Salem Health buys former RAM site for parking use
Salem Health bought the ex-RAM Restaurant & Brewery site in November. The health care organization paid $1.339 million for the 1.73-acre property. Current plans call for the lot to serve as parking for the health care provider. The site sits adjacent to Salem Hospital as well as clinic facilities. Salem...
Polk County residents were wary of new shelters in their towns. Their concerns never...
All hell broke loose in Polk County three years ago. “The homeless” were coming — no doubt bringing drugs, crime, insanity and general unsightliness to the rural county some 60 miles south of Portland. Organizers of Salem’s nonprofit Church at the Park were looking at opening shelters in both Dallas and Monmouth.
Bentley’s Coffee Turns Shops Pink in February to Boost “Dollars for Dogs” Donations
Have you driven by Bentley’s coffee and wondered why they are pink? Bentley’s Coffee is running an awareness campaign for their “Dollars for Dogs” program that donates $1 to local animal organizations for every dog that comes through a Bentley’s drive-thru. Founder Brandon Eastman said...
Measles detected in wastewater in Benton County
CORVALLIS, Ore. — In 2026 so far, there have been five confirmed cases of the measles in Oregon, with measles also being detected in wastewater in Benton County. Linn County confirmed two cases in early January with an additional case now confirmed within the last week. Meanwhile, further north...
Details set for new CARA grant program
The Central Albany Revitalization Area or CARA will end in June 2027, but not before handing out up to $545,000 in a final program of grants. In November, city council members sitting as CARA’s governing agency decided to split the urban renewal district’s last available funds. Half went to help pay Pacific Power’s...
The Buffet in Oregon Locals Swear Is Secretly the Best in Town
Salem holds a little secret most tourists never stumble upon, and it’s called Gold Dragon Restaurant. Tucked at 4645 Commercial St SE, this unassuming Chinese buffet has been quietly winning over locals for years. From the outside, it looks modest, maybe even forgettable, but step inside and you’ll see...
Oregon Woman Ignores Reality, Freaks Out Over Homeless Person: ‘Shouldn’t Have to Step Over...
Imagine your shock to open the door to your home and find someone sleeping just steps from your front door. A total stranger is just inches from a place you consider private. This is exactly what happened to a woman in Salem, Oregon, sparking fear, frustration, and questions about personal safety.
Another Oregon school district plans major cuts due to declining enrollment
SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — Salem-Keizer Public Schools is grappling with a $23 million budget shortfall, attributed to declining enrollment. Superintendent Andrea Castañeda explained, "What it comes down to is mostly that people are having fewer babies than they once did and as those smaller number of babies hit...
Salem Detectives Investigating Two Suspicious Death Cases (Update)
On February 2, 2026, detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit made an arrest in connection with a suspicious death investigation, now deemed a homicide. The investigation began on January 30, 2026, at a residence in the 4600 block of Dark Forest Place NE, when a woman, 70, of Salem, was found deceased under suspicious...
Man sentenced for injuring employee with arrow during West Salem robbery
SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) - A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a robbery that injured a store employee in Salem last May, according to the Polk County District Attorney’s Office. Christopher Denver Castator, of Redmond, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and unlawful use of a...

















