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🌱 Patch AM: How a text-to-911 message led Salem police to a rescue

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Hey hey Salem! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a text-to-911 message led Salem police to a rescue
  • Why Salem’s unsheltered homeless count is on hold until 2027
  • How investigators tied a Salem man to a devastating NW apartment fire

Also on today's calendar: Spirit Night: Milagro Tequila and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Salem? Post it to Salem photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: A couple of showers, with a high of 52 and low of 44 degrees.
  • Thursday: Breezy with rain, some heavy, temps: high: 58, low: 46.
  • Friday: Mostly cloudy, a little rain, with a high of 51 and low of 42 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Woman rescued in Salem after police receive Text-to-911 tip about alleged kidnapping (katu.com) — Salem Police used a text-to-911 tip to find a woman who said she’d been kidnapped in a van on Hawthorne Avenue NE, safely rescuing her after a brief standoff. Investigators later determined there wasn’t probable cause for kidnapping, but a Salem man was jailed on a domestic assault complaint while the case remains under investigation.
   

2. Salem-area organizers opt to skip unsheltered homeless count this year (salemreporter.com) — Salem-area homeless service leaders are skipping next month’s unsheltered Point-in-Time count, delaying it until January 2027 because of budget and staffing cuts. That means fewer up-to-date numbers to support federal funding requests, though agencies will still track people in shelters and study long-term trends in homelessness and housing capacity across Marion and Polk counties.
   

3. Man charged with arson in connection to NW Salem apartment fire (kptv.com) — A 54-year-old Salem man has been arrested and charged with arson after an October fire at a northwest Salem four-plex that displaced 13 residents and killed three pets. Firefighters say everyone escaped the burning building near Stoneway and Rosewood drives, but damage is estimated at $100,000 as the case now moves forward in Polk County court.
   

4. COLUMN: Habitat restoration is the future at Baskett Slough (salemreporter.com) — Habitat restoration work at Baskett Slough, just west of Salem, is reshaping former farmland into meandering wetlands, prairie, and oak habitat that support salmon, eagles, butterflies, and waterfowl. Refuge staff outlined upcoming bridge and berm removals through 2026, and Salem Audubon is inviting locals to learn more through its programs and activities.
   

5. 98% of Oregon SNAP and cash benefit fraud happens out of state: 'A certain kind of evil' (kgw.com) — Oregon officials say nearly all recent SNAP and cash benefit fraud is happening out of state, draining Oregon Trail cards and leaving families suddenly without food money. One Salem resident’s account was reportedly wiped, as state leaders debate blocking out-of-state transactions and adding chip technology to better protect vulnerable households.
   

📸 Around Salem

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I got a 4 year old Russian Tortoise today!
    I want to be proactive if I need a vet. Any recommendations? (Nextdoor Morningside)
  • Still looking for Oliver.
    I pray he is in someone's home warm and loved. I really miss my boy and am worried about him. If you see him or know where he is, please contact me… (Nextdoor Pennsylvania Ave)
  • Oracle posted a job opening for Delivery Manager (Individual Contributor) - NetSuite ACS (Products Team) in Salem. Apply here.
  • Humana posted a job opening for Anaplan Model Builder in Salem. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Salem here.

Ok Salem! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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