Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
SOLUTIONS: As Salem grapples with police oversight, another Oregon city may provide a blueprint for reform
A screengrab from Salem’s Community Police Review Board at its Jan. 12 meeting. As Salem considers the efficacy of its police review board, one solution may lie an hour’s drive south. Racial justice protests last summer sparked a renewed public…
This northeast neighborhood says it has the worst sidewalks in Salem
John Shilts points out damage to his driveway on Pearl Street Northeast on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) John Shilts has taken to using his Pearl Street driveway as a patio for the last two years, because when…
Library patrons rejoice. Salem City Council approves free parking for the library.
The Salem Public Library opened its Broadway location on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) One of the biggest gripes of Salem’s bibliophiles was addressed Monday evening when the Salem City Council unanimously voted to allow three hours of…
Hot potato: How a Salem woman came up with an idea to keep unsheltered people warm and full
From left, Donna Barcus, Hailyn Ayers, Mariah Butts and Aaliyah Tucker at the Fairgrounds Pavilion making Valentine’s Day bags with flowers for unsheltered women. (Courtesy/ Lisa Letney) When high water flooded Wallace Marine Park and Cascades Gateway Park this winter,…
Calls to community resource line show how the pandemic has fallen unevenly on women in Marion County
Volunteer Yoni Giron takes a load of food boxes to his car at the Marion County food pantry on Friday, April 10. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Women, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, are the main driver behind calls…
On a mission to “seek and save the lost,” Bruce Donohue ventures into homeless encampments he once inhabited
Bruce Donohue fills up a coffee cup for those living on the street or in camps. (Courtesy/Union Gospel Mission) When Bruce Donohue hits the streets of Salem, he keeps a passage of scripture in mind. In Luke 19:10, Jesus described…
“You can do more damage than the storm.” Foresters urge caution when assessing tree damage
Downed trees at Wallace Marine Park on Feb. 15, 2021. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) As Salem residents look to repair damaged trees on their property, Oregon State University’s extension office and the Oregon Department of Forestry have some advice. The extension…
As the lights went out, Salem adapted with camp stoves and candles
Krysta Holman and her boyfriend Jayson Alderman pose for a portrait. The couple were inside their three-person tent at Wallace Marine Park on Feb. 12 when a branch fell onto the tent from a severe storm. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Krysta…
As Oregon lawmakers consider reforms to mandatory prison terms, prosecutors push back against proposed changes
Marion County Courthouse. As Oregon legislators consider scaling back a tough-on-crime law passed in 1994, the Oregon District Attorneys Association hopes to rally the public against the changes. Passed by voters during a crime wave in the 1990s, Measure 11…
“She just had a big heart, a heart of gold.” Colleagues and family remember bus driver killed in crash
Rachel Bunting died in a car crash on Feb. 4. She is remembered for her kind heart. (Courtesy/ Carl Bunting) Shortly after 8 p.m., Rachel Bunting was just eight minutes away from being done with her shift on Feb. 4…