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.
Woodburn drive-through testing event finds most people positive for Covid show no symptoms
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) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a community service.…
Salem librarians stay busy with curbside service, zombie escape rooms, craft demonstrations
Senior library assistant Armando Trujillo wheels the Salem Public Library’s curbside pickup cart outside for patrons on Aug. 26 (Courtesy/Salem Public Library) A wire shelf loaded with plastic bags in a parking lot lacks some of the charm of the…
DATA: Marion, Polk counties heading in the right direction on Covid, but still far from reopening schools
PPE during a free drive-through testing clinic at Woodburn Ambulance Service on Tuesday, August 25. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a community service. You can support dissemination by subscribing. ] Marion and Polk…
Starting in Woodburn, Marion County works with community groups to expand Covid testing
Davalee Meade, a paramedic with Woodburn Ambulance Service administers a COVID-19 test to Daniel Nakayama, 22, during a free drive-through testing clinic on Tuesday, August 25. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a…
WOU shifts gears to nearly all-online fall quarter, following Covid outbreaks at other universities
The Western Oregon University campus in Monmouth (Courtesy/Diane Stevenson/WOU) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a community service. You can support dissemination by subscribing. ] Western Oregon University is moving nearly all classes online for fall quarter after…
Salem postal workers rally against funding cuts, service delays
Letter carrier Valerie Castillo, right, joins a small group holds up signs during a Save the Post Office rally outside of Pringle Park on Tuesday, August 25.(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Longtime letter carriers, union workers and concerned citizens gathered outside Salem’s…
Already precarious before the pandemic, child care in Salem is becoming less available and more expensive
Meghan Casto, 33, is expecting her first child in October and planning to return to work in early 2021. A day care spot she thought was secure before the pandemic may not materialize, forcing the family to consider a much…
DATA: Cases rise in Marion County after several weeks flat, but hospitalizations not increasing
Katrina Rothenberger, incident commander, stands in the COVID-19 incident command at the Marion County Health and Human Services office on Monday, July 13. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a community service. You…
Gov. Brown says many Oregon schools won’t reopen until April unless Oregonians step up efforts to slow virus transmission
Gov. Kate Brown announces new state restrictions in a news conference in Portland on Thursday, March 12. (Jonathan House/Pamplin Media) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information free as a community service. You can support dissemination by subscribing. ] This…
Hospice plans luminaria tribute to Oregonians who have died from Covid
The Willamette Queen Sternwheeler lit up with luminaria on Aug. 17. Willamette Valley Hospice is filming the boat for a September event commemorating Oregonians who have died of Covid (Courtesy/Willamette Valley Hospice) [ NOTE: Salem Reporter is providing this information…