stephen Floyd A Silverton woman who was found criminally responsible in May for a 2023 wreck that caused serious injuries to an elderly couple and two young children has been sued by the victims. On Sept. 11, a personal injury suit was filed in Marion County Circuit Court against Sierra Gemeni James, 28, for a wreck occurring May 25, […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council has directed City Manager Cory Misley to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that locks the city into dealing with only one development firm on an affordable housing project planned for a parcel adjacent to the dog park and the Silverton Senior Center. For the next year Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland […]
Mount Angel man charged with kidnapping, assault A Mount Angel man is facing numerous changes including kidnapping and sexual assault after an alleged domestic violence incident in June. Robert Guadalupe Guerrero, 43, was arrested July 23 for an alleged attack occurring June 27. According to charging documents, Guerrero allegedly forced a woman off a bus under threat of physical harm […]
By James Day Silverton likely will move forward on a city ordinance on camping within the city limits. City officials, reacting to a series of court cases, including ones in Boise, Idaho, and the Oregon cities Grants Pass and Medford, began the camping regulation discussion at the Aug. 19 council meeting. Sheltering Silverton Executive Director Sarah White and the group’s […]
Sept. 9: Deadline for city candidates to file a candidate statement in the Voters’ Pamphlet Sept. 20: Ballots mailed to military and overseas voters Oct. 1 or thereafter: Voters’ Pamphlet mailed to registered voters Oct. 15: Last day to register to vote in Nov. 5 election Oct. 16: Ballots mailed to voters Nov. 5: Election Day Nov. 12: Last day […]
By James Day Two sitting Silverton councilors will be joined by a long-time city political figure in this fall’s election. Incumbent Council President Elvi Cuellar Sutton and Matt Gaitan, who was appointed to a seat by the council after the 2022 election, have been joined in the 2024 race by Kyle Palmer, whose history as an elected official goes back […]
The race for mayor in Scotts Mills is shaping up as a rematch between incumbent Paul Brakeman and 2022 challenger Jason Axness, while three seats on the City Council all have the incumbents filing to retain their positions and no challengers. Candidates had until Aug. 12 to file with the city to appear on the ballot for the Nov. 5 […]
By Stephen Floyd In the upcoming Nov. 5 election the City of Mount Angel is asking voters whether or not to uphold a ban on psilocybin businesses within the city limits. The Mount Angel City Council voted to ban such businesses in December of 2022. Voters must ratify the ordinance during the statewide general election for the ban to be […]
By James Day Design work for new Silverton park facilities for pickleball and hiking are 60% of the way there. The Silverton City Council heard a presentation on Aug. 5 from Jon Champlin, a landscape architect with NV5 in Portland. Champlin showed plans for six pickleball courts on property next to the skatepark and also debuted maps that show a […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council passed its regular budget for 2024-25 and one for its urban renewal agency at its June 17 meeting at the Silverton Community Center. But both spending plans, which total approximately $79 million, involved little councilor discussion and no amendments were offered. The budgets passed unanimously, and the largest chunk of time at the […]
Charges filed after transit mall disturbance A Silverton-area man is facing felony charges after an alleged armed disturbance at a transit mall in Salem. Enrique King Hatfield, 21, was arrested May 8 for an incident that day at the Downtown Salem Transit Mall on High Street. A news release from the Salem Police Department said Hatfield allegedly began shouting threats […]
By James Day Approximately 30 people participated recently in a half-day session on climate change and adaptation at The Oregon Garden. The event, called “Tools for Adaptation,” was organized by Sustainable Silverton and used the education center and the fire safety house at the Garden. The conference was divided into three sections, air and water, earth, and fire, with regional […]
By James Day There will be at least one new councilor in Silverton next January. Jess Miller, who was elected in 2020, told the council at its June 3 meeting that he will not seek a second four-year term. Miller told Our Town that he will be focusing his community service time on working to pass parental equity legislation at […]
By James Day Silverton has instituted a new pilot program for downtown parking and has hired a new employee to run the system. Parking is now free for four hours during business hours Monday through Friday. New signs have gone up on the streets, and the meters, and the program essentially took effect Memorial Day weekend. It is intended to […]
By James Day The Silverton Budget Committee is moving toward approval of a $75 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The committee, which consists of Mayor Jason Freilinger, the six councilors and seven citizen members, heard the budget message from the city manager at a May 7 session and began its review of the document. Final passage could come […]
By Stephen Floyd Marion County voters are being asked to choose between candidates for County Clerk in the May 21 Primary Election to determine who progresses to the November ballot. Longtime Clerk Bill Burgess is being challenged by Deputy Clerk Jo Anne Lepley and retired election worker Anna Munson. The two with the most votes will appear on the Nov. […]
By James Day The City of Silverton has completed work on a new water intake project that will dramatically increase its water producing capacity as well as extend the life of the system another 50-plus years or more. On April 5, city staff, a federal official and the project manager held a walk-through at the intake project site alongside Silver […]
By Melissa Wagoner What would a celebration of the famous political cartoonist, Homer Davenport, be without a celebration of cartoons? “To that end, the International Cartoon Contest has returned,” organizer, Gus Frederick, wrote in a recent press release. “As in past years, the competition is for ‘political’ or ‘editorial’ cartoons on any topic as long as they are not libelous, […]
Local robot whizzes Zane Davis and Derek Schaefer Robotics team heads to Texas The two members of the Thunderbolt Robotics Club have been invited to an international competition and are currently raising money to pay their expenses. Middle-schoolers Zane Davis and Derek Schaefer received a design award at the Oregon state tournament, while also pulling down several awards at […]
Scott Drue has resigned as superintendent of the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) amid a deficit projection of more than $825,000 and concerns from teachers of “toxic” leadership. Drue’s resignation was accepted by the SFSD Board during a special meeting March 13, effective immediately. The board then named Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch as acting superintendent. In a prepared statement, Drue […]
By James Day Housing continues to be a major concern statewide, with the Legislature passing another major housing bill in its recently completed short session. The City of Silverton decided to bone up on housing and land use issues in a March 18 joint session involving city staff, the City Council and the Planning Commission. The special meeting heard from […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council has finalized its work on goal-setting for the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The goals were discussed at length at a nearly four-hour special session at The Oregon Garden on Feb. 6, tweaked at the Feb. 26 work session and received unanimous support at the March 4 regular meeting. The goals are […]
By Stephen Floyd Marion County has extended a recently-expired tax incentive program that allows rural industrial businesses to delay paying property taxes on facility improvements that create jobs. During the March 6 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, the Rural Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program was extended to 2030 after it expired Jan. 2. The program was first established […]
