Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
HEAT WAVE: Here’s where you can stay cool in the deadly heat this weekend
A list of Salem-area cooling centers published by ARCHES. As a heat wave rolls through Salem this weekend, it’s important to stay hydrated, cool and out of the sun. People can visit one of the city’s splash pads or jump…
PHOTOS: Historic photo contest winners showcase Salem history
Rebekah Whillhite’s photo “Blue Ribbon” which won in the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission annual photo contest. (Courtesy/ Salem Historic Landmarks Commission) Rebekah Whillhite was getting her vaccine at the Oregon State Fairgrounds when inspiration struck. She was trying to figure…
As owners prepare to sell beloved Willamette riverboat, they say it was all about making memories
Barbara and Richard Chesbrough pose for a photo inside the Willamette Queen on June 15, 2021. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Richard Chesbrough likes to tell people he’s the only person you’ve ever met who’s married 350 women. And he’s got the…
Marion County budget by the numbers: what the commissioners are doing with your money
Marion County Courthouse. (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) The Marion County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday to consider adopting the county’s annual budget, this year with the largest year-over-year increase in recent history. The county has gotten an influx of…
PHOTOS: Make Music Day Salem marks a return to normalcy and the start of summer
RiverCity Rebels perform at the Wooly Bully Stage at the Willamette Heritage Center during Make Music Day in Salem. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) It’s been a rare sight to see huddles of people gathered maskless since the pandemic upended lives last…
Body cameras for police included in upcoming city budget
Salem police officers will start wearing body cameras if the Salem City Council approves funding for a program on June 28. (Amanda Loman/ Salem Reporter) The city of Salem is moving forward with equipping police officers with body worn cameras…
By next spring, Salem’s own minor league basketball team will take to the court
Jason Conrad, co-owner of the new minor league basketball team coming to Salem, the Salem Capitals. (Courtesy/Jason Conrad) Salem sports fans will soon have a new team to root for. By next spring, a minor league basketball team called the…
With federal cash in hand, city of Salem’s budget seeks to address homelessness
A row of pallet shelters under construction on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Salem plans to use a quarter of its $32.9 million share of federal Covid relief funds to address its persistent homelessness crisis. On June 28,…
Fuerza Campesina forms to help underhoused farmworkers
The sign at The ARCHES Project. (Anthony McGuire/Special to Salem Reporter) In the past year, the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency handed out millions to those struggling to pay rent during the pandemic. More than half of those who received…
Salem protester who has permanent vision loss from last summer’s protests has herself to blame, city says in court filings
Demonstrators gather outside the state Capitol on Sunday, May 31, 2020 to protest police violence. The protests in Salem were among those that occurred across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died…