Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon

What’s making news in Salem you might have missed

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Good morning…

In recent days, Salem Reporter introduced readers to some remarkable students.

Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon

Their stories, reported by Managing Editor Rachel Alexander, are inspiring.

From the Class of 2024, for example, there is Janetzy Velasco, known as “Captain Kick-Ass.” She told Rachel, “I’m so happy. I didn’t think I was going to make it.”

There is Hatimu Letisi, a varsity football standout. “He’s also an accomplished chef, a mentor and a versatile athlete who helped start a bowling team that placed fourth in state in its first year,” Rachel writes.

And then meet Dayanara Merchant-Trejo. As one person described her: “She has really great qualities of being present all the time, communicating well, and definitely if there’s a need, volunteering.”

Watch for other such profiles on our website.

And a celebration of another kind occurred at Salem’s first Elderfest. One of the community’s leading citizens shared lessons of life after hitting the age of 100.

On the business front, reporter Joe Siess checks in with a story on Salem’s first psilocybin center.

People in the community were outraged over reports of the late-night killing of a family cat, caught on video. Reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian updates that with news of arrests in the case.

Meantime, we have taken more steps to improve our service to you and other readers. Rachel Alexander explains in an Editor’s Note how we’re providing more information about local events. She details how local groups can be included in our new monthly calendar.

Speaking of events, we have a roundup of what’s new in museums and galleries and a look at the Pentacle Theatre’s latest stage production.

And we made a bit of news ourselves, notching several awards in regional journalism competition. This is great for our team but also a win for the community – validation that Salem Reporter is serving up some of the highest quality journalism in the West.

We celebrated by enjoying notes from readers. A sampling:

• “Congratulations on your recent awards. I’m so happy you are covering the news in Salem for us. We need you.”

• “They are well deserved!  Salem Reporter is essential to the community. I’m so grateful for the work you do because you do it so well. “

• “Very detailed and excellent reporting.”

• “Just a quick note to say congratulations on the awards. We totally enjoy our subscription and the topics covered. Keep up the good work.”

• “Appreciate all your dedicated efforts in covering our community.”

On Monday morning, you’ll get the first installment of our series, “Bobby’s Choices.”

This is an investigative account about the life of a 16-year-old junior from South Salem High School who died in a police shooting in 2022. Reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian has worked off and on for months on this three-part series.

In an Editor’s Note later this week, I’ll take you behind the scenes to explain how our small local team did this work.

I encourage you to take the time over the next few days to read the series. It represents yet another effort by your team at Salem Reporter to deliver local news that matters.

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, Salem Reporter

If you like the work we do, you can help…

A subscription to Salem Reporter is easy to set up. It’s affordable. And it’s the way for readers to vote in favor of the kind of news we deliver. Our fee is modest. The cost is $10 a month, $100 for the year. Why not join in? Click HERE and in moments you’ll be a Salem Reporter subscriber. (You can take us for a test spin for just $10 – get three months for the price of one.)

Salem Reporter’s new team includes, from left, Les Zaitz, Rachel Alexander, Abbey McDonald, Ardeshir Tabrizian and Joe Siess. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)


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