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.
August push at McKay means more graduates for Class of 2019
Ruth Langmoir, an August 2019 McKay High School graduate, gets a hug from graduation coach Ken Ramirez after earning her diploma. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) It took her principal dragging her out of bed to get her there, but Angel Hance…
Flood warning in effect after thunderstorm Tuesday afternoon
Cars drive through water along Commercial Street Southeast around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A flood advisory is in effect for the Salem area following heavy rain, thunder and lightning Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service said thunderstorms could…
Public schools aren’t discriminating by doing business with churches opposed to same-sex relationships, state says
State officials ruled this week that Salem-Keizer School District isn’t discriminating against LGBTQ employees by holding meetings at a community center owned by a church which opposes same-sex relationships. The Oregon Department of Education’s decision comes after a Salem-Keizer employee…
AGENDA: Salem-Keizer board meets Tuesday
The 2019 Salem-Keizer School Board at a July 2019 meeting. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Tuesday night will likely be a short meeting for the Salem-Keizer School Board, with just a handful of items on the agenda. Board members will meet in…
Peace mosaic advocates outline plan for move to Riverfront Carousel
The Salem Peace Mosaic wraps around the base of a YMCA-owned apartment building on Court Street Northeast. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) After more than a year of work from local advocates, Salem’s Peace Mosaic mural will be removed and preserved during…
Agriscience program teaches urban farming, plant biotechnology to high schoolers
Agriscience teacher Luis Valenzuela shows the aeroponic towers where students will grow plants at Salem-Keizer’s Career Technical Education Center. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Running an agriculture program with no soil is a challenge, but Luis Valenzuela is up to the task.…
PHOTOS: Middle and high school students start a new year
Alicia Kruska, Judson Middle School principal, guides students in a temporary lunch line. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) It’s a year of transition for many Salem-Keizer: Four schools are navigating around construction and campus expansions, and many have new principals. At Judson…
Morning coffee service aims to reduce tensions between downtown homeless, business owners
Ken Houghton, homeless outreach coordinator for ARCHES, serves coffee to Joe Lopez on Sept. 4, 2019 in downtown Salem. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) “Joe! You want some coffee?” Ken Houghton spoke to a carefully constructed cardboard fort covering a bench on…
PHOTOS: Salem-Keizer students head back to school
A student at Bush Elementary School finds a seat for breakfast on the first day of class. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Mary Eyre Elementary School teacher Genesis Melendez gets to know her student, Guadalupe Gonzalez, at a before school event on…
School attendance push enters second year in Salem-Keizer
Emily Hicks, communications coordinator for the Salem-Keizer School District, talks about the importance of attendance with a student at Mary Eyre Elementary School on Sept. 3, 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A giant stuffed eagle sporting a school t-shirt sits on…