Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
Salem’s largest homeless shelter plans to open by summer
Construction on the Union Gospel Mission men’s shelter is close to completion with a goal of opening in late June. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Soon to be the largest homeless shelter in Salem, Union Gospel Mission’s new men’s mission is nearing…
Demand is high for rent help as service agency prepares to hand out second round of funding
The sign at The ARCHES Project. (Anthony McGuire/Special to Salem Reporter) Nearly 2,000 Salem-area families are vying for help to pay rent as the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency prepares for another round of aid to those impacted by the…
Salem art gallery hosts erotic art for the month of February
“Choke” by Alycia Helbling is one of the pieces on display at Salem on the Edge for an erotic art exhibit in February 2021. (Courtesy/ Melanie Weston) When Melanie Weston opened her art gallery Salem on the Edge in downtown…
Hallie Ford Museum explores Great Depression through virtual exhibit
“The Market” by Virginia Darce, one of the paintings on display in the Hallie Ford Museum of Art until March 27. (Courtesy/ Hallie Ford Museum) As America grapples with a pandemic-induced downturn, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art is looking…
PHOTOS: Salem fairgrounds welcomes unsheltered to temporary campground
Church at the Park is running a managed camp at the Oregon State Fairgrounds starting Feb. 1. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Church at the Park welcomed people to a temporary campground at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion Monday. About 100 people…
Salem fairgrounds welcomes unsheltered to temporary campground
Elizabeth Freske stands outside her tent on Feb. 1 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Cindy Perry-Rizzo was putting away her coloring books and tidying up around her tent as she settled in to her new, temporary…
After more than a decade telling people how to throw away less, county coordinator retires
Alan Pennington, left, and Bailey Payne, right, at an Earth Day event. (Courtesy/ Bailey Payne) Years before Alan Pennington became a waste reduction coordinator, he wondered why anyone would want to become a master recycler. “I just laughed, and I…
Hoping to build a missing link, Salem applies for funding for Pringle Creek crossings
Salem is hoping to build crossings underneath Commercial Street and the railroad across Pringle Creek. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Salem is hoping to get funding for a “short but critical” bridge that will connect Riverfront Park to parts of Salem across…
As homeless crisis becomes increasingly visible in Salem, volunteers head into the snow for annual count
Rachel Miller, left, and Matt Herbert, right, survey people for the annual point in time count. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Snow started to fall as outreach workers trudged through the mud next to the Market Street overpass, handing out sandwiches to…
WATCHDOG: Salem board set up to review police complaints hasn’t seen one in 5 years
A screengrab from Salem’s Community Police Review Board at its Jan. 12 meeting. A Salem advisory board set up to handle citizen complaints against police hasn’t considered a case in more than five years. The city Community Police Review Board…