Tuesday Morning News Report With Kevin Hays (AUDIO)

Salem-News.com

(SALEM) - (Audio transcript)

HERE ARE TODAY`S TOP STORIES FROM SALEM-NEWS.COM, WITH KEVIN HAYS REPORTING…

AUTHORITIES ARE PRAISING SALEM RESIDENTS FOR HELPING TO BRING THE CRIME RATE DOWN DRAMITICALLY LAST YEAR IN SALEM.

VIOLENT CRIME WAS DOWN NEARLY 7 PERCENT AND PROPERTY CRIME WAS DOWN NEARLY 9 PERCENT IN SALEM IN 2005.

ONLY AUTO THEFT WAS UP, WHICH ROSE OVER 8 PERCENT.

AUTHORITIES CREDIT THE DECREASE IN CRIME TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS TAKING PART IN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHES.

CENTER STREET IN SALEM WILL BE CLOSED STARTING TUESDAY AT 7:30 AM BETWEEN 14TH STREET AND 17TH STREET.

CREWS WILL BE REPLACING THE BRIDGE THAT CROSSES MILL CREEK.

THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT IN 1914 AND CARRIES ABOUT 17,000 CARS EVERYDAY.

THE NEW BRIDGE, WILL BE WIDER, AND WILL ACCOMMODATE AUTOMOBLIE, BICYCLE, AND PEDERSTRIAN TRAFFIC.

TRAFFIC WILL BE DETOURED SOUTH TO STATE STREET USING 12TH STREET AND 17TH STREET.

SEVENTEEN STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS FROM SALEM`S HOUCK MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE GETTING A COURSE IN TRYING TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

THE GROUP HAD SPENT THE PAST YEAR, WORKING HARD TO RAISE MONEY FOR A DRAMA TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY.

HOWEVER, THE GROUP LEARNED FRIDAY THAT THE TRAVEL COMPANY HANDLING THEIR ARRANGEMENTS, WENT BANKRUPT, AND ALL OF THE HARD EARNED 35-THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS GONE.

BUT THE GROUP IS REFUSING TO GIVE-UP HOPE ON LEAVING FOR THE BIG APPLE ON FATHERS DAY.

THEY HELD TWO CAR WASH FUNDRAISERS THIS WEEKEND AND BROUGHT IN NEARLY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS.

BUT MORE IS STILL NEEDED.

IF YOU CAN HELP, DONATIONS NEED TO BE MADE BY FRIDAY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MAKING A DONATION, VISIT OUR WEBSITE SALEM-NEWS.COM.

NEEDY OREGONIANS WHO HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ARE BEING INVITED TO JUMP ABOARD THE HELP IS HERE EXPRESS.

THE BUS IS PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PRESCIPTION ASSISTANCE NATIONAL PROGRAM TO RAISE AWARENESS AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

THE HELP IS HERE EXPRESS WILL BE MAKING STOPS IN PORTLAND, SALEM ON TUESDAY, EUGENE AND MEDFORD.

THOSE PLANNING ON ATTENDING SHOULD BRING A LIST OF THEIR CURRENT MEDICATIONS.

THE PROGRAM MATCHES PATIENTS WITH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT MAY HELP THEM GET THEIR MEDICATIONS AT LITTLE OR NO COST.

OSU IS SET TO GRADUATE IT`S LARGEST CLASS IN SCHOOL HISTORY ON SUNDAY.

ABOUT FOURTY-THREE HUNDRED STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE FROM OSU THIS YEAR, WITH NEARLY 5-THOUSAND DEGREES.

BOTH WOULD BE RECORDS.

THE GRADUATION CEREMONY, BEGINS AT 2:00 PM AT RESER STADIUM, AND WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE ON OPB.

SALEM-AREA FORECAST FROM SALEM-NEWS.COM

TONIGHT…RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUE…LOW 52

TUESDAY… OFF AND ON SHOWERS HIGH 73

GET A COMPLETE 7-DAY SALEM-AREA FORECAST ON SALEM-NEWS.COM.

SALEM-AREA TRAFFIC REPORT, THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO REPORTS OF ANY MAJOR TRAFFIC DELAYS IN AND AROUND THE SALEM-KEIZER AREA.

THE LASTEST SALEM-AREA NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS, AND TRAFFIC IS ON DEMAND AT SALEM-NEWS.COM.

I`M KEVIN HAYS REPORTING FOR SALEM-NEWS.COM HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL DAY!