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Critter Campus returns to teach kids about small animals | PAGE
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Wednesday January 31, 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 05
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County graduation rates lag behind state Falls City man By STAFF REPORT
While the Oregon Department of Education is celebrating the overall statewide graduation rate for the 2022-23 school year
remaining tied for its second highest rate ever, Polk County school officials are left crunching their numbers to determine why local graduation rates are down for a second year in a row.
Statewide, the class of 2023’s graduation rate was 81.3 percent, tying the previous class as the second highest graduation rate ever recorded in Oregon, according to data released Jan. 25
the ODE. However, Polk County’s graduation rates fell from 79.9 percent to 75 percent for the class of 2023. Central School District’s 4-year cohort graduation rates for 2022-23 dipped for
a second year to 76.4 percent from 81.64 the prior year. The 5-year completer rates also declined over last year, from 91.2 to 84.8. Dallas High
See GRADUATION, page A7
OCE graduate’s legacy earned one stitch at a time By Lance Masterson For the Itemizer-Observer Few people know more about the anatomical structure of the Whos of Whoville than David Kay Mickelsen. “You know, a Who’s body is not shaped like a human body. Their legs are very short. So their crotches are very low, and they’re bulbous at the bottom and skinny in the shoulders,” Mickelsen said of the whimsical characters from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Mickelsen earned a Fine Arts degree at the Oregon College of Education (Western Oregon University) in 1980, and has since established himself as one of the country’s leading costume designers in theater. He is very familiar with the Seuss classic, having costumed “The Grinch” for the stage numerous times over the past 30 years. The play concluded its 11th run at the Children’s Theatre See OCE, page A8
PHOTO BY GLEN STUBBE
Designer David Kay Mickelsen, an Oregon College of Education graduate, had to take special steps to ensure theater patrons didn’t experience sensory overload while enjoying “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
pleads guilty
Admits to firearm, stolen credit cards scheme A Polk County man pleaded guilty Jan. 23 in federal court to multiple charges stemming from his involvement in a scheme to ship export-controlled firearm components, ammunition and stolen credit cards to multiple foreign countries, including Russia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Alan Michael Placzkiewicz, 76, of Falls City, pleaded guilty to one count each of illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and delaying or destroying mail. Throughout his involvement in the illegal smuggling scheme, Placzkiewicz operated as a mule, receiving packages containing various items, and as directed by others, shipping them to addresses overseas, according to Oregon’s U.S. District Attorney’s Office. Placzkiewicz participated in the scheme knowingly and continued participating after being warned by multiple See GUILTY, page A7
County experiences highs, lows veterans programs Gale’s Lodge transitional housing gets federal grant
By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
CCB#200318
Polk County Commissioners received good news Jan. 24 that one of their already successful programs for unhoused veterans is able to expand thanks to an infusion of federal dollars. Eric Enderle, Polk County Veteran Services Supervisor, told the commissioners that last fall his office applied for Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs Services Grant of $61,339 to take Gale’s Lodge Transitional Housing Program case management from part to full time.
“We found out in December we received the grant with the full request,” Enderle said. The grant performance period runs from Jan. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. “We already have a case manager increasing their workload. Part of what we hope to do with grant funding with additional staff time is after care work, continue to work with folks after they leave there to continue their success in stable, gainful housing,” Enderle said Brent DeMoe, Polk County Director of Family & Community Outreach, explained that Gale’s Lodge
Frustrations mount over new veterans tax exemption rule
is a transitional housing program the Veteran Services office runs in partnership with Dallas United Methodist Church. “It’s been open for four years and can house up to six veterans at a time. Eric and his team help those veterans get back on their feet with full-time employment, full-time housing, permanent housing, whatever might be appropriate for that particular veteran, plus connections to every other resource that veteran might need,” DeMoe said. See GRANT, page A6
By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
After an effort to seek clarity within their job regarding veterans tax exemptions, assessor offices across Oregon have instead been saddled with additional levels of complexity. Polk County Commissioners heard from both sides of the issue at their meeting Jan. 24 seeking clarity of their own regarding a new change in Oregon’s Department of Revenue that went into effect Jan. 1.
Polk County Assessor Valerie Patoine explained the new DOR rule changes how assessor offices across the state can process new applications for partial exemptions, specifically, the disabled veteran or surviving spouse property tax exemption and the Oregon active-duty military service members exemption. “We wanted to go on record to let not only you know (county commissioners) but all the veterans whether in Polk County or state of Oregon that we didn’t agree with the decision that the department has made,”
Patoine said. “And I also wanted our veterans to know that we’ll be actively pursuing a legislative fix to ensure that the veterans exemption program will continue to be processed the way it always has been so that every veteran is a winner. Patoine said there are currently 1,025 participating veterans in Polk County and they get an average 100 new applications a year. “Assessor offices have been processing these exemptions See TAX, page A6
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