🌱 Salem City Council Meeting Today + 2 Teens Killed In Local Accident

Good morning, everybody! I'm Sean Peek and I'm your new host of the Salem Patch Newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Partly sunny. High: 81 Low: 53.
• Tuesday: Sunshine and delightful. High: 81 Low: 57.

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Here are the top three stories today in Salem:

1. The Salem City Council will be meeting at 6:00 p.m. today, Jun. 26, to vote on the 2024 budget and construction plans for the next five years. The Council will also review an initial plan to phase out free parking in downtown Salem. Residents are invited to attend the meeting in-person at the city council chambers (555 Liberty St. S.E. room 220) or watch the live stream on Capital Community Media’s YouTube channel, and share their thoughts during the public comment portion of the agenda. (Salem Reporter)
2. Two teenagers were killed early Friday morning when the pickup truck they were riding in crashed into a light pole and flipped over near the intersection of Kuebler Boulevard and 27th Avenue SE. The victims, identified as Natanael Ramirez-Carlos, 18, and an unnamed 15-year-old girl, were ejected from the vehicle when it landed upside down. Three other occupants of the pickup fled the scene but were later found by a police K-9 unit and taken to a local hospital for treatment. (KVAL 13)
3. In accordance with a state ruling from 2021, the City of Salem has recently modified its regulations regarding homeless camping outdoors. The updated rules, which went into effect on Thursday, Jun. 22, now mandate that campers must be given a three-day notice by city officials or law enforcement before their belongings are cleared, with provisions for storing and retrieving those belongings. While camping restrictions remain in place for parks, areas near residential zones, and locations designated as no-camping zones by the city manager, the city is prohibited from charging fines or fees to homeless individuals without access to a shelter. (KOIN 6)

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Today and tomorrow in Salem:

Monday, June 26

• Summer Block Party At Gilbert House Children's Museum (10:00 AM)
• Sandwich Squad At Wallace Marine Park (3:00 PM)
• Salem City Council Meeting At City Council Chambers (6:00 PM)

Tuesday, June 27

• $2 Kids Movies At Regal Willamette Town Center (All Day)
• Straub Outdoors Summer Camp Open House At Williamette Heritage Center (3:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Beginning today, Jun. 26, through Jun. 28, Turner Road SE will be closed to through traffic between Deer Park Drive SE and Boon Road SE to accommodate the installation of new water and sewer infrastructure. Local access will be available from Kuebler Road SE to Boone Road SE. (City of Salem)
• Oregon state lawmakers pushed their legislative session into its final possible day yesterday to vote on as many backlogged bills as possible before the end of their 160-day session. Legislators passed several important bills over the weekend, including a bill to boost the state's teacher workforce, two climate resistance bills to better prepare Oregon homes and buildings for extreme weather, and a bill that would cap annual rent increases at 10 percent. (KGW8)
• The Oregon Defensible Space Program, a newly-launched website from the Oregon State Fire Marshal, aims to educate Oregon residents on local wildfire preparedness best practices. The website offers downloadable resources and a defensible space property assessment request portal. (KTVZ)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday! I'll see you around.

— 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.