DeLee Brown, center, mourns the death of her son, Aaron, at Salem’s Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk on Oct. 13, 2018. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Supported by friends and colleagues, DeLee Brown held up a string of glimmering white beads as tears streamed down her face. In a crowd[Read More…]
Rachel Alexander
South Salem teen leads mobile shower project to serve homeless
Claire Adams, a senior at South Salem High School, is leading a United Way project to create a mobile shower trailer. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) When Ron Hays became CEO of Salem’s United Way, he wanted to do things differently. In many communities, United Way chiefly grants funds to other non-profit organizations.[Read More…]
Salem symphony association joins forces with Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony, with conductor Carlos Kalmar, center, stands following a performance in Salem at Willamette University’s Smith Auditorium on March 18, 2016. (Courtesy/Oregon Symphony) A Salem organization formed 63 years ago to bring classical music concerts to Salem is joining forces with a much larger group: the Oregon Symphony.[Read More…]
1,000 from Sprague community pray together following student’s death
Community members circle Sprague High School in prayer during a vigil on Sunday, Oct. 7 following a student’s suicide. (Courtesy/Shelby Lauderdale) On Sunday, they stood side by side, more than 1,000 strong, holding hands in a human chain that encircled Sprague High School. They were students, staff and alumni. They[Read More…]
Thousands of Salem-Keizer students would attend different schools under boundary change proposal
New high school boundaries proposed under a draft boundary adjustment plan. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District) Thousands of local students could be affected by attendance boundary changes proposed for more than half of Salem-Keizer schools. The plan, which will take effect next year, would also shift the district’s “feeder system,” which determines[Read More…]
Gun sat unreported at Salem elementary school for hours
Chalk words of encouragement greeted students at Four Corners elementary the morning of Oct. 4, the day after a 10-year-old student brought a gun to school. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer Public Schools) An unloaded handgun sat undetected Wednesday by school officials in a student backpack for hours at Four Corners Elementary School. A[Read More…]
Salem elementary student brings unloaded handgun to school
The handgun seized from a Salem elementary school student on Oct. 3, 2018. (Courtesy/Marion County Sheriff’s Office) A 10-year-old student at Four Corners Elementary School brought an unloaded handgun to school Wednesday afternoon. Two other students saw the gun in the student’s backpack and reported it to an adult at[Read More…]
A dog, a volunteer and help for an ailing owner
Veternarian Nicole Hatch examines Wilson’s ears at a Sept. 25 appointment at VCA Keizer Veterinary Hospital. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) For patients in hospice care, pets can be a source of comfort and love during the final months of life. But taking care of them is often difficult, and many patients[Read More…]
Willamette hospice program cares for four-legged family members
Wilson greets Willamette Valley Hospice volunteer Sharon Miller as vet assistant Rebecca Armstrong goes over the dog’s medication at an appointment Sept. 25 at VCA Keizer Veterinary Hospital. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As Sharon Miller escorted Wilson to his medical appointment, it was hard to tell the pair had just met.[Read More…]
Gilbert House Museum unveils new video production exhibit with help from Salem students
Sierra Langford, exhibit and facilities coordinator at the Gilbert House Children’s Museum, steps onto the stage in the new “Lights! Camera! Action!” exhibit, which opened this week. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Kids at the Gilbert House Children’s Museum can now step into a castle’s throne room or take a ride into[Read More…]