Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
Marion County grand jury finds fatal police shooting justified
A Salem police vehicle. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A Marion County grand jury on Tuesday unanimously found a Salem officer who fatally shot a Salem man was justified in using deadly force. Salem police officer Nathan Bush shot Arcadio Castillo III…
More people in Salem struggled with thoughts of suicide during pandemic
A mental health awareness sign along 17th Street in Salem on Dec. 1 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The crisis hotline serving Marion and Polk counties saw a significant increase in calls from people considering suicide in 2020. From 2019 to 2020,…
‘We thought the danger was over’ – five local lives lost in heat wave
A Meals on Wheels volunteer carries a large electric fan for delivery to a client ahead of a heat wave on June 25, 2021 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Vickie Jones asked her great-grandson to check on her husband as he watched…
Family says there’s no better resting place for Salem climber who fell on Mount Jefferson
Steve Van Pelt and his wife, Katelyn, at Yosemite National Park. (Photo courtesy of Van Pelt’s family) Steve Van Pelt’s family said there are many lessons to be learned from his apparent death but avoiding risks and staying off mountains…
Houseless people in Salem report experiencing discrimination daily
Survey results showing forms of discrimination Salem residents reported experiencing personally, from the city’s 2021 survey. People without housing experience discrimination at a higher rate and frequency than any other group of Salem residents according to a survey by Salem’s…
With what could be its biggest turnout, Hoopla returns August 7
Basketball hoops stand outside the Capitol on July 30, 2019. Streets will be closed during the weekend 3-on-3 tournament Hoopla. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Avry Holmes remembers attending Hoopla in elementary school when there were just 15 hoops at the event.…
To support outdoor dining, Salem offers grant program for parklet structures
The Kitchen on Court Street installed a platform for outdoor dining ahead of a city program that will start in September. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) On-street dining was such a success in downtown Salem during the pandemic that the city is…
Free transit, functioning call centers could have saved lives during heat wave, state says
Paul Smith, right, watches a movie while cooling off at the cooling center at Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency on Saturday, June 26, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) As Salem is predicted to see more triple digits temperatures, the Oregon Office…
St. Francis Shelter can now help renters facing eviction thanks to city grant
Some Salem renters got a notice on their door advising them the eviction moratorium came to an end on June 30, 2021. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) St. Francis Shelter kept getting calls from people needing help paying their rent as a…
Union Street to close for Salem Saturday Market
Matt and Lisa Caswell, of Salem, take advantage of the nice weather to get out of the house and ride their bikes over the Union Street Railroad Bridge on Thursday, April 9. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) In two weeks, people will…