Rachel Alexander
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
Salem warming centers work to boost volunteer roster before winter
Lead volunteer Russ Lipetsky directs warming center volunteers before opening at First Presbyterian Church on Feb. 27, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) It will likely be months before Salem temperatures drop below freezing at night, but local churches and social workers…
2020 Census workers begin canvassing in Salem
U.S. Census Bureau workers will canvass areas in green in the coming weeks to verify addresses. (Courtesy Census Bureau) It’s not 2020 yet, but the U.S. Census Bureau already has boots on the ground in Salem to prepare for its…
With expansion, Waldo Middle School will get rid of portable classrooms and add labs for science
Students celebrate at a groundbreaking ceremony for construction at Waldo Middle School on Aug. 15, 2019 (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District) When Waldo Middle School was built in 1957, the school cafeteria was designed to hold 227 students. Today, that population has…
How Salem Reporter took a deep look at your local school board
Reporter Rachel Alexander outside Four Corners Elementary (Fred Joe/Special to Salem Reporter) In my experience, most people think about their local school board on two occasions: when they’re considering a controversial issue (like last year’s changes to school boundaries) and…
Math takes center stage at Salem-Keizer summer program to boost student achievement
Teacher Dena Archibald helps first-grade student Zander McCurry present a math problem during a summer school class at Grant Elementary School on July 16, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Dena Archibald leaned over a first-grade student’s desk on a warm July…
Sprague names Chad Barkes new principal
Chad Barkes (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District) One week after former Sprague High School principal Craig Swanson announced his departure, assistant principal Chad Barkes has stepped up to take the job. Barkes, who has been an assistant principal at Sprague since 2015,…
“Whatever it takes”: McKay staff push seniors toward August graduation
Esperanza “Espi” Martinez, 19, works on an assignment about poverty with help from McKay High School assistant principal Ricardo Larios in the school library on Aug. 13, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) On a Thursday morning in August just before 10…
School board members try to pull together in face of major issues for Salem-Keizer schools
School board vice chair Jesse Lippold looks at documents during a meeting on May 7, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) On Tuesday afternoon, seven volunteer school board members will spend an afternoon outlining the future for more than 40,000 school students…
Salem Hospital plans major expansion with 150 new beds
Salem Hospital (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) Salem Hospital is planning a new seven-story, $235 million building expansion that will add 150 beds to its facility by 2022. The project will help the hospital care for an aging population that’s…
Sprague High School principal stepping down
Craig Swanson (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District) Sprague High School Principal Craig Swanson is stepping down weeks before a new school year to take a job as principal at Lebanon High School. “You all have helped build one of the best high…