Today on Newsmakers at Noon, we started close to home with Steve Kettering, marketing manager at the South Salem Senior Center, and Douglas Meyer, who serves on the center’s board.
They joined Denise and Hunter to talk about the Senior Center and two upcoming events happening October 2–3 and October 16–17. It was a great reminder of the programs, activities and community the center provides for Salem-area seniors, and there are several ways to learn more or RSVP.
South Salem Senior Center
📞 503-588-0748
🌐 SouthSalemSeniors.org
📍 6450 Fairway Ave SE, Salem
Then we turned to a brand-new OPB/DHM Research poll of Oregon’s governor’s race, and this one is a nail-biter. One correction from our prep: the final OPB report has Christine Drazan at 46% and Tina Kotek at 44% on the initial question, with Brett Smith at 3% and 8% undecided. When undecided voters were asked which way they leaned, it moved to Drazan 47%, Kotek 46%, Smith 3% and 4% undecided. With a ±3.24-point margin of error, neither candidate has a statistically meaningful lead. The poll surveyed 915 likely voters Sept. 17–27.
The more interesting story may be why the race is so close. Cost of living, housing, taxes and the job market dominate voters’ concerns, while the campaigns are also battling over homelessness, schools, leadership and President Trump. We talked about what those issues, and the remaining persuadable voters, could mean as ballots get closer.
We also looked at the latest campaign sparring, including Oregon Democrats criticizing Drazan over appearances with national Republican figures. OPB reports Drazan appeared with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last weekend and has additional appearances with national Republican figures scheduled.
Closer to home, Salem’s new “20 is Plenty” policy brought out our skepticism. The city is lowering speeds on residential streets from 25 to 20 mph as part of its traffic-safety effort, which includes installing thousands of signs. Our question: Will drivers actually slow down, or will 20 simply become the new 25? And would physical measures such as speed bumps be more effective?
And Salem got something shiny and new today: Amtrak’s new Airo trains made their public debut on the Cascades line. Salem passengers are among the first in the country to ride them. They aren’t necessarily faster, but the trains feature substantial interior and technology upgrades, with the Cascades route becoming the first in the nation to put Airo trainsets into regular service. Could genuinely better passenger rail convince more Willamette Valley residents to leave the car at home?
Finally, the important news: Fat Bear Week has a champion! Bear 89, better known as Backpack, defeated Bear 910 after collecting more than 103,000 votes. Backpack got his nickname as a cub because he would climb onto his mother Holly’s back while she swam, and Mom happens to be a former Fat Bear Week champion herself. Apparently greatness, and girth, run in the family.
Links from Today’s Show
OPB — New poll shows Oregon governor’s race virtually deadlocked
Oregon Democrats post on Drazan and national Republican figures — X
Salem “20 is Plenty” post — Facebook
Salem Reporter — Salem sees first new Amtrak trains in decades
National Park Service — Fat Bear Week 2026
