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.
Slow state system is delaying ability to track Covid cases in Marion, Polk counties
Katrina Rothenberger, incident commander, stands in the COVID-19 incident command at the Marion County Health and Human Services office on Monday, July 13, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Local public health officials say that a sluggish state system is impairing their…
Manor garden offers friendship, flowers and produce for gardeners both new and experienced
Marcia Lantz, 83, trims flowers in her garden plot at Capital Manor on Aug. 13, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) When Betty Stewart, 97, moved into Capital Manor with her husband in 2013, they were looking to do less around the…
What to expect when Salem kids head back to school
Nyjah Angeles raises a hand during the first day back to school at Richmond Elementary on Tuesday, March 2. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem and Oregon education officials said the recent spike in new Covid infections and hospitalizations haven’t changed plans…
Hundreds of slots unfilled in free Head Start preschool around Salem
Children play outside at the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s North Lancaster preschool on March 20, 2020 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A free preschool program serving low-income families has hundreds of spots for the fall unfilled in Salem, concerning providers that kids…
Statewide mask requirement starts Friday as Marion County Commissioners push for local control
Gov. Kate Brown stands in the library at Lincoln Elementary School during a visit on the first day back to in-person learning in Woodburn, Ore. on Thursday, April 1, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) As the state’s hospitals again fill with…
Gov. Brown mandates masks indoors, state employee Covid vaccination
Gov. Kate Brown speaks with Woodburn School District acting superintendent Juan Larios in the library on the first day back to in-person learning at Lincoln Elementary School in Woodburn, Ore. on Thursday, April 1, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Masks are…
Covid quick facts: what you need to know in Salem
Andrea Davila, a nurse at the Kaiser Permanente North Lancaster clinic administers a test for COVID-19 at the clinic’s drive-thru testing site on Wednesday, April 29. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) From new mask rules in school to climbing hospitalizations, Covid is…
Salem-area food pantry visits decline as other social safety nets expanded in 2021
A volunteer at Marion Polk Food Share packs green beans on Aug. 5, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The number of people visiting food pantries in the Salem area has fallen in 2021 after climbing sharply in 2020. But Rick Gaupo,…
Salem mom plans to buy Nintendo Switch, save for a house with vaccine lottery winnings
Ana Jimenez with her children on a trip to Mexico (Courtesy/Ana Jimenez) Ana Jimenez had no idea Oregon was running a vaccine lottery. The 40-year-old Salem resident was on a trip visiting family in Mexico in early July when she…
Gov. Brown tells Oregon health care workers to get vaccinated or expect regular Covid tests
Dr. Katherine Landen, emergency department medical director at Salem Hospital, displays her employee badge after receiving Salem’s first Covid vaccine on Dec. 17 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Oregon health care providers must prove they’re vaccinated against Covid or be tested for…