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 health officials, schools prepare as measles outbreak spreads to Portland
Salem Hospital began asking patients about measles exposure last week due to an ongoing outbreak in the Vancouver area. (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) Salem health officials are urging people to make sure they’re vaccinated against measles due to an…
Salem YMCA borrowing money to kick off fall construction on new gym
The gym and track at the downtown Salem YMCA. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem’s YMCA is scaling back plans for a new building and turning to borrowed money to begin construction this year after early fundraising efforts came up short. Leaders…
Student leaders take pride in graduation improvements at North
David New, a 2018 graduate from North Salem High School, speaks about how he earned a diploma. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) David New wasn’t sure how far behind he was in school. At the start of his senior year at North…
Graduation rates up at every Salem-Keizer high school, mirroring state gains
North Salem High School saw significant gains in 2018 graduation rates. (Salem Reporter files) Graduation rates are up at every high school in Salem-Keizer, according to state data released Thursday. Those gains mirror increases across Oregon, where the percentage of…
North, McKay see gains in graduation rates by targeting struggling seniors
Rosa Rivera, counselor at North Salem High School, talks to a student during an advisory period. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) North Salem High School counselor Rosa Rivera was all business as she addressed the seniors trickling in to the school’s upstairs…
St. Edward asks court to dismiss school district’s eminent domain case, citing religious freedom
The vacant field owned by St. Edward Catholic Church. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The Keizer church facing a forced land sale to accommodate a growing McNary High School contends that school officials are violating the parish’s religious freedom. In a Jan.…
UPDATED: Police remove burglar from Summer Street home after six-hour standoff
(Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) After a six-hour standoff, Salem police Tuesday removed a burglar who holed up inside a stranger’s home on Northeast Summer Street earlier in the morning. The man is being treated for injuries, police said. No…
School board wants to hear from you about proposed Salem-Keizer boundary changes
The Salem-Keizer School Board is seeking comments about a plan to change school boundaries that would affect thousands of students and families. The new boundaries, together with ongoing school construction, are designed to address overcrowding based on population projections and…
PHOTOS: Hundreds march to Capitol to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Cynthia Richardson, the Salem-Keizer school district’s director of equity, sings “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” at Salem’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Jan. 21, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Several hundred people marched from North Salem High School to the…
High school students lead Salem reflection on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
High school students march to the Oregon Capitol to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s face projected on a screen behind her, Leanette Mabinton whipped her braids across her face and…