Solve a Mardi Gras Whodunit!

The Salem Poetry Festival features three days of poetry reading and writing. The Rotary Club of West Salem’s new fundraiser promises an evening of investigation and intrigue for a good cause. Now for a shift to city affairs, the mayor of Salem will deliver a State of the City Address on Wednesday, March 5th. And at the state level, officials have released an AI action plan that responsibly and effectively integrates artificial intelligence into the workforce. You’re watching the “Local News Roundup” brought to you by FastSigns. I’m Sadie Smith. Poets and poetry lovers will gather in Salem from February 27th to March 1st for the Salem Poetry Festival, Poetry readings, workshops, and a keynote address by CMarie Fuhrman will be a part of this free three-day event. On Saturday, March 1st, the keynote poet CMarie Fuhrman will read her work in the morning and will lead a writing workshop in the afternoon. For more information and live streams of the poetry readings, visit the Salem Poetry Festival Facebook page. Are you ready to crack the case? The Rotary Club of West Salem will host a new interactive mystery fundraiser as part of its Mardi Gras at the Masquerade party on Tuesday, March 4th at the Chemeketa Eola event center. Tickets include Happy Hour, a multi-course buffet, prizes in a classic whodunit mystery for guests to solve featuring professional actors from the Murder Mystery Company. Proceeds will benefit the Rotary of West Salem Scholarship Fund and Teacher Grant program. Tickets and scholarships are available through Monday, February 24th on the Rotary of West Salem website. Salem mayor Julie Hoy’s 2025 State of the City Address will be held at noon on Wednesday, March 5th at the Salem Convention Center. The address will highlight last year’s accomplishments as well as share plans and goals for 2025. The deadline to register is Friday, February 28th. Tickets are $30 with lunch available for an additional charge. The address will also be streamed live on the City of Salem YouTube channel. The Oregon State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council approved an AI action plan on Tuesday, February 11th. The plan addresses responsible use of AI within state government operations to ensure that its use aligns with Oregon’s core values and provides excellent service to state residents. The council held nine full committee and 18 subcommittee meetings to create a plan that addresses privacy and security, encourages human oversight, and supports training to equip the workforce with the skills to use AI technology. To view the full action plan, visit the State of Oregon website. Learn more about these and other stories online at midvalleylocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the “Local News Roundup.” I’m Sadie Smith.