🌱 2016 Cold Case + Deadly Car Crash + Plaque For Women's Rights

Hello again, neighbors! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new copy of the Salem Patch newsletter. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town today.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 77 Low: 54.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and beautiful. High: 83 Low: 55.

Here are the top three stories in Salem today:

1. Oregon State Police and the Marion County Medical Examiner's Office are seeking the public's help in identifying a man who was found deceased under the Marion Street Bridge in Salem nearly seven years ago in 2016. The man, estimated to be between 35 and 65 years old, was wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt and blue denim jeans. DNA analysis suggests he has Central and South American Latino ancestry, likely hailing from Central Mexico with potential relatives in or around Las Ranas, Michoacan. The man's profile is registered in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs UP#16050), but no significant leads have been obtained thus far. (KOIN)
2. A 42-year-old woman named Taliah Charese Gilchrist died in a single-vehicle crash on Friday morning. The pickup truck she was driving veered off the road, rolled down an embankment, and resulted in fatal injuries. The incident occurred on the 6700 block of Fairway Avenue SE in Salem. The crash is currently being investigated by the police, but initial findings suggest Gilchrist lost control of the truck while driving north. (Statesman Journal)
3. A plaque commemorating Oregon's unique history in securing women the right to vote was unveiled outside the Oregon Capitol in Salem. The marker, created by the Oregon Women's History Consortium, highlights the state's suffrage history and the ratification of the 19th Amendment. It emphasizes the diverse coalition of people who fought for women's voting rights in Oregon in 1912, eight years prior to the national amendment and was unveiled on the anniversary of suffragette Susan B. Anthony's 1905 Sacagawea statue unveiling. (Salem Reporter)

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Today and tomorrow in Salem:

Monday, July 10

• Marion County Agriculture Fair At Marion County Fairgrounds (All Day)
• Yoga + Wine At Cubanisimo Vineyards (6:00 PM)

Tuesday, July 11

• The Erwin Family At Elsinore Theatre (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Residents of Salem have the opportunity to witness the spectacular northern lights, or aurora borealis, from their own backyard this week. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has forecasted high auroral activity, making it possible to see the lights in parts of the United States and Canada, including Salem. (Statesman Journal)
• The Office of Small Business Assistance has a variety of in-person opportunities for business owners to discuss their concerns. They have provided a July outreach calendar that highlights these events here. (Oregon Secretary of State via Facebook)
• Terry James Heck, a 56-year-old man, was arrested by the Salem Police Special Victims Unit for allegedly sexually abusing a minor over a span of several years. Heck, who was a leader with the Boy Scouts organization in 2017, is accused of engaging in sexual messaging with the then 11-year-old child. (KPTV)

That's it for today. See you all soon for another update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.