Here's a list of local issues that have been covered recently in the Gazette-Times and the status of those stories:

Administrators back school

THE ISSUE: A Corvallis group, Inavale Community Partners, is working to open a rural charter school to take the place of Inavale School, which was closed in June.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR: At a meeting last week, Corvallis School District administrators recommended that the board give conditional approval to the proposal. Administrators said that a revised plan from Inavale Community Partners addressed concerns that scuttled the original plan.

WHAT'S NEXT: Numerous details remain to be worked out, and the Corvallis School Board isn't scheduled to hold an up-or-down vote on the proposal until its May 29 meeting.

Highway 20 work continues

THE ISSUE: Despite erosion problems, a fine from one state agency to another and disagreements between the Oregon Department of Transportation and its prime contractor, work continues on a major highway project west of Philomath.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR: Last week, the state Department of Environmental Quality announced it was fining ODOT $90,000 for allowing excessive amounts of sediment-laden stormwater to run into the Yaquina River and its tributaries. Before that, the main contractor on the project, Yaquina River Constructors, had told ODOT that it wanted out of its contract, estimating that it will cost an additional $61 million on top of the original $130 million contract to deal with unstable soils in the area. ODOT has said the fix doesn't have to cost that much.

WHAT'S NEXT: ODOT and the contractor are continuing to talk. In the meantime, work on the project continues, and Yaquina River Constructors said it's doing some limited earth-moving operations.

City budget moves ahead

THE ISSUE: Corvallis officials and the city's Budget Committee are working on the budget for next year.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR: The Corvallis Budget Committee voted last week to approve next year's $105 million budget. The proposed budget contains funding for the Beaver Bus, a late-night transit service that runs 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday nights when Oregon State University is in session, and money for a code enforcement officer who would keep an eye on quality-of-life issues as they relate to city regulations. But some committee members said they're worried about the fact that next year's budget is about $2 million out of balance and that deficits are projected for 2009-10.

WHAT'S NEXT: The budget goes before the City Council on June 4.

County hears M37 claims

THE ISSUE: Among the Measure 37 claims being considered by Benton County commissioners are a pair from Arthur McFadden of Portland, who says he's considering creating a 220-home subdivision on land east of the Hewlett-Packard campus and a mixed-use business and residential development on the west side of HP.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR: McFadden has filed his Measure 37 claims with the county. Measure 37 allows property owners to seek relief or compensation from government when laws reduce property values. Essentially, it provides leverage that usually results in some land-use regulations being waived. Benton County commissioners held a hearing last week on the McFadden claims.

WHAT'S NEXT: The commissioners put off deliberations on the claims until May 22. And they noted that any potential developments still would need to go through the county planning process, regardless of what happens to the Measure 37 claims.