Our roundup of Salem news you might have missed
Good morning…
When the alarm sounded, hundreds of students and employees at South Salem High School acted on their training.
They hid.
They barricaded themselves.
They went silent, hoping to avoid detection by a possible shooter.
There was no shooter in the school on this Thursday afternoon, March 7.
But the fear was real, as chronicled by Managing Editor Rachel Alexander, because of a shooting in a nearby park.
Just one scene from her report: Students in the school’s orchestra room “moved into the instrument storage room, joining about a dozen students and their teacher, huddled, trying not to move.”
That was one of several stories produced by Alexander and reporters Abbey McDonald and Ardeshir Tabrizian as Salem Reporter followed developments in the fatal shooting in Bush’s Pasture Park.
Our team has several goals with such reporting.
One is to get facts out as they are available about the crime itself and those involved. We’re determined to give you information you can trust. We work to quell rumors.
Another is to show the impact on the school and neighbors. Photographer Laura Tesler joined reporters at two community meetings last week, adding telling images to our coverage.
And finally, our team is tracking how government officials are reacting. We’re reporting their explanations and their vows to act. In the weeks and months ahead, the news team will let you know which public officials do act and what steps remain.
This is intended to keep readers like you closely informed about a key community issue. Our purpose is to provide the reality while guarding against sensationalism. We have no interest in portraying matters grimmer then they are. We are here to give you the truth as best it can be established.
In recent days, we’ve heard from many readers. Thoughtful questions have come to us, and we encourage you to offer yours as well. Send Rachel Alexander ([email protected]) any questions, suggestions for future stories – or any concerns about our reporting.
That reporting included yet another episode last week that alarmed south Salem – a heavy police action to search a suspected drug house near the high school. Reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian was on the scene and filed an exclusive report. Watch for more details in the coming days.
There was plenty of other news around Salem last week.
Filing deadline came for those seeking to help run City Hall. The May election will settle who is mayor going forward and who keeps or takes office as a city councilor.
Salem Reporter will help you in the mayor’s race. We’re teaming with the Salem City Club to conduct a live debate with Chris Hoy and Julie Hoy (no relation). You can get your free tickets now and we’ll soon invite you to submit questions you’d like asked.
Meantime, city councilors are considering making a big change in ambulance service in Salem. The Salem Fire Department wants to take over from a private company to speed responses.
Another development to watch is labor talks between the teachers’ union and the Salem-Keizer School District. Union leaders this week are asking members to authorize a strike. Such a walkout would shut down Salem schools.
One of the new features we recently added to Salem Reporter is a collection of reports from directly from leaders of neighborhood associations. These provide you another way to keep up with what’s going on around Salem. In the latest account, for instance, there is news of a new mural planned for north Salem.
Finally, watch for our detailed report coming Tuesday on plans to bring more baseball to Bush’s Pasture Park. The multimillion-dollar effort is arousing controversy and we’ll explain why.
SUBSCRIBE TO SUSTAIN THIS KIND OF LOCAL JOURNALISM…
Salem Reporter is fortunate to have the resources to pour journalistic resources into a major event such as the Bush’s Pasture Park shooting. That’s because of the wonderful partnership between our team and the community.
We can provide such exclusive service because readers like you believe in us – and want credible local news.
To our subscribers, we are thankful for you every day.
And we can do even more. That takes more readers coming aboard as subscribers. Our fee is modest. The cost is $10 a month, $100 for the year.
If you aren’t yet a subscriber, become one today. It’s easy and secure – just go HERE. (Already subscribe? DONATE to our Journalism Fund.)
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
Copyright © 2025 Salem Reporter. All rights reserved. |
Our mailing address is: 494 State St., #410 • Salem, Oregon 97301 |
You are receiving this email because you signed up through our website or participated in a promotion. |