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.
“I’ve gotten more confident”: Black Salem students find friendship, explore culture in summer program
Teachers in the Salem-Keizer Afrocentric summer program serve a West African lunch of jollof rice, fried plantain and chicken to students on July 23, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Ayman Wamala learned about Harriet Tubman’s work leading enslaved people to freedom…
Catch renowned glass art by Dale Chihuly in Salem
Dale Chihuly’s “Butterscotch Set With Teal Lip Wrap” on display at the Halley Ford Museum of Art on July 29, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) John Olbrantz remembers the awe he felt visiting legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly’s Seattle studio in…
Chemeketa offers career-focused programs free to young adults through federal grant
Chemeketa Community College (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Katherine Moore didn’t want to spend her career working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Moore, 20, knew a college education would prepare her for a higher-paying career. In the fall of 2019, she applied for…
Governor mandates masks for all Oregon K-12 schools in fall 2021
Gov. Kate Brown talks with first graders in teacher Christopher Ramos’ dual language class at Lincoln Elementary School on the first day back to in-person learning in Woodburn, Ore. on Thursday, April 1, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem students and…
With rise of Delta variant, more people in Salem again hospitalized with Covid
Viviana Gourley, medical assistant at Salud Medical Center, waits between patients at the center’s Covid testing area on Wednesday, April 29. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Less than a month after Oregon rolled back nearly all of its pandemic restrictions, more Salem…
Ike Box to host block party to thank community for saving historic building
Angel Wilson, center, a barista at IKE Box, works on a drink order alongside co-workers Alex Simmons, left, and Brandon Sanders, right, on May 12, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Ike Box wants to put on a party for you. The…
No decision on masks in Salem schools as federal, state recommendations shift
Nyjah Angeles raises a hand during the first day back to school at Richmond Elementary on Tuesday, March 2. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Federal and state health authorities are now recommending even vaccinated Americans wear masks while indoors in public, but…
UGM more than doubles space to get men off Salem’s streets
Michael Little, 41, sits on his bed at the Union Gospel Mission’s new mission at 777 Commercial Street N.E. on July 27, 2021 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Michael Little has good memories of his time at the Union Gospel Mission shelter…
Salem is eager to resume big events, but labor and supply challenges loom
Determined not to let their planned wedding day be disrupted by the pandemic, Sara Foreman and Alex Younger found a venue in at a West Salem home, keeping to the June 2020 date they set long ago. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)…
Gerry Frank celebrated at dedication for amphitheater bearing his name
A crowd gathered to honor Gerry Frank at the dedication for the Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater at Riverfront Park on July 23, 2021 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) A light evening breeze was blowing off the Willamette River as about…