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-Keizer School Board renews environmental middle school charter, appoints 3 to budget committee
Superintendent Andrea Castañeda briefly addressed uncertainty over federal schools funding in a Feb. 11 meeting, but said the district remains on track for a balanced budget this year.
Titans earn national recognition for disability inclusion program
West Salem High School recently earned a national recognition banner from the Special Olympics for its Unified program. The school celebrated with an assembly.
A timeline of statements surrounding Salem city manager’s resignation
City officials have issued multiple apparently contradictory statements about the circumstances surrounding City Manager Keith Stahley's abrupt departure last week. Salem Reporter collected them all in one place.
After November failure, Chemeketa leaders plan to seek voter approval for construction package
The Chemeketa Community College board will vote Feb. 19 about whether to put a $140 million construction package back on the ballot in May. The measure wouldn’t raise tax rates and would likely appear alongside a city of Salem tax levy intended to avoid drastic cuts to city services.
Stahley out as Salem city manager
Salem city councilors stayed silent Monday after City Manager Keith Stahley’s office was abruptly vacated.
Social studies teacher with passion for building takes over Crossler wood shop
When a longtime teacher retired, Joe Matot strapped on his apron and stepped in to run Crossler’s industrial technology program to prevent it from going away.
La comunidad inmigrante Latina de Salem encuentra resiliencia en medio de la incertidumbre sobre los cambios en las políticas de Trump
Los inmigrantes Latinos de Salem manifestaron diversos sentimientos mientras el presidente Donald Trump se prepara para lo que ha prometido que será la mayor deportación masiva en la historia de Estados Unidos.
A girls’ night at Houck aims to help students connect
A special "You Go Girl!" event held at Houck Middle School last week was intended to address conflict and challenges between students through fun activities and help developing social skills.
Salem’s Latino immigrant community finds resilience amid uncertainty over Trump policy changes
Many Latino immigrants with a long history in Salem said they're not afraid of new policies aiming to step up immigration enforcement. Organizations serving immigrant families say they're focused on sharing reliable information and avoiding fearmongering abut raids.
Salem-Keizer’s graduation rate nearly flat, with 2,800 graduates in Class of 2024
The Salem-Keizer School District hit an 83% graduation rate for Black students in the Class of 2024. It’s the highest in recent district history and earned state acclaim.