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Good morning…….

The weather for the week ahead is far different than what we all endured recently. Salem won’t be anywhere close to freezing temperatures, with lows in the up 40s and highs in the lower 50s. Rain will be with us just about every day.

During the fast-changing circumstances last week, your news team at Salem Reporter worked night and day to keep accurate updates flowing. Our duty is to get you accurate information so you can make key decisions.

To do so, we closely monitored weather forecasts and talked with forecasters from the National Weather Service. We stayed in regular contact with government officials. Reporters updated road conditions, forecasts, office and school closures and more.

No other local news service delivered like Salem Reporter.

And we went beyond telling you when freezing rain would hit. We chronicled impacts on the community. Here’s a look at some of the reports we served up last week.

Reporter Abbey McDonald provided a vivid account of life at Village of Hope, where people living in tiny homes reported they also were living in misery. The story prompted quick action and promises for more improvements.

Managing Editor Rachel Alexander dug into why the city’s entire traffic camera system was out of commission during the weather emergency. Many readers had asked about that. She also reported on damage at Salem schools and the death of a man trying to stay warm while living in a tent.

And reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian detailed how melting snow triggered sewage spilling into local waterways.

Meantime, organizers decided not to do the annual Point-In-Time homeless count, taking a different tack. Columnist Lynelle Wilcox shared another unflinching account of life on the streets of Salem.

As the thaw came, life returned somewhat to normal.

The Pentacle opened its 70th season of delivering live theater to the town. And some residents are just now discovering that we have a planetarium in Salem, putting on public shows.

One event that didn’t go on as scheduled was Salem Reporter’s Town Hall on Gun Violence. For the safety of everyone, we pulled the plug – for now. But we’ll be scheduling this again at the Elsinore so watch for the new date.

During such challenging work, notes from readers are a real boost.

Mady K. wrote: “Thank you so much for your coverage of the Village of Hope crisis during the recent storm, and about the resolutions that followed.”

Jill N. wrote: “You guys are really doing a great job.”

Ryan D. wrote: “Today’s Salem Reporter had the kind of weather report I like to hear: upbeat, and optimistic with some humor.  I appreciate it.”

That’s your look at some of our reports in recent days. Find every story anytime on our website.

ABOUT OUR WORK….

At Salem Reporter, we work continually to refine our reporting to deliver news and information that truly matters to the community.

Not everything is a big story or big headline. But we’re delivering the sort of information that helps you know your town better, to be aware of where you can plug in.

YOU CAN HELP.

SUBSCRIBE: If you aren’t yet a subscriber, become one today. That gives you full access to all the news on our website.  You also get our popular morning and evening newsletters, delivered to your email during the week. The cost is $10 a month, $100 for the year. Sign up HERE.

CONTRIBUTE: We can always use support for our News Fund. This is used to cover the costs of getting public records and to cover the costs for a college internship. Donate any amount HERE.

As always, thank you for reading and feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] with ideas, questions or concerns.

–Les Zaitz, CEO and editor