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.
Marine-owned Vagabond Brewing gears up for weekend celebrating veterans
James Owens, a Marine Corps veteran and one of Vagabond Brewing’s first employees, drinks a can of Haze Yourself, the brewery’s Veterans Day release. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) At Vagabond Brewing, Nov. 10 is the most important day of the year.…
Woman lying on Highway 22 killed by multiple cars
Salem Police believe a woman hit and killed by two cars Saturday night was lying on Highway 22. The woman, who police identified Monday as Dallas resident Alexandria Tereshka, 27, died following the collision at 9:15 p.m. She was hit…
2018 Crystal Apple awards recognize outstanding Salem-Keizer educators
2018 Crystal Apple Award winners pose following the awards ceremony on Nov. 1, 2018 (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer Education Foundation) The Salem-Keizer Education Foundation recognized twelve teachers, administrators and support staff with Crystal Apple awards Thursday evening. The foundation selected those staff from…
At Battle Creek, Karin Moneke connects with students through reading
Karin Moneke, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at Battle Creek Elementary School, discusses children’s novel “On My Honor” with a group of students on Oct. 25, 2018 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Parents, students and colleagues nominated sixty-one Salem-Keizer educators for…
Students keep busy during CTEC salon opening day
Cosmetology student Maria Gomez folds towels at the Career and Technical Education Center’s student-run salon. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) In their second year of cosmetology training, high school seniors at Salem-Keizer’s Career Technical Education Center get a chance to practice on…
Salem high schoolers practice hair styling on parents, public
Senior Ana Diaz blow dries her mother’s hair before applying dye during the salon’s grand opening on Tuesday, Oct. 23. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Ana Diaz normally gets her hair cut at Belleza Latina. But on Tuesday morning, she decided to…
Sprague, Kalapuya communities make strong showing at suicide prevention march
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…
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…
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…
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…