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.
X-rays coming to Salem’s shelter pets
The Oregon Humane Society broke ground Thursday on a new x-ray and dental expansion to its Salem shelter. The expanded clinic is scheduled to open in June and will mean animals don’t have to travel to Portland for medical care as frequently.
Four in five Salem high schoolers graduated in 2023, new state data shows
Salem high schools in 2023 graduated a higher share of recent immigrants than the state average. It was the first year Oregon collected the data.
BUILDING SALEM: Former Green Thumb storefront to become “Retro Electro” retail, apartments
An empty storefront downtown on Commercial Street and an adjoining lot opening on Electric Alley will be redeveloped into 16 apartments with two stores.
Disc golf course opens on Chemeketa campus
A new 18-hole disc golf course on Chemeketa Community College’s campus brings another option for Salemites hoping to enjoy one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S.
Salem plans network improvements to fix traffic cameras kept offline during storm
Over nearly a week of freezing weather and icy roads, city crews treated more than 3,000 miles of road — more than twice the distance Interstate 5 runs down the West Coast.
UPDATED: Schirle, Harritt elementary schools reopen following water damage
Water damage from burst pipes means school is canceled Friday at Schirle, Harritt and the Behavior Intervention Center. Other Salem-Keizer schools may open depending on road conditions.
Man, 37, dies in Salem camp while running heater in tent
Johnathan Ryan McCarter’s partner found him unconscious in their tent in an unmanaged camp in central Salem Tuesday morning during an ice storm. Police said the death appears to be from carbon monoxide exposure, though the medical examiner has tests pending.
UPDATE: Police identify pedestrian fatally struck in crosswalk downtown
A man walking in a crosswalk died Jan. 12 after the driver of a pick-up truck hit him while turning left, Salem police said. The agency on Wednesday identified the victim as Robert D. Marshall, 66, of Salem.
Chemeketa planetarium brings science to life for students, public
A new public show focused on solar eclipses opens Friday, Jan. 19, in the Chemeketa Community College planetarium.
YOUR GOVERNMENT: Marion County Commissioners vote on fair board appointments
Marion County Commissioners will vote Wednesday on purchasing cleaning supplies and extending a lease for farmland next to the North Marion County Disposal Facility.