Chris Hoy appointed Salem’s new mayor
Salem has a new mayor after a City Council vote this week. The council appointed Chris Hoy to the position after departing Mayor Chuck Bennett announced he’d be leaving the job before the end of his term in January. Hoy won the May primary for the mayor’s seat but will step into the position early. Bennett announced last year he’d be retiring early to move to Ohio. With Hoy’s transition into the mayor’s seat, his replacement in Ward 6, Julie Hoy will also take her seat on the council early. She has no relation to Chris Hoy. City staff says they’ll still hold a ceremonial swearing-in after the new year. (Whitney Woodworth/Salem Statesman Journal)
Cold case could be cracked, suspect arrested in 1974 double homicide
Steven Paul Criss, 65, of Aloha is behind bars after being accused of shooting and killing two teenage boys nearly half a century ago in Washington County. Criss was arrested on Thursday on two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of two Aloha High School students in 1974. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Friday morning on the history of the murders and how the new suspect came under scrutiny. (Lauren Bishop/Beaverton Valley Times)
Eugene school board member Laural O’Rourke files complaint, citing racism in 4J district
Laural O’Rourke, a board member of Eugene School District 4J, has filed an eight-page formal complaint against the district and fellow board members, citing racial harassment and discrimination. “Honestly, my whole time on the board has been fighting against racist behavior,” O’Rourke said in an interview with The Register-Guard on Thursday. “I guess, even as a Black person, I wasn’t aware of how prevalent it still is because you can insulate yourself if you’re not in the public forum.” (Miranda Cyr/Register-Guard)
Clark College Dreamcatcher Scholarship opens doors for Native student
Two recipients of the 2022-23 Dreamcatcher Scholarship at Clark College received some life-changing aid in order to alleviate day-to-day stress and limit future debt. Duana Johnson and Rory Smith got the award, which grants $500 for tuition and books for Clark students who identify as Native American Indian, Alaska Native, Hawaiian Native or Indigenous to the Americas. “I just wouldn’t be able to afford the books without this,” said Johnson, who is pursuing a business degree in order to one day start a nonprofit. (Griffin Reilly/The Columbian)
New partnership to address decline of tufted puffins
When John Underwood, a board member of Friends of Haystack Rock, first visited Cannon Beach as a child, there were hundreds of the area’s iconic tufted puffins. This year, there were a meager 74, which is the lowest count since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began tracking the population. Now, Underwood and the Friends of Haystack Rock want to stop the decline. “I have grandchildren,” Underwood said. “And I want my grandchildren to be able to go down there with their children and see those birds on that rock. (Nicole Bales/The Astorian)
Former Grant County sheriff’s deputy not guilty on all charges
A former Grant County sheriff’s deputy, Tyler Smith, was found not guilty on all charges of attempted rape, attempted sex abuse and fourth-degree assault pertaining to events alleged to have occurred in August 2018. The 12-person jury heard closing arguments throughout the morning and early afternoon before entering deliberations just after 2 p.m. By 3:10, the jurors announced that they had reached their verdict. (Tony Chiotti/Blue Mountain Eagle)
