Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 28, 2017 3A
Man charged with
sex abuse of child
Salem Police suspect Johnson
may have additional victims
Itemizer-Observer staff report
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer file
The Polk County Board of Commissioners will consider adding a taxing district to pay for facilities at the fairgrounds.
County seeks other options
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — In
May, voters narrowly reject-
ed a $10 million bond for
county facilities mainte-
nance.
On June 20, County Ad-
ministrator Greg Hansen
proposed a plan to address
repairs and maintenance in
lieu of the bond.
It included asking Public
Works and Behavioral
Health to cover costs at their
respective buildings.
Behavioral Health is the
largest occupant of the
Academy Building, which
was recently remodeled.
The Polk County Jail
needs a new roof soon, and
the money for that project
would come from the coun-
ty’s general fund, Hansen
said.
He said finding solutions
for the historic courthouse
and annex complex and the
Polk County Fairgrounds &
Event Center is tougher.
The courthouse complex
needs an estimated $7.5 mil-
lion to $8.5 million in re-
pairs, according to a facili-
ties analysis commissioned
by the county.
Hansen said the fair-
grounds has aging facilities
and can’t cover operations
costs without help.
“When considering these
facilities, the primary source
of funding for any of these
improvements will fall upon
the general fund, which does
not have adequate resources
to address the necessary re-
pairs without a serious dis-
ruption to the services we
currently provide,” Hansen
wrote in a memo to the
Board of Commissioners.
His proposal provided
separate options for the
courthouse complex and
fairgrounds.
He recommended scaling
back the $10 million bond to
$8.5 million to address
needs at the courthouses.
That would cost an esti-
mated 16.5 cents per $1,000
of assessed value on proper-
ties in the first year, and av-
erage less than 15 cents over
the 10-year life of the bond.
Hansen said the board
didn’t want to pursue that
option in November this
year, but would wait until
2018, if it decides to place a
bond before voters.
For the fairgrounds,
Hansen recommended ex-
ploring a permanent solu-
tion: A taxing district, similar
to what voters approved for
Polk County’s Oregon State
University Extension pro-
gram.
Now, the fairgrounds fa-
cility needs help from the
county to balance its budg-
et.
“The (general fund) trans-
fer to the fairgrounds is
$75,000,” Hansen said.
“That could easily go to
$250,000 before you know it
and you’re still not address-
ing things.”
A taxing district charging
a permanent rate of 10 cents
per $1,000 would generate
about $550,000, of which
$250,000 could pay for oper-
ations.
The remaining $300,000
could be leveraged to fi-
nance repairing existing
buildings or new construc-
tion.
County leaders will have
time to weigh the pros and
cons of the fairgrounds pro-
posal, as it probably won’t
see a ballot until after a re-
newal of the public safety
levy goes before voters in
November 2019.
“This idea will require
some research,” Hansen
said.
WEST SALEM — Salem
Police Detectives arrested a
suspect on numerous sexu-
al charges against a female
minor, according to a press
release from the Salem Po-
lice Department.
Officers were performing
a routine check of Orchard
Heights Park at about 12:50
a.m. on Monday when they
encountered a vehicle, ac-
cording to the release.
Upon making contact with
the adult male occupant of
the vehicle, they also found
a 16-year-old female in the
vehicle. Further investiga-
tion led officers to believe
there was illegal activity,
and an investigation en-
sued.
After interviews by de-
tectives, Kyle Johnson, 26,
of Salem, was arrested on
charges of compelling
prostitution, delivery of a
controlled substance to a
minor, second-degree sex-
ual abuse, and first-degree
online sexual corruption of
a child.
The investigation
showed that Johnson first
made contact with the vic-
tim on a social media plat-
form and continued to
communicate with her,
eventually setting up meet-
ings with her and offering
controlled substances and
alcohol, according to the
police report.
Due to the nature of the
allegations against John-
son, investigators are con-
cerned that there may be
additional victims.
Anyone who has had
similar approaches, propo-
sitions or communications
are asked to contact the
Salem Police Department
Tip Line at 503-588-8477.
The Salem Police De-
partment would like to re-
mind parents to be aware
of the online activities of
their children. Computers
should be kept in a com-
mon area where activity
can be readily viewed by
others. Set limits on social
media accounts and have
rules in place to be able to
view childrens' activities
online, the press release
stated.
Salem police encour-
aged parents to have con-
versations with children
about online safety to in-
clude not becoming friends
with people who are un-
known to them, verifying
the identities of those re-
questing connections, and
immediately reporting any
approaches by strangers to
connect in person, the re-
lease states. Any requests
for photos of sexual nature
or the receipt of such pho-
tos should be reported im-
mediately to a responsible
adult, and immediately
discontinue contact with
anyone who makes them
feel uncomfortable.
Parents should also be
aware of and have consis-
tent access to their chil-
drens' smartphones, online
gaming systems and the
online activities they are
engaging in when with
their friends, the press re-
lease states.
Music from the Redgate Winery & Fieldhouse
Friday, June 30 • 6-9 PM
Reckless Rockhounds
$5.00 cover
____________________
Saturday, July 1 • 6-9 PM
Ivie, Meziere, Foss Trio
$5.00 cover
__________________________
Sunday, July 2 • 6-9 PM
Mitch Lies & the Alibis
Free.
____________________
Monday & Tuesday
July 3 & 4 • 6-9pm
Martin Gerschwitz
$10.00 cover
Tasting fees $10
Glass of wine $5
Must be 21. Food Available.
8175 Buena Vista Road
Independence • 503-428-7115 • www.redgatevineyard.com
Matinees are all shows
before 6pm. New pricing for
matinees are: Adult $8.00
Children $7.00 • Senior $7.25
Pricing does not reflect
3D showings.
FRIDAY - WEDNESDAY • JUNE 30 - JULY 5
NOTICE
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has in its physical possession the un-
claimed personal property described below. If you have any ownership
interest in any of that unclaimed property, you must file a claim with the
Polk County Sheriff’s office within 30 days from the date of publication of
this notice, or you will lose your interest in that property.
•
Pencil
us in!
•
•
www.polkio.com
Firearms, knives, bicycles, electronic equipment,
jewelry, tools, bags/backpacks, sports equipment
1996 Jeep Cherokee, OR 161FLB,
Vin #1J4FT68S5TL133117
2002 Subaru Outback, OR SL36977,
Vin#4S3BH665926656981
WONDER WOMAN (Digital) (PG13)
(12:40 3:45)
THE HOUSE (Digital) (R)
(12:35 2:50 5:05)
BABY DRIVER (Digital) (R)
(11:30 2:10 4:50)
DESPICABLE ME 3 (Digital) (PG)
(11:45 12:15 2:00 2:30 4:15 4:45)
47 METERS DOWN (Digital) (PG13)
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (Digital) (PG13)
(12:15 3:30)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (Digital) (PG13)
(1:15 4:10)
ROUGH NIGHT(Digital) (R)
CARS 3 (Digital) (G)
(11:30 2:05 4:40)
6:50 9:55
7:20 9:35
7:3010:10
7:00 9:15
6:30 8:45
6:4510:00
7:05
10:00
7:15 9:50
THURSDAY • JULY 6
WONDER WOMAN (Digital) (PG13)
(12:40 3:45)
THE HOUSE (Digital) (R)
(12:35 2:50 5:05)
BABY DRIVER (Digital) (R)
(11:30 2:10 4:50)
DESPICABLE ME 3 (Digital) (PG)
(11:45 12:15 2:00 2:30 4:15 4:45)
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (Digital) (PG13)
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (Digital) (PG13)
(12:15 3:30)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (Digital) (PG13)
(1:15 4:10)
ROUGH NIGHT(Digital) (R)
CARS 3 (Digital) (G)
(11:30 2:05 4:40)
Contact Polk County Sheriff’s Office at:
850 Main Street, Dallas, OR 97338 • (503) 623-9251
(June 28; July 5, 12, 19, 2017)
COmInG SOOn
to a mAILBOX
near you!
YOUR LOCAL 2017-18
PHOnE BOOK
Eagle Directories
147 SE Court St., Dallas • 503-623-2373 • www.polkio.com/polk-directory/
6:50 9:55
7:20 9:35
7:3010:10
7:00 9:15
7:00 10:00
6:4510:00
7:05
10:00
7:15 9:50