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 over 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.
After clearing 30,000 trees, crews reopen Highway 22 following wildfires
A sign along Highway 22 thanks firefighters on Sunday, September 20. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon Highway 22 reopened to thru traffic Tuesday night more than a month after wildfire swept through the Santiam Canyon, leaving roads strewn with trees and…
EDUCATION ROUNDUP: More money for Salem-Keizer construction, WOU president to retire, pumpkin patch fundraiser
An expansion of the commons under ongoing construction at Waldo Middle School on May 6, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) There’s a lot going on in local schools, colleges and universities. To help keep you up to speed, Salem Reporter is…
Salem-Keizer schools will remain all-online for most students through at least Feb. 1
Teacher Kara Buchheit talks with Kristen Gough and son James, an incoming kindergartner at Kalapuya Elementary School on Thursday, September 17. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Nearly all of Salem-Keizer’s 41,000 students will continue school online through at least Feb. 1, the…
Willamette sophomore’s death ruled a suicide, police say
Abigail Agustin-Paz (Willamette University photo) A Willamette University sophomore found dead in a south Salem park earlier this month died by suicide, Salem police said Tuesday. Hikers found the body Abigail Agustin-Paz, 19, dead in Minto Brown Park on Oct.…
VOTE 2020: Ballots go out this week for Oregon voters. Here’s how to make sure yours gets counted.
A stack of counted and signed ballot envelopes at the Marion County Elections Office on Tuesday, May 19. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A contentious presidential race has voters around the U.S. more concerned than ever about voter suppression, fraud and security…
As Marion County passes 100 Covid deaths, a Salem doctor reflects on what he’s seen caring for patients
Dr. Omer Khan, a hospitalist at Salem Health (Courtesy/Omer Khan) For Dr. Omer Khan, treating patients with serious cases of Covid hasn’t gotten any more predictable since the hospital saw its first in March. But the Salem Health hospitalist, who…
Poll: Most Oregonians wearing masks to slow Covid spread, but socializing remains common
CERT team volunteer Laura Hildebrandt holds out one of the donated masks during a mask collection event at Woodmansee Park on Thursday, April 16. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Eight in 10 Oregonians are wearing masks regularly indoors, and most are taking…
Pedestrian killed in apparent hit-and-run in Keizer
Police found a 70-year-old pedestrian dead after he was apparently struck by a vehicle outside Keizer Friday afternoon. Keizer police were called to the 6100 block of Windsor Island Road North around 12:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of…
State reports show about 28,000 Oregon kids attending school in-person, with 32 student and staff Covid cases
James Gough, an incoming kindergartner at Kalapuya Elementary School, works on an assessment test to gauge his alphabet comprehension on Thursday, September 17. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) With tens of thousands of Oregon kids attending class in-person, the state has so…
Marion County health department recommends small groups, masks and staying outside to limit Halloween Covid spread
Tips from the Marion County Health Department for families choosing to trick-or-treat in 2020. Health officials in Oregon would rather that families skip trick-or-treating this year. But Katrina Rothenberger, Marion County’s public health division director, says she knows not everyone…