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Wednesday May 28, 2025 | Volume 150, Issue 22 www.polkio.com

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Special District Election Results

Voters reject new police station bond, fairgrounds levy By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

The voters of Polk County have spoken and the message is clear. No new taxes. Initial special election results from May 20 have two measures failing, including a new building for the Dallas Police Department and an operations/maintenance levy for the Polk County Fairgrounds. According to initial counts from the Polk County Elections Office tabulated as of 8 p.m. May 20, the votes stand as:

$17.2 million Dallas Police Station Yes - 2,065 (44.7%) No - 2,556 (55.3%) Total Votes: 4,621 The city of Dallas was seeking to construct a two-story, 12,528-squarefoot police station in place of the former Polk County ItemizerObserver building located next to City Hall. City officials had said the current setup for the police force within City Hall is inadequate for handling evidence, evidence storage space, private changing areas for the

Michael Holsapple appointed to Dallas City Council

female officers and private space to conduct victim interviews. The reactions to the results were to respect the will of the voters, especially for Police Chief Tom Simpson “The result is understandably disappointing; however, we respect our community’s collective voice and remain dedicated to serving Dallas with professionalism and a positive outlook for whatever the future may hold,” Simpson said.

Deputy Chief Jerry Mott, who takes over for the retiring Simpson in July, echoed his reaction. “It was a let down. Folks are let down. It’s hard to pass additional taxes in the city of Dallas, always has been. We’re thankful to the councilors and PAC for getting the message out there,” Mott said. “Right now, there is no plan B in place. They may be working on that as we speak. It’s certainly something in the future. I don’t know what it will look like, but doing nothing is not an option.”

See DALLAS, page A3

See ELECTION, page A2

Preserving History MICC debuts partneship with ItemizerObserver

By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

The Dallas City Council has appointed its latest replacement to their ranks, Michael Holsapple, a longtime resident and public servant with deep roots in Polk County. Holsapple brings over three decades of military, law enforcement, and community service experience to his new role. Holsapple was appointed over three other candidates May 19 by a 5-2 vote of the sitting City Councilors. Holsapple was up against former city councilor Kirsten Collins, Tylor Lonsford, a family nurse Practitioner for Salem Health Medical Group in Independence, and Holly Williamson, a financial advisor. Holsapple received votes from Kim Fitzgerald, Tony Blosser, Michael Schilling, Carlos Barrientos, Larry Briggs, while Williamson received the other two votes from Robert Spivy and David Shein. Councilor Micah Jantz was not present. The city sought candidates to replace Debbie Virden who resigned April 3 to concentrate on personal matters after being reelected last November. Holsapple putting his name in the running this time versus running as a candidate in the general election came down to timing. “I had been talking with my wife and friends and some folks for the last couple of years. I wanted to be involved a little bit more and do some things to help out the community. The timing was just right. The position came open and I thought, ‘Yeah, I think so,’” Holsapple said. “I watched Spivy in his selection process. And right after that, this opened up. Maybe God’s giving me a sign here.” In his five-minute pitch to the council, Holsapple highlighted his experience, working in government, life experience and living in the community for three decades.

The Friends of the Dallas PD PAC released a statement, that read in part: “This election didn’t go the way we wished. The bond for a new police station did not pass, and yes — we’re disappointed. We believed deeply in the need, and in the responsibility to act now rather than burden future generations with a bigger problem. But the people have spoken, and we respect that. That’s

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

The Frank family, from Dallas, stop at the Rest Lawn Memory Gardens & Funeral Home on Highway 22 where a group of veterans have set up their personal collection of WWII and Vietnam era vehicles for the Memorial Day weekend for six years now. Matt Richards, the only non-vet among the group, contributes the most vehicles to the display with 10, from a 1943 International MT4 and 1944 T9 Crawler, to a 1952 Willys Jeep and 1944 Duck Amphibious Truck. He said the display is a way of preserving history and honoring our veterans. “We’re planting seeds. Because, some day when these kids are adults, they’ll be driving by and they’ll see this and remember. And hopefully remember what they felt and bring their kids,” Richards said.

Dallas Equestrian Team rides into top 10s at state The Dallas/Perrydale Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) competed at the State Championships in Redmond, Deschutes County Fairgrounds Expo Center, May 9–12 against the top athletes from each of the 19 Districts in Oregon. The team had several members place in the top 10 for their event, quite an accomplishment in such a big field of competition. Oregon High School Equestrians Teams is a high school sport with both individual and team classes. The 501c3 organization has been around since 1998. Students join with a participating high school in their district and will have a coach and supporting volunteers to help organize and coordinate all practices and competitions. Most teams holds regular practices in preparation for local and state meets. There are equal goals to improve

IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

A4 A4 A4 B2 B2 B6 B4 A6

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

The Dallas Equestrian Drill team performs a pinwheel as part of the State OHSET competition in Redmond. Competitors are (from left) Malei Anderson, Lexi Merkel, Katara Yoder, Maddie Russell, Hannah Garrison and Kylie Tish. your riding skills and your team/ leadership abilities. This is a winter/spring sport with three main competitions, two of which the athlete must compete in to qualify for the

state championship competition. Those qualified in their district are eligible to compete in a state See STATE PAGE A2

The Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce is making news. Weekly updates will come to you through the Itemizer-Observer. Thank you to I-O Editor David Hayes and General Manager Karen Sanks for making these notifications possible. Every article will highlight coming Chamber events that may be on the calendar horizon. And each week a Chamber Member of the Week will be named, along with some background on that member and their connection to the community. The Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce is pleased to name Home Comfort the first Chamber Member of the Week. Home Comfort has been part of the Polk County business landscape for 71 years. Owners Joe and Ben Flande and Home Comfort have many recognizable tag lines, including “Keeping you comfortable since 1954.” The business is family-owned and there is multi-generational participation. Home Comfort has a stellar reputation due to their devotion to having a well-trained and fully certified staff that deals with all aspects of HVAC, trade talk for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.” Home Comfort’s headquarters at 1827 S Main St, Dallas, is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Joe and Ben Flande and their team also provide 24-hour Emergency Service. Reach them at (503) 506-0290, or online at homecomfortinc.com.

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