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.
At St. Francis Shelter, an Internet upgrade helps bridge the digital divide
Kim Lemman, executive director of St. Francis Shelter, speaks in the shelter’s library room, where families got online before the Covid pandemic (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) In late 2019, staff at St. Francis Shelter had just finished renovating their library –…
Oregon to double Covid testing capacity with influx of tests from federal government
A Covid-19 test swab is packaged up to be tested during a free drive-through testing clinic at Woodburn Ambulance Service on Tuesday, August 25. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon will soon receive tens of thousands of additional coronavirus tests weekly from…
Parents, teachers rally at Oregon Capitol for option to return to school in-person
Parents, students and teachers rally in support of opening Oregon schools for in-person classes at the state capitol in Salem on Oct. 5, 2020 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Three weeks into the school year, DeLee Brown says too many Salem kids…
Salem-Keizer NAACP spearheads first-ever local candidate forum focused on communities of color
Stickers on top of a ballot box on Wednesday, September 30. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer’s NAACP normally invites candidates for local office to meet with its members, but the racial justice organization is going a step further this year, with…
VOTE 2020: Across the political spectrum, Oregon elections officials say mail delays won’t affect the election
Bill Burgess, Marion County clerk inserts a ballot into an envelope on Wednesday, Sept. 30. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Local and state elections officials say they don’t expect mail delays to interfere with general election voting in Oregon and that long-practiced…
With parents under extra stress, Chemeketa offers online support to help young kids learn
The Child Development Center at Chemeketa Community College (Courtesy photo) The disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic haven’t been easy for anyone, but parents with young kids have been dealt an especially tough hand. Chemeketa Community College’s early childhood educators…
As Salem student task force nears recommendations on police in schools, conflicts erupt over process
Vinny Olivas, center, protests outside a Salem-Keizer School District building with other members of Latinos Unidos Siempre after walking out of a student task force meeting on Sept. 25 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Three months have passed since Christy Perry, superintendent…
With wildfire funds and dedicated volunteers, Santiam and Salem groups prepare for long-term recovery help
Red Cross volunteers pass out meals and supplies outside of Gates on Sunday, September 20. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Oregon State Fairgrounds are empty of livestock evacuated from wildfires, and a nearby warehouse that served as a donation center for…
DATA: Covid tests, new cases decline in Marion County following widespread wildfires
Davalee Meade, a paramedic with Woodburn Ambulance Service administers a COVID-19 test during a free drive-through testing clinic on Tuesday, August 25. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The number of Marion County residents getting tested for Covid plunged in September following widespread…
Excuse me teacher, you’re frozen again’ – navigating kindergarten in a pandemic
James Gough, an incoming kindergartner at Kalapuya Elementary School, laughs after making a mistake on an assessment test to gauge his alphabet comprehension on Thursday, September 17. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The twenty-one students in Emma Kubishta’s kindergarten class started with…