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.
We answered your questions about COVID-19 in the Salem area
The Marion County Health and Human Services headquarters in Salem (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As Oregon has confirmed more cases of the novel coronavirus, readers have lots of questions about the state and local response, how the virus is spread and…
Salem-Keizer board to vote on transportation package, Rosedale school sale
The 2019-20 Salem-Keizer School Board (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer school board members will vote on a $60 million transportation spending package and several property transactions at a meeting Tuesday night. District leaders want to buy 195 new school buses and…
As Oregon expands coronavirus testing, uninsured patients may struggle with access
An image of the coronavirus from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As Oregon scrambles to ramp up testing for the novel coronavirus, the nearly 248,000 Oregonians without health insurance could face bills for seeing a doctor or…
Salem Art Association’s “highlight of the year” student exhibit opens March 6
Art covers the walls as the Salem Art Association prepares for the opening of its annual Young Artists Showcase on March 6, 2020 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) For the next month, Salem Art Association’s upstairs gallery will be covered floor to…
Eight major Oregon insurers agree to waive co-pays, deductibles for COVID-19 testing
An image of the coronavirus from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most large private Oregon insurers will waive the patients’ share in the cost of testing for COVID-19, Gov. Kate Brown’s office announced Thursday afternoon as the…
Santiam Hospital doctor reports back from caring for quarantined coronavirus patients in Nebraska
Santiam Hospital emergency department medical director Dr. Steve Vets (center, back row, wearing glasses) posts with his federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team deployed to Omaha, Nebraska to care for patients under monitoring for coronavirus in February 2020. (Courtesy/Steve Vets) With…
Get your garden going this spring with free help from Marion Polk Food Share
One of the 65 community gardens supported by Marion Polk Food Share in the greater Salem area (Courtesy/Marion Polk Food Share) If this week’s sunshine has you thinking about getting outside, Marion Polk Food Share wants to help. The organization…
Salem-Keizer seeks $60 million for new buses and transportation facility
School buses parked in the Salem-Keizer School District lot on Hawthorne Avenue (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Salem-Keizer school district administrators want to spend $60 million to replace 195 school buses and construct a new 33,000 square foot transportation center by 2022.…
Salem-area health officials say local coronavirus cases likely a matter of when, not if
Salem Hospital (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) No new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Oregon Tuesday, but health officials say it’s more likely a matter of when, not if, cases appear in Salem. While early response to…
After initial stumble, Oregon prepares to ramp up testing of possible coronavirus cases
Staffers work together at the Oregon Health Authority’s Agency Operations Center in response to Coronavirus cases occurring in the state.(Jonathan House/Pamplin Media Group) PORTLAND — The state of Oregon is prepared for a rapid increase in testing for COVID-19 should…