Good morning and thanks for spending a little time with me.
Salem police officers assigned to a special unit for years have patrolled the town on bicycles.
They are parking their bikes and going to new assignments in January.
That’s one way Police Chief Trevor Womack is finding bodies to beef up other parts of his operation.
He’s also ending the crisis response unit.
Womack sat down with reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian to explain the strains within the police agency over staffing.
“This is a terrible, difficult decision to make,” Womack said in an interview.
That was one of the exclusive reports the team at Salem Reporter delivered to readers in recent days.
Another was reporter Abbey McDonald’s look at the business dispute between Salem Health and one of the state’s largest insurers. In the middle are Salem people who rely on the Salem hospital for care. Abbey explains what are the issues leading to unsettling letters for some patients.
Abbey also delivered a profile of Paul Logan, who just retired as chief of Northwest Human Services. He helped build a nonprofit that last year served more than 12,000 people. “He’s one of those supervisors who really truly cares about staff, and not just how they’re doing professionally or in the workplace. He cares about people as people,” one colleague said.
Managing Editor Rachel Alexander continues to examine the school test scores. She produced a helpful summary of what the numbers say about students in the Salem-Keizer School District.
She’s reported in the past about violence endured by school employees. Now, she has the story of a lawsuit against the school district from one injured employee.
On the public safety front, we have stories about two young girls charged with vandalizing Highland Elementary School, a driver charged in the deaths of two people, and a grand jury’s decision on a police shooting in West Salem.
We also reported on the passing of Jason Myers, popular ex-sheriff of Marion County. “He was a unicorn among us that he could navigate all of those demands of a law enforcement career and do it seamlessly, do it professionally,” said one official.
Reporter Madeleine Moore doubled back on this year’s version of Salem Art Fair, getting assessments of how some of the big changes played out.
At Capital Manor in West Salem, a crowd gathered to dedicate a special feature. Reporter Joe Siess reports on the event.
ELECTION COVERAGE:
Our team continues to bring you detailed stories on the people who want your vote. Our reporters are pressing candidates to not only identify issues but specify how they will deal with them. We’re trying to get you past the “this warrants more study” level of commentary from candidates. The latest batch:
Oregon House: Tom Andersen vs. David Brown.
Oregon House: Kevin Mannix vs. Virginia Stapleton.
Oregon House: Lesly Muñoz vs. Tracy Cramer.
Taxes: Chemeketa Community College levy.
LOCAL EVENT:
Don’t forget Salem’s observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, scheduled for Monday at Riverfront Park.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Gene Derfler, Bill Illi, and George Genevro, three centenarian veterans who served the country in World War II were honored Wednesday during a monument and plaque dedication ceremony at Capital Manor in West Salem. (Joe Siess/Salem Reporter)
I’m always delighted to hear from readers. Send me your ideas, your questions, even your concerns or complaints. My direct email: [email protected].
Let’s go have a great week and do something helpful for the community.
– Les Zaitz, co-founder and editor, Salem Reporter
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