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The Latest Stories For You From Salem Reporter

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Good morning, Salem.

City leaders have been busy over the past few weeks. They had a four-hour discussion last week about expanding police and fire response – that in response to repeated calls from a group of business owners to address vandalism, petty crime and livability downtown.

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Reporter Joe Siess breaks down what they’re considering below. It includes restarting downtown police bike patrols and a pilot program to pair mental health responders with fire department medics.

Tonight, city councilors will meet again at 6 p.m. They’ll hear an update on the planned Detroit Reservoir drawdown next fall, which is likely to impact the city’s drinking water. They’ll also consider the results of Salem’s annual community belonging survey.

Here’s some of our latest news. You can always find our latest stories anytime on our website.

www.salemreporter.com

City leaders outline plan to expand police homeless service team, deploy mental health responders 

Early plans to address safety and livability concerns in Salem hinge on upcoming deliberations among the city’s budget committee slated to begin taking place next month. On Wednesday Salem city…

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PHOTOS: Sunny Pride in the Park draws a crowd

Artists sold colorful wares, drag queens performed fan favorite routines and thousands of people celebrated the LGBTQ+ community at Riverfront Park Saturday.

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Four die in traffic collision in east Salem

A collision on Northeast Cordon Road on Saturday evening killed four people in one vehicle, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

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Oregon health insurance premiums going up — but less than in other states

Oregon’s average rate hikes of close to 10% could get far worse for many people, since they don’t include the scheduled expiration of premium subsidies being debated in Congress. But…

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EDITOR DISCUSSES ROLE OF THE PRESS

KMUZ radio’s “Word Up” program featured Les Zaitz, editor and owner of Salem Reporter, on its broadcast Saturday, Sept. 20. The hour-long show covered his background in journalism, operations of Salem Reporter and the current state of the media. “The freedom of the press is intended to serve the interests of American citizens,” he said in explaining his view of American rights. “It is our responsibility to use the rights enshrined in the First Amendment to serve that duty, which is to provide the American people as best we can the unfettered truth about what is happening in their country.”

LISTEN: WORD UP

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TIP US TO NEWS: We welcome your tips about possible Salem stories – a community event, a local resident doing something extraordinary, a government action that needs investigating. Send your information, ideas or questions by email to our editor, Les Zaitz, at [email protected].

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