By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes The Keizer Fire Board pondered an almost twofold increase in its local option levy at its meeting Tuesday, May 21. If the board acts on the recommendation from its Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), it would mean that a homeowner with a $250,000 house would pay $147.50 per annum [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes A new member of the Keizer City Council should be in place next month. On Monday evening, councilors formally approved the process that will be used to replace Ken LeDuc, who announced his resignation on May 10. Councilors met in a special meeting May 15 to accept the resignation [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Ron Christopher was elected again Tuesday night. Only this time, it was for a different board. Christopher, who has held the Salem-Keizer Transit subdistrict No. 2 seat since May 2009, ran against John Rizzo for the Keizer Rural Fire Protection District Position 1 seat and won handily. Results from [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes The Men’s Wearhouse in Keizer Station was open again May 10. It just wasn’t in the same location. An April 14 fire caused $2 million in damage – mainly in clothing – to the Men’s Wearhouse location at 6065 Keizer Station Boulevard NE. Last Friday, store employees were scrambling [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Earlier, there had been calls to not rush the budget process, using an extra meeting if necessary to get through everything. In the end, the Keizer Budget Committee approved an amended fiscal year 2013-14 budget at its May 9 meeting, going just a few minutes past the scheduled end [...]

An alert bystander helped save two Salem teenagers near the Keizer Rapids Boat Ramp last weekend. At approximately 6 p.m. last Saturday, May 11, two swimmers were rescued from the banks of the Willamette River in Keizer after they were stranded following a near-tragic river crossing. Sherwin Schnell of Independence was sitting at the water’s [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes More funding could be on the way to help fund the parks system in Keizer. Members of the Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion calling for $2 a month to be added to water bills in Keizer. That would create an estimated $336,000 [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Ron Christopher is one of two people running for a spot on the Keizer Fire District board. Meanwhile, no one is officially running for the Salem-Keizer Transit subdistrict No. 2 seat Christopher has held since May 2009. “I’m going to miss being on the transit board,” said Christopher, husband [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes The way U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) sees it, not enough of his colleagues in Congress are being honest enough with constituents. During comments at a Keizer Rotary luncheon May 2, the 5th District representative shared frustration about the lack of information being shared regarding the ongoing budget woes, [...]

By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes A Monday afternoon fire is causing heavy damage at Apple Blossom Apartments. Officials with Keizer Fire District and Keizer Police Department closed Apple Blossom Avenue N between River Road N and 2nd Avenue N around 3 p.m. Monday, May 13. Additional firefighting units were still arriving an hour later. [...]