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Voter Registration Deadline is Tuesday

(SALEM) - If you want to take part in democracy and cast a vote in the May 16th primary, you must register to vote by Tuesday.

You must register if you have changed your name, address or party affiliation.

New registration cards require voters to list either their Oregon driver`s license number, or the last four numbers of your Social Security number.

Pressure Mounting for Schools to Close Achievement Gap or Face Federal Consequences

Oregon educators can find tools to help students that are struggling is at the 3rd annual Closing the Achievement Gap Conference on April 28th-29th.

(SALEM) - The federal No Child Left Behind Act has changed the stakes for student performance in schools.

Title I schools face sanctions if they do not meet expectations for student academic progress by grade level and disaggregated by racial/ethnic subgroups.

Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo has said "closing the gap is our moral imperative; it is a civil rights issue, regardless of the federal law."

One way Oregon educators can find tools to help students that are struggling is at the 3rd annual Closing the Achievement Gap Conference on April 28th-29th at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

The conference is designed for educators, administrators, community leaders, and parents.

AAA Survey: Vacation Costs up 5 Percent Over 2005, Oregon Ranks 28TH

Lodging rates will average $141 a night, up nearly nine percent from last year. Meals will cost $120, up nearly two percent from 2005.

(SALEM) - Travelers will not see any relief in their wallet this year with the overall cost of taking a vacation increasing by 5.4 percent from last year, according to AAA`s Annual Vacation Costs survey.

"Rate increases for lodgings are mostly a result of supply and demand, especially in major markets," said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development, which oversees the popular AAA Diamond Ratings.

"For both lodgings and restaurants, rising energy costs as well as salary and benefit costs are certainly having an impact."

AAA`s survey shows that a family of two adults and two children can expect to pay an average $261 per day for food and lodging.

Willamette River Among America`s Most Endangered

The river is #3 on American Rivers' annual list released Wednesday.

(PORTLAND) - A loophole in state regulations that allows "toxic mixing zones" gives the green light to factories and cities to dump millions of pounds of pollution into Oregon`s Willamette River, which American Rivers named Wednesday as America`s #3 most endangered river for 2006.

The annual America`s Most Endangered Rivers report highlights ten rivers facing a major turning pointing the coming year, where action by citizens can make a huge difference for both community well-being and river health.

Home to more than 70% of the state`s population, the Willamette River Valley is the heart and lifeblood of western Oregon, but a loophole in state regulations allows companies to exceed state standards for pollutants in short stretches of the river in "toxic mixing zones." These zones are not marked to keep out swimmers, anglers, or boaters, and the state does not even have a good record of where these toxic mixing zones occur or how many there are, according to the report.

Commercial Exhibitors Wanted for Marion County Fair

(SALEM) - Application packets are now available for commercial exhibitors to reserve space for the Marion County Fair. Packets are available on-line at www.mcfair.net or by calling (503) 566-4140 to request that a packet be mailed.

Applications and all fees are due by June 16th.

The 2006 Marion County Fair will be held July 13th-16th on the Oregon
State Fairgrounds. Based on last year's growth in fair attendance, 25,000 people are expected to attend the county fair this year.

House, Senate Pass Jessica`s Law for Oregon

The law is named after Jessica Lunsford, the 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender in 2005.

(SALEM) - Senators Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro) and Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) saw the culmination of a year`s work Thursday when the Oregon Legislature passed tougher penalties for sex offenders who prey on children.

The proposal was considered a major piece of unfinished business from last year`s legislative session and the two had been working in recent months to keep the issue before Oregonians by putting it on the November ballot.

"Today we took an important step forward to protect our children" stated Senator Starr.

Salem, Albany Builders to Donate Three Homes as Part of Nationwide Event

The homes, are a dream come true for 17 children and four adults, and will be part of the Salem Tour of Homes, June 17th-25th

(SALEM) - Three deserving Salem families will be moving out of their inadequate housing and moving into a new place to call home this summer, thanks to three mid-valley builders, a Salem building company, and hundreds of Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

Two 4-bedroom homes and one 4-bedroom manufactured home, will be built on adjacent lots on Valley View Drive N.W., as part of Habitat for Humanity`s Home Builders Blitz 2006, a national campaign to build 500 Habitat homes in five days.

JDC Homes, Weiland Homes, and Palm Harbor Homes are supplying the labor and materials for the projects, and Cornerstone Building Company will be donating the foundations for all three homes.

A pre-build kickoff celebration will feature Salem city officials, the future homeowners and their families, and the home builders on May 31st at 6:00 PM at 1440 Valley View Dr. N.W.

NO METH Not In MY Neighborhood Holding Community Meeting on Teens And Meth

NO METH Not In MY Neighborhood Holding Community Meeting on Teens And Meth.

(SALEM) - The NO METH Not In MY Neighborhood task force will be holding a community meeting next week on teens and meth.

Parents are encouraged to bring their teenage children with them to learn more about meth and our youth, meth use prevention, how to recognize it, and what to do if you find meth is in your home.

The meeting will feature:

Testimony from recovering addicts who began using meth as teens.

Survey: Voters in Benton County Are Positive About Present, Future

Voters were positive about the performance of the Benton County Commissioners and give Benton County high ratings for its efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

(CORVALLIS) - A survey of Benton County voters has found that the most important priorities for local government should be: affordable health care, illegal drugs, child and domestic abuse, jobs and the economy, and law enforcement and public safety.

Two potential levy measures to fund Benton County government received majority voter support. An "affordable health care and law enforcement" levy is supported 58-32% and a "drug and alcohol" levy is supported 61-30%. Generally speaking, funding proposals that reach 60% support in initial polling are considered viable.

The most popular potential components of a levy include:

The levy includes funding for a program for youth age 15 and under who are at risk of becoming serious and chronic delinquents...

New Mural Makes a Statement Against Graffiti

(SALEM) - The Salem community is invited to join students from Chemeketa Community College and McKay High School for the dedication of the mural that they painted to abate graffiti at McKay Park. The dedication will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at 1:00 PM at the park.