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Indy
Ambulance crashes responding to emergency call
It takes talent to perform at Indy Days
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Wednesday July 8, 2026 | Volume 151, Issue 26
www.polkio.com
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Independence Days on Parade
County union rallies for COLA raise By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor
PHOTO BY SMY PHOTOGRAPHY
More than 60 members of Polk County’s union workers represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 173 rallied at the courthouse June 30 to bring public awareness to the stalled talks between them and the administration. Amy Everits, president of the Local 173, said the event was not a call to strike, although that option is not off the table should talks reach an impasse. “So this is a rally to get everybody kind of motivated and together as a group,” Everits said. After rallying speeches from local and state leaders, the group marched once around the courthouse. Everits said the union negotiates a new contract with the administration every three years, with the current one ended June 29. At the top of their demands is a raise in COLA tied more closely to the rate of inflation over 4%. The county’s initial offer was 2%
Chief Neal Olson drives Polk County Fire District No. 1’s 1928 American LaFrance fire engine in the Independence Days Grand Parade on July 4. For more images from the event, see page B1.
See UNION, page A4
Grand Royale opens River’s Edge with Beastie Boys tribute
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Grand Royale, a Portland-based Beastie Boys tribute act, opens this year’s River’s Edge Summer Series on Friday at Riverview Park in Independence.
Pachanga gets the party started at Main Street Park By LANCE MASTERSON For The Itemizer-Observer
Back in 2019, bandleader Oscar Herrera needed a name that captured the spirit of the band he hoped to create. He mentioned the search to his mother before her passing. “Name it Pachanga,” she said. Herrera knew she was right. In Spanish, the
word means party. “That’s what people want,” he said. “A pachanga.” Years later, the Salembased band continues to live up to its name. Pachanga returns to Monmouth’s Music in the Park concert series July 15. They made a memorable debut last year, turning Main Street Park into a dance floor. City officials noticed.
IN THIS ISSUE
“Pachanga is back by popular demand based on the crowd response from their previous performance,” said Suzanne Dufner, economic development director for the City of Monmouth. “It was so fun to see folks on their feet dancing and the energy Pachanga brings to the stage.” The band’s mission See PACHANGA, page A8
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Oscar Herrera and Pachanga return to Monmouth July 15 with a sound rooted in Latin American and Caribbean musical traditions. The music begins at 6:30 p.m. celebrating the group’s music and legacy. The invitation carries meaning. Other tribute acts have spoken highly of their River’s Edge experience, making this a show Grand Royale hoped would happen. “We are so excited to finally get to play this amazing concert series,” band member Justin Enger stated by email. “Other tributes in our
By LANCE MASTERSON For The Itemizer-Observer
A tribute to one of music’s most influential groups opens this year’s River’s Edge Summer Series at Riverview Park in Independence. Friday’s show also marks a series debut for Portland-based Grand Royale, a Beastie Boys tribute act that has spent more than a decade
booking agency have always said what a great venue and time they have had playing the River’s Edge series, so we cannot wait to rock.” Surefire, a classic rock cover band, opens the evening at 6 p.m. Grand Royale takes the stage at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 at the gate or $8 online See TRIBUTE, page A8
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