Your Wednesday evening update on Salem news

Good evening, Salem.

Salem’s library saw fewer items checked out and fewer visits after closing on Sundays and cutting evening hours at the beginning of the year.

In an open letter to the Salem community Tuesday evening, City Librarian Bridget Esqueda shared statistics for the past year of library services and thanked Salemites for rallying to support library funding during the city’s budget process this spring.

“We are delighted to be able to maintain our current service levels, especially staff, through this year. I am hopeful that this time next year, the city of Salem, including our entire community, will have found a solution to the revenue problem that will support our current programs and services and allow the library to expand services, hours, and staffing to continue serving you better,” she wrote.

Despite the hours cuts, the library has increased attendance at its programs, Esqueda wrote. Some programs have expanded, including Russian and American Sign Language story times, and more pop-up events where the library’s mobile van travels out into the community so people can check out books.

Digital item check-out are also up, she said. In the past year, the library circulated more than 680,000 physical items and had over 15,000 people attend events.

Here’s some of today’s news. Find all our coverage anytime on our website.

www.salemreporter.com

Salem woman given nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to 153 counts of mail theft

Michelle N. Ray, 47, admitted to taking checks and mail from over 100 Salem people and businesses. Her husband is also facing mail theft charges.

www.salemreporter.com

Hoopla celebrates 25 years of basketball rivalries, memories in Salem

Over 1,000 basketball teams and 4,500 participants will compete in the 3×3 basketball tournament on popup basketball courts set up on streets around the Capitol.

www.salemreporter.com

Retired principal Cynthia Richardson elected school board chair

School board members on Tuesday also approved two new contracts for administrators in the superintendent’s cabinet who were hired from Tulsa Public Schools.

www.salemreporter.com

Seventh, presumed eighth case of measles diagnosed in Marion County

Two more unvaccinated children in Marion County are showing symptoms of measles, health officials said Wednesday. One case has been confirmed through testing, and the other lives with someone else…

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Salem woman given nine-year sentence after pleading guilty to 153 counts of mail theft

Hoopla celebrates 25 years of basketball rivalries, memories in Salem

Retired principal Cynthia Richardson elected school board chair

Seventh, presumed eighth case of measles diagnosed in Marion County

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