Good morning to you Salem! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Sundial Tour of Homes and 7 more events.
Today's riddle: What has a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. ODOT leasing out some of its office space in Salem – Daily Journal of Commerce (djcoregon.com) — State transportation officials are shrinking their footprint by leasing out ground-floor space at ODOT's headquarters on Salem's Capitol Mall to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, starting a 10-year lease this fall. The move helps ODOT save money amid budget pressures, brings in about $675,000 per biennium, and reflects broader shifts toward remote and hybrid work for many state employees.
2. Gold thief sentenced for Christmas Eve heist at Oregon rock museum (koin.com) — A man who tried to sell stolen museum gold in the Salem area has been sentenced to a year in prison for a 2023 Christmas Eve heist at Hillsboro's Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Investigators say Salem- and Woodburn-area precious metal and pawn shop staff helped foil the scheme by recognizing the items from law enforcement alerts and contacting authorities.
3. How Public Fleets Are Rethinking Vehicles, EVs, and Culture (government-fleet.com) — Salem's public fleet just earned recognition as the No. 1 Leading Fleet of 2026, thanks in part to a major culture shift in how the city manages vehicles and staff. A national Government Fleet roundup highlights Salem alongside Glendale and emerging EV-as-a-service models, putting the city's operations in the spotlight for other agencies to study.
4. Salem driver, 19, involved in fatal pedestrian crash off Hwy 20, Oregon troopers say (koin.com) — A 19-year-old Salem resident was identified as the driver in a fatal pedestrian collision on Highway 20 in Lincoln County, where a Toledo man was found dead in a roadside ditch. Oregon State Police say the teen initially thought he hit a deer, then learned it might have been a person and cooperated after the incident was reported. The investigation is ongoing and closed part of the highway overnight.
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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: A bottle (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
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