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April is Work Zone Awareness Month

Work zone injuries, on average, occur every nine minutes in the U.S. HEAR THIS STORY AND MORE SALEM-AREA NEWS FROM SALEM-NEWS.COM'S KEVIN HAYS ON OUR NEWS PARTNER NEWSRADIO 1190 KEX.

(SALEM) - April means spring is here and in Oregon and Washington it also means city, state, and county road construction projects are getting underway.

Immigration Rights Supporters Hold Salem Rally

(SALEM) - An immigration rights rally in downtown Salem on Sunday drew thousands.

The rally began at 2:00 PM, and a march through the streets around the Capitol Mall started after 3:00 PM.

Organizers say the rally will focus on opposing the proposed legislation cracking down of illegal immigration...

House Budget Plan Would Harm Oregon`s Vital Services

(SILVERTON) - The five-year budget plan approved by the U.S. House Budget Committee last week `is badly out of step with the priorities of Oregonians,` according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy, a non-profit think tank. The House is planning to vote on the measure tomorrow or Thursday.

The House budget plan would provide domestic discretionary programs with $10.3 billion less funding in 2007 than is needed simply to keep pace with inflation. Discretionary programs are the part of the budget that includes Head Start, K-12 education, student loans for higher education, veteran`s medical care, law enforcement, transportation, nutrition supports, affordable housing, environmental protection, and medical research.

`This reduction means that services in Oregon would need to be reduced, or fewer people would be served by these programs,` stated Janet Bauer, the federal budget coordinator at the Oregon Center for Public Policy...

Senate Democrats Call on House Republicans to Join Bipartisan Effort to Pass Jessica`s Law

Renewed Call for Action During Special Session

(SALEM) - After working behind the scenes for months, Senate Democrats last week made public their intention to pass Jessica`s Law during special session and released a comprehensive proposal that goes beyond both the House bill from last session and this year`s proposed ballot measure.

`The Legislature has an opportunity to lead on this issue, and our proposal provides a roadmap for doing exactly that,` said Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown.

Today, Brown welcomed an announcement indicating that Senate Republicans also are willing to pass Jessica`s Law during special session.

President Courtney: Special Session Firming Up

(SALEM) - The upcoming legislative special session is firming up as predicted says Senate President Peter Courtney. On the agenda will be:

* Addressing the Oregon Department of Human Services` budget shortfall;

* Earmarking $42 million in surplus lottery earnings for K-12 schools statewide; and

* Giving the Portland school district permission to extend a temporary local property tax for schools.

`Our special session is coming together,` said Courtney (D-Salem/Gervais/Woodburn). `The Governor, Speaker and I have been meeting regularly and I`m pleased with our progress.`

Street Crimes Detectives Search Residence Near Salem, One Man Arrested

(SALEM) - Marion County Street Crimes Detectives executed a search warrant at the home of 46-year-old Ronald Samperi, 4505 Hazelgreen Rd NE in Salem Thursday morning. Deputies had arrested Samperi Wednesday after an investigation that they say spanned several days. He is being held at the Marion County Jail on multiple drug related charges.

After going to the home, detectives say they found a meth lab in a trailer on the property and several ounces of methamphetamine in the house. While the lab was inactive when investigators found it, they say it appears to have been in operation very recently.

Second Annual New Clothing Drive Starts On Toes of National Foster Month

(SALEM) - The furniture chain Sleep Country USA is nearing the beginning of its 2nd annual New Clothing Drive to benefit area foster children. Growing out of clothes is a common
problem for kids. For more than 23,000 Northwest foster kids, replacing these clothes is also a problem.

With National Foster Care Month quickly approaching in May, Sleep Country USA aims to almost double the number of new clothing items it received last year, targeting 5,000 gifts of new pants, new tops and packaged undergarments in all sizes from infants to teenagers.

"Children that enter foster care often do so with few or no personal items," said Nancy Underwood Long, Washington state community resource coordinator, Families for Kids. "In these cases, the kids are thrilled to have the
opportunity to obtain items like new jeans, shirts, socks and undergarments -

Salem Fire Blamed on Malfunctioning Portable Heater

(SALEM) - Marion County fire investigators say a malfunctioning portable heater is to blame for a fire Wednesday morning in northeast Salem.

The fire at the Bridgeway offices at 3325 Harold Drive NE was reported just before 10:00 AM, according to Marion County Fire District No. 1. Chief Roy Hari.

He says the heater melted onto the floor and ignited a bookshelf, allowing the fire to spread.

Salem Takes Steps to Reduce Corrosion in Household Plumbing

(SALEM) - Salem is adding a new step in its drinking water treatment process, but a city official says most customers won't notice any difference.

New corrosion control equipment is being installed at Salem's Geren Island Water Treatment Facility. Soda ash (Na2CO3) will be added in very small doses to help raise the pH of the drinking water delivered to Salem's customers. The reason is to reduce the potential for lead and copper leaching from household plumbing.

The new corrosion control system is currently under construction. Equipment will be installed and tested in spring 2006. The system is scheduled to be in operation by summer.

Kropf to Patrol The Skies Over The U.S.-Mexico Border

Catch Reports From Jeff Kropf During His U.S. Border Patrol Mission on Salem-News.com.

(SALEM) - Republican State Representative Jeff Kropf from Sublimity will be flying his own plane down to a private ranch in Tucson, Arizona on Sunday to work with U.S. Border Patrol Agents and the Minutemen to patrol the U.S border in an effort to stop the influx of illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican border into the U.S.

Kropf says he will be flying his Cessna 150 with a spotter on four to five hour patrol missions each day, and he hopes that by going down there he can get a better idea on just how bad the problem of illegal immigration is today.

Back in 1996-97, Kropf owned a pumpkin farm near the Texas-Mexico border near Rio Grande River and had groups of illegal immigrants crossing his land two to three times a week.

On Saturday and Sunday last week, the U.S Border Patrol`s Tucson sub-station arrested 440 illegal immigrants, 140 dodged authorities and are either now somewhere in the U.S., returned back to Mexico, or in the worst case got lost in either the Sonoran Desert or the mountains of Arizona and died.