By Saphara Harrell and Rachel Alexander- Salem Reporter
What Salem’s legislators want from the 2022 session
Oregon Capitol Rotunda (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Salem, you may have some new faces representing you in the state legislature this year. With several retirements and resignations over the past year, and the expulsion of Rep. Mike Nearman, Marion and Polk…
Oregon health officials urge boosters, say Omicron surge will see thousands hospitalized by February
A nurse cares for a Covid patient in the intensive care unit at Salem Hospital on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) State health officials warned Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is expected to put thousands of…
An uptick in shootings prompts police response, calls for more neighborhood investment
Investigators from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office process the scene of a shooting in the Four Corners area of southeast Salem on March 24, 2021 (Courtesy/Marion County Sheriff’s Office) Levi Herrera-Lopez lives just a block from the southeast Salem elementary…
SPECIAL REPORT: Ten people were assaulted during August protests at the Capitol – police have yet to arrest
Tyrone Jones was assaulted at the Oregon State Capitol in August and continues to feel pain from his injuries. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) As the summer rally in front of the Capitol steps turned volatile, Tyrone Jones moved to get his 24-year-old son out of harm’s way. Before he could, a man swung…
Local prosecutors and treatment providers aren’t sure how Oregon’s new approach to minor drug cases will play out
Tim Murphy, CEO of Bridgeway Recovery Services, points out photos of several of the organization’s facilities on Wednesday, April 22. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Prosecutors and police in Marion and Polk counties have just two months to change how they handle…
The latest on the Santiam Canyon wildfires: Who’s evacuating, where to get help
Evacuees walk back to their vehicles at the Oregon State Fairgrounds on Sept. 8 (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Current evacuation information No part of Salem is under an evacuation order, and city officials said city water remains safe to drink. Current…
Food processing and long-term care facilities driving Salem-area Covid outbreaks
The Marion County Health and Human Services headquarters in Salem (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Long-term care facilities and food processing plants continue to drive known Covid outbreaks in the Salem area, according to the Oregon Health Authority’s latest report. Marion County…
With highest COVID-19 rate in the state, Marion County wants to start reopening businesses
Center 50+, a city-run senior center, closed on Monday, March 16 . (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Marion County says it is ready to start lifting restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the county’s plan, released Wednesday, will face…
CHECK OUT: Holiday shopping, choral concert or a comedy show about gender
(Anna CK Smith/Salem Reporter) There’s only one week until Thanksgiving. Wednesday Colorado singer-songwriter Daniel Rodriguez will ply melodic hooks alongside poetic and contemplative folk songs at The Governor’s Cup Wednesday night. The show starts at 6 p.m. 471 Court St…
PHOTOS: Halloween night
Residents in the historic Fairmount neighborhood had a parade on Thursday night. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) There was a lot of fun to be had on Halloween night in Salem. Residents in the Fairmount neighborhood had a parade, while students at…