Saphara Harrell and her Aussie, Crosby. Harrell will be covering community events as a reporter for Salem Reporter.

Salem is about to get a lot more news about the community as Salem Reporter expands its news team.

In a time when newspapers and news organizations are cutting coverage, this expansion is good news for Salem.

We’re adding a reporter and we’re adding a columnist familiar to many of you – Mary Louise VanNatta.

On Monday, Saphara Harrell joins our team of reporters with a primary duty to tell you about community events and the people behind them. She’s also tasked to be our lead reporter on breaking news so you can count on Salem Reporter more than ever to be on top of major news and keep you posted as developments unfold.

As the editor, I’m delighted we continue to attract great talent.

When we posted the job opening, applications flowed in from all over the state and across the country – California, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania and more. The pool of finalists was outstanding – talented people who were vitally interested in the mission of Salem Reporter. We want to be accurate, in-depth and trusted.

Harrell was strongly recommended to me by the reporting staff, which participated in the hiring process by interviewing the finalists. Journalistic talent was important, but so also was finding just the right fit for what has become a very strong local news team. The reporters – Troy Brynelson, Aubrey Wieber and Rachel Alexander – considered Harrell a good fit for what we’re doing here.

She comes to us from the southern Oregon coast, where she has been reporting for the Umpqua Post, based in Reedsport. She previously was a reporter for two good Oregon daily newspapers, The World in Coos Bay and the Roseburg News-Review. She has covered local government, healthcare, the environment and more.

“I wanted to join the Salem Reporter because of its emphasis on delivering community news,” Harrell said in a note to me. “In a time when many news outlets are downsizing, the Salem Reporter is expanding its coverage. I’m excited to learn more about Salem and the quirky events it has to offer.”

 Harrell understands that chronicling the town means paying attention to important community events – festivals, concerts, neighborhood fairs. She’ll do more than just list date, time and place.

“I’m hoping to create a virtual bulletin board of sorts – a place where you can find out what’s going on, whether it be a large-scale gathering or a small, niche exhibit,” she wrote.

She’s going to need the community’s help. Harrell will reach out to active venues such as Elsinore Theater, The Grand, and the Willamette Heritage Center, but don’t wait to hear from her as she settles in. Send her information about events or just to introduce yourself: [email protected]. Call her at 503-549-6250.

And we’re going to do better covering Salem’s social and cultural events that enliven the community.

Mary Louise VanNatta, a new columnist for Salem Reporter.

For that, we’ve turned to Mary Louise VanNatta, owner of VanNatta Public Relations and a true social butterfly. She’s a regular at balls, banquets, and charity fundraisers.

For years, she has been writing about local events and the people who attend them. Now, she brings her passion for Salem to you again. Anytime people gather in town, that’s news we want.

Besides her deep and intimate knowledge of Salem, VanNatta brings a stellar reputation in her profession. The Oregon chapter of the Public Relations Society of Oregon recently honored her with its William Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award and this year she received a Distinguished Service Award from the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.

Feel free to reach her directly at [email protected] to tip her off to your events. She’ll do her best to let Salem know. And you soon can enjoy her lively columns, including photos.

This is all part of our effort to reflect and report on all aspects of Salem. My hope is that you get a better sense of your community, that you feel more connected, that you see in our coverage a Salem you recognize.

And while I have your attention, I also want you to know we’re continuing to improve our website. We have updated some features, including adding the “search” function several readers requested. We have tinkered with our digital wiring so our news flows even faster and smoother to you, whether you’re on your home computer or your cell phone. More great changes are on the way.

All of us at Salem Reporter are determined every day to bring you the very best journalism.

I remain proud of the mark we’re making. I’m proud that so many of you have joined us as paying subscribers, and hope our additions will entice others to come aboard as well. I’m proud of our initial advertisers and encourage local businesses to consider using our local news service for marketing to potential Salem customers.

Every new subscriber, every new advertiser helps strengthen Salem Reporter and deepens the city’s access to local news.

As always, you can reach me directly at [email protected]. Share your thoughts, suggestions, comments, criticisms.

For now, accept my thanks for spending a few moments with me.

Les Zaitz, editor and CEO

Email: [email protected] Twitter: @leszaitz

By Salem Reporter