The Polk County District Attorney’s Office has found no evidence to merit a criminal investigation into a car accident that led to the prominent community activist and philanthropist’s death. Selma Pierce’s husband, Bud Pierce, called it a tragedy that the driver didn’t see his wife.

Despite the economic downturn, there will continue to be in-demand occupations. While many only require a high-school diploma, getting a college degree is likely to pay off.

The Brazilian variant, also known as P.1 became known after it fueled a record-breaking case spike in the city of Manaus in the Amazon. The Douglas County case appears to be related to business travel outside the United States to and from Brazil.

The weekly market opens a month early to offer Salem fresh produce and other goods. While Covid precautions remain in effect, the market hopes to have more vendors than last year.

The pandemic has delayed construction and increased costs for Salem’s downtown YMCA, which is now expected to open in April 2022. CEO Timothy Sinatra wants the three-story building to be a gathering place for families of all ages, offering everything from swim lessons to senior triathlons and school outreach events.

Lindsey Graham, the owner of Salem's Glamour Salon, became a magnet for praise and criticism after defying pandemic orders. She's now trying to terminate the lease at her salon and says she'll move to “a deep red land of economic opportunity.”

Church at the Park said it fired one of its drivers after an off-duty crash seriously hurt a pedestrian. The church employed the driver through a program to put unsheltered people to work.

Midway through her second year Oregon's child welfare director, Rebecca Jones Gaston says the agency is working hard to bolster training for its workers, improve response times on an abuse hotline, and address difficult issues such as structural racism.

From desks in taped rectangles to hand sanitizer stations, here's what elementary school looks like now in Salem.

A bill currently in the Legislature would allow workers and their allies to enforce labor laws against employers who rip off their employees or expose them to unsafe conditions. Businesses in Salem and elsewhere worry they’ll be buried under litigation.

Tuesday morning had the feel of a first day of school, with lines of eager teachers greeting parents dropping off students for in-person classes across the Salem-Keizer School District. For many kindergarteners, it was their first time inside a school building.

Two white oaks at Salem's Pioneer Cemetery were among the casualties during February's ice storm, and the cemetery remains closed to the public pending a debris pick-up.

A Salem city panel intended to provide police oversight hasn’t heard a complaint in years. Reform advocates say oversight must include power to investigate complaints or otherwise risk becoming “performative political statements with no actual ‘teeth’ or power.”

New Salem-Keizer data shows that the number of second graders considered “high risk” for being off track to read proficiently has increased slightly. Gaps are bigger for native Spanish speakers, Black and Pacific Islander students and those receiving special education services.

Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, has drawn both praise and criticism for his plan to save Idaho's wild salmon, but he says many opponents simply shut down when they hear the words "dam removal." He talks about the response – and the aims of his proposal – in this interview with Columbia Insight.

Interviews by the Salem Reporter with 10 lobbyists revealed that the hefty virtual workload caused by pandemic restrictions has significantly changed the legislative process. Lobbyists say much of their communication now happens over thousands of text messages and emails while clamoring to get time on legislators’ already packed schedule of Zoom meetings. The dynamics could affect what bills are passed and what's in them.

Homeowners in the Northeast Neighborhood in Salem have complained about buckled sidewalks for years, but the city said funding remains a barrier to fixing the thousands of needed repairs. The city councilor who represents the area wants to create a portal to catalog the complaints.

Colorful bulletin boards at Hallman Elementary School remind students about mask wearing, and drinking fountains are taped off. Here's what your student can expect to see when they return to class.

On March 2, more than 4,000 local kindergarten and first graders will be returning to in-person classes in Salem-Keizer schools. The week before meant a flurry of activity for educators as they prepared lessons, reviewed safety protocols and redecorated classrooms.