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 […]
Marion County is encouraging residents to participate in a health and environmental hazards survey. The county is teaming up with Polk County and Willamette University on the survey, which is intended to gather community concerns about how heat waves, severe storms, wildfires, poor air and water quality and drought affect residents. You can participate by going to co.marion.or.us/HLT/PH/PS and clicking […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Christine Smith, general manager of Guerra’s Restaurant in Silverton, discovered the Empowerment and Leadership for Youth and Young Adults (ELY) program – a job skills training program for young adults in Marion County – she knew she wanted to incorporate it into the restaurant’s mission. So, one year ago, with the help of Job Coach Kate […]
By Stephen Floyd More than 7,700 ballots were cast and $23,000 donated for Measure 24-486 on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election. Had it passed, the measure would have raised more than $138 million for facility improvements throughout the Silver Falls School District (SFSD). According to election results published Nov. 17, the measure was failing by 55.71% out of […]
By James Day Cory Misley is just starting his second month as Silverton’s city manager. His schedule sounds punishing. He has met with all the councilors and Mayor Jason Freilinger. Plus Chamber representatives, social-service and nonprofit directors, and with his next whirlwind tour government officials such as those of Marion County, Governor Tina Kotek’s office, and the state Legislature. “I’m […]
By Stephen Floyd Marion County is nearing the construction phase of replacing the Pudding River Bridge on Hazelgreen Road NE and has begun discussing follow-up work to address road flooding. The project would replace the current wooden bridge, built in 1969, with a concrete structure above flood levels, as the Little Pudding River inundates the current bridge during heavy rain. […]
The Careers Over Coffee Job Fair event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Broadway Commons, 1300 Broadway St. NE, Salem. This is a free event, and no registration is required. Looking to kickstart your career or find a new job opportunity? This unique event is your chance to connect with employees from Marion […]
Marion County has added six-plus acres of forested property to Scotts Mills County Park, an addition that will greatly expand the options for park users. The 6.03 acres of heavily timbered property cost the county $450,000, with $360,000 coming via the county’s sale of Auburn Park to the Salem-Keizer School District and $90,000 from Terry Caster, who died on April […]
Past acts enhance manslaughter case charges Prosecutors are seeking a stiff sentence for a Silverton man accused of vehicular homicide, claiming prior criminal sentences have had little impact on his behavior. Gustavo Sosa, 27, faces at least ten years in prison if convicted. He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter for a May 23 collision in Salem that killed Victor […]
Brenda Sanchez, district manager of Marion Soil and Water Conservation District, will speak at the Silverton Lions Club meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 303 N. Church St., Silverton. The presentation will include a brief history of soil and water conservation in Oregon and Marion County. Sanchez will give a detailed description of various […]
By James Day Public use of state parks continues to rebound from the pandemic, a new state report shows, with camping visits at Silver Falls approaching pre-COVID levels. Overall, Oregon State Parks experienced its second busiest camping and day-use year in history in 2022, the report says. Visitors logged 2.97 million camper nights, just 1.8 percent less than the record-breaking […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Kristen Storer received a message from the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) informing her that the organization would no longer be accepting stray cats from Marion County after Nov. 15, 2022, she was alarmed. “I feel like no one knows about this and it will affect everybody,” Storer, a former veterinary technician and cat foster care volunteer […]
By James Day Ten-year Silverton City Council member Jason Freilinger appears to be on his way to being elected the town’s mayor. Freilinger, a financial services officer and this term’s council president, was leading corporate executive Morry Jones by nearly 450 votes, according to unofficial results released Tuesday night by Marion County. Freilinger had 1,896 votes (56.66%), with Jones at […]
By James Day Measures intending to limit the business of psychedelic mushrooms received strong support from voters in early unofficial returns in both Marion and Linn counties on Tuesday. Anti-psilocybin measures were on the ballot in unincorporated portions of Marion and Linn as well as the towns of Stayton, Gates, Lyons, Mill City, Aumsville and Sublimity. Voters in all 8 […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council has signed off on a plan that will put four pallet shelters and a warming facility at the city’s Public Works compound. Councilors voted unanimously at an Oct. 17 work session to approve a ten-year lease agreement with Sheltering Silverton. Using $250,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that passed through […]
Marion County has requested a court order imposing 11 months worth of daily fines against a Scotts Mills man accused of failing to remove multiple junk cars from his property. On June 15, the county requested an injunction authorizing fines of $1,000 per day against Adam Jones due to “multiple inoperable/dismantled vehicles” on Jones’ property on Abiqua Road NE. The […]
By Stephen Floyd Community Roots School plans to move its middle school into the Silverton Grange building as part of a partnership to meet the program’s unique requirements. A move-in date is not yet finalized, but school administrators are planning for the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Middle school instructor Bridgett Steveson said partnering with the Grange will help […]
By Stephen Floyd Mark Daniel was already a man of many hats when he became interim city manager of Mt. Angel on Sept. 1. The police chief/emergency manager/firefighter/EMT/DJ knew it was an unusual choice to add city administration to his many responsibilities. But the last four months have shown he was up to the task, with the coming year holding […]
By Melissa Wagoner Recovering from a disaster like the one that devastated the Santiam Canyon during the Labor Day fires in 2020 is neither quick nor easy, a reality that was recognized early by the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund (SCWRF) Advisory Committee, a nonprofit established on Sept. 11, 2020 to support the recovery and rebuilding of those communities most […]
By Mary Owen After week-long deliberations, a jury sided with 14 counties – including Marion – in a $1.06 billion class action lawsuit against the state of Oregon. With financial backing from the timber industry, Linn County led the case against the state of Oregon and the Oregon Department of Forestry. In addition to Marion, Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Josephine, […]
By Kristine Thomas When Silverton Fire District Public Information Officer and Capt. Ed Grambusch learns there is another crash on Silverton Road, his first thought is an unpleasant one. He ponders “How many patients are we going to have? Are we going to have to extricate these patients from the vehicles?” While Silverton Road is the quickest and most direct […]
Your story matters If you are an employer or employee and have a story to share on how the minimum wage increase will impact you, please email [email protected] are looking for stories about living on minimum wage or how the increase specifically impacts local businesses. By Kristine Thomas After much debate, in February the Oregon House and Senate approved a […]
By Mary Owen Applications are now being accepted for Economic Development Grant funds allocated by Marion County. Grants up to $50,000 will be awarded from a fund provided to the county from Oregon Lottery proceeds, with the primary goal of assisting private-sector employers with job creation and retention. “Because the funding is limited, the Economic Development board wanted to focus […]
Dust billows and chaff flies behind the roaring machine that full-time, second-generation farmer Ryan Eder is using to harvest a local wheat field. “I am just helping out a neighbor,” said Eder, who raises other crops as well as wheat.
Should Marion County voters approve a ballot measure in the May 18 Primary Election to increase the number of country commissioners from three to five?
